After completing a long-term drug or alcohol addiction program, you should enter a sober living home to begin the process of returning to a normal life. You might think that remaining sober is easy after rehabilitation, but most addicts spend a lifetime resisting a return to substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol change the mind and body, leading to cravings for chemicals rather than living a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the things that will happen while you are changing to a life of sobriety.
Thing 1: You Will Think Clearly
As you enter a sober lifestyle, you will have better-thinking skills because you aren’t focused on taking a drug or drinking alcohol. This means that you will have better judgment about certain situations, making it easier to reduce the risks of substance abuse. If you feel as if a relapse is possible, then you will have the mental tools to seek help.
Thing 2: Access to Counselors
When you are staying in a sober living home, you have access to counselors when you are tempted by alcohol and drugs. A sober living environment allows you to go to work or school, but you will meet people who will tempt you with illegal substances. Resisting these offers of alcohol or drugs isn’t easy, but when you have a counselor to help you right away, you can avoid a relapse.
Thing 3: Meeting Helpful Housemates
The individuals living with you in a sober house are also overcoming addictions, and they can help you with the process of avoiding a relapse. Your helpful housemates can also offer advice concerning finding a job or returning to school. If you are new to the neighborhood, then your housemates can teach you about using public transportation in the area.
Thing 4: Daily Meetings to Prevent a Relapse
When you are in a sober living home, you should attend the daily 12-step meetings that are available. Most sober living environments have a requirement that you must attend these meetings because it is necessary to prevent a relapse. This is a lifelong habit that you must develop to keep you on the right track toward sobriety.
Thing 5: Learning Daily Living Skills
If you were an addict, then you may not have learned the appropriate daily living skills such as keeping your home clean, preparing meals or washing clothing. In a sober living home, you will learn these skills in addition to making a financial budget and planning for the rest of your life.
Thing 6: Giving You More Confidence
You may need to improve your self-esteem while you continue to recover from an addiction. When you are addicted, you can lose your friends and family because you made bad choices. During your rehabilitation, you may realize that your behavior destroyed important relationships, leading to feeling bad about yourself.
Thing 7: Transitioning to a New Neighborhood
If the neighborhood that you lived in previously was known for its drug trafficking and local bars, then you shouldn’t return there. A halfway house or sober living home will give you a new place to live, and you can choose a place that is hundreds of miles away from your old home.
Thing 8: Helping You to Find a Job or Return to School
When you are living in a halfway house or sober living environment, you are expected to find a job or return to school. The counselors at the sober living home can help you create a resume or complete job applications, but they can also assist with the process of returning to school. When you are doing these things, it helps to keep your mind away from using illegal substances.
Thing 9: Help with Co-occurring Conditions
If you have a co-occurring mental health condition such as post-traumatic stress, depression or anxiety, then you need to take prescription medications for these problems. Without effective treatment, you risk returning to substance abuse as a coping mechanism.
Looking for a Sober Living Home
When you want to live in a sober living home, there are hundreds to choose from, and you can find places that have certain benefits such as offering gender-specific treatment or help for particular age groups.
