How does a sober house work to keep men safe from drugs?
Have you ever wondered how a halfway house or sober house keeps men away from drugs? How does a sober living house work to keep men from returning to active addiction?
Sober living for men works to support the sobriety of men who are committed to their recovery. If a man who struggles with addiction is motivated to continue with sobriety and drug-free living after rehab, sober living in a dedicated sober house can help to keep him safe.
A safe sober living home does not allow drugs of abuse into the house. As a rule of thumb, avoid Florida sober homes that are 420 friendly or recovery houses that allow kratom use. Sobriety means being free of alcohol and any mind or mood altering drug.
In rehab, family members are relieved to know that their loved one is in a safe place. Rehabs do not allow drug dealers in, and they do not allow residents to leave the facility unsupervised.
However, when residents graduate from their rehab program, they must learn to live in the real world, where temptations do exist. Staying sober in a rehab might start to seem easy, until the man who leaves rehab first drives past a liquor store, or even a grocery store.
Even going back home can lead to temptations to relapse. There may be alcohol in the liquor cabinet, beer in the fridge, or pills in the medicine cabinet.
Does living a sober lifestyle mean staying alcohol-free only, or does it also mean staying drug-free?
When I talk about getting sober and staying sober, I usually refer to both remaining free from alcohol and drugs. It doesn’t make sense to separate the two. Alcohol is a drug.
Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization dedicated to helping people to reach sobriety milestones, one day at a time. They offer support meetings, and they celebrate sober time for people who identify as alcoholics.
Many men addicted to drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, or crystal meth, prefer to attend AA meetings. When they share in a meeting, they state their name and say, “I am an alcoholic.”
So, in the world of medicine and science, alcohol is a drug. It is a dangerous drug that happens to be legal and socially acceptable.
Yet, in the world of Alcoholics Anonymous, every drug is alcohol. To remain sober, you must remain drug-free, and sobriety time is the same as clean time.
A drug addict can attend an AA meeting and state, “I am an alcoholic” without feeling dishonest, because this is how the AA program works. While there are other recovery support groups besides AA, many addicts prefer going to AA meetings, because of the solid foundation and rich history of this worldwide organization.
Since rehabs and halfway houses take their clients to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, they support this sometimes confusing position. Someone who is addicted mainly to drugs, such as fentanyl or cocaine, can identify as an alcoholic and talk about living a sober life, in order to feel more at home in a recovery world dominated by the AA way of life.
Getting sober and staying sober after rehab is easier in a home dedicated to sober living for young men.
When you leave rehab and go to a men’s sober living home or halfway house, you can expect to follow strict rules. Men must attend meetings regularly, and they also must submit to routine drug testing.
During the day, the men may have jobs, where they learn to live and work responsibly, or they may attend day programs, such as PHP or IOP. These outpatient programs are similar to rehab, but only during certain days and hours.
For many men, a sober living house is ideal, because the house program helps them to avoid relapsing, as they re-integrate into society. It is important for families to help locate a safe sober home for their loved one that they can trust to support their recovery.
Unfortunately, there are recovery houses that are less than idea. For example, there are couples halfway houses in Florida that allow for men to live with their romantic partners.
Why would sober living for couples be bad for a man trying to maintain sobriety? The program of AA, and similar programs, recommend not getting into relationships during the first year of sobriety.
Relationships, especially between two addicts or two alcoholics, can create turmoil and distraction from recovery. Relapse for couples is fairly common. And, how can a sober home manager help to support men in living with sobriety when they are distracted by catering to the needs of couples?
Staying safe and sober in Fort Lauderdale is possible when you pick a sober living home that takes sobriety after rehab seriously.
Unfortunately, for men trying to learn how to stay sober from drugs and alcohol in South Florida, there are many bad choices. One bad choice to avoid is going to a careless sober home, or even a corrupt recovery house.
Some homes are only interested in money-making schemes, which in Florida, can mean illegal kickbacks and encouraging residents to relapse, so they can go back to detox and rehab. Other homes stay within the law, but they are more focused on keeping residents happy than strictly enforcing sober house rules.
For example, if your son who lives in Broward County is struggling with his addiction, and he happens to have a pet cat or dog, he may insist on sober living that allows pets. While there might be a pet-friendly sober living home that is also serious about recovery, it does not seem likely.
The best sober living homes do not focus on gimmicks to attract new residents. They simply stick with the basics. Men who want to live in the home must be serious about their recovery, and they must follow the house rules.
If you are interested in learning more about how to stay sober after rehab with the help of a dedicated and loving sober living home, please contact us using the contact form or phone number on this website. For help getting sober and learning to keep sober, a good recovery house can be a safe and supportive place for men who are dedicated to their recovery.
