Sober Living in Worcester, MA: What to Expect After Outpatient Rehab 

What should you expect if you choose to reside in a sober living home after completing outpatient rehab in Worcester, MA?

What Is Sober Living?

Sober living homes, which are also referred to as sober living residences and sober living programs, are supportive housing options for people who have recently completed rehab. 

Each sober living home has its own structure, policies, and services. But generally speaking, common features of reputable sober living residences in Worcester and elsewhere include:

• Safe living environment that is free of alcohol and other drugs
• Sharing support with others who are also working on their recovery
• Help with concerns such as regaining your driver’s license and finding a job
• Long-term stability, as you may be able to remain in the home for an extended period if you need to

For many people, sober living residences are vital bridges between rehab and fully independent living.

Why Choose Sober Living?

Regardless of how much progress you make while you’re in treatment, transitioning back into “the real world” can present a host of challenges that could threaten to undermine your newfound sobriety. 

Whether you were in a residential or outpatient program, your time in treatment offered ways to avoid and/or address these challenges:

• When you’re in a residential program, you’re able to step away from the stresses and distractions of everyday life, and focus your full attention on your recovery. 
• In outpatient rehab (such as a partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient program), you have regularly scheduled access to treatment, so you can receive focused feedback and guidance on issues that arise during non-treatment hours.

When you exit your rehab program, the sudden lack of structure and clinical support can be a bit overwhelming. That’s where sober living comes into the picture.

What to Expect in Sober Living

As noted earlier in today’s post, sober living programs aren’t all the same. This means that your daily and weekly routine can vary considerably depending on which residence or program you choose. However, speaking generally once again, your time in sober living will likely involve experiences such as the ones listed below.

Sharing space

Most sober living residences are smaller than most residential or outpatient treatment centers. So you’ll likely be interacting with fewer people than you did when you were in rehab. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be alone.

While you’re in sober living, you should expect to have your own bedroom. But you should also expect to be sharing the rest of the house (including living room/common area, kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room if the house has one) with the other residents.

Though the introverts among us may not view this as a positive, sharing space with others is a feature, not a bug, of sober living. One of the reasons why this option can be so valuable is that it gives you the chance to be with others who understand what you’ve been through and who are walking a similar path. 

Spending time with fellow residents and support staff can help you avoid isolation, which can be a relapse trigger, while also reaping the benefits of sharing support with other members of the recovery community.

Performing household chores

Living in a shared space means sharing the responsibility for maintaining that space. 

While you’re in a sober living home, you may be assigned tasks such as straightening up the common room, vacuuming, doing dishes, or performing yardwork. Some sober living residences have staff that take care of these and similar responsibilities, but homes that offer these types of services will charge a higher rent.

Also, you can expect to be responsible for purchasing your own groceries and preparing your own meals. Again, some high-end sober living programs include chef-prepared meals – but rent will likely be much higher than in programs where residents do their own cooking.

Adhering to a curfew

When you’re in sober living in Worcester or elsewhere, you can expect to be subject to a curfew. This may include times when you must be in the house and times when you are required to be off the grounds.

Evening curfews are easily understandable. If you’re not working a night shift, being out late can expose you to temptations you’re not yet ready to handle. And preventing people from coming in and out of the house at all hours enhances the safety and comfort of other residences.

But if you’re paying rent, why would a sober living residence prohibit you from being in the house at certain times? That’s because many residences require clients to be engaged in productive activities during the day, such as going to work, taking classes, attending treatment, or looking for a job. The “reverse curfews” reflect these expectations.

Being tested for substance use

Sobriety is obviously an essential element of living in a sober living house, and the drug-free requirement includes both the residents and the residence. This means:

• You will likely need to consent to regular and/or random drug screens as a condition of being allowed to live in the house.
• Your room and belongings may also be subjected to searches to ensure that you’re not bringing any addictive substances into the house.

In addition to helping you remain in recovery, these policies are also designed to protect the people you’re living with. 

Following other rules

Rules in sober living homes aren’t instituted simply for the purpose of controlling residents. As alluded to throughout this post, they are primarily focused on maintaining a safe and supportive environment. They also set expectations and establish consequences, so there are policies in place to address conflicts and other common concerns.

In addition to curfews, assigned chores, and prohibitions on drug possession and use, examples of other rules in sober living residences may include:

• No visitors, or no visitors without advance notice and permission
• No pets, or only certain pets
• Mandatory participation in on- or off-site support groups (such as AA)
• Mandatory attendance at counseling or therapy sessions

When you are exploring your options for sober living in Worcester or elsewhere, be sure that you understand the rules and the consequences for breaking those rules at any house you’re considering. And remember that strict rules aren’t necessarily a sign of a place to avoid, as they can help keep you on the right path and protect you from unhealthy behaviors by other residents. 

Learn More About Sober Living in Worcester, MA

For additional information about sober living in Worcester, MA, or to learn more about personalized outpatient rehab at Lake Avenue Recovery Center, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.