What is Sober Living?

Sober living homes provide a safe and sober environment where residents can have a sense of community and support while in recovery. There are rules and structure such as curfews, chores, attending meetings, maintaining employment and/or schooling, and work on life skills (like budgeting and job training). Common scenarios that the ASAM, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, would support sober living are high relapse risk due to home environment, no stable housing, leaving residential treatment and not ready for full independence, or a limited support system. Sober living strengthens outpatient or intensive outpatient care by stabilizing the home environment.

Why Sober Living?

Sober living is not just about staying sober; it is about changing the environment and daily habits that make it possible to use in the first place. Sober living provides a middle ground between treatment and being on your own. Individuals with a substance use disorder, need a sober and safe environment so they do not go back to the same places where drugs and/or alcohol were around and can quickly undo progress. Sober living removes those triggers and gives the individual a clean slate.

Why is Sober Living Useful?

Sober living provides an individual with accountability by being surrounded by people working towards the same goals. It provides an environment rich with peer support, drug/alcohol testing, and less isolation (which can be a big relapse risk for many individuals). Sober living increases the individual’s odds of staying sober by changing surroundings, adding structure, and keeping the individual connected to support while rebuilding a sober life.