According to a survey, more than 27 million people in the US are drug users, over 66 million people report alcoholism. Both the drug and alcohol abuse trends are rising day by day. Therefore there is a dire need to work hard and stop drug and alcohol abuse.
Reducing the misuse will also reduce the risk of associated diseases, crimes, family violence, school dropouts and the negative economic impact they are making. Most commonly, people are admitted to a drug rehabilitation center for the treatment.
There are thousands of active drug rehabilitation centres as well as sober living in Dallas, DC Washington, Los Angeles and many other big cities in the US. They are working hard and spending billions of dollars to help the patients get rid of their drug misuse.
The Need for Sober Living Houses
The substance abusers get two types of treatments; inpatient and outpatient. The type of treatment they get directory depends upon their condition, budget and available time.
When a patient completely recovers from drug abuse, he needs a safe living environment where no drug or alcohol is available. Such places are usually named as sober living houses, they are the best option to help the person regain sobriety in life and transit back into his community after receiving intensive inpatient treatment.
In the early stages after recovery, it is very likely to go back to the old habits or struggle to come back to normal life. These sober houses help the patient to come back to the normal day to day life under the supervision of professional case therapists, managers, nurses and other staff.
Here’s how sober living homes are different from rehabilitation centres?
They are different from many residential programs and rehabilitation centres because their structure is much more closely to facilitate the improvement. Most of these homes have random drug testing from time to time.
As a resident of these houses, you can leave the place anytime to go for your work, see friends or family, or enjoy any leisure activity. But with all that you must keep the rules of the house in mind and fulfil them like an independent and responsible resident. If someone does not obey the rules and regulations, he/she may have to leave the house or face any legal action.
To admit in these sober living homes, the patients and the guardian need to sign a contract in which the commitments, duration, and all the rules and regulations of the house are stated. This is done to ensure the safety of both the patient and the administration.
How does sober living help the patient?
They significantly contribute to the well-being of the patient, especially once he is recovered from drug abuse. It is the form of safe living arrangement that lends a hand to bring back the patient to his normal day to day life.
In sober living homes, they are supported by fellow residents and the staff to regain confidence and start their life normally. Most of the sober living offers a 12 step program for a quick recovery. This program is not very strict, but one has to participate fully to live there & recover.