Sober Living in Des Plaines, IL

Drug and alcohol addiction treatment come in many forms. Some of these forms, like inpatient rehab, are quite familiar to the general public. However, others like sober living programs may not be so familiar to most people. If you are currently struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction and are looking into your options for treatment and recovery, you may want to consider a stay in a sober living community as a part of your overall treatment plan. There are many options available to you for sober living in Des Plaines and can provide you with a wide variety of benefits in your addiction treatment and recovery. By getting to know more about sober living programs, you can determine whether or not you want to incorporate a stay in sober living in Des Plaines into your addiction recovery process.

What Is Sober Living?

To best decide if a sober living community is the right recovery environment for you, you need to understand the definition of sober living. Sober living is a form of addiction recovery that is similar to inpatient rehab but with some distinct differences. Firstly, in a sober living community, you will not be under the constant supervision or lock-and-key the way you would be in an inpatient rehab program. Instead, you will be living in a house with a small number of other recovering addicts and a limited number of staff members. You will get a fair amount of freedom and will even be able to leave the house for various approved reasons.

The treatment you receive in sober living programs is also far less intensive that it would be in inpatient drug rehab in Des Plaines. Sober living programs utilize what is known as SMART Recovery to help addicts overcome their addiction. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training and such programs are based on the idea that recovering addicts need to be self-motivated and self-directed in their addiction treatment and recovery. This means that much of the therapy and treatment that you would receive in sober living in Des Plaines would be self-directed and would require you to make progress without constant guidance or supervision to do so. You will need to make sure you get to therapy and you will be responsible for completing any treatment "homework" without receiving repeated reminders from treatment professionals.

How Long Would I Have to Stay in a Sober Living House?

The amount of time that you would spend in a sober living house will depend on your motivations in treatment and the goals you have for your treatment and recovery. There is no set amount of time in sober living in Des Plaines that will suddenly make you free of your addiction for good. Generally speaking, most people with a stay in sober living for about three months (90 days). However, the stay can be longer or shorter depending on an individual's ability to work through the program as well as their level of comfort leaving the sober living house. Some people do stay in sober living a great deal beyond the 90 days while others find that the 90-day goal is sufficient.

Residing in a Sober Living House -- What Would I Expect?

When you are considering the possibility of staying in a sober living community, you may be hesitant because you do not know what to expect from your stay. In a sober living house, you will be in a close-knit community of fellow recovering addicts that are on the path towards recovery along with you. You can expect to become close with your housemates and may even develop lifelong friendships with the people you are staying with. This is because, in addition to living in close proximity to one another, you will be sharing chores and household duties with one another, eating meals together, and going through group therapy together. Such a living environment is designed to forge close bonds because building such open and close relationships is a major part of successful addiction recovery.

Are There Rules in a Sober Living House?

Of course, living in a sober living house is not like living in your own home where you make your own rules. In sober living, there are rules designed to protect and support all members of the community. Some of these rules are quite basic. For example, everyone has to contribute when it comes to household duties and chores. Others include rules against engaging in substance abuse or being caught with drugs or alcohol, rules about attending group therapy sessions, and curfews. Generally, recovering addicts living in sober living in Des Plaines will only be allowed to leave the house during certain daytime hours and in some cases only for certain reasons (such as work, interviews, and medical or therapy appointments). The rules are designed to provide just enough structure to the living environment that it supports recovery and sets boundaries without completely taking away the freedoms of the patients staying in the sober living home.

Sober living can be a highly effective and helpful part of any addiction treatment and recovery program and is an option you should consider as you develop your treatment plan. Call Des Plaines Alcohol Treatment Centers now for help (877) 804-1531.