sober living home backyard path to recovery

What Are Sober Living Homes?

Sober living homes are places where recovering addicts can live in a safe, drug-free environment to continue with their recovery.  These homes do not provide actual treatment, but they do provide a clean-living space for recovering addicts to work on discontinuing their destructive habits.  Sober living homes have rules for their residents, which provide structure.

Benefits of Sober Living Homes

Additionally, they have organized recovery meetings.  Sober living homes also help their residents find work or connections with school programs.  They also provide their residents with connections to outpatient recovery programs.  Sober living residences also require regular drug tests, and of course, drugs and alcohol are banned from the homes.  Sober living homes are less costly than staying in an inpatient rehab facility while providing someone in recovery the same type of safety net of being separated from their temptations and having the benefit of being surrounded by others who are also working towards recovery from addiction.

Who Lives in Sober Living Homes?

Many residents in a sober living home are in active treatment or attending a twelve-step program of some kind.  The homes only provide indirect support during the recovery process, but this indirect support can make a huge difference.

How Effective Are Sober Living Homes?

There is evidence, both anecdotal and empirical, that sober living homes do make a significantly positive difference in the process of recovery.  Generally, those who reside in sober living homes show better overall results over time on their path to recovery.  Typically, recovering addicts who live in sober living homes tend to stay sober longer and more consistently, avoid legal trouble, hold a consistent job, and have a lower rate of relapse.

Sober living homes can be hugely beneficial to those working towards recovery from addiction.  While everyone is different and there are a variety of different approaches to take in recovery, these homes are a good place to start the journey.

Tharros offers a highly supportive version of sober living, which includes an extensive peer support model.  To learn what’s different about Tharros, view our Tharros Experience Page