When making a commitment to overcome addiction, many people become hyper-focused on the first two phases of recovery, detox and treatment, without thinking about one of the other critical phases of recovery, continuing care.  It is understandable that a person whose life has been torn apart by alcohol and drug abuse might hope over the last component, figuring that after they have completed a program then they need to get back to normal life and that they are ready to go.  

Just getting into detoxification and then rehab might be all someone can cope with initially, but leap-frogging over the continuing care aspect of recovery is akin to getting out of a knee replacement operation and then running a 20k marathon.  Addiction recovery is a process which does not end with completing a rehabilitation program any more than healing from an operation ends with discharging from a hospital.

So, what does aftercare in recovery involve?  Understanding that recovery moves in a continuum, and aftercare elements are the choices and activities that can solidify your sobriety, moving the process forward.  These include outpatient therapy sessions, participating in a twelve-step recovery community, and continuing to craft a healthy lifestyle using the tools that you learned in treatment.  

Together, this approach to care reinforces recovery and increases the likelihood of success in recovery.

Benefits of sober living

Rehab provides a safe environment where healing is able to occur.  An environment which reinforces the different aspects of recovery during the duration of the rehab program.  Each week, the client is deep in to all things recovery.  They participate in different therapeutic activities which work together toward the purpose of providing the tools of recovery.

Once the rehab program is completed, clients can either return to their lives or reside in a sober living South Jersey for a while.  Clients who go back to their former lives might not be ready to face the stressors that they will face when they are out of rehab.  Unfortunately, 65-70% of people relapse in the first 90 days of leaving rehab.  Sober living South Jersey offers transitional housing in a safe and supportive environment, where recovery tools may be practiced and reinforced, allowing clients to become better equipped to live a full life.

How does sober living improve early recovery?

Sober living provides a number of advantages for long term recovery after rehab has been completed.  These include:

Increased accountability

Sober living reminds individuals that they are accountable for their actions, and they are also accountable to their fellow housemates and the manager of the house too.  Rules of the house clearly states shared responsibilities and creates expectations for accountability within the house, preparing the person for accountability in their life.

Lessens risk of relapse

There is a zero-tolerance policy for the use and possession of alcohol and drugs in sober houses.  Random testing provides a deterrent to residents who may be tempted to use.  Those living in a sober house understand that if they are caught using drugs or alcohol then they will be removed from the house immediately.

Greater structure

Life in addiction is often chaotic and disordered.  Once someone is sober, they may struggle with re-establishing order within their lives.  Sober living gives individuals a regular and predictable schedule which helps clients create daily habits, including twelve step meetings and house chores.

Support from peers

Some people who have left rehab don’t have a family that they can return to, or have friends that are not conducive to a life of recovery.  Loneliness and isolation and triggers for people to relapse.  Sober living provides people with fellowship and social support around people who are also committed to sobriety.

Allows you to practice recovery tools

After they have completed rehab, clients have not yet tested out their coping skills, stress-reduction techniques, conflict resolution skills or anger management strategies that they learned in rehab.  These are just concepts which have been introduced during treatment.  Sober living can provide the space and time needed to practice these tools before recovering addicts go back in to the real world.

Sober living, then, provides a much-needed stepping stone towards going back to a normal life, while preparing the recovering individual for recovery with a solid foundation which they can take with them for the rest of their recovery journey.  This can be a a vital step in reducing the chance of relapse that happens when a recovering addict or alcoholic first leaves a treatment center.