Is Sober Living Recovery Right For You?
Why Sober Living Recovery?
If you or a loved one know it is time to seek help, it can be an incredibly difficult process to navigate. It takes a tremendous amount of courage, strength, and faith to take that first step toward getting help. And it is crucial that, once you have made the decision to give up drugs and alcohol for good, you have the resources you need to move forward with that decision. Often individuals and families are left with the question- what do we do now? What kind of treatment is right for me? Do I need to detox first? How do I know if Sober Living Recovery is the right option? These are all extremely important questions, that must be answered before you can successfully head down the path that is right for you.
Do I need to detox?
This is an incredibly important first question. If you are entering a traditional treatment center and are going to be medically supervised, you may not need to go to a separate detox facility. However, if you are currently dependent on drugs or alcohol, you may want to consider seeking a medical detox before entering a non-medical recovery option like Sober Living Recovery. Detox is specifically available to help individual healthfully withdraw from the chemical dependencies their body has become used to. Typically, individuals need a few days to a week to safely detox, during which time it is recommended that you are medically supervised.
Detox facilities do not, however, prepare you for a success recovery after leaving their center. They are specifically designed to help navigate individuals through the physical symptoms of drug withdrawal, and should not be considered a ‘treatment’ center that will prepare you to live a clean and sober lifestyle after leaving. Outside of medically detoxing from substance and alcohol dependency, individuals need to be outfitted with the coping mechanisms, tools, and support they need to re-enter their lives and remain successfully sober. These crucial tools can be found outside of a detox facility, at a treatment center or in a sober living recovery program.
What is the difference between a treatment center and sober living residential program?
Traditional treatment centers range in features, structure, and pricing- but are all typically supervised programs where individuals learn the skills and coping mechanisms needed for long term recovery. Treatment centers vary greatly in both features and cost- from luxury programs featuring personal trainers and spas to more modest programs with less substantial fees. Most treatment programs do focus on therapeutic recovery, and provide counselors and group therapy treatment to help with this process. Treatment programs are typically structures, medically supervised, long term (at least 30-90 days), and can be quite costly (upwards of $2,000 daily). However some traditional treatment programs can cost as much as $30,000 - 60,000 dollars for a 1 - 3 month program- and if insurance will not cover the cost, it can be one of the largest obstacles individuals face when trying to find somewhere to go for help. Many take insurance, and may be covered after your deductible is met- however with the current demands of the opiod addiction crisis, finding an available center that accepts your insurance is becoming one of the greatest barriers to recovery most people encounter.
Sober living recovery residences are not treatment programs. Many do offer counseling but are less structured, provide more freedom, and rely more on program participants to take personal responsibility for their sobriety. Many sober living recovery programs allow you to continue to work, have more minimal fees, and are based around the 12 step program of recovery. These programs involve communal living, often in apartment-style housing with roommates. All recovery residential programs vary in features and benefits however- all are based around the premise of providing a long-term, safe, and supportive environment for individuals while they get readjusted to daily life outside of addiction. One of the greatest benefits of sober living recovery programs is that they are typically affordable for many in need of help, give you the opportunity to continue to live your life while providing the structured and needed boundaries of a recovery program.
Is Sober Living Recovery right for me?
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