Instead of mandating 12-step meeting attendance, Oxford Houses’ only requirement was sobriety, though most residents were involved in 12-step programs. Rapid urbanization made it difficult for anyone, let alone people suffering from addiction, to find housing. The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric hospitals left many people with addiction problems suddenly homeless. In Los Angeles, California, members of Alcoholics Anonymous began forming “twelfth step houses,” where residents could live together in a safe and supportive environment. People who enroll in sober living homes in Los Angeles agree to be drug-tested and to remain committed to pursuing a sober lifestyle. Residents have the privilege to live lives removed from the triggers to drink and use drugs that they might normally encounter back home.

Over the years, sober living houses have evolved to meet the needs of those in recovery. As such, sober living associations now make finding a residence easier. There are also plenty of independent sober living houses that have not changed their protocols much sober house since the late 1940s when these residences came to be. Leaving the structure of the treatment program can be very disruptive to your sobriety, so treatment programs have strict schedules filled with counseling, group therapy, and participatory activities.

Where Sober Living Falls in the Continuum of Addiction Care

As a result, they are typically dorm-like in their living arrangements, resulting in less privacy for residents, but are frequently less expensive. After World War II, groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) began to develop across the country. These organizations created 12-step houses that offered an alcohol or drug-free living space while also encouraging attendance at AA meetings. In a recent analysis of CSTL residents we looked at psychiatric severity as a predictor of alcohol and drug outcome using growth curve models (Korcha et al (2010).

Some examples of additional services may include transportation to appointments, recovery coaching, meals and gym memberships. But when considering some of the services offered, make sure they’re services that help support your sobriety. Part of living in recovery is „showing up for life,” meaning doing things for yourself that make you a successful, contributing member of society.

Assessing the Impact of the Community Context

Those living in a sober living house are serious about their recovery. The goal is to transition to an independent lifestyle – free of substance abuse and addiction. In a recovery housing model, residents offer and receive support from their peers and leaders in their community.

• It can also help individuals hone their coping skills, learn how to communicate effectively, and trust themselves.
• These became the first sober houses in California – some of which are still operating today.
• We encourage everyone to reinforce positive lifestyle changes through adventure, support, and peer feedback.
• Substance use disorders cause serious damage to the reward centers of the brain that affect willpower and motivation, so individuals find it very difficult to stay sober through the force of will alone.
• Having a community of others who are facing the same challenges is also a powerful source of support.

A sober home provides a safe place to get a feel for what sober life will be like for them away from all of the pressures of everyday life. Reputable sober living spaces will often have “house rules” that residents are expected to follow. These can range from regular chores to safety and privacy provisions such as separate bathrooms for different genders.