There is more to recovery than completing a residential treatment program. Sober living is an excellent way of avoiding stressors at home and maintaining long-term sobriety. It offers an opportunity for living independently, but away from usual temptations and distractions that can jeopardize your recovery. The Northern Illinois Recovery Center highlights the top four benefits of this kind of rehab program.
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1. Reduces Risk of Relapse
Substance abuse changes the way your brain works, making it hard to suppress cravings. Studies reveal the presence of less gray matter in the brain of people who relapse. The less the gray matter in your brain, the more difficult it is to resist using substances, according to Science Daily.
There is no temptation to use substances in a sober living home. There is a ban on alcohol, drugs, and other illicit substances from the house. Furthermore, the program’s structure reduces the risk of relapse as it offers you a chance to work on replenishing your gray matter.
To eliminate the risk of relapse, therapists use a combination of several treatment programs, such as:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Group therapy program
- A dual diagnosis treatment program
- PTSD treatment program
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Holistic treatment approach
2. Availability of Support
Recovery involves changing your bad behaviors. Normally, a sober living program has on-site house managers to ensure your recovery path is on track. Without accountability, you are likely to break simple rules, including using drugs or alcohol.
House managers are also accessible around the clock to help you handle any matters that arise, including severe cravings, difficulty securing a job, and depression. A sober living home is equipped with experienced support staff and alumni who are ready to walk with you through recovery.
3. Restores Your Life Skills
When you begin battling a substance use disorder, you will most likely end up forgetting about other responsibilities, including:
- Maintaining cleanliness in the home
- Observing proper personal hygiene
- Healthy eating habits
- Maintaining physical fitness
- Finding employment
One of the vital benefits of sober living is the structure it restores into your life. After the program, you will learn how to rebuild your life skills and re-establish your responsibilities.
4. Builds Meaningful Friendships
When you live, breathe, dine, and play with the same people every day, they become your family. The other participants in the sober living program have walked in your shoes and know what it feels like to struggle with your condition. Most importantly, such a community desires to change and become better in life.
The chances are that you felt alone when still battling drug or alcohol dependency. You might have driven good friends away from your life or withdrawn from family members in fear of stigmatization or rejection. However, you will make new friends who will be there to support your efforts in staying sober.
Community members encourage each other, celebrate milestones, and walk with you to the end of your recovery journey.
Start Sober Living in Northern Illinois Recovery Center
At the Northern Illinois Recovery Center, we offer a wide range of programs to help you fight cravings and equip you with the right skills to maintain sobriety. If you are showing the signs of relapse, sober living can help by offering a structured and drug-free living environment, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Contact Northern Illinois Recovery Center today at 855.786.1978 for more details.
Licensed Physician and Surgeon
Dr. Beth Dunlap, a board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician, and is the medical director at Northern Illinois Recovery Center. She is responsible for overseeing all the integrated medical services at both campuses. Beth completed medical school, residency, and fellowship at Northwestern University, where she continues to serve on the faculty as a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She has extensive experience in addiction medicine at all levels of care, and her clinical interests include integrated primary care and addiction medicine, harm reduction, and medication-assisted treatment.
© 2023 Northern Illinois Recovery.