Achieving and maintaining sobriety can be a challenging journey that is full of highs and lows. For most people, recovery requires a substance-free and supportive environment that provides the tools needed for long-term success. Since a lack of stable, supportive, and drug-and-alcohol-free housing is a major obstacle in recovery for most people, sober living homes play an important role in the recovery process.
In Asheville, North Carolina, sober living homes provide a nurturing and structured environment that can help you stay sober and establish a firm foundation in recovery. Here are several ways an Asheville sober living home can help keep you sober.
Structure and Accountability
A primary advantage of sober living homes is that they place an emphasis on structure and accountability. These residences have specific rules and guidelines that residents must follow for their safety, including mandatory drug testing, nightly curfews, 12-step meeting attendance, and weekly house meetings.
If you don’t follow these rules, you may be asked to leave.
This type of structured environment fosters accountability among residents. Simply knowing that rules must be followed and that your progress is monitored may motivate you and your housemates to stay on the right track.
A Recovery-Focused Community
Another way an Asheville sober living home can help you stay sober is by providing a recovery-oriented community. Living with like-minded individuals who understand the perils of addiction and are also working toward recovery can offer a sense of camaraderie, understanding, and empathy. It can also alleviate any loneliness, isolation, or alienation you may feel.
Residents of sober living homes regularly engage in peer support by sharing their experiences, relating to one another, and providing encouragement. This sense of community and support can reinforce long-term sobriety as a shared goal among housemates.
Life Skills Development
Making the transition from active addiction to a sober lifestyle in recovery is a challenging one. Maintaining a sober lifestyle requires essential life skills that are often neglected during addiction. A great way to practice and embrace these life skills is to take advantage of sober living programs.
In sober living homes, residents are encouraged to complete daily chores, manage their finances, get a job, maintain good hygiene, and upkeep a clean, organized living environment. Learning how to apply these skills to your daily life can promote growth and independence. It can also establish a sense of responsibility or stability in life, which is crucial for staying sober.
Aftercare Support
Many sober living homes in Asheville operate in collaboration with local addiction treatment centers, counselors, and support groups to ensure their residents have access to comprehensive aftercare support. Having an extensive support system such as this will allow you to fully address underlying issues, cope with triggers and cravings, and develop healthy, effective relapse prevention strategies.
Safe, Drug-and-Alcohol-Free Environment
Some people who finish rehab don’t have safe and sober housing to return to. Either they were experiencing homelessness and don’t have a place to stay or were living in a toxic home with unhealthy family dynamics or other addicts. In situations like these, a lack of safe housing can cause people to relapse.
Having the option to live in a sober home gives people in recovery a path forward. It helps eliminate the barrier of lack of housing by placing individuals directly into substance-free housing.
Employment and Education Support
Many Asheville sober living homes have trained staff members who assist residents in finding employment or pursuing educational opportunities. By focusing on career or academic goals, individuals in recovery can regain a sense of purpose and stability. Stable employment and/or educational pursuits contribute to a structured and fulfilling life, reducing the likelihood of returning to substance use.
A Smooth Transition Back Into Society
Behind the doors of a rehab center, staying sober may seem fairly easy. However, many people face unexpected triggers and drug cravings as soon as they leave rehab and return to the real world.
Fortunately, sober living homes serve as a bridge between residential treatment or intensive outpatient programs and independent living. They allow individuals to gradually reintegrate into society while still having a supportive structure in place. This transitional period enables residents to gain confidence, practice their newly acquired skills, and build a network of support before fully transitioning back to independent living.
Find an Asheville Sober Living Home Today
At Next Step Recovery of Asheville, we offer more than just a “halfway house.” Our sober living houses and sober living programs take a holistic approach to addiction, equipping men with the skills they need to achieve long-term addiction recovery. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, our sober living facilities help men win that fight—through structure, community, and self-love.
If you’re interested in starting treatment or learning more about sober living, please give us a call today.
