The Importance of Sober Living

December 15th, 2007 | Add a Comment

The importance of sober living after completion of primary treatment is imperative to the success of continuous sobriety. It would be in the best interest of the client if treatment centers suggest sober living as an option upon completion of primary treatment as part of their continuation of care. I personally went through multiple treatment facilities and was not able to maintain any significant length of sobriety once returning home to my old environment. That is not to say that treatment wasn’t successful, as I feel it gave me an invaluable education into the understanding of addiction. But to understand something does not mean you know how to do something.

For example, I can read a book on how to build a car, but that doesn’t mean I can call myself a mechanic. Experience is our greatest teacher. As an alcoholic in early recovery I was able to grasp the simple concept that change is difficult, takes time, and that being in a positive, pro-active environment would be an incredible catalyst for my recovery process. It was through this understanding and a court order that I became willing to try something different, a long term commitment. It was through being in a safe, structured, pro-active environment that I was, over time and sober experience, able to gain any sense of self esteem.

Being constantly surrounded by a peer support group that held me accountable for my behavior was perhaps the greatest conduit into taking action and responsibility for my life. The concept of integrity soon became a spiritual principle to aspire to live by. I started to understand that the path of recovery is much like trying to reroute the Grand Canyon. In essence, certain core beliefs were so deeply entrenched that without consistent guidance and feedback it would have been incredibly difficult to gain the awareness needed in order to make changes on my own.

A good sober living environment will force you to grow as you must deal with many personalities. Concepts like surrender, patience, tolerance, compassion and acceptance are put to the test on a daily basis. The longer one stays in a safe, structured, supportive environment, the better the odds are of success.

Jeremy Stanton is the owner and operator of Haven House Sober Living for Men, a twenty six bed high quality, structured sober living home located in Beverlywood, CA.

For more information on Haven House, please see our website at www.havenhouselosangeles.com or call 310-838-0309 for assistance.