If you’ve set yourself down the road to addiction rehab, you may have come to the conclusion that time in a sober living environment will help you make the final transition back to normalcy. But simply living in a sober home for a short time isn’t enough. To make the most progress with your addiction recovery, you need to put some effort in — and follow these four tips.
1. Be honest
Lying and breaking house rules, even ones not directly associated with sobriety, will harm your recovery in the long term. The rules exist for a reason — and part of that reason may simply be to help you obey a structured life free of drink. By following even unimportant rules, you help develop the willpower to follow the big ones, so stay honest.
2. Set goals
While getting by day by day is an important part of addiction rehab, you need to pair your daily considerations with long-term planning – not just goals associated with your addiction, but with your entire sober living experience. If your addiction interfered with your career or family, it’s time to set goals in those areas; goals that you know you’ll have to fight for, but that you also know are within reach, will do the most for you.
3. Follow the schedule
Show up to group meetings, counseling sessions, and other events. Just living in the facility isn’t enough; you want to continue on the path to recovery, which means taking fullest advantage of the features offered. Otherwise, a sober home is nothing more than a prison locking you away from your addiction. It’s not – it’s a place to heal, so take your ‘medicine’ and get better.
4. Live
Get social, talk to your fellow guests, have fun. If you sit in your room and brood, you’re going to start associating sobriety with misery, when it doesn’t have to mean that. Develop positive associations between sober living and fun living, and you’ll find it far, far easier to stay on the wagon long after you’ve left the facility. If you’re merely subsisting while sober, it won’t be long at all before you’re faced with relapse.