Santa Monica Sober Living
Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction and leading a sober living takes time and plenty of support. When an individual graduates from an addiction treatment program for a substance use disorder, it can be tempting for them to say, “I’m cured!” and go back to their old life. The fact is, early recovery is a vulnerable and challenging phase. Returning to normal life too rapidly can cause people to relapse. Moreover, it kind of defeats the point of getting sober in the first place! Most people who want to quit drugs and alcohol don’t simply want substances out of their lives — they want a new and better life.
For individuals who are in recovery, sober living homes in Santa Monica offer an opportunity to make progress in a safe, trigger-free, and highly structured environment. The beachside city of Santa Monica is a wonderful place to pursue recovery and other personal goals, and it also has a strong recovery community. If you are tired of struggling alone, a Santa Monica sober living can help you get grounded, connected, and develop the tools you need for long-term sobriety.
What Are Sober Living Homes?
Ultimately, a better question is: what is addiction recovery? Most addiction experts would argue that recovery involves far more than simply quitting substances. It involves abandoning old ways of coping with the world and relationships. It means developing new sources of meaning, joy, and fulfillment. Ultimately, recovery means learning how to be a better human being — learning how to live life! Making these changes reduces the likelihood of relapse because it gives a person something to live for. Moreover, it turns recovery into a positive: rather than simply fighting against drugs and alcohol, individuals can pursue ongoing personal growth.
Santa Monica Sober Living
Sober living homes in Santa Monica provide opportunities for making critical personal and environmental changes. A sober living home provides a safe and trigger-free space where people can feel supported. Each resident agrees to live without drugs and alcohol, which creates a trigger-free environment for other housemates. Meanwhile, life at the house itself is generally highly structured so that residents can begin picking up their lives.
While sober living homes do not offer clinical addiction treatment, they help ensure that each resident is pursuing a recovery program. In many cases, this involves connecting them to outside resources to deal with underlying issues, including mental health conditions and family conflicts. Residents attend 12-step meetings as a team and get involved in the Santa Monica recovery community. At the house itself, residents learn new skills and coping techniques to deal with the challenges of early sobriety.
Social Support and Relapse Prevention
Above all, sober living home residents are supported by their fellow housemates. Each client benefits from the experiences, strength, and hope of their fellow sober living housemates. Being around individuals who share the same struggles can be a life-changing experience. Addiction is often known as a “disease of isolation,” since it is characterized by damaged relationships and abject loneliness. Connecting to others is fundamental for long-term recovery.
Studies on sober living homes show that the peer support people obtain is the most important factor in relapse prevention. Individuals who develop strong peer support systems in a sober living environment are less likely to return to substance abuse, even years after graduating from their sober living. These friendships become long-term sources of support, accountability, and simple joy. There are many sober living home benefits.
Moving Toward the Future
Most people who want to quit substances do so because they want a better life for themselves. While treatment programs for addiction can help people achieve physical abstinence, sober living houses help people build their new sober lives. A sober living home gives residents the chance to practice their newfound sober skills while taking concrete steps toward the future.
Every client pursues their own personal goals and works to improve their circumstances. For most, this means repairing damaged relationships with their families and other loved ones. It also means securing a solid future. Sober living home staff help clients secure employment by connecting them to job opportunities and helping them engage in goal-setting activities. While living in a sober living community, clients frequently begin new careers, enroll in academic programs, and begin entirely new life courses that before they only dreamed about.
Who Are Sober Living Homes For?
Sober living residences are often recommended for individuals who have completed an addiction treatment program. Moving from an acute inpatient program to a sober living community can help individuals make a smooth and supported transition back into the outside world. Sober livings are also often utilized by people enrolled in an outpatient program; having a safe and trigger-free living environment with recovery resources is an excellent complement to an outpatient treatment program.
