If you or a young adult you know wants information about sober living homes, you may wonder how far you have to travel to find the right one. The Los Angeles area contains local sober living homes that mean residents don’t have to travel to find a treatment program designed to teach them how to live independently while embracing newfound sobriety.
What Is a Sober Living Home?
A sober living home is a transitional community that provides housing for people in recovery for substance use disorders. Some people enter local sober living homes after leaving residential treatment while others use it after outpatient treatment or along with it. Sober living homes provide housing for a group of people who all share the goal of staying sober. For those also dealing with mental health issues, the treatment offered for addiction often includes help with mental illness, too.
People who want to work on their sobriety but don’t have a strong support system at home or aren’t ready to return to their homes find sober living homes offer the right treatment. They can practice living independently, learn basic life skills, and continue addiction treatment while benefitting from the safety of living among peers. Individuals who stay long-term in a sober living house often end up having longer-term recoveries than those who go from their first round of treatment straight back to their home lives.
What to Look For in a Local Sober Living Home
Someone new to the idea of finding a sober living home may not know where to start when it comes to what constitutes a good fit for them. Things to look for include:
Amenities: Some sober living homes offer just the basics, which can limit how much a person accomplishes while staying there. When checking out local sober living homes, find out what they offer besides basic housing. Some provide transportation to appointments or the grocery store. Houses that offer group outings can help fill in some downtime with fun activities that bond the residents together. While many homes require residents to share housekeeping and cooking duties, some provide assistance with this.
Programs: Many sober living homes provide access to individual and group therapy or support groups, which allows residents to continue their addiction treatment. Some homes offer holistic therapies, such as art therapy, equine therapy, yoga, massage, and meditation. Some homes require drug testing and curfews as part of their programs.
Licensing and Certifications: Very few states require their sober living homes to be licensed, which can allow for low-quality ones to operate.
Some states now participate in voluntary certification programs but there are no federal government regulations that apply to sober living homes. A person who does their homework can get a good feel for the home, including visiting it ahead of time.
Benefits of Gender-Specific Local Sober Living Homes
Selecting a gender-specific local sober living home can provide many benefits for the residents. These include:
Reducing the Temptation For Relationships To Develop
When a sober living home is co-ed, the opportunities for people to engage in romantic or sexual relationships are higher than in gender-specific homes. Statistically speaking, a gender-specific home means fewer people will be tempted to become distracted from their recoveries because they begin a relationship with a fellow resident. Focusing on recovery should be the main priority. In fact, most sobriety experts recommend a single person avoid romantic or sexual entanglements with anyone else until they have banked several months or a year in solid recovery.
Bucking Stereotypes About Communicating
Men often fall victim to the stereotype that part of being masculine means not showing their emotions. This problem can present itself more when they are around women. In a male-only sober living home, residents often find it easier to let their guards down and open up to each other.
By the same token, women may feel less likely to speak up when in mixed company. Women often find it easier to let down their guards and speak honestly when around other females. Open conversations and the tendency to be supportive of each other often flow more freely in this situation.
Less Pressure Related to Physical Appearance
When men and women are around each other, whether in work, social, or other situations, there can be pressure to pay close attention to their physical looks. Women often feel they should wear makeup, style their hair, and dress up when in mixed company. Men worry more about their grooming habits and how they dress when among women.
In both cases, living in a gender-specific local sober living home can take away a lot of that pressure. When people focus less on their physical appearance, they have more time and energy to concentrate on their emotions, their actions, and their recoveries.
A Feeling of Safety
When physical, sexual, or emotional abuse happens at the hands of someone of the same gender, it can make it challenging for someone to be around that gender in close quarters. Women, in particular, may feel intimidated by the idea of moving into a local sober living home when it means being around men who are strangers to them. Gender-specific houses can offer treatment that addresses any past abuse while not pressuring the residents to be around a crowd with whom they are not yet fully comfortable.
Local Sober Living Homes in Los Angeles
Moving into a sober living home in order to address addiction to drugs or alcohol is a life-changing event. Riviera Recovery in Los Angeles provides young adults with gender-specific local sober living homes that don’t just meet minimum requirements but provide world-class treatment options. Our partner programs give residents the opportunity to receive treatment for their addictions and any accompanying mental health issues. Contact us now and we’ll be happy to explain how moving into our homes can be the bridge that allows you to achieve life-long recovery.
