4 Things You Should Know About Sober Living Homes

For many people living with addiction, sober living homes provide safety, structure, and as the name suggests, sobriety support. But if someone chooses to move into a sober living home, what do should they research beforehand? Here are a few things to know about sober living.

There Are Strict Rules

It might sound harsh to say that sober living homes operate by strict rules, but managed sober living is the first step toward addiction recovery. In many cases, those same strict rules that seem harsh are the very same rules that help people overcome addiction and work their way back to sober independent lifestyles. Some common rules you might find in a sober living facility include curfews, specific visitation hours, and a ban on interactions with people outside of the facility who are not sober.

Rent Is Required

If sustainable clean and sober living is to be achieved after leaving a sober living facility, it’s important to keep up with financial management skills. As such, people living in sober facilities are required to pay rent and, in many cases, for a share of grocery and utility bills. In many instances, paying these fees is a helpful step for many residents in building independence and accountability that addiction may have taken.

Communal Living Is the Norm

Sober living facilities and halfway houses operate, for the most part, under communal living standards. While residents may have their own rooms, spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and recreational areas will be shared. Responsibilities around the facility like cleaning and cooking will also be shared between residents. The idea behind communal living is reintroducing personal accountability into residents’ lives.

Drug Tests Are Administered

Sober living homes have strict requirements when it comes to residents remaining sober during their stay. As a result, random drug tests may be required of residents to ensure sobriety. This helps prevent residents from relapsing and becoming a negative influence on other residents who are also in recovery. If a resident’s drug test comes back positive, they may be asked to leave the home. In order to keep a safe space for other residents in recovery, sober living facilities are absolute when it comes to maintaining sobriety.

Sober living homes might seem like strict places to be, but for residents who are recovering from what could be a lifetime of addiction, that kind of structure is crucial. Above all else, starting to recover from an addiction requires a safe space. Sober living facilities can be that space, and it’s important to know how they operate.