A sober living facility can also be used as a resource for individuals who have never enrolled in treatment centers at all. While sober livings do not offer clinical treatment themselves, they can help residents connect to the resources they need. Whether a person is addicted to alcohol, marijuana, opioids, or meth, they can expect to make progress. Sober livings are suitable for people with comorbid conditions as well, including mental health disorders. Sober livings are appropriate for just about anyone who wants lasting freedom from addiction’s vicious cycle.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Santa Monica CA
Santa Monica, a beautiful beachside city located in West Los Angeles, is home to a pleasant climate and countless oceanfront attractions. With a population of 92,306 people, Santa Monica is known for its ethnic diversity and range of household incomes. It is located west of the city of Los Angeles, and it also borders the Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Mar Vista, and Venice. Its central location, climate, and attractions have made Santa Monica a popular hub for tourism and shopping.
Unfortunately, Santa Monica and its adjacent cities suffer from a significant substance abuse problem. Crystal meth abuse is currently on the rise in particular. Methamphetamine overdose-related deaths in the county increased from 81 to 284 between 2010 and 2016, and emergency room visits more than tripled in that same span of time.
As with much of the United States, Santa Monica has not been left untouched by alcohol and opioid addiction. The state of California ranks #4 among US states for its rate of overdoses. In 2017 alone, 4,868 lives were lost in California as a direct result of drug overdoses. In fact, drug overdoses from prescription opioids have recently surpassed automobile accidents as the leading cause of premature death.
Unless individuals get the help they need, the opioid epidemic in Santa Monica is likely to continue taking lives, shattering families, and devastating communities. Fortunately, Santa Monica sober living homes provide residents and visitors alike with plentiful options.
Benefits of Recovering in West Los Angeles
While Santa Monica does suffer from high rates of a substance use disorder, that means that it is also home to plenty of people who have successfully recovered. Santa Monica and its adjacent neighborhoods are home to a variety of recovery resources, a vital sober community, and more sober living houses and treatment centers than just about anywhere else in the country. For individuals who are ready to make a change, Santa Monica sober living homes are the ideal place to do so.
For current sober living house clients and graduates alike, living in Santa Monica means easy access to a wide variety of resources and a strong sober community. Through 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, individuals pursuing a new way of life can get in touch with each other. These support groups provide a wealth of peer support and guidance, and they are available free of charge throughout Santa Monica and Los Angeles CA. Santa Monica and the Los Angeles County area, in general, provide bountiful support so that no one has to recover alone.
Sober Fun in Santa Monica California
Santa Monica isn’t just known for its nightlife. There are countless attractions and activities that can be enjoyed without resorting to drug or alcohol abuse. Clients of sober living homes in Santa Monica have plenty of options for sober fun. Santa Monica is a diverse city that has something for everyone, from cultural events to natural wonders.
In early sobriety, the term “sober fun” may sound ridiculous. But by using the tools and services offered by sober living communities, individuals can quickly become accustomed to the idea. In fact, one may end up discovering that sober fun is far more enjoyable than drinking or abusing drugs ever were. How many times did you have “fun” at a music show only to blackout and spend the night vomiting? Listening to music, dancing, and laughing can be a blast with sober friends — and you’ll have the added bonus of remembering the event the next morning!
Fun activities for sober living clients in Santa Monica include:
The Third Street Promenade
The Third Street Promenade is a pedestrian mall located outdoors, only a few blocks away from the beach. Located between Broadway and Wilshire Blvd, this bustling city center is great for shopping, but it also has plenty of street performers, excellent restaurants, and opportunities for people-watching.
The Palisades Park
The Palisades park runs alongside the beach on Ocean Avenue. This 26.4 acre park provides breathtaking views of the ocean as well as opportunities for running and bicycling.
Bergamot Station Arts Center
This arts hub contains galleries, performance spaces, museums, and concert halls. If you are interested in exploring the cultural offerings of the city, the Bergamot Station Arts Center is worth a visit!
The Santa Monica Film Festival
Did you know that there is a yearly film festival located in the heart of Santa Monica? Every year, the Santa Monica Film Festival showcases new and experimental short and feature films. People travel all over the world for this important festival, where new directors’ careers are made.
