Vanderburgh House Open a Recovery Home National Sober House Directory
Sober House Directory

Month: April 2020

COVID-19 is Affecting Sober Houses

COVID-19 and sober houses

Every sober house in America is affected by COVID-19. As we come to terms with our new life with the impact of coronavirus, sober houses struggle to keep up with safety and security recommendations to keep residents safe in the recovery home. For help in your search for a sober house, search for your fit on the Sober House Directory.

On the national level, NARR has engaged with their state-level member organizations (like the Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing), as well as individual recovery home and sober house operators and residents to address concerns and challenges for all of us. Sober houses have been working through volumes of recommendations and materials and many operators have taken vastly different approaches to the pandemic.

Coronavirus recommendations to sober house residents

The following precautions are recommended by the public health experts and are particularly relevant to sober house residents and house managers of recovery homes.

● Recommendations are crucial for your protection and the protection of others in the sober house. You can be a carrier even without visible symptoms.

● If you have COVID-19 symptoms, please immediately call your physician. Do not go to an emergency room or clinic for testing without having made prior arrangements.

● Maintain ample and safe distance from others – six feet is recommended.

● Avoid crowds and events where you cannot be safely separated from others.

● Avoid touching your face with unwashed/unsanitary hands to avoid transferring the virus to your nose, mouth or eyes and increasing the likelihood of infection.

● Wash your hands as often as possible with hot and soapy water.

● Do not assume someone is not infected simply because they do not have symptoms. Many infected persons do not show symptoms but can still transmit the virus.

● If a sober house provides hand sanitizer, use it when washing hands is impractical, and especially after touching surfaces that may have the virus. Please note: some hand sanitizer contains alcohol and some recovery homes may not allow certain sanitizers.

● If you must, cough or sneeze into a tissue, your elbow, or your sleeve if tissues are not available.

● Recovery home residents should not share dishes, cups, glassware or silverware with others. Follow sober house rules for cleaning those items promptly after use.

● Don’t invite visitors in the recovery home.

● Sober house owners should review acceptance procedures. Operators are strongly recommended not to admit individuals who are showing symptoms or who have been diagnosed as being infected.

Visit Vanderburgh Communities if you are a sober house operator and want to join a community of owners and operators.

 

How to Party Sober

Sobriety, especially around the holidays, can leave you with a massive case of F.O.M.O or fear of missing out. That fear can leave us feeling stressed, anxious, and frustrated. But if we can participate in a healthy way, a party can be even more fun than with a bottle or a joint. Whether you enjoy socializing or are attending out of a commitment to work or family, these tips can help you feel comfortable at your first sober party.

How to Party Sober:

Have an exit strategy:

Park your car close by or have a partner or friend ready to pick you up.

Give yourself permission to leave at any time:

Know your limits. It’s important to know and realize when you’ve had enough. Don’t feel guilty if you have to be the first one to leave.

Have friends on standby to speak to:

Tell them you’re going to your first party sober and that you may need to call them if you feel challenged.

Make a list of reasons why you don’t drink or use drugs:

Remember why you don’t. If you have to make a list and keep it with you. Take a look at it if you feel tempted.

Be prepared: 

If anyone asks you why you don’t drink, you can either tell them a reason that you have listed — I’m allergic, I am taking a break, I don’t drink — or decline to answer. At the end of the day, it’s no one else’s business. Do what makes you comfortable.

Order your own drinks:

If you don’t want to go to the bar, ask a trusted friend. But if you don’t feel comfortable being around a bar, that’s probably a sign you’re not ready to be there at all.

It is okay to stay home: 

An invitation is not an obligation. Don’t feel bad if you aren’t comfortable going.

Perhaps most of all, be gentle with yourself. It can be challenging to do this sober for the first time. Everything can feel more challenging and uncomfortable without a drink to ease tension and provide some social lubrication. But it is entirely possible to get through it, and once you do, you’ll have a new experience in sobriety. Over time, you’ll realize you can do anything sober, and you’ll even wonder why you’d even want to drink at a party in the first place!

A major part of recovery is doing what’s best for you. Looking for a home environment which supports your recovery?Check out our sober house directory.

 

Five Lies About Recovery

The harmful stigma that surrounds substance abuse disorder was brought about by the public’s reaction to the war on drugs. Unless you were a celebrity, many people affected by this disorder were viewed as junkies, losers, and useless members of society.

As well as battling a complex disease, they had to fight against the shame and disgust that society gave them. With the rampant opioid epidemic sweeping through our nation, the shame and stigma of addiction is being put to bed. But not quickly enough. Here are the five biggest lies about recovery:

Addicts Are Bad People

Overcoming the stigma of addiction is one of the hardest parts of recovery. Because of the complexity of substance abuse disorder, people may view you as a degenerate. They may see you as a weak, pitiful excuse for a human being. Instead of being judging you, they judge the mistakes you may have made while under the influence. There’s little understanding of what has happened in our brain and our environment to make us willing to lie and cheat and manipulate those we love to get what we want.

