Sober living homes offer a concentrated, drug-free setting so that patients who have graduated drug treatment programs can further establish their sobriety. Sober living homes provide an opportunity to cement the coping skills, communication techniques and healthy lifestyles forged during residential outpatient drug addiction care. With continued therapy in group or individualized settings, meals rich in vital nutrients, organized fitness and creative activities, and meditative guidance, extended drug addiction care provides a strong foundation on which to build a new, sober life.
Individualized Drug Addiction Care at Sober Living Homes
Amid a supportive atmosphere dedicated to the pursuit of sobriety for all patients, many sober living homes also provide personalized levels of care. Interdisciplinary teams collaborate on each individual enrollee’s progress, creating, reviewing and making adjustments to customized treatment plans throughout the duration of each stay. Patients’ diagnostic test results, drug addiction histories, psychological needs, drug use triggers and progress in the development of sober skills are all taken into consideration as an integrated team works together to help strengthen the patient’s sobriety during his or her stay.
Forms of Extended Drug Addiction Care at Sober Living Homes
Many residential treatment facilities offer extended care services for those who need further care as they make the journey into sobriety. Here are just a few of the forms of extended drug addiction care available at sober living homes throughout the nation.
Health Focused Services
Because of the strong physical component to drug addiction, sober living homes continue to emphasize the reformation of the body in recovery. Patients receive nutritional review, education and guidance through the advice of qualified medical staff as professional chefs provide healthy, balanced meals. Patients also receive fitness education through group sports and outdoor excursions and exercise training sessions. Comprehensive physical diagnostic testing is also available at many sober living homes, to enable patients to uncover and treat any health issues that may linger as they recover.
Intensive Psychotherapy
Whether performed in group, family counseling or individualized sessions, therapy continues to be a central part of sober living home treatment. Group therapy and 12-step meeting attendance helps create a support system for those in recovery, while personalized therapy sessions allow patients to delve into lingering issues of drug addiction recovery. Patients work with therapists to better understand the dynamics of addiction in their lives, core psychological components that served to contribute to drug addiction formation and coping strategies that will enable them to deal with life challenges in sobriety.
Life Skills Development
In addition to the psychological healing provided by psychotherapy, residents at sober living homes receive focus on the building of practical life skills that may have fallen by the wayside during drug addiction. Patients learn how to organize their time, employing scheduling techniques, prioritization skills and follow-through actions. Residents also learn practical life skills such as anger management skills, stress reduction techniques, avenues of compromise, communication abilities and provision of self-care.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
For those who battle a range of mental health conditions, from learning disabilities, depression and anxiety to personality, dissociative or other psychological disorders, dual diagnosis treatment allows residents to heal mentally as they cement their sobriety. Dual diagnosis drug addiction facilities treat drug addiction alongside such mental health concerns, providing intensive, targeted therapies and carefully calibrated psychiatric medication, as necessary.
Drug Addiction Relapse Prevention
During a sober living stay, individuals are prepared to return to successful sober living, even when encountering personal challenges, daily responsibilities and drug use triggers. Working with aftercare specialists and therapists, residents at sober living homes carefully and honestly assess potential pitfalls during extended care recovery. Staff can then help forge targeted coping skills, structure potential support networks, arrange for local referrals for patient care and discuss environmental amendments that may better position patients for success once they return home.
