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The transition out of a sober living facility to living on one’s own or with family in the “real world” can induce a lot of anxiety as someone prepares for all of the changes that this transition entails. However, that doesn’t mean that someone is left without resources to help with the transition, either in the form of their own alumni program or various strategies they can implement themselves into their daily lives. Even as an alumnus, it is important to continuously adjust one’s coping strategies and life skills in order to continue developing their own sense of self and maintain the success of their sobriety. Making preparations for living in the “real world” ahead of time can help make the transition easier, and there are a number of other resources that someone can implement into their lives through the process.
Before Leaving Sober Living
Before someone formally leaves a sober living or residential facility of any kind, it is important to prepare for the transition back into the real world. While this does mean mentally preparing for the shift in responsibilities and expectations in recovery, it also means establishing helpful resources at the same time. This can be already finding an outpatient therapy or group therapy session that is conducive to one’s daily life, but can also mean much more. Finding resources can mean establishing a personal support circle of understanding individuals, and thus it may be important to reach out to those who one was close to in sober living in order to keep in contact and continue to communicate and support each other. Those in recovery themselves are some of the best resources for understanding the difficulties of the recovery process, and the companionship that comes with having a personal support system who intimately understands the trials that each day can bring can help someone feel less isolated from the world around them, even as they reintegrate themselves into the “real world.”
Finding Your Own Therapy
Personalization of one’s recovery journey can make all the difference, and this transcends whatever phase of recovery someone is currently in. While moving back into the “real world,” it is important to have a hobby or therapeutic practice that can help extend beyond a solely therapeutic value and instead ingratiate itself as a community of shared interests, regardless of one’s history with addiction. This can be finding a tennis club to join, or even taking stock of annual car shows where someone can go and treat themselves. These kinds of outings and communities can then be used as rewards systems, or various other methods of self-care, that can keep someone considering the freedom and fun that comes with continued sobriety.
Finding Phone Apps
There are a number of apps that someone can implement into their daily lives on their smartphones, each with a different use. Phones, being something that most carry with them everywhere on any given day, can then double as a therapeutic resource. Not only can it be a device that keeps someone connected with their family, loved ones, and support systems, but it can also be utilized in personal way in a daily routine.
Some apps can help someone by sending motivational messages that can help someone start their day in a good mood. In the same vein, apps can also introduce new bible verses to be learned and implemented in daily life for those seeking a spiritual approach to their recovery.
Apps, such as Sober Grid, can help someone find new social groups in their sobriety. Sober Grid is just one of a number of different apps that are meant to bring those in recovery together in order to create their own social circles, all with the shared understanding of the difficulties of maintaining sobriety in day-to-day life. Finding new people to connect with and grow relationships with can be paramount at any time in recovery, and the extra support and understanding that can be found as a result of these online communities can always provide the needed sense of belonging that may help through difficult situations.
There are also apps that can help someone schedule meditations and even be guided through the practice on their phones. Not only can this be used to set reminders that someone is always in need of their own time for self-care, but it also can help ensure that someone is utilizing their time in a way that is beneficial for their own continued success.
There are a number of resources that are always available for those in recovery. While recovery from an addiction of any kind can be an isolating experience, there is never a moment where someone doesn’t have at least one resource that can help them maintain their positive outlook on their sobriety. Identifying these resources can help someone not just begin their recovery journey, but also influence every step of their personal path to sobriety and beyond.
There are a number of resources available to help you in your recovery journey, whether you are just starting your path to sobriety or are an alumnus of the program. START UP RECOVERY is another one of these important resources that you can use to strengthen your own life and coping skills. While at the community established through START UP, an air of luxury and fellowship permeates every aspect of our programs, allowing each person to personalize their own plans in recovery to reach their own goals while providing the necessary support for confronting their vulnerabilities along the way. Each person will need a unique approach to their own recovery journey and coping skills, and the community at START UP can help instill skills and relationships that can be used by each person as their own resources in daily life even after their program has ended. For more information on the various ways in which we can help you, or to speak to a professional about how a program can be curated for you, call us today at (310) 773-3809.