Substance abuse disorder causes us to harm those we love. Our communities and families suffer when we are using. The mistakes you make while you’re using, doesn’t make you bad person. Getting treatment and care can help you become healthy again. Taking care of yourself, getting treatment and care, will help you become an even better person.

Addiction is a Choice

Because of the opioid epidemic, scientists and leading psychologists have begun to study addiction and its catastrophic affects. Their research shows that addiction is not a choice, but it is even more complex than that. It isn’t water faucet you can turn on or off. And it can be affected by several factors such as environmental, social, and neurobiological. The brain’s chemistry and functioning are changed with continuous drug use. This makes it difficult for them to control impulses, feel pleasure from natural rewards like sex or food, and focus on anything other than obtaining and using drugs.

Studies have also shown that if they aren’t removed from the environment that caused them to begin using in the first place, they have a higher likelihood of relapse. Sober houses can offer a lifesaving service for many men and women in recovery.

You Can Only Addicted to One Substance

Polysubstance abuse is very common among people with substance abuse disorder and it’s a lot more difficult to treat. While many people with this disease have a drug they commonly take, they can also be addicted to multiple substances. Taking multiples drugs can create a more intense high and help balance the effects anything else they’re taking.

Legal Drugs are Different

The prescription painkiller epidemic is proof that just because a doctor prescribes them, doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Anti-anxiety and painkiller medications are often seen as safer than street drugs. This is one of the most dangerous and destructive myths surrounding addiction. Medications are abused as much as any street and are just as addicting and damaging.

Treatment Will Put Addicts in Their Place

We celebrate soldiers who have had to learn to walk with prosthetics, we cheer on children who have lost their hair while battling illness, and we cry with those who have just regained their hearing. We shame addicts who are trying to better and heal themselves, thinking that this will “fix” them. Shame and guilt are never great motivators, but we seem to forget that. It maybe because our own experiences or because that’s what society has taught us to do but it’s wrong. Research has shown that shame is one of the leading causes of relapse.

So, what’s the truth about addiction here?

The truth is there is no “right” way to recover; every addict has their own unique and specific needs in treatment. Many drug treatment centers offer a wide range of evidence-based treatment services in well-equipped facilities that are inviting, safe and conducive for recovery.

The myths about addiction not only affect the addict and their families, it also affects society as a whole. If we are able to understand addiction as a brain disease and allow people to recover in ways that best suit their needs, we all can make significant strides in addressing drug and alcohol addiction.

Need support? Reach out to someone in recovery. Find a safe place to live. Want to give back to the recovery community? We need more sober houses, reach out to Vanderburgh Communities to get involved and change the world.

What is Recovery?

Recovery is a process. It’s not focusing on what you can’t have, but how you can better yourself. I’ve heard people comment on how strange it is that someone is always “in recovery,” and never “recovered.” Recovery is a life-long process that encourages you to grow, discover who you are, and what you feel without drugs or alcohol influencing that. With the prevalence of research into substance abuse, the focus of recovery has changed. Researchers have found that recovery is more successful with long-term support and recognition of the many pathways to wellness and health.

It’s so much more than sobriety. Recovery isn’t as simple as abstaining from drinking alcohol and taking drugs. Because substance abuse disorder is complex, recovery is complex as well. Because research on recovery and substance abuse disorder is so new, we don’t have all the answers or solutions. It is believed there are many ways to treat substance abuse disorder. Because everyone is different, there are no exact solutions. While some people swear by Alcoholics Anonymous, spirituality, or religious-based programs, others can be in recovery and use medically assisted treatment like Methadone or Suboxone.

The importance of healing the whole person

Recovery isn’t a simple thing, and it’s worth repeating. It’s a complex solution to a deadly issue. With recovery, it’s important to go deeper than the surface. There are many levels that need to be addressed to truly be in recovery.

For this reason, the whole-person approach to healing is now widely recognized as the most effective means of helping those with substance abuse disorder reach recovery. The whole-person approach to healing integrates all aspects of the individual’s life:

      • Emotional well-being
      • Physical health
      • Spiritual peace
      • Relational happiness
      • Intellectual growth
      • Nutritional vitality

Getting back to recovery after relapse

Recovery isn’t a “one and done” deal. There are good days, and there are bad days. At the beginning, it’s easy to slip back into harmful habits. Unfortunately, relapse is common and preventable. If you do make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure, but it is important to get back into your recovery. After relapse, it’s easy to feel ashamed. The worst thing you can do, is isolate yourself. Seek out a supportive environment. Talk to people who have been in your shoes. They can offer you the advice, coping tools, and encouragement that will help you succeed.

If you’re looking to grow in your recovery, there are tons of resources out there! Sober houses, like the ones on Sober Space, each offer something unique. Take a look at our map and get connected with someone near you! If you are interested in giving back to the recovery community and would like to open a sober house, give our friends Vanderburgh Communities a call.

