What is Sober Living Homes? Understanding Recovery Support?

Although halfway houses share a lot in common with sober-living homes, there are a few key differences that set them apart. By Julia Childs Heyl, MSWJulia Childs Heyl, MSW, is a clinical social worker and writer. As a writer, she focuses on mental health disparities and uses critical race theory as her preferred theoretical framework. In her clinical work, she specializes in treating people of color experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma through depth therapy and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) trauma therapy. Sober living homes are not just about providing a roof over your head; they foster a sense of belonging and mutual support.

What Are Sober Living Houses?

Many of these homes are trauma-informed sober living and will accommodate their services to your circumstances. While recovery is unique for every woman, they also face common challenges that can only be addressed by a gender-specific program. You can also look into Oxford Houses, which provide all recovering users the opportunity to develop comfortable sobriety without relapse. Getting support doesn’t have to mean going to rehab, although that is an option. One 2020 study found potential benefits of combining in-person and online support methods.

Services and Facilities

• Detox can occur in a hospital setting or as the first part of inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation.
• Physical sobriety is often the initial step, providing individuals with the clarity and stability needed to work on emotional sobriety.
• Admissions navigators are available 24/7 at these treatment centers and all AAC facilities to answer any questions about sober living, verifying insurance benefits, or other addiction recovery needs.

Here, you’re surrounded by individuals who understand the challenges of addiction recovery firsthand. This peer support system encourages open dialogue, sharing of experiences, and mutual encouragement, creating a network of support that’s invaluable during recovery. Understanding the benefits and structure of sober living homes can be a key factor in determining if this type of environment is suitable for your journey to long-term sobriety.

The Role of Sober Living Homes in Recovery

The second phase allows for more personal autonomy and increased responsibility for one’s recovery. All residents, regardless of phase, are required to be active in 12-step recovery programs, abide by basic house rules, and abstain from alcohol and drugs. A “Resident Congress” consisting of current residents and alumni helps enforce house rules and provides input into the management of the houses. Although the owner/operator of the houses is ultimately responsible, she/he defers to the Residents Congress as much as possible to maintain a peer oriented approach to recovery.

Clean and Sober Transitional Living (CSTL)

One study into people being treated for heroin addiction showed a considerable risk of death from overdose in the month following treatment. This indicates the need for greater health education of drug users and the implementation of relapse and overdose death prevention programs. Sober living houses can assist in educating drug users and reducing the chance of relapse. One study into Oxford House recovery homes found that they reduce relapse by providing closer monitoring and referring additional services to  residents with a history of severe addiction.

How do Sober Living Homes Differ from Inpatient Rehab?

One study of 330 residents at 49 sober living homes in California found that residents had increased odds of total abstinence and employment. The same research also identified operational characteristics that improved the success rate of sober houses. This included the facility’s location and whether residents must be sober for at least 30 days before admittance.

What does Inpatient Rehab Provide?

• A tailored aftercare plan paired with a relapse prevention plan can help you stay away from triggers.
• It represents a crucial evolution from being physically sober by shifting the focus from abstaining from substances to actively addressing emotional issues.
• Halfway houses can be government funded or run by private organizations that receive government grants.
• If you’re having a hard time adjusting to a sober life, reach out to a mental health professional who specializes in addiction and substance use.
• These homes aren’t just spaces where individuals reside during recovery; they’re environments meticulously designed to foster sobriety and personal growth.

While inpatient facilities and rehab are very good at treating the physical addiction, many people find themselves reverting to their old habits the minute they become stressed by every day tasks. While the term sober living is used to define those who are living in a sober house, it does little to elaborate on what happens in a sober living facility. Those who decide to live at a sober living facility can expect to be in a house or complex filled with other individuals who are on their last steps of recovery from substance abuse or alcoholism.

Sober Living Houses

Phase I lasts 30 to 90 days and is designed to provide some limits and structure for new residents. Residents must agree to abide by a curfew and attend at 12-step meetings five times per week. The purpose of these requirements is to help residents successfully transition into the facility, adapt to the SLH environment, and develop a stable recovery program.