Category: Sober Living

Burnt cigarettes on table against green background.

Is Addiction to Substances Common?

If you have recently gotten sober after battling an addiction, you may be wondering just how common it is to deal with a substance use disorder.

While statistics vary between different types of substances, generally speaking, there are approximately 20 million people in the U.S. who currently struggle with a substance abuse disorder of some kind.

What Is a Substance Use Disorder?

Some drugs or alcohol unnaturally increase dopamine levels in the brain’s reward system.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, in the brain that is involved in feeling pleasure and motivation. Common examples of dopamine-raising substances include nicotine, cocaine, prescription painkillers, alcohol, and other illicit substances.

When someone abuses one of these substances, the increased dopamine teaches the brain learns to associate the substance with pleasure. This can cause the person to become addicted and develop an uncontrollable urge to use that substance. They might also begin engaging in other harmful activities, even though they know there could be negative consequences. A person with a substance use disorder they may be mentally or even physically unable to stop using the substance, even when they want and try to quit.

Consequences of Substance Use Disorder

When someone with an addiction does not get treatment, they can cause lasting damage to important relationships in their lives, lose their jobs, suffer health issues, and develop financial and legal problems. Over time, excessive drug and/or alcohol use can also lead to a range of severe health issues and may result in overdose or death.

Due to the serious consequences of a substance addiction, it is crucial for people dealing with an addiction to seek treatment as soon as possible. Treatment for a substance abuse issue can involve many different methods, including medication, rehabilitation, and therapy.

Sober Living at Tharros House

Once a person is ready to overcome their addiction and enters recovery, looking into sober living homes can be a good next step in maintaining sobriety. Tharros House, in the Boston area of Massachusetts, is a great choice for men looking for somewhere to live among other sober individuals to help rebuild their life following a battle with addiction. Call us today at 617-249-1087 to learn more.

Dark photo of drugs on table with mans hand tensely gripping, close to relapse.

Why Do I Keep Relapsing?

If you have recently made the positive life choice to become sober, you might be surprised to learn how common relapses are. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 40-60% of people in recovery experience one or more relapses. Relapses happen often, but there are some things you can try to prevent them.

Why Is It So Common to Have a Relapse?

One of the reasons it is so common to experience a relapse after getting sober is that addictions are extremely powerful and tend to cause lasting changes to the brain. For this reason, it is vital to understand the common relapse triggers, so you can do your best to avoid them.

Common Triggers That Can Lead to a Relapse

There are many different triggers that can contribute to an addiction relapse. Keep in mind that since everyone is different, a significant trigger for one person might not have the same kind of effect on you. However, having a general awareness of the most common triggers can help you figure out the best way to manage them.

Some common triggers include:

  • Stressful situations,
  • Toxic relationships,
  • Spending time with people still suffering from addiction,
  • Going to places connected with your former substance abuse routine,
  • Seeing a bottle of alcohol or item associated with your substance abuse.

Relapsing and Sober Living Homes

One of the best ways to help prevent a relapse is to live in a sober living community. Residents of sober living homes are required to stay sober. These communities provide residents with a structured environment that can help them stay on track and maintain their sobriety.

Tharros House is a sober living home for men located near Boston, Massachusetts. Call 617-249-1087 to learn more about what our sober living home can offer you.

Red bricks with light in Massachusetts sober living house.

What to Expect at a Sober Living Home

If you are thinking about moving into a sober living home, it is a good idea to do some research beforehand, so you know what to expect once you move in. The biggest part of living in a sober living home, as you might guess, is maintaining sobriety. However, beyond sobriety, there are some other things that you can expect when you move into a sober living residence.

Most Sober Living Homes Have Rules

Every sober living home is unique, but many of the rules are the same from home to home. Of course, the number one rule is that you must maintain sobriety while living there.

One thing to keep in mind is that sobriety can mean different things to different people—so it is crucial to read through any paperwork or handbooks given to you by your chosen residence. For example, while someone recovering from a heroin addiction might use marijuana from time to time, this is a substance that is typically banned from a sober living facility.

Other Things to Expect When Moving into a Sober Living Home

Some other things that you can expect when moving into a sober living residence include attending community events, sobriety meetings, and engaging in various forms of athletic activity, such as yoga, hiking, and running. You can also expect to have new opportunities that can help you return to the workforce, such as job-seeking workshops, resume assistance, and transportation to interviews and workshops.

What to Expect at Tharros House

Tharros House is a premier sober living home for men located in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. Our sober living home provides a structured environment for people who are managing their sobriety and are ready to begin reconnecting to society and their communities. You can learn more about what we have to offer by giving us a call at 617-249-1087.

Suitcase with clothes on table at sober living home in Boston, Massachusetts

Checking Into a Sober Living Home

After you have decided to move into a sober living home, you might be wondering about how the whole move-in process will work. Now that you have signed up for your new living environment and completed the initial paperwork, the next big step is checking in to your sober living home.

