It is hard to understand how challenging it is to get sober if you have not experienced it for yourself. The rehabilitation centers can only do so much to remove the toxins caused by either alcohol or drugs, but ultimately, the road to recovery starts once you decide for yourself that staying sober is the best for you. Once you get out of rehab, the perfect place to be in is a sober living establishment.
A sober living establishment is an environment where recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can become well-adjusted to living cleanly. These establishments provide recovering addicts with the necessary tools to cope with everyday life. Most sober living environments require their guests to stay for a 90-day program. They provide accommodations and amenities to complement their services. Depending on your financial situation, these rooms can run the gamut from basic to ultra-luxurious. Some require you to work in exchange for a stay while some are resort-inspired and located in vacation destinations. Either way, you get almost the same kind of services meant to help you get back on your feet.
Part of the program is to develop a new routine that is leaning toward a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain after your stay. Expect to see several sports-related amenities in sober living houses, like swimming pools, tennis courts and ping pong tables. Sports activities are meant to enhance your social skills and interaction with the other guests. Meals are also usually prepared by chefs so you can get hints on preparing healthy food that will help you stay in shape.
One of the best ways to overcome an addiction is to fill your day with many different activities to keep body and mind busy. So in addition to having sports activities during the day, you are also expected to participate in support group meetings with the other guests. It really helps that you talk with someone who has been through the same situation as you and is learning his way back. Nobody else is capable of understanding what you are going through so just being able to talk to people who know what you are experiencing can help you release some pent up feelings of depression and desperation.
The goal of every sober living environment is to keep you on the road to recovery and on the path of sobriety. All the rest is up to you.