They say getting clean is the first step to sobriety the next step is staying clean. Neither of these is an easy task but let us be the first to congratulate you on accomplishing the first half and offer you some tips on how to maintain your sobriety and avoid relapsing.
Risks of Relapsing and the Pandemic
Relapsing with both drugs and alcohol has been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s not surprising, life pre-pandemic had plenty of obstacles and difficulties, and the added stress on everyone is starting to take a toll.
Unfortunately, anyone who has struggled with addiction in their life is more vulnerable to be tempted to relapse during times of emotional and mental health upheaval. But don’t be discouraged; everyone in the world is struggling right now. You aren’t alone.
The Dangers of Seclusion for Addicts
Isolation isn’t good for addicts. It’s a simple fact that those with a robust support system do better than those who try to maintain sobriety alone. So that’s one of our first tips for keeping up your new sober life. Even though we’re facing the delta variant and rise in covid-19 cases, we have learned enough about how the virus spreads to safely attend small gatherings and outings if we follow the guidelines.
Small Positive Social Events Considered Safe
Positive social events you should consider attending include regular NA/AA meetings to help keep you on track. Always make sure you follow the rules of the event or location, like masking up if it’s indoors in an area that mandates masks and practicing social distancing. These will keep you safe while helping with the feeling of being cut off and alone.
Maintaining and Repairing Relationships
It’s also going to be critical that you maintain relationships you’ve been working to repair through your recovery while distancing yourself from any friends or family that are still abusing substances.
Each side of this coin is equally important. Your close circle will be your biggest supporters, and anyone who isn’t understanding and supportive of your sobriety should be kept at a distance, at least early on.
Where to Turn after Rehab?
Many people who are just finishing up their rehab don’t have anywhere to go. For some patients, there are still people struggling with addiction at home; for others, their addiction has destroyed their connections with family, and that takes time to fix.
One of the most successful and healthy options for people facing these challenges is to go to a sober living facility. Sometimes known as halfway houses, these homes can be a better choice for someone finishing an intensive inpatient treatment program rather than just jumping back into their everyday life.
The Advantages of Sober Living Facilities
Sober living homes provide a transition space where an addict will regain some freedoms lost during a recovery program but still have rules, boundaries, and in-house support.
Everyone in the house is at the generally same place in their recovery journey at that moment. It’s a positive way to ensure you’re making friends that have the same goals of a sober life that you do. These homes do have rules and standards that residents are required to follow. For example, almost all of them have a curfew. And naturally, no drugs or alcohol are allowed while you’re living there for any reason. One of the ways most homes enforce this is randomized drug testing to ensure all residents are staying clean and sober. Testing is really for the benefit of the whole house as it’s what everyone has agreed to before moving in.
Rules and Codes for Sober Living Facilities
Some facilities require you to follow and agree to guidelines or an ethical code before you’re allowed to move in. For example, most houses do not allow overnight guests, and some require people to account for themselves when they aren’t at home, letting others know where they have been and what they’ve been doing, even being asked to call and check in if things change. It’s also usually expected that residents continue their rehab program through meetings and therapy both in the home and outside of the house.
Sober Living Facilities offer Higher Rates of Success
Sober living homes offer a statistically higher success rate for maintained sobriety than those who only do the residential treatment. So, aside from the benefit of an increased chance at maintaining sobriety in the long term, what other benefits come with choosing a sober living home?
There is always an onsite manager for the facility and peers that are facing the same kind of temptations you are. So, for instance, if you find yourself struggling one day, there will be someone in your home that you can reach out to and talk to who may offer you advice or take you to an extra meeting to help make sure you stay on track.
Being Part of a Group during Recovery
Group events. Especially with the Covid issues, group events taking place at home can be a fantastic benefit. For example, some houses get together and do yoga or meditation times, which have been shown in studies to help encourage a positive mental health status.
Distance from your Past at a Sober Living Facility
Another advantage to living in a sober house is that you get the distance you need from the relationships you’ve damaged during your addiction. The space allows you to begin to heal and make amends for the things you did while under the influence. Too often, these relationships have enough instability that if you move back in with someone you’ve hurt, the outcome can be detrimental to your sobriety. It’s just human nature to fall back into bad habits and emotional patterns.
In a sober house, you can focus on fixing the old relationships without the stress of them being there all the time and forge completely new friendships with like-minded individuals.
Sober Living Homes are an Affordable Option After Rehab
Sober houses are usually an affordable option because multiple residents pay the rent. There are so many benefits of transferring from a residential program to a sober living facility that we can’t even begin to cover them all. The built-in support system, accountability, and friendships that can last a lifetime are just a few of our favorite advantages of choosing sober living after your drug rehab program in Florida.
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