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Sober Living Homes in Canada

Last updated on: Wednesday, 19 October 2022

When searching for a sober living facility in Canada, it should offer well-rounded transitional services. For example, vocational training, 12-step support, and help to find a place to live. You can use the listing below to find a sober living home and often after completing treatment. The rehab facility can connect you with a sober house to make your transition to real life.

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  • What You'll Learn

Drug and alcohol treatment can take a very long period of time, and some patients are in a treatment center for months and months on end. Being within a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program will bring about a certain disconnect from society, and in many situations, it can be difficult to transition back into society. One of the many services available throughout Canada that assists in recovering addicts with this process is sober living facilities or sober living communities. The strict regiments and routines within drug rehabilitation centers are designed to help addicts focus on treatment and nothing else. Somewhat of the opposite takes place within a sober living community, the recovering addict can put all of his or her attention on re-integration, while also continually working on their sobriety. Because the outside world is very different from that of drug rehab centers, it can be a major transition for a recovering addict. Some of the factors that make it difficult include:

  • No full-time employment or work available – some addicts do hot have a job when they go into drug rehab, or they may have not worked steadily while they were maintaining their addiction. Sober living communities can help a recovering addict acquire gainful employment, and learn new skills to get a job and hold onto this job.
  • Not having sober friends or other like-minded associates to connect with – while staying at a sober living home, the person will meet other sober people. It is important that a recovering addict keeps connected to people who are on the same page and want the same things.
  • Family problems or not having a stable environment to go back to – one of the aspects of treatment includes rebuilding the family dynamic. In some situations, the family environment is so unstable, that it can be very difficult to go back to.

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How do sober living communities operate?

Some of the basic rules one should expect within a sober living house will of course be no alcohol, drugs, or gambling. The residents will typically have to pay rent, be accountable for his or her living space, and buy their own food. There will also be daily or weekly chores throughout the house and most group homes will have some type of curfew and will administer random drug testing. These types of rules are normally very easy to follow, especially coming from a drug and alcohol treatment center, where the rules are usually much stricter. The sober living home is there to help them embrace their brand-new life and freedom and begin to create a new life and with the right balance of structure and independence, all this can be possible. These environments provide a protected environment so as the person can gain new responsibilities. The built-in support network will not allow a person to become isolated and feel alone. The re-integration process is an excellent tool and has helped many people start their new lives.

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  • What are sober living homes?

    Sober living homes or houses are facilities that provide supportive housing and structured living for individuals who have completed drug rehab. The purpose is to serve as a transitional environment for these individuals as they work towards re-entering society.

  • What is it like living in a sober living home?

    Sober living homes are often less strict than formal drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. Residents can usually come and go as they please. Most sober living home residents have completed a residential drug rehab program. They are communal homes where residents must pay their own way. In addition, they are also likely required to take on more responsibility than they would have in a rehab center, such as a job or continuing education.

  • Who should consider joining a sober living home?

    Anyone who wants to work on long-term sobriety should consider joining a sober living home. Most residents who have completed drug rehab are ready to begin living independently, yet have concerns about how to accomplish this. Sober living homes provide a supportive environment and tools to make this happen.

  • Want to know more?

    The questions from DrugRehab.ca’s “Ask a Professional” are answered by Nickolaus Hayes. If you need further clarification on any of the questions above or have any other questions you can contact him directly at N.hayes@drugrehab.ca.

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ARTICLE

MARCEL GEMME, DATS

AUTHOR

More Information

Marcel Gemme has been helping people struggling with addiction for over 19 years. He first started as an intake counselor for a drug rehabilitation center in 2000. During his 5 years as an intake counselor, he helped many addicts get the treatment they needed. With drug and alcohol problems constantly on the rise in the United States and Canada, he decided to use the Internet as a way to educate and help many more people in both those countries. This was 15 years ago. Since then, Marcel has built two of the largest websites in the U.S. and Canada which reach and help millions of people each year. He is an author and a leader in the field of drug and alcohol addiction. His main focus is threefold: education, prevention and rehabilitation. To this day, he still strives to be at the forefront of technology in order to help more and more people. He is a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist graduate with Honours of Stratford Career Institute. Marcel has also received a certificate from Harvard for completing a course entitled The Opioid Crisis in America and a certificate from The University of Adelaide for completing a course entitled AddictionX: Managing Addiction: A Framework for Succesful Treatment.

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