Providing resources to those in a sober living facility should always be the utmost concern of any organization; this helps them have the best chance at a successful recovery journey. Casa Nuevo Vida provides a vast array of resources and amenities for all of our patients because we know just how imperative it is to provide them with an experience that propels them forward.
What is a Sober Living Facility?
Sober living facilities are environments that house those exiting a rehab program who need a supportive community surrounding them. These facilities have proven themselves to be quite resourceful, and there are many benefits to living in a sober facility. There are a wide variety of sober living facilities in Los Angeles, whether they be separated by gender or just purely who works best in what environment.
As previously mentioned, there are many benefits to attending a sober living facility. To fully comprehend the extent of these benefits, it is important to look at the resources that are available first. Once you’ve grown to understand the resources that sober living facilities provide, it is easy to see the way in which these facilities benefit the individuals participating.
The Benefits of Sober Living Facilities
Some benefits of participating in a sober living facility include the following:
- Opportunity for aftercare
- Lowers the chance of relapse
- Reduces loneliness
- Food and cleaning services
- Promotes discipline
- Treatment programs for the mind
- Alternative bonding activities
The purpose of participating in sober living facilities is to give patients a bit of extra support in regards to their recovery journey. This is because if they don’t have the proper amount of support that they need, they’ll be isolated psychologically, left to their own desires without a community surrounding them that understands them. It’s even worse for those that have left addiction treatment recently because this is when they’re at their most vulnerable.
Opportunity for Aftercare
Sober living homes provide aftercare for individuals who have gone through treatment for substance use disorder. Aftercare can take form of the following:
- Support groups
- Therapy
- 12-step programs
These aftercare services allow individuals in addiction recovery to receive the support they require so that they can wean themselves off of treatment (for lack of a better word). If this doesn’t happen, individuals will go from receiving consistent treatment to being cut off from care completely.
In the case of many individuals, aftercare still allows them to keep up with external responsibilities like work. This makes their lives post-treatment very convenient while their still receiving some sort of care. Practice makes perfect, and being able to practice the coping mechanisms from treatment and use them in some sort of real-world application will make all the difference in a potentially successful recovery. Maintaining sobriety in the real world is the ultimate goal, so putting that into practice in a graceful, understanding environment is very beneficial.
Lowers the Chance of Relapse
Relapse is perhaps one of the scariest possibilities when finishing recovery. The good thing about sober living facilities however is that they lessen the likelihood of relapse. Those who finish treatment need extra support when making the transition to the world outside of treatment. The hardest part about coming out of recovery is the initial shock of being back in the world, but sober living facilities help that transitional period not be so difficult or overwhelming. The biggest part of all of this is coping, and being in a sober living facility will help individuals do so in a more healthy way.
Reduces Loneliness
Loneliness in recovery is an easy feeling to give into post-treatment. Many individuals who have completed treatment go into the world outside of treatment feeling lonely, and rightfully so. Not many people understand what they’re going through, or so it may seem; this is where another benefit of sober living facilities come into play. With the supportive environment of a sober living facility, patients can have the support they need in their transition to the outside world.
In addition to the support of the home itself, there are also support groups that communities allow their members to be apart of that help them move on in a way that is conducive for their recovery journey.
Food and Cleaning Services
When it comes to being treated for substance use disorder, there is enough pressure riding on making it through the day that things like cooking or cleaning are just not at the forefront of the mind. These are responsibilities that take so much energy to even think about. In a sober living community, some of your meals will be done for you, so that the last thing on your mind is where your food is coming from. These communities also have people who perform cleaning services; all of this is done so that individuals can focus on their recovery with minimal distractions.
Promotes Discipline
Another benefit to sober living is that it prepares individuals to be disciplined. When it comes to the day-to-day, sober living homes typically have rules that residents are obligated to follow. These rules go from the following curfew to keeping one’s behavior in check with other residents. While this may seem like a bit of a turn-off, it does help individuals develop a sense of personal responsibility and discipline.
Treatment Programs for the Mind
When it comes to the human mind, different individuals operate in different ways. The benefit of sober living homes is that they cater to how some individuals function. Some homes are more structural in their approach while others take one that is more emotional.
Alternative Bonding Activities
Sober living facilities also offer activities in some form or another. Some homes provide art while others offer music, sports, or other outdoor activities. These activities allow individuals to enjoy their time at the home.
Resources Offered at Casa Nuevo Vida
There is no doubt that there are many benefits to living in a sober living facility, but just because there are multiple programs that offer these sorts of facilities doesn’t mean that they’re all the same. Each treatment center offers different culture, amenities, and practices in their sober living communities. This is why individuals must choose an environment that best suits their recovery needs.
24/7 Medical Services
Casa Nuevo Vida offers 24/7 medical service to their patients so that their recovery needs will be met to the utmost. This spells a good sober living experience, especially for those who have just exited medically assisted detox. The reason is that their medicine is being supervised and its distribution is under careful and considerable oversight.
Substance Use Disorder in Los Angeles, California
In California alone, 700,000 individuals suffer from substance use disorder (SUD); of that number, nearly a quarter (22%) of young adults ages 18-25 use illicit substances. Nearly 20% (18 to be exact) are suffering from addiction. Shockingly, nearly a quarter of those who suffer from substance use disorder are young adults, but not all of them are that young.
Of the 2,000,000 individuals over the age of 26 who live in California, nearly 7% suffer from addiction. To put it in layman’s terms, 140,000 adults over the age of 26 suffer from substance use disorder in Los Angeles alone. What may be even worse than this is that from 2011-2017, there were 464 accidental opioid-related deaths on a yearly average (the number of people who died from this kind of substance abuse in just six years was 2,800).
These numbers are scary. What they communicate, however, is the most important thing. Substance use disorder is much more common than some people may believe. Perhaps it’s ignorance; perhaps it’s simply believing the best in humanity. However, one thing is for sure – those who suffer from substance use disorder and don’t seek help neglect to do so because of the stigma of addiction.
So many people suffer in ways that most of us cannot comprehend, and the fact that some judge others based on their addiction is awful. There is most definitely a stigma attached to addiction, and the last thing anybody who suffers in that regard wants is to feel judged at their most vulnerable moments. This makes it even more difficult for those individuals to get the help they need. However, that’s not mean that there is not hope.
Casa Neuvo Vida is Here to Offer a New Life
One of the most encouraging parts of addiction treatment is seeing those who have suffered be met with an understanding far beyond their expectations. This lays the groundwork for broken relationships to be restored, trust to be revitalized, and an optimistic perspective going forward in their life journey.
At Casa Nuevo Vida, the last thing we want is for individuals to feel as though they’ve been cast aside. This is why we offer options outside of traditional residential treatment. Our goal is to see people through every step of the way and equip them for a future that is stable and encouraging.
If you or a loved one are suffering from substance use disorder and would like to know more about our treatment or sober living options, you can contact us here.