Addiction is a very individualized disease, and no two cases will be identical. Both causes and symptoms will vary on a person-to-person basis, and because of this, no two treatment programs will be exactly alike. Some cases of addiction will be very mild and will be easily resolved because they are predominantly situational. For example, a middle-aged woman might take up heavy drinking after a particularly messy divorce. She might drink half a bottle of wine every night to help her fall asleep. This would be considered a mild case of alcohol abuse – the woman is not suffering severe interpersonal consequences, and her life is not in immediate danger.

However, she is using a chemical substance to self-medicate uncomfortable feelings rather than effectively working through them. A more severe case of substance abuse might look like a 24-year old who began abusing prescription painkillers at age 17 and eventually moved onto heroin. Since beginning daily intravenous drug use, he has been living on the streets and stealing from local stores to get by. In a case like this, a full program of recovery will be necessary. As far as the divorcee is concerned, a long-term stay at a sober living home could be enough to successfully pull her from the grips of addiction. Each unique situation will require individualized care and attention.

Sober Living and Drug Rehab

In most cases, sober living housing will act as the final phase of a comprehensive treatment plan, which will begin with medical detox, then transition into inpatient – or residential – treatment. Sober living provides those who are new to sobriety with the opportunity to receive additional clinical care in a structured environment as they slowly transition back into fully independent living. Many people relapse after leaving rehab when they don’t have the structure and support of a transitional living facility.

However, sober living housing does not always need to act as part of a multi-phased approach to treatment. In some cases, you can go to sober living without first going to rehab. Below are several examples of cases in which this set up would be beneficial:

• If, as previously mentioned, the addictive disorder is mild and not life-threatening.
• If the addictive disorder is mild or moderate, but the individual has a high-powered position (career) that cannot be stepped away from for any length of time.
• If the individual has a mild or moderate addictive disorder and is involved in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) as well.
• If the individual faces financial hardships that disallow him or her from entering treatment.

It is important to note that unless the addictive disorder in question is mild and can be easily treated with a less-intensive level of care, inpatient rehab will be necessary. Most men and women who struggle with drug abuse or addiction will require a long-term, multi-phased continuum of care.

Riverbend Residence – New Jersey Sober Living

At Riverbend Residences, we take each unique case into careful consideration. While our residents don’t need to complete inpatient rehab before committing to sober living, we do strongly recommend it. But we also understand that not everyone who needs treatment will fit the same mold. If you have either recently completed inpatient drug rehab and need the next appropriate level of care, or if you have a unique set of circumstances that will allow you to enter into sober living housing without first going to rehab, Riverbend Residence has got you covered.

We are one of New Jersey’s premier sober living residences, and we provide a set of unmatched amenities as well as gender-specific housing situations. To learn more or to take an in-person tour of our facilities, please give us a call today at (844) 505-3447 for more information on reputable transitional living housing.