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What Is a Sober Living House?

Sober living is a transitional, drug and alcohol free home designed for men and women who are new to addiction recovery. While there isn’t an exact length of time that everyone should stay in one of these programs, you definitely shouldn’t leave before you’re ready. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 90 days of treatment is a fair general starting point for people beginning a recovery journey, regardless of treatment type. However, this is dependent on the type of substance use disorder at hand, and NIDA also recommends longer treatment for seeing lasting positive results. The basic idea is that you shouldn’t try to get out of treatment as quickly as you can; you’re not going to see those positive outcomes if you don’t stay in treatment long enough for your specific needs. Some SLHs offer intensive outpatient services, including on-site medical care.

Other referral sources may include the criminal justice system, a mental health professional, Twelve Step meeting participants, or friends and family. Whatever the source of the referral, take a tour of the facility and talk to the people living there to decide if it’s the right fit for you. Let’s say you or a loved one has almost completed an alcohol or other drug addiction treatment program. Or maybe you’re going to start an outpatient program, but living at home isn’t a sober, supportive environment for you. The length of stay for a patient in a sober residence usually depends on the length of time they have been using substances.

Level 1:  Peer-Run

A critically important aspect of one’s social network is their living environment. Recognition of the importance of one’s living environment led to a proliferation of inpatient and residential treatment programs during the 1960′ and 70’s (White, 1998). The idea was to remove clients from destructive living environments that encouraged substance use and create new social support systems in treatment.

how long can you stay in a sober living house

As mentioned above, a lack of a stable, supportive, and substance-free environment often results in relapse for people in recovery. This hurdle in maintaining long-lasting sobriety can be overcome through the assistance of sober living communities. However, sober living houses are not covered under insurance since they do not provide treatment services and thus aren’t considered rehabilitative facilities. They are environments free of substance abuse where individuals can receive support from peers who are also in recovery. There is no time limit on how long someone can live in a sober living house. While meeting attendance and household duties may be required, there isn’t regimented treatment programming present in the home.

Pick a place where you can stay for as long as you want.

In fact, some people might extend their stay to six months, one year, or even several years if it’s deemed necessary and they continue to follow house rules. Every case is going to be different as every individual has unique needs, but a minimum of three months is generally the best. Vanderburgh House provides safe, clean, and supportive transitional living choices for men and women in all phases of recovery. Of course, no matter how badly you want to live in a sober living home, you must first ensure that you can afford to do so. The majority of transitional housing programs charge a monthly fee to cover room and board, but you’ll need to budget for your own food, hygiene items, and transportation.

How many days is 3 years sober?

It's been 1,095 days since you last used drugs or alcohol. You've cleaned up the financial messes you made. You've developed healthy relationships.

Drug screenings are also standard, and personnel is licensed or certified. Often the structure and routine of treatment programs help keep folks sober, and risking the loss of that when completing the program can be a threat to your recovery. If you or someone you know has recently quit drinking alcohol and is now sober—congratulations, quitting alcohol can be a long and difficult process. However, you might be wondering what happens now that the detox is over, you’ve completed your stay at an addiction treatment center, and it is time to go home.

Benefits of Sober Living Homes

Primary outcomes consisted or self report measures of alcohol and drug use. Secondary outcomes included measures of legal, employment, medical, psychiatric and family problems. Some measures assessed the entire 6 months between data collection time points. Others, such as the Addiction Severity Index, assessed shorter time periods of 30 days or less. In general, you should stay in a sober living home for a minimum of 90 days.

  • Despite the enormous need for housing among the offender population, SLHs have been largely overlooked as a housing option for them (Polcin, 2006c).
  • We should also keep in mind that the duration of a resident’s stay in a sober home directly affects the outcome of their recovery.
  • Sober-living homes provide a strong support network and community to help you safely navigate the tough spots and triggers you may encounter.
  • This means many people are fighting two (or potentially even more) battles at once.

This is to say that getting the right treatment strategy while in a sober living community will help build sobriety that lasts. The fourth level of sober homes is also called integrated sober communities. True to its name, integrated supportive housing is run more institutionally. It is intended to be a transitional residence for patients completing their addiction treatment program.

However, you’re expected to abide by a curfew at the sober living home and attend any meetings and therapy sessions that could help you continue on your journey. The option that sober living homes provide is one that is significantly useful to many in recovery. Generally, those that are staying at a sober living home will remain there for at least 90 days, but stays can be arranged for as long as necessary. If you’ve been searching for an addiction recovery center near you in New Jersey, then you are already aware of all of the benefits that staying in a sober living home has to offer.

We’re a men’s sober living house in Los Angeles, and we are here to help you today. A superb sober living home will have a stringent Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Sober House no-tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs. This ensures that all residents have a safe and sober living environment at all times.

What to Expect in Sober Living Facilities?

Maintaining sobriety can be a difficult process, however, a sober living house may provide you with the kind of structure and support you’ll need to maintain your sobriety. If you’re having a hard time adjusting to a sober life, reach out to a mental health professional who specializes in addiction and substance use. In sober living, all of the life skills, coping mechanisms and relapse prevention tools that were learned in inpatient treatment will be practically applied to real life.

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