3 Benefits Of Sober Living | Common Ground Recovery Housing
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If you've recently completed a residential treatment program, you may have been recommended to attend a sober living facility or halfway house. A structured, sober environment can have huge benefits on your recovery journey and your ability to stay sober long-term.
If you're deciding whether or not to give sober living a try, here are some benefits to consider:
- Ongoing recovery support.
It's hard work getting and staying sober. So it's likely that after you've finished a high-intensity residential treatment program, you could still benefit from the support of counselors and sober peers – both offered in a sober living environment. In fact, many sober living establishments and halfway houses are actually called low- and medium-intensity residential treatment centers. If you're wondering what that means, it simply means there are required offerings similar to a residential treatment program. These kinds of sober living homes continue to provide individual counseling, group therapy and other recovery support services that allow people to step-down from 24/7 treatment and into the community with a toolkit of recovery skills.
- Structured living.
Perhaps one of the primary benefits of sober living is the ability to continue your recovery in a structured environment. Free, idle time isn't always helpful in the early days of recovery. So when you're not working, going to school, or attending outpatient treatment or recovery meetings, the ability to come home to a structured environment with chores, groups and support can be very helpful. Plus, this kind of structure can help you decide what structure to create for yourself when you transition to live on your own.
- Time to transition.
Remember, recovery isn't in a hurry – so don't rush it. Enjoy and trust the process, even if it means you have a few steps left on your treatment journey before you're back on your own. Look at your time in sober living as a gift: the gift of friendship, community, encouragement and support – the kind that will last far beyond your sober living experience.
As you look to sober living as your next step in recovery, remember the many benefits it can have on your long-term recovery and new, sober lifestyle. Plus, there are more benefits beyond these three examples…like friendship, accountability, and the gift of more time immersed in recovery.
So, how has sober living helped you in recovery?