Structured Sober Living
Research has found that long-term recovery outcomes improve with the added support of a safe, sober, and structured living environment, so structured sober living supports are another important benefit of drug and alcohol treatment at FHE Health.
Anyone who is serious about their long-term recovery and who is receiving substance abuse care at our facility is eligible for our sober living program. Whether you’re participating in intensive therapies through our residential treatment program or are receiving outpatient services at our facility, you can take advantage of this offering.
Our Sober Living Services Compared to Others
At FHE Health, we understand the critical need for support during the early days of recovery. We’ve also seen firsthand how quality aftercare services help to increase patients’ prospects of a successful, long-term recovery. Sober living residences and programs are one example of a valuable aftercare support that we’re thankful we can offer our existing patients.
How a Sober Living Environment Can Aid Recovery
The chances of relapsing are highest during the first year of recovery when a person is most vulnerable to drug or alcohol cravings. During this time, a person’s living environment can have a big influence on their level of exposure to old addiction triggers and cravings and whether they respond to these things in a healthy or unhealthy way.
At FHE, many of our patients find they do better in a structured sober environment that removes the triggers and temptations that they associate with a substance abuse problem. Our patients also benefit from opportunities to practice and apply the new life skills and tools from treatment to real life; and their participation in a sober living community supports the healthy choices and responses to cravings that are foundational to the success of their recovery.
Our structured sober living options for both men and women offer a safe and healing haven for those in early recovery. These residences provide a way for those that have recently completed drug or alcohol rehab to re-enter society gradually, with some assisting handrails and supports. A sober living environment provides residents with a focus on sobriety and a structure that supports this focus, as well as an opportunity to apply sober skills learned in treatment to real-life situations.
Sober Living Homes
Sober living homes can provide the motivation, support, and skill development needed for long-term recovery. FHE Health has two sober living homes, one for men and one for women, so that within a single-sex environment, residents are better enabled to focus on their recovery.
Sober living is not required of patients at FHE. The choice is entirely up to you. One way to think of it is as a valuable and strongly suggested complement to (inpatient or outpatient) treatment at FHE. Ultimately, choosing to live in a sober residence can be a big step in solidifying and strengthening one’s recovery.
What to Expect in a Sober Living Home
FHE Health’s sober living facilities are located just off our main campus, so men and women who opt for additional aftercare treatment services will still be able to utilize all facilities and services on our main campus. These aftercare services are a recommended 90-day stay to ensure the best possibility of success in recovery. Men and women who choose a sober living experience will have access to:
- Private rooms in newly renovated homes with state-of-the-art accommodations
- The medical staff at the main campus
- Psychological services, such as options to see the attending clinician and group and individualized therapy sessions.
- Medication management services
- Employment assistance programs and career planning
- Spirituality advancement classes such as meditation and yoga
- Sober activities and events such as reef snorkeling and professional sporting games
- Volunteer and group programs to give back to the community
Skill Development
Developing sober life skills is a big part of the sober living experience. Those new to sobriety learn how to implement the tools and strategies they’ve acquired in treatment in their daily lives and as they reintegrate into society. Some examples of the sober skills that residents develop include:
- Proper etiquette and social interaction skills
- Responsibility and accountability skill
- Nutrition and meal planning skill
- Finance and budget planning skill
- Career planning and employment skill
Sober Home Rules
Each sober living house has a set of rules that residents must adhere to in order to live there. Termination from the program can occur if a resident is not compliant with the rules. These rules include (but are not limited to):
- Maintaining sobriety
- Curfew
- Household chores
- Refraining from violent and inappropriate behavior
- Working a program of recovery
Sober Living and Relapse Prevention
Our Sober Living Services Compared to Others
At FHE Health, we understand the need for support in the early days of recovery and have provided anything and everything we can to help our patients maximize their prospects of a successful, long-term recovery. Here are some of the ways that we strive for the same level of excellence in our sober living services:
- Spiritual Connection – Our sober living environments include an invitation to explore and develop a personal spirituality for recovery— and, in turn, more inner peace and comfort and a stronger foundation for sobriety.
- High Standards – Those who have graduated from our programs are held to a high standard. Our motto implemented at the sober living program is, “It’s either impeccable or unacceptable,” meaning that we expect only the best out of those who choose to further their treatment and nothing less.
- Equipping Not Enabling – As we seek to provide residents with the skills and tools that they need to live a healthy and sober life, we are also very careful not to enable dysfunctional patterns of addiction. The #1 goal for those who choose to utilize our sober living homes is a lifetime of permanent sobriety.
It’s common to think that addiction recovery is just about refraining from drugs and alcohol. While that’s important, most of the work of recovery (that makes sobriety possible) is about determining the underlying causes and emotions that feed an addiction.
Living with others who are doing the same rewarding work can provide the added support and sense of safety that can help you weather the hardest days of recovery. In this sense, choosing to live in a sober living home while receiving treatment is one of the best investments in recovery that a person can make.
