Have you ever considered what it would be like to leave treatment and go straight back into the life you were living? Would you be prepared? Would you know how to handle everything you encounter?
Finding yourself back in the real world is scary. This feeling is multiplied even more if you are not prepared and equipped for it. But, to live in recovery, you have to get back to your life, right? How do you do that?
The safest way to re-enter society is to obtain the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to successfully navigate the world. And you can learn these in sober living.
Sober Living Teaches You as You Live It
When you finish treatment, you can step back into reality and face it with jittery teeth and weak knees, or you can move into a sober living facility. Choosing the latter gives you an opportunity to continue learning the recovery tools you will need in life.
While living in a sober home, you will have guidance to teach you the necessary daily living skills you will need.
You will get home with finding employment or getting back into school. You will learn coping skills to help you with the things you may face once you leave.
In other words, you are not sent out into the world, newly recovered, and expected to stand on your own two feet.
As you experience it, your counselors and facilitators in the sober home are there to guide you along the way. This will only make you stronger as you move forward.
Sober Living Helps You Stay Connected
Once you leave your treatment facility, you may find that you feel cut off from those around you.
There is no transition between having guidance and having nothing. Boom. You are left to face reality alone – and hope that you have all the tools you need.
And, even if you feel strong and independent, you will still encounter rough patches – and you will, at some point, need someone to turn to.
The friends you had before treatment and your old habits are staring you down. What do you do? Where do you turn? You were taught that to succeed, you need to change your friends and find alternatives to your old hang out places and habits. But, how do you do that?
In order to be successful in recovery, you need to be ready for it. And staying connected with those who can guide you is the best way to do so.
Knowing you need to do something and having the strength and ability to do it are two different things.
This is what a sober living home can provide. Transitioning needs to take place in small, guided steps in order to have the greatest chance at a successful recovery. Life is too precious to find yourself isolated.
Sober Living Provides a Safe Place
Having a safe place that you can turn to when you start to stumble is important in recovery. As you venture out into the world and try to find your sober-way of life, you are going to encounter hurdles and speed bumps.
If you choose to live in a sober living home for a while, then you are giving yourself a safe place to retreat when those struggles occur.
Facilitators and counselors are there to keep you on the right track and help you make the best decisions you can – all in the safety of a sober home.
Sober Living is Added Protection
Have you ever bought a car and inquired about the warranty that came with it? You don’t want to pull out of the car dealership and have the car break down – and just watch the salesman smile and wave.
You want to be assured that should something happen to that car, it will be fixed. If you spend the money to purchase it, you should get some sort if warranty.
A sober living home is the warranty to your treatment.
It is no guarantee, of course, but it can help you should you start to struggle after treatment.
You will have someone there to help guide you and keep you focused as you begin to venture out and get back to living.
Sober Living can Lead to Your Greatest Chance of Recovery Success
Living life – and living a sober life – can have two different meanings.
As you learn, you will see that there are ways that you will have to choose to live to give yourself the best chance for a successful recovery. Choosing to move into a sober living home is one of those choices.
Your sober life will force you to face situations such as:
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- Attending concerts where alcohol will be present
- Joining in holiday celebrations where you may encounter alcohol
- Making new friends (do you explain your past or your sober goal?)
- Handling the stresses of work (or finding employment)
- Discovering new hobbies and activities to keep you busy
- Building a support system outside of the sober home for your future
- Create new habits and new routines that will lead you to success
- Learn daily living techniques that will reduce your stress and lessen life’s burden
You have the choice to face these things on your own or to face them with the guidance of professionals – and others who are going through the same things as you. Knowing that you have a safe place to land when you face temptation or encounter a struggle, can be all the encouragement you need to stay on the right track and make the right decisions.
Just as with anything, having the right tools to put something back together can make it flow properly and smoothly.
Having the right tools to put your life back together can lead you to a successful recovery.
Sober living homes can give you the right recovery tools to build your new, sober life. Take this important step.
Dr. Deena is the Chief Clinical Officer of Westwind Recovery®, an award-winning outpatient treatment center in Los Angeles where she oversees the clinical and administrative program and treatment methods. Dr. Deena is a doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker since 1993. LCSW #20628. Originally from the East Coast, Dr. Deena has worked running treatment centers, worked as a therapist in psychiatric hospitals as well as school settings and currently has a thriving private practice in the LA area. Dr. Deena has appeared regularly on the Dr. Phil Show as an expert since 2003. She has also been featured on many other TV shows, podcasts and has contributed to written publications as well as podcasts.
