It is easy to think that leaving a drug or alcohol treatment facility is the end of the journey, and many people outside the addiction community still believe that is the case.
It’s only the beginning of the journey.
For those struggling to maintain their newfound sobriety, walking through the exit door of the treatment center can be frightening.
People recovering from substance use disorder may fear, for instance, that their recovery will be a short one once they return back home.
For these reasons and many more, a growing number of people are choosing to stick around a bit longer, ending their stay in rehab with a trip to a sober living facility, or an extended care facility.
Here are some of the many benefits of working with a sober living facility.
Seeing the World with Greater Clarity
Drug addicts and alcoholics are confronted with a great many challenges as they first enter the rehab facility they have chosen.
When they arrive, they may still be deeply addicted, and their stay in rehab may begin with an intensive, and sometimes painful, course of detox.
Trying to see the world clearly in the midst of withdrawal is difficult to say the least, and the lessons learned in those early days may be lost just as quickly.
Moving into, and on to, a sober living facility is a great way to reiterate and reinforce the lessons that were learned early on, from understanding the root causes of addiction and recognizing the warning signs of an impending relapse to how to ask for additional help when it is needed.
When seen through clearer and more sober eyes, these vital lessons can be far more effective.
Developing Stronger Life Skills
The development of strong life skills should be an integral part of any successful drug and alcohol rehab program, but a few basic lessons may not be enough to survive life in the outside world.
During their stay in a sober living facility, recovering addicts and alcoholics can delve deeper, embarking on a period of self-reflection and giving them time to truly understand the challenges they will face when they move back home for good.
From attending counseling sessions to reading about addiction and its aftermath, this learning can take many forms, but in the end, the development of stronger, better, and more effective coping skills is one of the biggest benefits of living in a sober living facility.
Establishing a Network of Support
For recovering addicts, having a strong and varied support structure can be a valuable path to long-term success, but building that support structure from the ground up is not an easy thing to do.
It will take some time to make those connections, from finding a suitable 12-step program or support group.
It can also take time to reconnect with friends and family, especially if those relationships have been harmed by years of drug addiction and alcohol abuse, and making those connections face to face can be a fraught experience.
Staying in a sober living facility gives recovering alcoholics and drug addicts the space they need to reach out to those they love.
Being surrounded by others who are going through the same journey can also make the reconciliation process easier.
In the sober living facility, residents can support one another, giving one another a shoulder to lean on and a caring voice to listen to what they are saying.
This kind of peer group support can be critical to long-term sobriety, and it is a hallmark of the sober living experience.
The decision to enter rehab for a drug or alcohol problem is a momentous one, but when it is time to leave the decisions can be just as critical, if not more so.
What happens after rehab can be even more vital to long-term sobriety than what happened during the previous days and weeks.
Sober living has enormous benefits for recovering addicts, their family members, and everyone else who cares about them.
About Burning Tree West
Burning Tree West in Tucson, Arizona is a structured sober living community for young adults. We help our clients by focusing on the 12 Steps, providing options for continued therapy, and providing a path for employment or going back to college.
If you are looking for a structured sober living program that is based on recovery that has worked for more than two decades, call our admissions staff today.
