Recovery from drug addiction or alcoholism is a lifelong journey. If you decided to enter addiction treatment, you’ve made the first and most important step. However, recovery from substance abuse doesn’t end once you’ve completed residential or outpatient addiction treatment.

For many people, the transition from addiction treatment to real-world living can be difficult. Leaving the safety and accountability that rehab provides can cause you to become overwhelmed with triggers but sober living programs exist to help you transition out of treatment with continued support.

At Moving Mountains Recovery, clients have the option to stay in a sober living home in New Jersey while they are in outpatient care.

What is Sober Living?

Sober living programs are a form of transitional housing that teach you how to be a sober individual in society. These programs help you learn how to maintain your recovery program while working and being a productive member of your community. Sober homes usually house 4-7 people who are in recovery for several months at a time. You are expected to work collaboratively with the other residents of the home and support one another on your sober journeys.

Sober living programs provide you with the following services:

• Random drug testing to increase accountability in sobriety
• Curfews that help to prevent relapse
• Chores to do around the house that teach you how to upkeep a home
• Help with finding a job and maintaining employment
• Requirements for attending 12-step groups like AA or NA
• Help with attending doctors appointments, therapy, and psychiatry if needed

Many sober living homes in New Jersey offer transportation to and from outpatient appointments and 12-Step meetings.

How Can a Sober Living Home in New Jersey Help You Stay Sober?

Sober living homes are designed to help you learn how to maintain sobriety in the real world. They combine the accountability of a treatment program with the freedom to engage in everyday activities like working, spending quality time with friends or family, and attending sober self-help meetings like 12-step groups.

Guidance and Support

When you are in a sober home, you are surrounded by people who support your recovery. This means that you will have people around you who can keep you accountable and prevent you from feeling the need to relapse.

Typically, sober living homes have on-site house managers who set the rules and enforce them. However, they are also there to help you with any issues that may arise including learning how to avoid triggers, overcome cravings, cope with emotions, and even find a job.

Creating Healthy Relationships

One of the most obvious benefits of sober living is the meaningful relationships you can create there. You will be sharing a space with other people who are going through the same things as you. Everyone is learning how to create a fulfilling sober life while practicing how to avoid triggers and cravings for substances, so you are encouraged to learn and grow together.

Interacting with other people who are going through the same issues as you allows you to build relationships based on common goals. This can reduce feelings of loneliness, which is an inherent part of the addiction cycle. Oftentimes, loneliness is a huge trigger for relapse for individuals in early recovery, making this extremely beneficial to your recovery journey.

Learning Life Skills

When you became addicted to drugs or alcohol, a lot of your outside obligations probably went out the window. Oftentimes, this can cause you to forget how to function in your daily life, leaving you confused when it comes time to practice your life skills. Being in a sober living home can help you learn how to perform daily life responsibilities with ease.

In a sober home, you will re-establish how to set up a schedule and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You will also develop life skills. Some of these skills can be as simple as doing laundry, while others are more complex like learning how to find and maintain employment.

Additionally, living with other people in recovery will teach you important interpersonal relationship skills that you need to successfully perform in your daily life. People with addiction issues often have a hard time socializing with others, whether it’s due to anxiety or the isolation that often goes hand in hand with addiction. Sober living homes teach you how to interact with others in a positive and meaningful manner.

Reducing the Risk of Relapse

The goal of sober living is to teach you how to maintain a sober lifestyle outside of treatment. All of the benefits described above come together to create a strong foundation for recovery which lowers your overall risk of relapse.

According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, “Many individuals attempting to abstain from alcohol and drugs do not have access to appropriate housing that supports sustained recovery.”[1] They found that sober living homes can greatly improve an individual’s likelihood of remaining sober on a long-term basis.

Find a Sober Living Home in New Jersey Today

If you or a loved one suffer from addiction, it’s time to seek professional treatment. At Moving Mountains Recovery Center, we can provide you with the partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment you need to begin your recovery journey.

But what happens after your treatment program ends?

We can refer you to a top-rated sober living home in New Jersey that can help ease the transition from treatment to everyday living. Contact us today for more information on how to get started.