Your time in residential treatment is spent creating a new life for yourself, so it’s vital that you move forward in a way that aligns with your new sober mindset. Going straight from the residential treatment environment into “the real world” can be a jarring experience. You’ve made changes during treatment, but your home life may have stayed the same. The same stressors you used to face–perhaps the stressors that drove you to use substances–could still be there.
Sober living houses, also known as halfway houses, are designed for people who have completed intensive residential treatment and want to transition into a similarly supportive, structured environment before entirely being on their own. Research has found that sober living homes help people maintain and bolster their sobriety, and it could be a smart next step for you or someone you love.
A Real Plan for Life After Treatment
Achieving sobriety is half the battle. Once you’ve achieved it, you have to maintain it. Even though you’ve made strides in residential treatment, you may not feel 100% confident being on your own. Sober living is a smart choice that ensures you will continue to progress in recovery and keep your sobriety intact.
A lack of a stable, supportive, substance-free living environment can be a major obstacle in maintaining abstinence, so take an honest look at your living environment before you entered treatment. If your home life before treatment was full of conflict, stress and substances, going right back to that environment threatens to undo the progress you’ve made.
By transitioning directly into sober living, you give yourself the opportunity to move at a more gradual, healthier pace as you continue to learn and grow in your sobriety while being surrounded by other residents who understand exactly what you’re experiencing because they’re experiencing it too.
Learning by Living
In residential treatment, you learn how to be more independent, responsible and accountable, and sober living is a place where you can put these skills into action. Sober living varies in structure, but it isn’t nearly as restrictive as residential treatment.
For instance, Segue Recovery Support offers three levels of sober living residences with different levels of structure. Residents have free time to go to work, school or volunteer, but there are still expectations to be met and standards to uphold that ensure accountability.
Other benefits of sober living homes include:
- A safe, substance-free environment free from temptation.
- A supportive network of sober peers.
- The elimination of stressors and triggers.
- Household chores and tasks.
- 12-step meeting attendance.
- Routine drug and alcohol testing.
- Activities that build fellowship, such as group meals and outings.
If you or your loved one is transitioning out of residential treatment, Segue Recovery Support is a safe next step. With 12 months of aftercare monitoring and case management, plus three gender-specific, company-owned and operated recovery residences in Central Austin, TX, we offer the curriculum and expertise to help you maintain your recovery goals and continue improving in a positive, nurturing environment. Contact a Segue Recovery Specialist at 1-833-485-0789 for more information.