It’s hard to overcome drug addiction. Regardless of the exact nature of your addiction – the emotional factors, the physical dependence and withdrawal, the lack of support or constant temptations – everyone who struggles to stay clean struggles for a reason. It’s one of those things that can’t really be compared. Everyone has their own challenges to overcome – and as such, a single unified treatment is nearly impossible. That’s when a Houston sober living community can come in handy.
Drug addiction treatment is all about matching someone to the best fitting treatment model. It’s not so much that therapists are looking for a perfect fit – they’re looking for the best fit. Perfect isn’t how life works, and it’s the same in addiction treatment.
Talk therapy like CBT and DBT, group therapies, art therapy and medications are just a few of the many possible tools used by mental health experts and treatment facility coordinators in the treatment of drug addiction. But sometimes, therapy isn’t quite enough. Drug addiction can change the way we think and feel, and it can affect our perception for quite some time. As it takes a while for the brain to readjust and repair after an addiction, cravings can last for weeks and months.
Therefore treatment options like a Houston sober living community have seen a lot of success. “Rewiring the brain”, so to speak, is a challenge. But with living environments that simulate the responsibilities of real life without any of the temptations, patients can more easily confront their cravings, overcome them, and move on to living healthy lives.
What a Houston Sober Living Community Means
A Houston sober living community is an apartment, home or communal property of some other kind maintained and used for tenants who want to stay sober. It’s typically advised as a post-rehab alternative to jumping straight into living “in the real world” or to replace other outpatient programs.
Rules at a Houston sober living community change from one community to the next, but typically there are a few ground rules that never change.
The biggest and most important rule is that sobriety is paramount in a Houston sober living community. This means that, no matter what, drugs and alcohol are not allowed on the premises. Some places go so far as to ban any products that are commonly used as alcohol alternatives, such as mouthwash, or even bath soap. They will also have unscheduled drug tests to determine whether the rules were broken, and to uncover the possibility of drug use at the facility.
There are also strict visitation rules in place, to prevent any behavior that might enable drug use. This means no sleepovers, and curfews. These curfews are also meant to help people struggling with sleeping cycles and concrete schedules get used to going to bed and waking up at consistent times.
On top of sleeping right, many Houston sober living communities put an emphasis on eating right, moving often, and finding work. Most Houston sober living communities make it mandatory to look for a job, keep a job, or go to school.
Sober communities aren’t just glorified prisons. They’re communities with systems in place to help people stay strict with themselves – but they also put an emphasis on activities that help tenants bond with one another, find common interests, and work on themselves in their free time.
A Houston sober living community doesn’t just stay in one place – they often plan events, frequently outdoors, to foster new interests and ignite a passion for old hobbies. Interests and hobbies are important for drug recovery – they provide an emotional and creative outlet, and help people measure their own post-addiction progress through their measured progress in other skills.
Why People Choose Houston Sober Living Communities
Life is tough – even the day-by-day can take a while to get used to straight out of the rehab environment. A Houston sober living community or home tries to emulate the responsibilities and necessities of life as closely as possible, while still providing a safe environment that offers therapy, and takes away temptations in stressful times.
Through men and women’s Houston sober living communities, people can learn to cope and master life outside of rehab, completely drug-free.
Recovery Goes On
Ultimately, frequency and consistency will never stop being important in long-term recovery. If you want to stay sober, then discipline is necessary. Of course, ideally, you’re never alone in this: friends, family, loved ones, no matter who you have on your side, if they believe in your ability to recover and support you when things get tough, you should have the motivation and inspiration to stay clean.
Life has a bit of habit of throwing curveballs at you; curveballs that will test you in every way. While Houston sober living communities can help you get used to living without drugs, and even teach you how to enjoy a sober life, nothing can really prepare you for days when it feels like your world is falling apart. From divorce, to death and injury, it’s these problems that pose the biggest risk to years and years of recovery being interrupted with a relapse.
This is where the support networks of Houston sober living communities and other walks of life become central to your ability to remain strong and stay clean. No matter how bad things get, there’s always a way back to normalcy, a way back to happiness and a good life. It’s never easy, but every tragedy has an end, and a new beginning afterwards.