The Check-In Process for Sober Living Homes

Although the check-in process may vary slightly from home to home, many sober living homes use the same basic steps for checking in. Many facilities provide new residents with handbooks or checklists that can help them prepare for their move-in day.

As you are packing, first make sure that you do not pack anything that is not allowed in the sober living home. Most facilities will provide you with a list of forbidden items when you register, so be sure to refer to that list as you pack.

Once you arrive at your sober living home, ready to move in, you can typically enter through the front entrance and check in at the main desk. Someone who works at the facility can show you where your room is located and help you get settled in.

What to Do After Checking into a Sober Living Home

After you check into your new sober living home, you can get settled in and unpack your belongings. If you feel ready on the first night, you can also attend any events hosted by the house. This is a good way of making friends and connections with other residents.

Checking Into Tharros House

Tharros House near Boston, Massachusetts, is a safe and supportive sober living home for men. We provide a structured environment where you can make connections, set and achieve goals, and transition to a fulfilling, enjoyable life in recovery. If you are interested in learning more about what we have to offer, please give us a call today at 617-249-1087.

Woman with red hair sleeping in bed with white sheets.

Tips to Fall Asleep When Restless

Trying to fall asleep and being unable to is a frustrating feeling. Tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable sleep position can sometimes just make it worse. Luckily, there are some things that you can do to help yourself get to sleep and have a restful night.

Sleep in a Cooler Environment

One of the easiest ways to get yourself to fall asleep faster is to turn the room’s temperature down a bit. Studies have shown that cooler temperatures allow us to fall asleep faster and to sleep more deeply.

The reason this works is thought to be that our body temperature tends to naturally drop as our circadian rhythms get close to the sleep phase. This temperature drop tends to remain lower until a few hours before your typical wake up time.

Calm Your Mind and Focus on Breathing

Your breathing patterns have an impact on your autonomic nervous system. This system regulates your heart rate, motivation levels, muscle tension, and other aspects of excitement or relaxation.

When you breathe shallow and rapid breaths, you might experience a sense of anxiety. On the contrary, when you breathe slowly and deeply, you can experience feelings of calmness. When you lay down at night, try to focus on taking slow, deep breaths.

Upgrade Your Mattress

While a mattress upgrade can be an expensive solution to this problem, it might make a huge difference in your sleep patterns. It is a good idea to go to a store to get a feel for different mattress types. Everyone is different, so there is no perfect mattress that fits everyone’s needs. Test out some mattresses to see if a firmer (or softer) mattress might be best for you.

Tharros House is a sober living community that helps its residents continue to live a restful, sober lifestyle. If you are interested in learning more, reach out to us today.

Sober community with hands on top of each other

How Can My Community Keep Me Sober?

Becoming and remaining sober can be challenging, but it is genuinely worth it in so many ways. By staying sober, you can begin to rebuild former relationships that may have suffered throughout your addiction and become healthier physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your community can also have a significant impact on helping you stay sober.

Find Support Groups and Meetings in Your Community

Support groups and meetings are designed to help former addicts come together to share stories, advice, and support. There are many different types of support groups, so you are sure to find one that fits your needs.

Some support groups are religion-based, so if that is something important to you, it can be an excellent way to get started finding others like you in your community. Other support groups are activity focused. These types of support groups are great for people who share similar hobbies, and it is an easy way to make new friends with the same interests as you.

Sober Living Communities

Another way that your community can help you to stay sober is to move into a sober living home. A sober living home is geared toward individuals who have been sober for a while and want to remain sober while starting to get their life back on track. Many people living in sober living homes have begun searching for jobs or have even started to work again.

These living communities are a great resource because you can live with other people who have gone through similar struggles as you have. It can be a place for support and encouragement, and even true life-long friendships. Many sober living communities also have group activities on a regular basis, such as game nights and other entertaining activities. The can not only be fun, but also work to build lasting connections with others.

Tharros House is a sober living home in the Boston, Massachusetts area. We are a sober living community that offers our residents many benefits, such as onsite support groups, group activities, and more. If you are thinking about joining a sober living community, we would love to speak with you to help you decide if we’re a good fit. Give us a call today to learn more about what Tharros House has to offer.

Three people excited about living a sober life

Relapse Prevention Tips

Although you are committed to sobriety, you should prepare for some of the challenges ahead. Unfortunately, relapses are a relatively common setback. But just because relapses can happen—it doesn’t mean that it must happen to you.

1. Understand the Signs of a Relapse

One of the most critical steps you can take to avoid a relapse is to educate yourself on the signs of it. Knowing what to look for can help you recognize when you need help. Some common signs to watch for include:

  • Becoming defensive
  • Feelings of anger
  • Poor sleeping and eating habits
  • Isolating yourself
  • Mood swings
  • Lying about your behaviors or feelings
  • Spending time with friends with who you used to drink alcohol with
  • Fantasizing about drinking alcohol
  • Thinking about or planning to try using alcohol or drugs again in the future.