Rebuilding your Financial Life in Early Recovery

During our 12-steps, we identify our rock bottom. For many of us, this is losing our home due to unpaid rent or mortgage. Addiction steals our money as well as our mental health. And simply being in recovery doesn’t just fix it. Some of us restart our lives with more hurdles than others. In its wake, addiction often leaves debt and obligations. Bad credit, missed payments, repossessed vehicles and homes, and so many more effects.

Rebuilding after addiction takes time, and real legal challenges exist for those who were less than honest with their finances. Did you know that using loan funds to buy alcohol or drugs can impact your ability to file bankruptcy, even possibly result in felony fraud charges? Luckily not all is lost. Bankruptcy and other forms of relief are in place to give fresh starts. Proper financial management in recovery is an obtainable goal for almost anyone.

Let’s outline what a sample timeline of restoring your finances in recovery looks like. Your first priority is to get healthy. This includes mentally. Effectively restoring your finances will require proper mental health. Once you feel you have successfully restored your physical and mental health, seek professional advice from a trusted friend, sponsor, or even a financial advisor. They should be aware of some of your challenges, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Take a look at our thoughts on rebuilding trust in early recovery.

You will likely start the restoration process by establishing a budget based on current income. Repaying debts comes next. If filing for bankruptcy is a necessary move, it can offer relief based on your situation. Rebuilding credit will take time. Much like recovery itself, it’s a process. In some cases, we can find the process of restoring our finances therapeutic. We know that addiction recovery is a process with many stages. Financial recovery is one of the most impactful long-term stages you will find yourself in. It should be handled with careful consideration. Don’t forget to reach out to the community around you, and you should find yourself recovery quickly.

If housing is one of these steps, we’re here to help you find home. On our map, you can find a directory to sober houses in your area.

Find Your Fit: A Guide to Picking a Sober House

It’s no secret that recovery from drug addiction or alcoholism is a process. A big step for many men and women in recovery is the transition from clinical treatment to a sober house or independent living. IF you want to move to a sober house, you’ll probably find more information than you can process. Large homes, small homes, coed or gender-specific, structured or unstructured, certified or not certified. Plus, every sober house operator has a different philosophy on recovery, and each home has a different group and character.

 

What is the Sober House Structure?

Most sober houses are for-profit organizations and operators must pay their bills, but some take it too far. We’ve seen the best run sober homes balance the need to make a living with the operator’s desire to make a difference offering a home to men or women in recovery. We’d like to offer a few tips to help spot the difference between a sober house and what’s called a “flop house”. Let’s take a look!

What is the difference between a sober house and a flop house?
A sober house should be just that; a structured group home for those in recovery, offering the right amount of support and accountability compared with independence and freedom. Many great sober houses exist, but some operate their business as a sober house when they’re just running a rooming house.

Does the sober house have a reputation, track record, or brand?
Certification is a great way to see if an operator is serious. It’s voluntary, but sober house certification help show an operator believes in the mission as well as the dollar. Professional websites are also indicators of a well-run organization. Community involvement through social media is also helpful to investigate. Finally, do they have an organization behind them? For example, Vanderburgh House operators have joined a community of other operators with a pledge to follow a set of high standards and expectations.

 

Are the sober living staff friendly and welcoming?

Give them a call! Speaking to the staff and management of the sober house can give you an indication of what the home might be like. If you didn’t get great service on the phone, you might not get great service in the home. What’s their philosophy on recovery? What are their house rules like? How many sober houses do they run? You should get clear answers to these questions and not get a hassle for asking them. Tours should be readily accommodated for qualifying applicants.

 

Does the sober house have a clear mission?

Any legitimate sober home will have a clear mission statement. This is likely found on their website. We recommend that you pick a home that has a soul and spirit. They should know why they do what they do. We recommend asking about the costs of their sober living program up front. What should sober living cost? Take a look at our opinion here.

 

Do they drug screen residents?

Anything shy of zero tolerance from substance use in a sober home is not a safe recovery environment. Do they drug screen? How often? Successful recovery takes place in a drug-free environment of honest, supportive peers.

 

What are the sober house rules?

Ensuring the safety of all sober house community members through a strong set of house rules and responsibilities is the job of good sober house management. In most well-run sober homes, this is an in-house manager. Indicators include mandatory NA or AA meetings, chore duties to maintain a clean home, and of course timely rent payments.

 

Our sober house directory is a great tool to help you find the homes, but it’s up to you to find the right fit. While certification and a good outward appearance is a start, do more digging before you commit. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! While many homes offer fantastic sober living, we’re partial to Vanderburgh House, but that’s because they helped build this directory. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to open a sober house, we would encourage you to reach out to Vanderburgh Communities, the first organization offering sober living charters in the United States. Keep your head up and take it one day at a time!

Categories

Other Blog