Pros and Cons of Sober Living

If you are looking to continue your journey into addiction recovery after leaving residential or inpatient rehab, you might be curious about the next steps you can take. Often, it is common to consider returning home as the only option but jumping back into a previous lifestyle may be a tough transition. 

You may feel overwhelmed after leaving treatment, especially when you are back in a previous environment. When looking for a natural transition, a sober living lifestyle is a place where you can feel at home and continue upholding your commitment without the overwhelming stressors of society. Before making your choice to jump right back home, learn about the pros and cons of sober living, as it may just be the right program designed for you.

A Straightforward Transition of Sober Living

Sober living lifestyles help you transition smoothly into an everyday lifestyle. Sober living may seem intimidating or overwhelming at first. However, once you get the hang of the lifestyle and uphold the rules and regulations of sober living, the benefits are limitless. You deserve to have as much motivation and peace of mind possible after leaving inpatient or residential drug treatment.

Your commitment to lasting sobriety is motivated and inspired in sober living lifestyles because you will forge meaningful connections and learn new skills needed for mainstream lifestyles. Additionally, suppose you are nervous about potential relapse. In that case, a sober living lifestyle is a perfect place to help you work toward everyday life and help you focus on what you can do to sustain and establish a healthy lifestyle.

Sober Living Pros

While many sober living houses come with advantages, one of the major perks is how it eases you back into normality. Upon leaving residential drug treatment, professionals will advise you to seek continued care and support as you continue your journey. Sober living homes are designed to help you with your situation in mind. You will find yourself following rules and guidelines to keep your place in the house.

Sober living homes require you to actively participate in activities and chores while living in the facility. Your mindset will start adjusting to typical day-to-day lifestyle choices and help you focus on making the right decisions in real-life scenarios. The sober living lifestyle gives you the means to jump back into society but not necessarily into the culture you once knew before residential drug treatment. 

The pros to sober living are more than just transitioning back into a lifestyle. They include:

• Continued recovery supports with 24/7 care

• Limitless resources and tools to help you stay in compliance and maintain your recovery

• Help with lingering recovery withdrawal symptoms

• A safe and secure environment

• The ability to continue a journey away from home but the freedom to make your own choices

• Development of meaningful and long-term relationships with peers who understand your situation or who have been through similar situations

• The ability to take accountability for your lifestyle

• Teaching you how to uphold the responsibility and incentives to avoid relapse

• Great settings or choices for individuals recovering but do not need complete rehabilitation services

• Provision of independent freedom and comfortability

• Desired amenities and accommodations at affordable costs

• A way to rebuild your life with new innovative skills that have helped you to find a job and become independent

Sober Living Cons

The advantages of sober living are fantastic for those individuals who want to continue their recovery journey but still wish to access the resources similar to the residential drug treatment facilities. However, there are a few downsides to sober living lifestyles. One of the downsides of sober living is the cost. Many individuals do not realize a sober living residence will require a fee that residents are responsible for.

The costs paid from the sober living residence help uphold the home and keep it intact for opportunities to help multiple individuals struggling with similar situations. Additionally, the price helps pay the on-site staff, who usually work around the clock. Another downside of a sober living home is the inability sometimes to find the right one for you.

Sometimes, sober living does not have the right environment to help you sustain long-term recovery. If you are seeking a sober living home, avoid the red flag settings such as unhygienic, no house rules, lack of ethical standards, untrained staff, lack of regulatory inspections, or if they claim to be free. 

Finding the Right Sober Living Home With The Forge

The sober living lifestyle should be essential for acquiring and transitioning back into life after leaving residential drug treatment. You need to have as much structure and options to continue your journey of a life filled with freedom and care.

A quality sober living home will offer you social support, understanding, round-the-clock care, autonomy, accountability, encouragement with healthy living, and help you meet the needs to increase the maximum recovery possible. The Forge wants you to focus on your recovery, and our sober living homes are a great place to start building a foundation.

We Can Help You Find The Right Sober Living Home For You

At The Forge, our team is here to support your needs with sober living choices. We offer a life full of freedom so you can maintain and thrive within the boundaries of a sober living lifestyle.

Our team invites you to reach out to us to learn more about our sober living homes or contact us for tools and resources on how you can get help in addiction recovery. Our team at The Forge will help ensure you stay on the right track and will help you rebuild your life with the appropriate place to transition and maintain a lasting recovery journey.

Written by

Brian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

May 6, 2022