I’m a big fan of sober living.
It is one of the support systems that were helpful in my daughter’s recovery process.
A sober living environment can ease you back into life, with some responsibilities, but not so many that they feel overwhelmed.
It provides crucial support from those on the same path.
Following treatment, being supported over a longer period gives a greater chance that your recovery will be successful.
Here is a guest post from Robert Tropp who shares some tips on how to thrive in sober living.
The successful completion of a drug treatment program is a major life accomplishment.
When you put in the hard work it takes to establish long-term sobriety, you become more confident and empowered to maintain “the new you.”
Completing an intensive, short-term treatment program is a great achievement You will need extra tools and support to maintain your hard-earned sobriety. Taking part in a sober living program can help you hone the life and coping skills you need to make sustainable sobriety a reality.
If you have committed to sober living, it is essential to take advantage of this powerful treatment option. The following are some important tips to help you hit the ground running while in sober living.
Be Active!
When you enter a sober living program, it is important to keep the mindset that recovery is a journey. Graduating from a treatment program is something to be celebrated. It doesn’t mean that you take the foot off the gas. Sober living programs give you the opportunity to put into practice when you learned in drug treatment.
Sober living is not about babysitting or something to occupy your time. You will be expected to be active in working your program of recovery–so get to work. Have a plan, be proactive and use the support of staff and your housemates.
Be Sure to Keep Yourself Number One…Take Care of Yourself
As you did in treatment and as you need to do every day, sober living is the time to make yourself the number one priority. When you practice proper self-care, you ensure that you are keeping yourself in top physical and psychological shape. When you properly take care of yourself, you stave off the depression and guilt that often haunt those in early in recovery and tend to derail progress.
What is good self-care? Regularly attending 12-step meetings, engaging in regular exercise, proper diet, and consistent, restful sleep each night. Most importantly, good self-care is using the support system of friends, family and recovering peers to help you navigate the rough patches.
Get Your Finances Right
A considerable part of your sober living experience is establishing a solid financial footing. Being able to take care of rent, bills, groceries, and other financial obligations is an important life skill that must be mastered if you are to succeed. Of all the stressors that plague your recovery, financial worries are often one of the most common.
In your first week of sober living, start taking steps to secure your financial future. If needed, find and secure long-term employment. Utilize the resources often available in a sober living environment to learn to write better resumes and learn solid job interviewing techniques. Most importantly, learn proper money management skills to help make your money work for you.
Be Accountable
In your first week of sober living, it is essential to understand that you must hold yourself fully accountable for your actions. It goes without saying that accountability is a huge part of your recovery. You must learn to be honest and transparent with both yourself and those around you.
Accountability is an unwritten code that you and your fellow housemates must abide by while in sober living in order to maintain harmony in the sober living environment.
When you have done something wrong or have fallen short, practice humility in order to be able to admit to your mistakes and move forward. When you are candid and open, you are better able to learn from those mistakes and become stronger in your recovery.
Don’t blame others or deflect; learn to accept blame without letting it derail your efforts. Understand that there will be missteps in recovery. View them as lessons learned that can make you stronger in the end.
Sober living is an essential part of any recovery program. By keeping these simple but powerful tips in mind, you can make the most of your sober living experience and continue to grow as an individual.
Robert Tropp is a functional nutrition practitioner whose primary focus is substance abuse and mental health disorders. Robert used functional medicine to help heal his mind and body, and now uses the lessons he learned in his journey to wellness to help others to regain their mental and physical well-being. Robert is an advocate for the importance of nutrition in addiction recovery and works as the health and wellness director at Nuview Treatment Center in Marina Del Rey, CA.
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