2. Fill Up Your Free Time

Another thing that you can do to help avoid a relapse is to find fun hobbies and activities to fill up your free time. When you are involved in many other things and have additional responsibilities, it makes it hard to slide back into old habits.

3. Continue to Attend Meetings and Support Group Sessions

After you have been sober for some time, you might start thinking that you don’t need to attend meetings and support group sessions that help sober individuals stay that way. Try to resist the urge to give up these meetings and support groups—as they can be helpful for long-term sobriety.

You can also consider a sober living home, where you reside with other sober people similar to you. Tharros House is a great place to continue living a sober lifestyle. Give us a call today to find out if it might be the right fit for you.

Asian couple reading a book in nature

How Do I Deal with Cravings as They Arise?

After you make the decision to stop drinking, it is common to continue to experience cravings for alcohol for some time. Also, after committing to a sober lifestyle, you might be more aware of your cravings since you have made a conscious decision to avoid alcohol.

To remain sober, you will have to face your cravings head-on and stay strong. Knowledge is power, so one crucial step you can take moving forward is to plan for how you will handle cravings when they pop up.

What Causes Alcohol Cravings?

Cravings often occur as a response to a trigger, which can be automatic. Triggers can be different from person to person. Common triggers for many individuals include stress and specific emotions and memories of something associated in some way with alcohol.

People who experience cravings for alcohol often have both internal and external triggers. Internal triggers can include emotions, thoughts, memories, or even physical sensations that give you the urge to consume alcohol. External triggers include environmental cues that you associate with alcohol—such as places, people, certain situations, and the time of day (such as the end of a workday).

Managing Cravings

While cravings for alcohol can be intense, the good news is that they often can pass after a few minutes go by. When you experience cravings for alcohol, it can help to remind yourself that the craving will soon disappear. Positive distractions are another excellent way to manage your cravings. Reading a book, watching a funny show, and going for a walk are all positive distractions that can help.

Tharros House Sober Living

The early stages of sobriety bring many challenges. One thing you can do to have a better chance at remaining sober is to live in a sober living home. Tharros House is a sober living home in Massachusetts that has helped many residents continue their sober journey. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help.

Woman in pink exercise gear stretching her arm.

How Can I Listen to What My Body is Telling Me About My Health?

If you pay close attention, you can catch certain signs about your health by listening to cues from your body.

One thing to keep in mind is that every person is different, so it is essential to learn your own body cues. Various health indicators can show up in different ways from person to person.

How to Listen to Health Cues from Your Body

The first way to make sure that you are ready to listen to your body’s cues about your health is to make sure that you know what is normal for you.

To get used to your baseline health indicators, you can keep a journal of how you are feeling daily. You don’t have to limit yourself to writing down just physical changes—tracking your emotions and mental health is beneficial, too.

There are many apps out there that you can use to log how you are feeling each day. Of course, writing things down in a notebook or journal works too.

By tracking your health and any changes each day, over time, you will have a good understanding of your general health and well-being, and you will be able to notice small changes that could be significant.

If you notice something unusual, consider doing a little research to clarify or isolate your concerns. While online research is certainly not a substitute for medical care, it can give you a little more clarity on the topic and allow you to explain your concerns to your doctor better.

Listening to your body and paying attention to any changes is crucial for your health, especially as you move forward in your sobriety journey.

A sober living home facility can be beneficial in many ways. If you are interested in learning more about this option, contact us today at Tharros House.

Woman relaxing with a cup of coffee

Relaxation Techniques for Times of Stress

One way you can help manage your feelings of stress is to begin practicing relaxation techniques. When you think about relaxing, the first thing that comes to mind might be enjoying a hobby or experiencing peace of mind. However, there is much more to it than that.

What Does Relaxation Do for Me?

Relaxation is a process that allows you to decrease the amount of stress on your body. By incorporating relaxation techniques as a daily part of your life, you can learn to cope with everyday stressors better. Additionally, relaxation techniques are useful in helping you manage long-term stress or health issues caused by stress—such as heart disease.

Relaxation Techniques to Work On

Many different relaxation techniques can be effective, so it is vital to find the right ones for you. Below are some standard relaxation techniques.

  • Visualization – To use this relaxation technique, simply begin visualizing mental images that allow you to imagine a peaceful and calm setting. It is helpful to sit somewhere comfortable and quiet and to close your eyes.
  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation – When using the progressive muscle relaxation technique, you begin by tensing and then slowly relaxing each group of muscles. This process helps you become more aware of physical sensations and learn to distinguish between tensing and relaxing.
  • Autogenic Relaxation – With this relaxation technique, you will use both awareness of your body and visual imagery to reduce your stress levels. Simply repeat phrases or words in your mind that help you relax and reduce muscle tension. For example, think about being somewhere peaceful and focus on breathing in and out slowly and lowering your heart rate.

Relaxation techniques are a simple way you can work on reducing your stress levels.

Tharros House

Tharros House is a sober living community in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Contact us today to learn more about what we have to offer.