So, you have finally finished inpatient addiction treatment. You have given it you’re all for the past three months, attending every individual and group therapy session, immersing yourself in the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, and taking an honest and fearless look at your past actions and their consequences. You have learned coping skills, life skills, and relapse prevention skills, and you are more than ready to get back to the real world and put these skills to good use. What’s the next step after inpatient treatment? You might be anticipating a swift return to daily life – you will go home, see your family and friends, and essentially pick up right where you left off. The truth is, transitioning back into fully independent living is a process.

Before you can do so, you will need to first move into a transitional living home for at least three months (most residents will stay for between six and nine months before making the transition). What’s the point of transitional living? There are several benefits when it comes to transferring directly from inpatient treatment to a sober living home. At Riverbend Residence, we believe in the importance of continued care – we have seen ample amounts of success in sobriety when an individual decides to take advantage of supported living.

A sober living home (transitional living) allows for men and women who are new to sobriety to be held accountable in a safe, structured, and supportive housing environment. They will be held to a strict set of standards, and they will continue with clinical treatment in the form of intensive outpatient or outpatient treatment. On-site support staff members will make sure that residents are actively involved in a 12 step program, and they will enforce a set of rules and guidelines geared towards helping residents maintain success in recovery for years to come.

Transitional Living and Relapse Prevention

One of the main goals of transitional living is to help with relapse prevention. The main goal of every recovery program is to instill clients with all of the tools and coping mechanisms they need to avoid relapse and maintain long-term sobriety. At Riverbend Residence, we are dedicated to helping all of our residents stay sober and continue learning how to successfully prevent potential relapse in the future.

For those new to recovery, staying sober is no small task. The majority of men and women who actively abuse drugs and alcohol are used to utilizing chemical substances as a coping mechanism. When they feel anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, or angry their first instinct is to turn to chemical substances.

Inpatient treatment takes place in an extremely controlled environment. If a client gets upset, he or she will be able to talk through issues with a licensed professional as they arise. Additionally, because clients are living in a residential facility and they have very little personal freedom, obtaining and using chemical substances is generally not even an option.

In transitional living, men and women will have far more personal freedom. If they feel stressed out or triggered, they will need to know how to effectively handle their emotions to prevent relapse. However, sober living facilities also give those who are new to recovery the opportunity to process through issues that may arise in a safe and supported setting. Relapse prevention is further instilled in transitional living, and without this additional and extremely beneficial step in the multi-phased recovery process, relapse becomes far more likely. To learn more about our sober living housing or to take an in-person tour, please feel free to contact us at (844) 505-3447 at any point in time. We offer four sober living residences to the residents of New Jersey, each gender-specific, reputable, and effective in promoting relapse prevention.