Life has so many stages, most of those having beginning and ends to them. It’s almost resemblant of the alphabet in the idea that every chapter of life begins with “A” and eventually concludes with “Z”. Sometimes that “eventually” takes longer than others, after all, not every chapter is always the same length. Some things take time for them to ruminate; maturing into a full-grown alphabet that we can appreciate and learn from.
Let’s take the example of alcoholic thinking. Alcoholism can have many pages, chapters, and sequels. Unfortunately, it’s not the short educational nursery rhyme we are often hoping for. There’s so much misery eloped with the beginning letters of this alphabet that it’s only a matter of time until it catches up to us. Eventually, after enough problematic repetition, most alcoholics will find themselves looking for help- if fate allows them such luck. It is around here that we get close to the halfway point of our 26 letters.
It is around this halfway point that we take on early sobriety, dropping the substances by the wayside. Early sobriety takes action, fellowship, and recovery from the ways we were previously telling that alphabet. It is around this halfway point that we look into a halfway house and changing our ways so as to not go back to letter “A”. Halfway houses will provide an element Recovery requires things that we might now always find thrilling, but they will always build us up to be better persons in the end.
Almost There Living
One of the many lessons taught to those in early sobriety is to have a few options that can hold us accountable. Deciding to pack a bag and moving into a halfway house can be nerve-wracking to anybody. Most of us see sleeping in a foreign building as uncomfortable. Then to share that unfamiliar territory with strangers just adds the icing to the cake. Rest assured that it’s not at all as bad as it may seem, every letter of the alphabet is new to us at some point or another.
Living in a halfway house provides us with a simple solution to the complex problem of alcoholic thinking. The idea is to do whatever it takes to eradicate the nasty disease that consumes us. Alcoholism is never something that subsides entirely, but taking proactive measures will help prevent it from festering. It is a mental disease through and through that feeds off of lone willpower and fear.
A Sober Home is Where the Heart is
Moving into a halfway house can be understandably intimidating for anybody, but none of us are alone in that. It is vital to remember that most people in our new living facility are going through a lot of the same issues we are. Putting ourselves into a routine is something we are usually not accustomed to- yet it makes for a healthy mind, body, and soul.
While creating our new groove and looking for a halfway house to move into temporarily, there are always things to keep in mind on the sober search. There’s are thousands of recovery residences out there across the nation so it’s best to know what we’re looking for to avoid going back to using. Some of the things a good halfway house should have included:
- Random Urinalysis
- Resident Rules/Boundaries
- Curfew
- House Meetings
- Comradery
- Community Meetings
- Non-Co-ed Structure (Recommended)
- Healthy Restrictions
As addicts, sometimes we need others to help us hold that slack in the rope so we don’t hang ourselves. Addiction’s voice does not have to be heard at all, but it will try. It is a disease that has a mind of its own. Alcoholism will attempt to barge its way back into our behaviors despite our best attempts to keep it at bay. In the beginning, we need as much help as we can get.
Recovering at Home
The idea of living in a halfway house is to be held to a certain standard while taking time to focus on ourselves. Sober livings are specifically designed for alcoholics and addicts in early recovery. So although there may be practices and things that we aren’t too keen on, they are put into play for a reason. There is a method to the madness of recovery.
Having entered recovery and seen the error of our ways through addiction, we vow to never want to go back to that unfolded misery again. However, recovery does take action. Doing this thing right means truly accepting Step 1 of AA. It means going to any lengths we can to keep to keep that sobriety- the same way we would’ve done anything we could to find euphoria. With recovery, we take that same addictive drive and concentrate to make it something that contributes to this world.
Sober Sleeping
Once we have accepted our powerlessness and unmanageability, it is here that we can make decisions that finally benefit us like moving into a halfway house. Making the choices will require things that we don’t always want to do but need to. Recovery really helps us learn to separate our wants from our needs while we continue to grow between our ears. Building this routine will create a healthy mindset where everything just starts to happen naturally. Doing the next right thing and staying away from the chemicals won’t even be a thought anymore.
Remember that when it comes to living in a halfway house- it’s not permanent. If we dive into our recovery the right way, a lot of us will be so busy we don’t even spend a lot of time at home. A halfway house is just somewhere to lay our heads at the end of the day while maintaining security for sobriety. Then once we can keep our noses clean- we move on. Seems all around like a win-win situation.
Need To Find a New Place to Call Home?
Sometimes taking a step back and recognizing where we stand in life can be tough. It’s important to know the signals as we identify the crisis addiction creates. If you or a loved one has been struggling with getting a firm grasp on sobriety and need detoxification, please call 888-481-1993 or visit www.coastaldetox.com. Our teams of specialists are waiting by to help figure out what options are best for sending your life is a comfortable direction that you can proudly stand behind.