Sober Living Environments Help Recovering Addicts Return to Society
In the 1984 film "The Razor's Edge," a Tibetan monk asks the character played by Bill Murray why he is leaving the monastery. "It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain," replies Murray, adding that his spiritual journey must now lead him back to the world he had once fled. The monk smiles, but offers a cautionary note as he bids Murray farewell - "the pathway to salvation is as narrow and as difficult to walk as a razor's edge."
Murray's departure from the monastery can serve as a fitting metaphor for the challenges faced by people recovering from substance abuse when they leave the structured life of rehab centers. Fortunately, there are destinations between the mountaintop of the rehab center and the razor-edge life of the modern world. Sober living environments (SLEs) allow recovering addicts to learn valuable life skills as they begin their transition back to society.
Rehabilitation facilities, such as the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center (ADRC) at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic, provide a wide range of structured services - psychiatric evaluation, round-the-clock medical supervision, mandatory educational sessions and group therapy. This regimen can be a comfort and relief for many people seeking to rebuild their lives from substance abuse, but upon leaving these programs patients are confronted with the same pressures and temptations that had lead to their problems.
Sober living environments can provide a crucial role in this difficult time of transition. Often but not always associated with rehab centers, SLEs are apartment complexes and multi-family residences that host several recovering addicts at a time. Unlike traditional halfway houses, SLEs do not provide treatment programs, and participation is voluntary. The regimen of formal rehab is replaced by strict rules of conduct, which are overseen by one or more house managers. Residents are encouraged to stay in SLEs at least 30 days and up to a year, with three months being the average length of stay.
Characteristics that are commonly found in SLEs include:
An emphasis on accountability. At TLC Clean and Sober Living Homes in San Francisco, http://tlcresidential.com, residents are required to attend evening house meetings and are assigned household chores. These responsibilities encourage residents to feel responsible to each other for their actions.
Regular attendance in recovery organizations. At New Found Life Sober Living House of Delray Beach Florida, http://www.soberliving-delraybeach.com, participation in Alcoholics Anonymous or similar addiction recovery meetings is mandatory, and residents must provide the name and contact information for their sponsor. These requirements encourage residents to build their personal support network.
Access to counseling services. Although SLEs do not provide formal treatment programs, most provide convenient access to professional counselors. The Bridges of San Diego, http://www.thebridgesofsandiego.org, partners with licensed career and nutritional coaches. Participation is voluntary, but access to these programs helps addicts become aware of the services available to them outside of formal rehab.
At the end of "The Razor's Edge," Bill Murray's character is able to maintain the inner calm he had cultivated in Tibet amidst the chaos that has engulfed his world. Sober living environments aim to give recovering addicts the tools they need to achieve their own happy endings.
Murray's departure from the monastery can serve as a fitting metaphor for the challenges faced by people recovering from substance abuse when they leave the structured life of rehab centers. Fortunately, there are destinations between the mountaintop of the rehab center and the razor-edge life of the modern world. Sober living environments (SLEs) allow recovering addicts to learn valuable life skills as they begin their transition back to society.
Rehabilitation facilities, such as the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center (ADRC) at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic, provide a wide range of structured services - psychiatric evaluation, round-the-clock medical supervision, mandatory educational sessions and group therapy. This regimen can be a comfort and relief for many people seeking to rebuild their lives from substance abuse, but upon leaving these programs patients are confronted with the same pressures and temptations that had lead to their problems.
Sober living environments can provide a crucial role in this difficult time of transition. Often but not always associated with rehab centers, SLEs are apartment complexes and multi-family residences that host several recovering addicts at a time. Unlike traditional halfway houses, SLEs do not provide treatment programs, and participation is voluntary. The regimen of formal rehab is replaced by strict rules of conduct, which are overseen by one or more house managers. Residents are encouraged to stay in SLEs at least 30 days and up to a year, with three months being the average length of stay.
Characteristics that are commonly found in SLEs include:
An emphasis on accountability. At TLC Clean and Sober Living Homes in San Francisco, http://tlcresidential.com, residents are required to attend evening house meetings and are assigned household chores. These responsibilities encourage residents to feel responsible to each other for their actions.
Regular attendance in recovery organizations. At New Found Life Sober Living House of Delray Beach Florida, http://www.soberliving-delraybeach.com, participation in Alcoholics Anonymous or similar addiction recovery meetings is mandatory, and residents must provide the name and contact information for their sponsor. These requirements encourage residents to build their personal support network.
Access to counseling services. Although SLEs do not provide formal treatment programs, most provide convenient access to professional counselors. The Bridges of San Diego, http://www.thebridgesofsandiego.org, partners with licensed career and nutritional coaches. Participation is voluntary, but access to these programs helps addicts become aware of the services available to them outside of formal rehab.
At the end of "The Razor's Edge," Bill Murray's character is able to maintain the inner calm he had cultivated in Tibet amidst the chaos that has engulfed his world. Sober living environments aim to give recovering addicts the tools they need to achieve their own happy endings.
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