The Santa Monica Stairs
Want some exercise in the great outdoors? This high-altitude stairway provides great opportunities for fresh air, exercise, and an amazing view of both the city and the ocean.
The Santa Monica Pier
Follow W Olympic Blvd to the beach and you’ll find yourself facing this famous pier. With rides, arcade games, and excellent food, the Santa Monica Pier juts into the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy the salty air and the carnival atmosphere, and then wade into the water which is only a short walking distance away.
Venice Beach
Located only a short drive away, Venice Beach is known for its bohemian spirit, skate parks, outdoor stalls, and street performers. Tourists flock here regularly, but locals never seem to get tired of its diverse sights and attractions.
What Does A Structured Sober Living Offer?
Attending a sober living home by the beach can be a wonderful opportunity for your sobriety and your mental health in general. At a Santa Monica sober living home, clients can repair past damage and build new futures for themselves free of alcohol or drug dependence. This process, however, takes time. Few people are able to figure out their purpose or develop a new life overnight. Fortunately, sober livings are designed to offer support over an extended period of time so that residents can take the time they need to learn skills, build connections, and strengthen their characters.
A large body of research shows that individuals who engage in recovery programs for lengthier periods of time have lowered rates of relapse. Sober living homes in Santa Monica are therefore an essential component of a recovery plan, whether they are used as transitional housing arrangements or as a first-line approach to addiction recovery.
Structured sober living homes are a unique type that is unique to Southern California. These programs are even more hands-on with their residents to ensure that they truly are immersed in their recoveries. With a high staff ratio, regular drug testing, and a wide variety of household amenities, structured sober livings build strong communities and expect a lot from their residents. At a CA structured sober living, an individual can expect to make considerable progress on their sober journey.
Services offered at structured sober livings include:
One-on-One Mentoring
Individuals can take advantage of the experience, strength, and hope of other housemates by participating in one-on-one mentoring programs. Newer enrollees not only feel more supported, but they benefit from feedback and increased accountability.
Medication Monitoring
In early recovery, it can be a struggle managing one’s medication intake. People with comorbid physical or mental health conditions can rest assured that staff members will take responsibility for keeping track of residents’ medication schedules.
House Meetings and Activities
Regular unity meetings and group activities build strong communities. Activities on the property include fitness exercises, mindfulness meditation sessions, and sometimes even just sitting back and watching a good movie on a large screen television!
Employment Support
Building a solid future is one of the gifts of sobriety. Staff members and alumni help residents get connected to job opportunities in the area. In addition to connecting to possible employees, housemates work to set goals and take steps toward achieving them.
Money Management
After years of active addiction, few can boast of being in great financial shape. Staff members work with clients to develop better money skills, set budgets, and even learn to invest. Living a sober life means living with financial independence.
Family Services
Addiction harms more than just the individual engaging in substance abuse. Everyone loved one in a person’s life is affected in some way, especially family members and close friends. Sober livings help clients resolve conflicts, whether through a family workshop or through the daily practice of sober problem-solving skills.
Find a Recovery Community at Design for Recovery
Located in West Los Angeles CA and the Santa Monica area, Design for Recovery – Sober Living East is a structured sober living home for men. We aim to support young men as they progress in their sober journeys and help them build new lives for themselves. We believe that sobriety is best achieved by practicing principles such as honesty, integrity, responsibility, and accountability. At Design for Recovery – Sober Living East, young men not only learn how to live sober lives, they learn to be better men.
At Design for Recovery – Sober Living East, we believe that recovering from drug and alcohol use disorder involves more than mere physical abstinence from substances. We aim to help young men thrive in their lives in every respect, from their careers to their relationships. This not only reduces the likelihood of relapse, but it is very likely one of the reasons they wanted to get sober in the first place. Together, they work to build relationships, address underlying issues, and develop new and actionable skills.
No matter where your addiction has taken you or where you ultimately want to end up, Design for Recovery – Sober Living East is there to support you on your path. You don’t have to do it alone. If you are ready to change your life, contact us today.