Transitional housing often provides a middle ground or a place to stay before an addict returns home or back to another environment. Per the countless amount of research and studies that have been done over the many years, the length of time a person spends in treatment is subsequent to his or her overall recovery. What is recommended by the National Institute on Drug Abuse is that people stay in drug treatment for a minimum of 90 days or longer if they can? There are also numerous benefits of not returning to the environment one wants to return to after drug rehab. A transitional housing program is an effective solution to help make the transition back to society smoother for the addict.
Relapse, if it does happen; does often occur within the first month of being out of drug treatment, and this is the reason why aftercare and transition living programs will be effective. A transitional living home will be free from the temptation of alcohol and drugs. You will be living with other sober link-minded people who are all working towards the same goals of maintaining his or her sobriety. Anyone living within these transitional living homes is required to remain sober and abstinent from drugs and alcohol. Anyone who is fresh out of a drug treatment center will benefit from being in a transitional living home. When avoiding potential triggers early on in recovery, it will lessen the chances of relapse, and strengthen your ability to maintain your sobriety. Any type of transitional living home in the United States will provide some type of stable home environment. When someone goes through drug addiction, they will essentially rip apart every aspect of their lives. This will include things like their relationships with friends and family, finances, employment, and physical and mental health.
Stability is essential, and transitional living homes will help former addicts continue to build stronger relationships with friends and family while having a support network behind them. Former addicts will also be able to regain control of their finances or return back to the work world while having the proper support along the way. Along with this, structure and routine will ensure success and will help bring a sense of normalcy to life, while returning back to the real world. Because addicts come from such unstable environments, the stability a transitional living home provides will contribute to maintaining the same stability back into society. Each transitional living home will have rules to be followed, set routines, and day to day activities. Part of this will be drug and alcohol screenings, which will essentially help with compliance. Transitional living homes help you with your sobriety and will also want to make sure you are not lying to yourself and others, and choosing to use drugs or alcohol again, which is why the drug screening is done.
Supportive environments and a healthy social network are what make transitional housing so effective. When someone is struggling with addiction, they will eventually have damaged all of their interpersonal relationships, and essentially isolate themselves from others. The residents within a social living home are often relatively small, with a set number of people living there. Essentially a sense of community is created, and residents are encouraged to interact with one another and create social bonds. Transitional homes are also free from many of the stressors that contribute to someone using drugs. Everyday life can be stressful, and even more stressful when attempting to maintain sobriety. Living within a stress-free environment, with structure, routine, and stability will allow a former addict to focus on the important aspects of their recovery. Transitional homes often enforce curfews, and eating and sleeping schedules, which is again setting a routine and forcing structure. Set meals and sleeping patterns also contribute to mental health, as someone who is well-rested and well-fed will be more productive and feel better emotionally.
Transitional homes can be an important part of treatment for many former addicts when they leave a drug rehab center. This type of recovery process can be considered aftercare treatment, and numerous transitional homes are available throughout the United States. While living in these homes, residents are often encouraged to attend meetings and support groups, therapy sessions, or educational programs. Anything that can be done to contribute to the long-term sobriety. While in the drug rehab center, clients will often develop healthy habits, that can then be continued within a transitional home. Stability, structure, and healthy habits all contribute to someone maintaining his or her sobriety in the long-term and moving forward with their lives without the addiction. A transitional home should be considered as part of treatment, and anyone who has struggled with substance abuse for a long time should certainly consider attending a transitional living home after drug rehab.
