What Is a Sober Living House?

In some cases, sober living homes will contract with licensed drug rehabilitation centers and therapists as a means for providing an even greater level of care. These types of sober livings do tend to charge higher fees, however, they are often able to provide a very affordable alternative to what would otherwise constitute high-priced inpatient treatment. 12-step meetings and in-house meetings are where residents learn about how other people have faced their addiction and maintained sobriety.

Residents’ insurance may, however, help cover addiction treatments – like therapy. Residents aren’t bound to the sober living home’s campus and can come and go as they please. This allows individuals in recovery to feel like they are easing back into normal life and can start going back to their daily tasks and responsibilities. Although sober living homes are less restrictive than inpatient facilities, they still have rules that residents must abide by, including curfews and group meeting attendance. These are residential facilities that provide structure and support for those healing from addiction. They are designed to be a transitional space from residential treatment to mainstream society.

Sober Living Houses vs. Rehab Centers and Halfway Houses

ORS does not have any type of Residents Council, but house managers meet regularly with the executive director and have input into operation of the SLHs in during these contacts. Sober living homes are places where people in recovery can live for a while, typically after an inpatient treatment program. The hope is that with a period of extra support at a substance abuse halfway house or other sober living home, residents will learn the skills to be self-sufficient and maintain sobriety on their own. For one, residents of halfway houses must have completed or be in a formal rehab program before they can move in. Furthermore, residents can only live in a halfway house for a specified period, after which they must leave.

• After some period of time, usually several months, residents are required to move out whether or not they feel ready for independent living.
• A substance abuse halfway house, transitional housing, recovery housing, and many more near synonyms come to mind.
• Those who live in these houses rent rooms indefinitely and live a life in accordance with their responsibilities, like work and school.

The basic idea is that you shouldn’t try to get out of treatment as quickly as you can; you’re not going to see those positive outcomes if you don’t stay in treatment long enough for your specific needs. For those who decide to spend some time in a substance abuse halfway house, there will be plenty of benefits. Addiction is a complex issue, and recovery is a continuous commitment.

The Challenges of Sober Living Houses

Those recovering from drug or alcohol abuse can experience many stressors and triggers in their daily lives that can potentially lead to relapse. Skills learned during treatment as well as living in an environment free from drugs and alcohol can help contribute to maintaining sobriety. Frequently, sober living homes, rehabs, and halfway houses are mistakenly considered as the same thing. While each plays a vital role in a person’s recovery process, they differ in several ways. Returning home after undergoing intensive treatment can seem daunting, especially if you have an unstable home environment. Try not to be too hard on yourself and understand that it’s okay to feel worried.

For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Community in a Sober House

In the late 1940s, some AA members decided to fill this pressing need by acquiring low-cost housing that required strict sobriety and encouraged residents to attend AA meetings. These became the first sober houses in California – some of which are still operating today. The most important thing I can do in my life is remain clean and sober to be a testament that recovery is possible.

They also emphasize the advantages reported by the residents of being members of AA. They also suggest we need to know more about “vicarious relapse,” which can be traumatic to others as well as the person who has sober house relapsed. In their paper on sober living houses, Jennifer David and Jake Berman point out that it’s only relatively recently that researchers have begun to accumulate evidence on the efficacy of such residences.

Addiction is a disease, we have addiction medicine that saves lives.

Sober homes provide an excellent bridge between rehab programs and traditional society. However, residents aren’t required to have participated in rehab before living in most sober homes. The residents of halfway houses are typically court-mandated to live there, and the facilities are therefore run by the state.

For right now, just know that if any of this sounds appealing, look into it. If you’re interested in a substance abuse halfway house, you should ask the professionals working with you about them. They’ll be able to give you the best recommendations because of their familiarity with your specific circumstances.