Sober living programs have been existing for almost two decades now but they are not as popular as regular rehabilitation programs. Nonetheless, sober living programs are good alternatives for curbing alcohol addiction especially when the recovering alcoholic needs a bridge from their rehab stays to normal lives.
Benefits of Sober Living Programs
1. Easier Transition to Regular Life
One of the main value propositions given by sober living programs is an easier way to transition to the patient’s regular life. Admittedly, rehabilitation centers have a stark difference from a person’s real environment which is why they can have a hard time adjusting. With a sober living program, the transition is done gradually with this program serving as a preparatory stage for a person to slowly ease back into their normal life.
2. Supportive Environment
Sober living programs are built in an environment where you will be staying with other recovering alcoholics. This alone will help residents to have a common ground with each other. This common ground can be taken advantage of since each resident will already have similar experiences in their rehabilitation journey.
This supportive environment can also be beneficial in reducing loneliness during the person’s stay in the program. With residents with similar experiences, the recovering alcoholic will be able to build relationships with people who are in the same journey.
3. Reinforcement of Accountability and Responsibility
Contrary to popular belief, sober living programs are based on giving independence to their residents while having a few house rules that will need to be followed. Other than the house rules and a few support groups, individuals are encouraged to get jobs and nurture hobbies.
In fact, residents can come and go as they please as long as they arrive before the curfew period. This way, residents develop a sense of responsibility and accountability for their life outside of the program. This approach is necessary in order to gradually introduce jobs and duties that the residents may have when they go back to their normal lives.
4. Reduced Risk of Relapses
Another amazing way sober living programs help recovering alcoholics is by reducing the risk of relapses. Sober living programs are designed to remove possible triggers away from the patient. In other words, there are no drugs, alcohol, and other hangout activities that will encourage this type of behavior. This way, it is easier for them to get used to living without getting tempted to drink alcohol.
5. Constant Guidance
Sober living programs always have a house manager staying in the house. They will be available for help 24/7 in case that the resident may need someone to talk to or when they are battling cravings and temptations. These house managers also act as support systems that will give you medical advice. While they are not medical professionals themselves, sober living programs are connected to a treatment facility that guides its managers.
However, even if there are house managers that are on-call, they are not household maintenance staff. Chores and duties around the house should still be done by the residents themselves.
6. Improved Social Relationships
A huge part of recovery are relationships. In sober living programs, residents build meaningful relationships with their co-residents simply because they have similar experiences. More than that, they are encouraged to attend similar support groups that will also give more opportunities for them to know and understand each other.
Another benefit to this is the resident being able to practice their social skills. As part of the treatment, residents learn to socialize and be considerate and sensitive to their peers. This way, they learn valuable social skills that might have been forgotten during the rehabilitation proper.
7. Renewed Skills and Activities
Lastly, sober living programs reinforce development or restoration of life skills. Since this is going to be an environment where you will still have to thrive as an individual, there are a lot of activities that you have to do on your own. As you stay in a sober living home, you will restore some of your old skills and habits while you develop new ones reinforced by your new environment.
There are many ways on how a sober living program can help with a recovering alcoholic’s journey. This program will not only offer a supportive environment, but will also help give a more gradual transition from rehabilitation to normal life.