Recovery is about new beginnings, where one begins a new journey in life—shedding the dark shell of addiction. For some addicts and alcoholics who have found it difficult to achieve sobriety and/or clean time in their hometown, the logical choice is to start over in a new city or state. Thus removing any possibility of being exposed to the people, places and things of their past. It’s a logical choice, and one that regularly occurs among those who can afford to make such a move.
Naturally, if you are going to leave everything behind, a significant number of those suffering from addiction will choose warmer climates as their recovery destination. California and Arizona are often on the top of people’s lists, as is evident by the exponential growth of addiction recovery facilities in those two states over the last couple decades. If one is going to step out of the shadows of addiction and into the light of recovery, what better place than sunny Arizona.
The state is home to a number of reputable inpatient and outpatient treatment centers, as well as what seems like countless “sober living” homes. Formerly referred to as “halfway” homes, as they are the phase of recovery that is in between treatment and full autonomy. There is a good chance that there is a sober living home in your neighborhood, if you live in Arizona. Such residences are typically large in size and can be home to as many as ten people, all of which are working towards the common goal of recovery.
To be clear, sober living homes are not just a bunch of newly sober addicts and alcoholics. There are supervisors on site who monitor the progress of those living inside the house. The supervisor will make sure that everyone is going to recovery meetings and keeping up with their daily responsibilities; this is done so that clients learn how to regiment their day-to-day activities, as it is well known that idle time is a sure recipe for relapse. Residents are randomly drug tested to ensure they are not using. If someone fails their test, they are typically given some form of probation, which could entail leaving the house for a few days, only being able to return after passing another drug screen.
While sober living homes, in many cases, do a lot of good for a community, helping those who are new to recovery get back on their feet and learn how to be a productive member of society, a large number of people who live in areas that have a sober living home are often unhappy about it. Such fears, at times, may be warranted, but by and large incidents that impact the neighbors of sober living homes are rare. As the nation continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic, more people than ever are in need of assistance for their substance use disorder. Which means that there is a vital need for sober living homes. That being said, most adults in this country either know or have a loved one who is struggling with opioid addiction. Someone you care about may need to go into a sober living at some point, please keep an open mind about such services.
