Tips for Enjoying Life After Rehab

A sober living program in Florida is the same as similar programs elsewhere. Essentially, it provides support for maintaining a sober life, often after inpatient programs or comprehensive rehab plans end.

What most people don’t truly understand is that there’s no established “cure” for addiction. A client is not cured after detoxification or after their customized addiction treatment program ends. As a chronic disease, addiction’s only real cure is the management of the compulsion to abuse substances by using healthy coping mechanisms. Very often, a commitment to abstinence must last for a lifetime. Early in the addiction recovery path, a sober living program can help strengthen that commitment — or, at least, provide a safe and secure residential setting that doesn’t distract from it. If you’re searching for a sober living program in Florida, reach out to Coalition Recovery today. Call 888.707.2873 or contact our team online.

How Do You Navigate Life After Rehab?

Apart from relying on a sober living program — which would necessitate applying for a residential spot, as well as following all the rules of the sober living home (SLH) of your choice — there are other ways to strengthen your resolve to maintain sobriety in life after rehab, such as the following:

Avoid unsupportive friendships and other relationships

Recovery from addiction will shed light on who your true friends are. These are the people who will not only support your decision to be sober but will also help you continue to make healthy decisions in the future. They will embrace who you are now, even if it does take some time.

There will be some relationships lost in addiction recovery — such as those with people close to you during your addictive substance-using days, or those with people who don’t support your current sobriety — and that’s normal. It’s not worth working on a relationship that can’t fit into your new sober life.

Be confident in your decisions

The first step to maintaining a sober social life is learning how to be confident in your sobriety and yourself. No matter what anyone else says about it, your sobriety is an admirable commitment that improves not only your love but also the lives of your loved ones. Be proud of making the difficult decision to not be like everyone else and choosing to be a healthier person. Set the stage for others who, at this time, could be too scared to do the same.

Don’t take negative reactions to heart

There will always be people who have inappropriate or unpleasant reactions to your sobriety or the fact that you struggled with addiction. People can pass judgment, make assumptions, or voice their opinions in a way that may hurt you — but don’t take their remarks or reactions too seriously. The truth is that these types of responses have nothing to do with you or your addiction recovery journey. Negative reactions are indicative of how others see the world — and how they try to project their views onto you.

Make new friends

Loneliness is a distinct relapse trigger, which makes losing friends early in addiction recovery difficult. As you stay away from those that put you down, don’t be afraid to find new friends. You can build relationships with people you meet in support groups, like rehab alumni groups and 12-step groups.

What Is a Sober Living Program and How Does It Help With Maintaining Sobriety?

SLHs provide continuing care after comprehensive addiction treatment plans end, or the inpatient stage is over and the client needs to transition to a less intensive program to continue with their addiction treatment plan. Programs that are hosted in SLHs are also known as transitional living or recovery residence programs. Residents stay in a supervised home and share the goal of achieving full independence and establishing proof of stable sobriety.

SLH residents practice full autonomy while peers and supervising staff keep them accountable. Sober living programs are designed for those who are:

• Clean and working toward self-sufficiency
• In need of more accountability in their addiction recovery journey
• Stepping down from an intensive inpatient or outpatient program
• Stepping up into a more structured, but independent home
• Without drugs or alcohol currently in their system

When Should You Consider a Sober Living Program?

If you or someone you care about is living life after rehab and having trouble maintaining sobriety, you should consider a sober living program.

SLHs have rules designed to keep residents on track and abstinent. SLH rules prevent engaging or substituting addictions, and help build healthy life habits. Residents must continue to follow the rules throughout their entire stay. Common rules for occupants of SLHs include the following:

• Active participation in support group meetings
• Must be engaged in either work, school, or an outpatient program
• Must complete household chores and duties
• No drugs, alcohol, violence, or overnight guests
• Random drug and alcohol screenings
• Sexual contact between residents is prohibited
• Timely payment of fees

Failure to follow the rules may result in restricted living or even eviction from a SLH. In many cases, sober living programs offer structure and support that clients may need to maintain their commitment to abstinence and keep them on the path to addiction recovery.

Ready To Learn More About Coalition Recovery’s Sober Living Program?

If you’re looking for a sober living program in Florida, contact Coalition Recovery today. Reach out to our team online or call 888.707.2873.