What Is a Sober Living Environment?

A sober living environment is typically a home or apartment that houses men or women who are recovering from substance abuse. Often called sober living homes, this type of setting is generally meant to help people successfully reintegrate into society after completing rehabilitation. This is done by providing them with a supportive setting that promotes self-sufficiency and is free of negative influences.

There are several ways that a person may end up living in or considering a sober living environment. If he was previously staying at a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center, he may choose to move into this type of place upon completion of the program. In this case he can slowly become accustomed to his new clean living lifestyle prior to returning home or to a situation that could potentially be detrimental to his progress.

When a person seeks treatment for his dependencies through an outpatient rehabilitation program, he may not feel comfortable staying where he is currently living during the course of his treatment. This is another situation in which a sober living environment is helpful. While undergoing treatment he has the ability to live in a home that is by nature free of potential temptation. In some cases, a person that has been convicted of driving under the influence may also have the option to enroll in a sober living environment. Another benefit is that this may shorten, or may even completely eliminate, the amount of time that is spent in jail.

While staying at a sober living environment there are certain rules that are universal for nearly all homes. One of these is that alcohol and drugs are strictly forbidden. This zero-tolerance policy often includes everyday items such as cough medicines and even mouthwash. To ensure that residents are maintaining a clean lifestyle, the sober living home may frequently perform random, compulsory testing.

People who move into a sober living environment will typically not have a room to themselves and will need to share with at least one other person. Although some homes are co-ed, roommates are typically of the same gender. If a resident is not currently working, he must look for a job and pay rent on time, regardless of his employment situation. In addition, he is expected to contribute when it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of the home. Often each resident is responsible for a specific chore to help with the upkeep.

Continued counseling is also a mandatory part of staying in a sober living environment. In addition, they must also participate in an appropriate 12 step program that is geared toward the chemical dependency that they are recovering from. When rules are broken, residents can be evicted depending on the offense. This is typically done to avoid endangering the recovery and safety of other residents.