Sober Living Near Orange County

What is Sober Living Near Orange County?

Sober living is an alcohol and drug-free environment designed for young men recovering from an addiction. Sober living programs occur in residential homes instead of treatment facilities. These homes are transitional spaces for people recently completing treatment or participating in an outpatient program. Sober living homes provide a safe, encouraging, and supportive environment for recovery away from triggers, temptations, and stressors.

At New Life House, the recovery community in sober living supports young men aged 18-30. After completing a sober living program, young men are encouraged to help new residents as alumni. Alumni of sober living might provide sponsorship, give rides, or host events, meetings, conferences, and parties. 

Active participation during and after treatment fosters a strong community of support for young men in recovery.

Benefits of Sober Living Near Orange County

Sober living near Orange County provides the following benefits:

• Transition between residential treatment or inpatient detox to everyday life
• Additional support from peers in the 12-Step recovery community
• Reduces the risk of relapse during early recovery
• Provides a structured schedule designed for sobriety
• Accountability for all behaviors and actions during sober living
• Random drug tests to ensure abstinence from alcohol or drugs
• Residents live in a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment
• Gain valuable life skills for long-term recovery
• Learn how to build and maintain healthy relationships
• Improve overall quality of life and work toward goals beyond sobriety

How Long Do Sober Living Programs Last?

Sober living programs typically last about 90 days; however, many in recovery choose to stay longer. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, the average length of stay for residents ranged from 166 to 254 days (in the two types of sober living programs studied). The average stay of residents in both programs in the study exceeded the typical 90-day standard.

For young men in early recovery, long-term stays of a year or more appear to yield the best results. Young men go through several changes and experience significant stressors transitioning into adulthood. Those who struggle with addiction are vulnerable to relapse due to these changes and stressors.

In addition, early recovery involves an increased risk of relapse. The longer the individual is in a structured, safe, and substance-free environment, the better their chances for long-term recovery.

What Are the Rules of Sober Living Programs?

Sober living programs follow strict rules to maintain structure, accountability, and safety for residents to get the most out of their treatment. Some rules have a “zero tolerance” policy, which leads to immediate dismissal from the program. Consequences for breaking other rules might be less severe, allowing for the opportunity to learn and grow in recovery.

Some common rules of sober living programs might include:

• Curfews and limited time out of the home, usually only for work, school, or medical appointments
• Required participation in programming, like attending support groups, life skills courses, volunteer activities, and individual therapy
• Mandatory drug and alcohol testing to ensure sobriety and maintain a drug- and alcohol-free environment for everyone
• Requests for permission to leave the home, even briefly, with explanations for why and expectations for returning 
• Helping out with chores in the house to work with your peers and create a healthy home environment
• Set wake-up and bedtimes to help create a routine during early recovery

Without rules and expectations, a sober living home would be nothing more than a place to sleep. During early recovery, young men need structure and accountability to set them up for success in life. The rules in sober living help residents build the healthy habits necessary to maintain lifelong recovery after leaving the program.

Why Attend Sober Living Near Orange County After Treatment?

While New Life does not have programs in Orange County, we invite residents of Orange County to attend our programs in the Los Angeles area. Often, young men with substance use disorders are strongly influenced by their current surroundings. A change of scenery — even from Orange County to Los Angeles — can have a significant impact on recovery.

By getting into a new area away from home, young men will need to expand beyond their comfort zones. Growth and change in recovery require changing day-to-day routines. A new place can invite new perspectives and a fresh start for long-term recovery.

In addition, living at a sober living home decreases the risk of relapse during early recovery. The first year following detox and residential rehab is among the most challenging for young men. They will need to change several unhealthy behaviors, avoid toxic friends, and need time for their minds to heal from addiction.

What Are the Services Offered at Sober Living Near Orange County?

The services offered for sober living near Orange County at New Life include:

Outpatient Rehab Programs

Outpatient rehab programs can help young men in sober living or living at home continue substance abuse treatment after detox or residential services. 

During outpatient programs, young men might have the following services:

• Case management connects young men to a trusted professional to help them navigate the mental health system, achieve their goals, and find additional treatment services.
• Individual therapy treats underlying mental health issues that could be driving alcohol or drug addiction.
• Medication management includes a team of professionals to help manage prescriptions used to treat severe addiction to opioids, alcohol, and other substances.
• Holistic therapy encourages healing of the mind, body, and spirit in recovery with mindfulness and stress reduction.

Educational Programming and Life Skills

Sober living at New Life is more than just abstaining from substance use. Young men also need skills to succeed and grow in life. Education programming can help young men gain vocational skills and continue school that might have been disrupted by addiction.

Additionally, life skills courses teach young men to cope with everyday stressors, build healthy relationships, and maintain a lifestyle conducive to long-term recovery.

Family Programming

Family programming helps rebuild family relationships damaged by addiction. Addiction is a family disease, and loved ones might unintentionally enable addictive behaviors. Young men with addiction might not be aware of their impact on their families.

Family programming can help young men in sober living repair these critical relationships. These programs also help family members acknowledge and manage the issues they might have ignored when dealing with addiction in the home.

Alumni Program

Alumni programs connect young men to role models in recovery who have completed sober living. During early recovery, remaining connected to the recovery community helps foster a sense of belonging and purpose as young men help one another get and stay sober.

Alumni of New Life House are encouraged to remain connected to the programs for their own benefit and that of new residents in sober living.