Why You Should Go to Sober Living in Encino

Recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD) doesn’t stop when rehab ends.

Whether you’re coming from an inpatient setting or outpatient care, there’s going to come a point at which you’ll have to meld back into your daily life.

Understandably, an abrupt shift from the 24/7 care of inpatient rehab to the regular hustle and bustle of life outside can be incredibly difficult to manage.

In inpatient rehab, for example, you had a regimented schedule and very much had triggers and distractions removed so you could truly put all your energy into recovery.

Even with outpatient care, even though you didn’t live in a facility 24/7, you had regular touchpoints with addiction specialists in both group and individual therapy sessions. Something of a safe space to shelter from the difficulties you might’ve found in your regular days.

There has to be a way to transition, no?

That’s where sober living comes in.

What Is Sober Living?

A sober living home functions more or less as a bridge between your dedicated treatment program and the “real world”.

You’ll sometimes even see them referred to as “transitional housing” or “halfway homes” for that very reason.

The basics of taking up residence at a sober living home are that you’re in a place that’s free of drugs and alcohol where you’ll be able to put into practice and further develop the coping mechanisms you learned while in rehab.

You’ll also generally be required to participate in some type of support group.

Why Is Sober Living an Important Part of Addiction Recovery?

Recovery is all about small wins that turn into larger ones over time. It’s about cementing positive habits and routines that make maintaining your hard-fought sobriety more manageable.

Look at it this way, it’s much more difficult to get used to a sudden change than it is to slowly adjust and then reinforce those adjustments through guidance and repetition. Sober living gives you a comfortable place to do that.

Some other key reasons sober living is an important part of the process are these:

Sober Connections

Loneliness is part of addiction and it can linger after you’ve stopped using as well. Living in a home with others who have gone through the same thing allows you to build meaningful friendships and a whole sober network.

There’s tremendous value in being surrounded by people who understand you on a deep level and those relationships help immeasurably.

Supportive Environment

Being surrounded by sober people and those working towards the same overarching goal naturally creates a supportive environment. That’s further bolstered by the fact that you’ll be participating in some type of support group, often a 12-step program.

This introduces accountability and even more camaraderie with like-minded people.

Restoring Independence

A critical component of sober living is getting your independence back.

While there are rules at sober living homes, you’re largely free to do as you please. You can go to and from work and do all the things that come with day-to-day life while having the safety net of a supportive home which helps in re-establishing your independence.

Lower the Risk of Relapse

Taken together, all these things are meant to lower the risk of a return to drugs and/or alcohol. If you’re surrounded by people who care about their sobriety journey, it’ll help you with yours, and the support you give one another coupled with group work means the risk of relapse diminishes greatly.