Beating an addiction means learning an entirely new set of skills, and then applying those lessons over and over again to keep cravings under control. Learning something new always involves a little trial and error. Tweaks and adjustments allow people to ensure that they’re doing everything just right, each and every time. Sober living communities provide people with a safe and sober place to live while they go through this adjustment process. These facilities are typically run by residents, not by therapists, so there are no formal addiction treatments provided. However, some aspects of sober living communities serve to augment the addiction treatment the person has already received.

Ensuring Sobriety

In a rehab program for addiction, people are often asked to submit to urine screenings for drugs. Some sober living communities ask people to do the same, according to a study in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, and those who fail those urine tests face severe consequences. In some facilities, residents who fail tests, and who lie about their drug use when questioned about it, are asked to leave the grounds immediately. Those who admit that they’ve relapsed are asked to perform community service or attend daily addiction support group meetings.

Screening for a relapse isn’t a treatment for drug addiction. After all, spotting an abusive situation isn’t the same as doing something about that situation. However, screening can help administrators ensure that the recovery process continues to move forward and that a small slip doesn’t result in a full-blown addiction recurrence.

Building Community

The casual, day-to-day interactions of people who live together in sober living communities might also be considered part of the treatment plan. Conversations over the breakfast table could include discussions of the day’s anxiety-provoking activities, and residents could swap tips and provide encouragement. Middle-of-the-night sleeplessness could turn into marathon discussions about troubling memories or disturbing dreams. House meetings could provide people with the opportunity to boast about their progress, and bask in the glory of praise from other residents. Friendships might form, and networks develop. For people recovering from addiction, this web of kindness could be deeply reassuring.

Sober living communities also ask their residents to participate in 12-step meetings on a regular basis. Meetings can follow a variety of different formats, but most include:

• An opening prayer
• An in-depth study of one of the 12 steps
• An opportunity for each member to share an insight or story
• A closing prayer

These meetings are considered vital to long-term recovery from addiction as they allow people to discuss their struggles with addiction in a clear and honest manner, and the support they receive in these meetings may help people to feel less isolated and alone. Some sober living homes hold meetings within shared living spaces, but others ask residents to attend meetings in the community instead.

Proof of Effectiveness

Sober living communities have been proven to be an effective tool in the fight against addiction. In one study, published in the journal Addiction Research and Theory, researchers followed 323 people who lived in sober living communities. The researchers found that all people studied had increased control over their addictions, due to the help they had received. That’s worth repeating: Everyone got better. This study certainly seems to suggest that sober living communities could be helpful for almost anyone. If you’d like to know more about sober living communities, please contact us at Axis. We have a facility located in California that might be just right to meet your needs.