Once you’ve decided to say goodbye to drugs and alcohol and make the decision to live sober, choosing a sober home in Los Angeles may be one of the most important steps you take. These homes provide you with a drug and alcohol-free environment in which you can begin your first steps to recovery. Many individuals participate in a sober living home after completing time at a drug rehab facility. Some spend only a few months in a home, while others stay up to a year.

There are many benefits to living in this type of transitional environment as you work toward addiction recovery. Living in these types of homes helps reduce chances of relapse and help you re-acclimate to life outside a drug treatment center. However, if you want to make the most of those benefits, you have to take steps to make the most of your experience. Here’s how.

Experience the benefits of sober living in Los Angeles

1. Follow all the rules

Sober homes have many different rules and requirements you must meet to live there. It’s important to understand each of these rules and follow them, even if they seem silly to you. They were created to help you not only adjust to life outside of a treatment center, but also help you learn boundaries that will aid in your alcohol or drug addiction treatment.

2. Participate as much as possible

Each sober living house is different, but many will require residents to participate in chores, 12-step meetings and even therapy sessions. If you want to make the most of your time here, don’t stand on the sidelines and watch others gain from the experience. Jump in and participate.

3. Be friendly

Your housemates may be strangers when you first move into a home for sober living in California, but they will quickly become part of your lives. Be as friendly as possible with those you live with. Each of you is there for the same reason, and one of the benefits of living in this type of home is the ability to lean on each other for support when needed. While most homes discourage any type of romantic relationship, that doesn’t mean you can’t develop beneficial and positive lasting relationships with the people you meet.

Sober living homes in California can help you transition from a treatment center back into the ‘real world.’ Take steps to make the most of your time in these homes and improve your chances of lasting addiction recovery.