Living Sober: The Addiction Recovery Guide
When you have made the choice to live a sober life, each day is a step. Making those steps in a positive direction is a daily decision, sometimes in the face of the very challenges that may have fueled your addiction early on. Keeping your focus and commitment alive is an essential part of maintaining your sobriety.
One of the most successful roads to sober living Delray Beach has to offer are the transitional living residences at RECO Institute. Helping you make the transition to an expansive way of life, one that many others are successfully achieving right now, is our goal. We support your strengths and individual needs while you learn a new way to live.
Understanding the important role of your support system and the daily challenges of Delray sober living will prepare you to embrace the opportunities available. Gaining a deeper knowledge of yourself, your triggers, and your strengths is key to healing.
The way we foster meaningful life change today is based on the knowledge gained from almost 200 years of history. Residential treatment programs have long been the most successful method of healing addiction.
The Evolution of Sober Living Facilities
The earliest examples of clean sober living facilities were the YMCA, YWCA, and the Salvation Army in the 1830s. All of these provided sober housing in the form of individually run “dry hotels.” There was little research but much in the way of personal conviction and good intentions behind these early examples, most of which had a religious focus.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) emerged after World War II as metropolitan areas grew. In Los Angeles some recovering members opened up “twelfth step” residences to give successful program participants a supportive environment in which to live. By the 1960s there were dozens of these informally run sober living homes set up in Los Angeles.1
On the other side of the country in Maryland, Oxford Houses were formed in the 1970s. These houses used a democratic governance, with rules around participation in AA or NA meetings as well as remaining abstinent. Oxford Houses spread across the country, with residents sharing the costs to keep these treatment options affordable.
In 2011, the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) was founded to address the variances in independent home approaches and methods across the country. Working to promote quality and protect residents, the NARR provides credentials to those sober homes or recovery residences which “implement empirically based recovery principles and practice standards.”2
How Long Should You Stay in a Sober Living Residence?
Determining whether you are ready to leave a clean sober living residence is a very personal decision. Programs might have a recommended minimum stay, but many people continue to benefit from the support of their peers and trusted staff on a longer-term basis. If returning to previous housing will put you or your loved one directly in the path of temptation, it might be the right choice to remain in residence until a safer option can be found.
In a comprehensive study, the average length of stay goes beyond the minimum recommendations of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which outlines a 90-day stay. Many residents reported benefiting from staying longer, with actual average stays ranging from 100 to 254 days in the facilities studied.3
A person working to achieve their sobriety milestones should stay in a recovery residence until they:
- Have established a program of recovery including regular attendance at group sessions or 12-step meetings.
- Have a social support system in place to champion their recovery, with individuals committed to assisting them when they leave transitional living.
- Have successfully separated from their triggers and recognize their risk factors for relapse, with a prevention plan in place.
- Have completed or at least begun treatment for other contributing conditions such as depression or anxiety.
Those in recovery might consider returning to a sober living facility if they:
- Don’t have a substance-free place to live.
- Have relapsed and will benefit from returning for more treatment.
- Have unresolved mental health issues that might cause relapse.
- Are experiencing strong cravings they are struggling to control.
- Have co-occurring physical health issues.
- Lack positive relationships with friends or family who don’t use substances.
- Want help learning sober life skills, finding a job, or getting into school.
- Need help staying on track with their recovery plan.
- Need daily structure to focus on recovery.
Strategies for Independence
As you step out into a more independent phase of your recovery, keep these strategies and your personal recovery goals in the forefront of your daily life. Your success will grow by the day and build upon itself over time.
- Learn from every battle and celebrate every win.
- Avoid the places and the situations that you associate with addictive behavior.
- Separate yourself from those who are still in the grip of addiction.
- Take care of yourself and protect your progress.
- Keep your commitments and attend support groups and therapy sessions.
- Don’t hesitate to ask for help, referrals, and support from your recovery program at any time.
- Lean on those friends and family that you trust to support your recovery.
- Keep in touch with your mentor and rebuild or create the support systems you need and deserve.
- Use all the tools and technology at your disposal to keep moving in your chosen direction.
Milestones Matter
When milestones are achieved these markers of success are an important event. Make sure to share these with your trusted family and friends and treat yourself to something that will enhance your health.
Maybe an outing, exercise equipment, or something else concrete will serve as a daily reminder of how far you have come. Days, weeks, and months sober are triumphs and positive evidence that your strategies are working.
If you have the opportunity to mentor or provide peer support to other group members, celebrating their key milestones and helping them past the scrapes and slips that are part of the recovery journey will revitalize your own commitment to sobriety. Sharing your experience, wisdom, and tales of hope from the road will solidify your commitment to your own health and give back to the process that supports you.
A Stable Starting Point
Finding your own way after completing a recovery program is one of the greatest accomplishments imaginable. Choosing the right Florida sober living support team will make the transition as smooth and secure as possible. Teaching the right skills and providing meaningful assistance is part of the process in RECO’s sober living communities.
In partnership with RECO Intensive, which provides intensive outpatient therapies and medical support for our sober living residences, we offer a safe and sober environment from the early stages of recovery onward. Staying with us will give you the steady and solid home base you need to push forward and release the bonds of addiction.
RECO is part of your team, and always on your side. A winning team will always hold you accountable, create camaraderie, establish stability, and welcome you home. Join us and transcend the substances that are between you and your dreams. You can break free and live free from addiction. Reach out to us today – we are waiting to help you take the next step.
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