Programs for sober living in Santa Barbara, California, are the optimal place for a young person struggling with drug and alcohol abuse to recover. It provides a buffer between detox or primary drug treatment and returning to everyday life with all its distractions. Also, living in a well-known recovery community provides a safe environment free of drugs and alcohol. Here, peers can support each other through the process.
The Benefits of Sober Living in Santa Barbara
While getting sober typically requires a simple detox or rehab program, maintaining sobriety requires commitment and self-care. For many people, coming home after treatment can feel overwhelming. If a person’s home life is filled with stresses or taxing relationships, the risk of relapse increases significantly.
Other benefits of sober living programs include:
- Peer support: In a sober living home, people live with like-minded individuals, all of whom are working toward long-term recovery.
- Life coping skills: The main goal of recovery is to learn to live a productive and stable life free of addiction. Sober living provides the tools necessary to envision and live a substance-free life.
- Lower risk of relapse: Chances of long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction increase greatly when a person does not have to face others’ substance use in their home.
- Easier transition to “the real world”: Rules of a sober living house can help people stay accountable for themselves, their recovery, and their behavior. All are skills that will prove valuable in maintaining one’s sobriety in the real world.
Given its secluded natural beauty and proximity to universities containing high populations of young people, Santa Barbara is the ideal place for sober living. Sometimes referred to as “the American Riviera,” Santa Barbara boasts a mild climate. It also has long stretches of beach that promote healing and relaxation.
Why Choose a Gender-Specific Sober Living Home?
When looking for sober living in Santa Barbara, a person might consider a gender-specific house. After all, young men and young women are vastly different in recovery, and their recoveries can be altered in a coed setting. For instance, women tend to be more emotionally open than men. Placing both sexes together leaves open the concern that women take over group discussions.
It is also possible neither sex appears willing to share during group sessions. By the same measure, women who feel powerless or weak in their recovery might find it harder to share in front of men. Women who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional struggles with men may remain closed off. Likewise, men are often made to feel as if they have to appear tough. Therefore, they feel they cannot show vulnerability, weakness, or doubt in front of women.
Women and men have different experiences in life, including experiences when they were using substances. Placing them in separate groups tends to create an environment where it is easier to “open up” without the fear of judgment or ridicule. In fact, gender-specific groups may allow the individuals to feel understood and comfortable, leading to success.
A big distraction when in early recovery from addiction is romantic relationships. In fact, many programs discourage such relationships for at least a year after entering rehab. Between the emotional disclosure, the physical activity, and the euphoria of falling in love, focusing on recovery can become more difficult.
Gender-specific sober living homes allow one to focus on recovery without distraction. Someone’s recovery is dependent upon learning the tools. As well, having the support necessary to stay sober can help make recovery a success. Thus, by choosing a gender-specific facility, they can have a healthier future.
What Qualities Should a Reputable Santa Barbara Sober Living Home Have?
Every sober living home will have its own requirements for living there and ideas about recovery. We encourage people to ask questions when seeking sober living in Santa Barbara. Some questions we suggest are:
- Is the recovery home a sufficient enough distance away from the client’s neighborhood?
- How many people reside in the sober living program?
- How much time sober due the majority of the residents/staff have?
- How often are drug tests administered?
- What is the age group of the sober living members?
- Are there any “house meetings”?
- What type of daily structure takes place?
- Will my child get a sponsor immediately?
- Is dating allowed while in the sober living home?
Areas and Cities in the Santa Barbara Vicinity
If your loved one resides in one of these areas, they might want to find them a sober living home outside the Santa Barbara area. Some areas and cities include:
Ballard, Buellton, Camarillo, Carpinteria, Casmalia, Cuyama, Fillmore, Garey, Goleta, Guadalupe, Isla Vista, Lompoc, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Midco, Mission Canyon, Moorpark, New Cuyama, North Santa Maria, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Paula, Santa Ynez, Simi Valley, Sisquoc, Solvang, Summerland, Taft, Thousand Oaks, Toro Canyon, Vandenberg Village, Westlake Village.
Find Sober Living in Santa Barbara, CA
As offered by New Life House, sober living in Santa Barbara offers a structured environment with access to ongoing outpatient rehab programs, individual counseling, group counseling, addiction education, and other options designed to achieve long-term sobriety. For further information about our sober living homes, feel free to contact us today.
Testimonial from a Parent
“I am the mother of our son who entered the New Life House program at 19. I can’t even begin to say enough about New Life House! It saved our son and our family relationships. I pray that more young men may find their way to this program.” – Sheila B.
View more testimonials
