According to an article in The Washington Times, hundreds of men and women pass through sober living homes and successfully reach sobriety. The Washington Times article describes a sober living home located in Mississippi where residents are given a chance to start a new life after addiction. But it’s not only in Mississippi, sober living homes around the country are essential for anyone who needs professional support with healing from addiction.
In fact, many of those who begin to get help for addiction are in dire situations. They often have little money, no housing, and a group of friends or family still involved in drug use. However, staying at a sober living facility gives a person the opportunity to make changes they want in life.
One study found that sober living homes are an effective option for healing from addiction. The research found that those who were involved in 12-step programs, had a strong network of support and were living in a drug free environment tended to reach sobriety with few or no relapses. The study made clear the importance of social and environmental factors in recovery.
Of those who participated in this study, there were improvements in the areas of alcohol and drug use, arrests, psychiatric symptoms and employment. The study also confirmed that there are certain factors that predict better recovery outcomes, such as high involvement in 12-step meetings, little alcohol and drug use among peers, and a low severity level for any presenting mental illnesses.
This is important for recovering addicts to remember. It’s not only having a safe and substance-free environment that’s important. Recovery also needs to include the participation in 12-step meetings, working through any mental illnesses – if there are any, and avoiding friends or family members who may still be using. And with this there is a good chance that a person will remain sober. Fortunately, many sober living homes provide not only a healing environment but also the extra support to stay sober.
In fact, research indicates that of those who get professional help, one third of men and women will achieve long-term sobriety with their first serious attempt at recovery. Another one third of will have brief relapse periods and then achieve abstinence, while another one third will go through chronic relapses before eventually recovering from their addiction. Of course, the journey of recovery is different for everyone. Whether one relapses or not can depend upon the length of one’s addiction, the drug of choice, psychological health, the level of support, and types of recovery services a person is involved with.
Just like the sober living facility described in the article and like most sober living homes around the country, having a place to live that provides a structured environment, healthy meals, a community of sober-minded individuals, and life goals to pursue helps recovery addicts stay sober.
Without residing at a sober living home, it might be challenging for someone to get sober on their own. There are frequently triggers in one’s home environment and there’s more probability for relapse to occur. Yet, even if someone were to relapse while at a sober living home, there’s a good chance that the support of professionals and friends can easily bring a person back to the road to recovery.
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