Sober living houses are drug and alcohol-free residential environments for those in various stages of substance abuse recovery. Upon completion of an initial addiction treatment program, these living environments are highly recommended as learned coping skills to reject triggers remain underdeveloped at this vulnerable time.
While sober living homes are effective in maintaining sobriety and facilitating lifelong abstinence, these environments are designed to be transitional, meaning they are intermediaries between addiction treatment and independent living. Professional addiction treatment within a certified program is a necessary first step in order to reap the many benefits of adhering to the tiered recovery structure.
Importance of Completing Treatment Before Sober Living
Before entering a sober living home, it is essential to have successfully completed an addiction treatment program. These programs prepare the individual so that they may reject cravings and triggers, recognize the true source of their addiction, repair damaged relationships, and rebuild self-trust. Entering a sober living environment without the proper development of these core components significantly decreases the likelihood of maintaining sobriety once in the home.
As stated by the American Addiction Centers, addiction has both psychological and physical factors to consider, and both should be managed during treatment to foster a recovery with fewer and less significant episodes of relapse. Additionally, the length of time in treatment is directly correlated to continued abstinence and recovery, with those who are able to stay in treatment for longer being more likely to avoid relapse down the line.
In addition to preparing individuals for this transition into semi-independent living, professional addiction treatment also offers two distinct services that are critical to achieving successful recovery. These services are the clinical treatment of co-occurring disorders and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately 1 in 4 individuals with a severe mental illness also have a substance use disorder. Treating a substance addiction is futile if the underlying mental disorder is not also properly treated, and vice versa. Disorders such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common sources of addiction that need equal attention. Within a professional treatment facility, a supervising clinician is able to
conduct various behavioral therapies and manage medication to treat co-occurring disorders, making long-lasting sobriety more attainable.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This immersive talk therapy assists in developing the skills needed to identify and rectify dangerous behaviors and thought patterns. An important element of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the practice of anticipating problems and strengthening control over impulses. Research conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that the skills individuals learn through CBT remain after the completion of treatment. This talk therapy is highly adaptable as it can be conducted in an individual setting or grow to include fellow addiction treatment peers or family members, depending on the situation.
Benefits of Sober Living Homes after Treatment
Once addiction treatment has been successfully completed, transitioning into a sober living home, or recovery halfway house, is highly advised. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse rates for drug addiction are high, between 40 and 60 percent, and sober living homes help to prevent and minimize relapse with continual peer support and the encouragement to attend sobriety meetings regularly.
Sober living homes nurture a sense of community and accountability among its members while successfully minimizing external triggers. These transitional housing environments prepare individuals for independent living by facilitating gradual exposure to the outside world. If an individual were to graduate from a treatment program and instantly return to their ordinary, day-to-day life, triggers and temptations would seem overwhelming.
By offering gradual exposure, relationships based on mutual accountability, and structure, sober living homes increase the likelihood of maintained sobriety significantly. In a study conducted by the California Pacific Medical Center, 245 individuals who entered a sober living house remained abstinent between their date of entry to 18 months.
Trust the Experts
Sober living homes are effective in maintaining sobriety and facilitating lifelong abstinence; however, completing professional addiction treatment is a necessary first step.
The founders of Asheville Recovery Center, as well as many of their addiction therapists, have struggled with addiction and now enjoy life in recovery. They understand the struggles of addiction and how difficult it is to overcome alone. Having developed a unique, hybrid model of treatment which combines a traditional 12-step program with holistic rehabilitation, Asheville Recovery Center offers superior addiction treatment services within the region.
Upon successful completion of treatment, Rise Recovery welcomes individuals as new members and facilitates integration into the home. Similar to the specialists at Asheville Recovery Center, the experts at Rise Recovery have struggled with addiction in the past and have since successfully forged a brotherhood among the experienced staff and members.
If you or a loved one has completed an addiction treatment program and is searching for a transitional sober living house, contact the professionals at Rise Recovery today at (828)484-6659 and take the next step towards independent living.