Many who struggle with addiction come to realize that the social environment that they have been operating in is far from ideal. While you may care about the people you interact with everyday, you can also become aware of the fact that they are simply too consumed with themselves – and with getting drunk or high – to offer you any real solutions. Their own addictions will be getting in the way of their offering you true friendship, and the addiction can become the only thing that you have in common.
For those who choose to leave the environment of drug and alcohol use, there is often nowhere to go, other than back to where the addiction started. Returning to the environment where your own addiction started can be difficult, as there are often many of the same factors present which existed before you became addicted. Family strife, financial stress, and your own physical cravings can all get in the way of your accomplishments toward living a life of sobriety.
This is where a sober living community comes in. A sober living community is a place where you can get away from the constant influence of others using – and offering – substances, as well as take a break from the stresses that may exist back at home. The community provides you with a safe, peaceful, and empowering environment.
Knowledgeable Staff
A primary benefit of a solid sober living community is that of available expertise. Staff are specially trained and credentialed in matters of substance abuse and sobriety, and are able to provide you with empathy and insight into your unique situation. You will not be seeking answers on your own, as you will be assisted with the knowledge on how to most effectively develop your skills toward becoming the true, and best, version of yourself.
The staff at a sober living community will be able to customize and personalize your experience. They will be trained in the dynamics of effective curriculum and responses toward various scenarios. They will understand your struggles, and will be knowledgeable in how to best support you during the stages of your recovery. Their understanding will provide a catalyst for your expression of honest thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, which is often a first step to take as you work toward developing a more healthy approach toward solving life’s problems.
Encouragement of Peers
Substance abuse is an isolating condition. Even though you may have many people around you in your addiction, those people are not able to reach the inner core of your existence. They are not able to see the real you, and much less able to help to bring this part of you back to the surface. This lack of genuine, deep, friendship can leave the addicted person feeling even more alone than before the addiction started. Developing a network of genuine, sober, friends is a vital part of obtaining, and sustaining, recovery.
At a sober living community, you will be surrounded with others who have been on a similar journey, and who have made a similar decision to change their life course. Rather than struggling, alone, to climb the mountain of success, you will be carried along in a wave of positive vibes. You will be able to share your own knowledge and experience with others, and will benefit from their doing the same. You will be supported with tears for your hardships, and cheers for your successes. Motivation toward reaching your goals of sustained sobriety will be continually fostered by the camaraderie by your brothers or sisters in recovery.
Extended Family Support
Often times, the loved ones of someone who is in addiction do not know how to help. Their well-meant intentions can sometimes result in driving the addicted person further into despair, and can actually be contributing to the motivations behind continued addiction. Other times, family members will simply give up, and consider that the addicted person is a lost cause. It is not often the case that these relatives genuinely don’t care. It is most often the case that they simply do not understand the needs of the person in addiction, and are at a loss about what they can do to help.
Within a robust sober living community, family support will be embedded. With these programs, it is not only the former addict who is gaining knowledge, but his or her loved ones are, as well. Together, family members will learn to communicate effectively, and to resolve conflicts in a way that results in stronger family ties. These relationship skills are vital in creating an environment for continued growth and success, as the recovered individual reenters his or her life outside of the sober living community.
Successful Transition Back Into Society
The environment within a sober living community provides you with the space to cleanse your mind and body; to reorder your thinking; and to experience the support of a healthy, social, network. This transformation is built to last. Utilizing the life skills, knowledge, and successes as a foundation, you will be prepared to take on life’s challenges as you reintegrate into regular society.
With dynamic sober living communities, this transition is gradual. You are not simply handed a completion certificate, and then sent on your way. In addition to your newly acquired – or reacquired – knowledge of how to communicate and problem solve, your success in transitioning is often supported with the development of viable skills. The community will assist you in your personal endeavors toward maintaining a productive lifestyle, such as through enrolling in school, or with gaining an internship as an employee.
Often times, the connections with others that you have made while a resident of the sober living community remain long afterward. Lifetime friendships of accountability, encouragement, and honesty can be formed. These connections can provide you with the ongoing support of a network of individuals who truly have your best interests at heart. With skills, knowledge, and healthy social support in hand, you will be ready to take on the world.