In spite of growing up with nine brothers and sisters, Melissa never really felt as though she fit in. Addiction offered a window into a different world for her. She burned plenty of bridges along the way, including turning away from her family. When she decided to beat addiction, she was sure that she could get things back in order and find a way to repair those relationships. Turning her life around, however, proved to be more difficult than she had ever imagined.

For more than seven years, Melissa struggled to put her life back together. She tried several different methods of getting clean, including spending time in other sober living houses. None of them, however, made her feel a sense of belonging or family. As much as she wanted to stay sober, once she left, she found herself returning to her old addictive habits. Nothing seemed to work long-term. Instead, she felt as though attempting to break the cycle was just leading to an even deeper struggle.

Then, Melissa found Stairway to Freedom. She attended treatment for a month beforehand, then turned to Stairway for an ongoing community of support. There, she found the sense of belonging she had craved all her life. “It’s the first time I have felt like I belonged,” Melissa admits.

For her, Stairway to Freedom, a Chicago sober living and addiction recovery facility, has provided a supportive family and a sense of community that have made the impossible a reality. Melissa has now been sober for a year and two months, and she has high hopes that this new lifestyle will carry her for years to come. In fact, thanks to the Stairway to Freedom Scholarship Fund, Melissa has enrolled in classes to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) and plans to work in the field of recovery, helping to inspire and support others who have had similar struggles to hers.

At Stairway to Freedom, Melissa has been surrounded by the support, compassion, and encouragement she needs to take each difficult step through her journey. She doesn’t have to worry about being alone and isolated anymore. Instead, she’s able to rely on the other members of the community and on the strategies she has learned to avoid the addiction trap that had caused so much destruction in her life.

Stairway to Freedom is different from traditional treatment facilities in a number of ways. For Melissa, the most unique thing about Stairway’s women’s sober living facility is that sense of community—the feeling that she has been given a place to belong, where people accept her and the place she has been without judgment. She’s not alone in the world anymore, and you don’t have to be either.

If you’re looking for a sober living facility where you will be surrounded by other women or men who have experienced the same struggles you have and risen above them, Stairway to Freedom could be the perfect solution for you. Whether your previous lifestyle includes drugs, alcohol, or some combination of the two, Stairway to Freedom will provide the foundation you need to maintain a sober lifestyle. You can take command of your life again. Stairway to Freedom provides the tools that you need to accomplish exactly that.

If you’re ready to embark on a sober living journey that will help surround you with people that give you the same sense of community and family Melissa felt, contact us today. The recovery community throughout Chicago is growing rapidly, and at Stairway to Freedom, we want to help you become a part of it. You don’t have to return to your old life without support. We can connect you with a variety of meetings across Chicago, hook you up with people who will walk through this journey with you, and surround you with a community again.

Make this recovery home your last. Melissa’s testimony is just one of many stories about the difference Stairway to Freedom can make in the lives of former addicts and alcoholics. Let us help you succeed.

One of the most important things about the path to recovering from addiction is self-care. Making sure your body is getting what it needs to support your sober living lifestyle is essential to the recovery process. Some think that those in recovery should allow themselves all the treats they want, that battling addiction is enough of a challenge without having to worry about a healthy diet too. While there is certainly no harm in indulging in your favorite comfort foods from time to time, it’s also essential that your body gets the nutrients it needs during your recovery.

Balancing Nutritional Deficiencies

The simple truth is that the nutritional needs of an individual recovering from addiction are greater. Over time, the ingestion of alcohol or drugs creates a nutritional deficit in the body. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol makes it difficult for the body to break down and use the nutrients in food, creating nutritional deficiencies. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that opiate use can cause gastrointestinal distress, leading to a deficit of nutrients. The NIAAA further reports that excessive alcohol consumption can result in an individual getting as much as 50% of their daily calories from alcohol, meaning a reduced consumption of nutrient-dense food.

It’s important to replenish the nutrients your body was missing during your addiction and needs to support the recovery process. Try one or both of these easy and tasty recipes. You can have them as breakfast, a snack, or part of a healthy lunch or dinner.

Avocado Toasts

Avocados are full of nutrients and packed with essential vitamins and minerals. They provide the body with a dose of healthy fats and will keep you feeling full and nourished.

For one serving you’ll need:

• 1 Avocado
• 2 slices of whole grain bread
• A pinch of sea salt, and minced garlic
• 1/4 cup diced tomato

Slice and scoop out the avocado flesh and mash with a fork. Add in the seasonings and diced tomato, and mix well. Spread the mixture over the slices of toasted bread. If you’d like, you can sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top before enjoying.

Support Healthy Healing

Though your withdrawal symptoms have already passed, your body is likely still fighting the effects of past substance abuse. As a result, a lack of energy may be an obstacle you face regularly. Further, many people recovering from addiction face an inability to recognize when the body is sending hunger signals, according to the NIH.

A healthy diet also plays an important role in improving your mood and overall sense of well-being, which will further help you stay happy and sober. As you establish and maintain a healthy diet, the damage done to your organs and tissues will begin to repair, your digestion will begin to return to normal, your energy levels will stabilize, and all of this combined will work towards improving your day-to-day mood.

Try this smoothie for a dose of mood-enhancing, energy-boosting nutrition.

Tropical Smoothie

Coconut water is a great source of electrolytes that help to maintain healthy hydration. Pineapple contains thiamine and vitamin b—both important in energy production. Bananas contain tryptophan, which will help to improve your mood. Both pineapple and banana contain a healthy dose of fiber, which is great for your digestion.

For one serving you’ll need:

• 8 ounces of coconut water (look for no added sugar)
• 1 banana
• 3/4 cup frozen pineapple

1 serving of your favorite protein powder (If you don’t want to use protein powder, you can substitute one serving of plain greek yogurt to maintain smoothie consistency.)

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add more coconut water or fruit to reach desired consistency. To add even more nutrition to this tasty smoothie, throw a handful of fresh spinach into the mix!

Getting Support

If possible, seek the help of a nutrition professional, preferably someone who specializes in addiction recovery. A professional can help you understand your unique nutritional needs and how to implement them into your daily diet in a way that won’t create additional stress or anxiety in your life or threaten your sobriety. After all, maintaining your sobriety should always come before maintaining a healthy diet.

If you’ve just left a rehabilitation facility or are recently sober, Chicago sober living homes can help you surround yourself with a group of supportive men or women, who understand your struggle and will cheer you on as you get back to your normal life. Stairway to Freedom is here to support you on your path to recovery. Contact us today to learn more.

It would be nice if the decision to get and stay sober was all it took. One day, you’re an alcoholic, but the next day, it’s over, and you’re able to go on with your life. Unfortunately, sober living isn’t that simple. Sober living is a decision that you make one day at a time, sometimes even one situation at a time. As time passes, however, it will get easier to stay sober. Getting to that point isn’t easy, but there are some tips that can help.

1. Work with women who have been there.

Women’s sober living is different than men’s. Different circumstances likely caused your problem in the first place, and staying sober requires a different outlook. Surround yourself with other women who have been where you’ve been and who will walk with you through the process. A sober living facility and 12-step meetings are both great places to find a positive and supportive network of women who understand your struggle.

2. Seek out new ways to spend your time.

It’s surprising how many hours of your day used to revolve around your addiction. Women’s sober living isn’t just about staying away from the addictive substance; one of the hardest things to do is to fill those hours. Try seeking out a new hobby: writing, crafting, hiking, or anything else that will ensnare your mind and keep you thinking about the positive things in your life. Avoid any hobbies that you associate with your addiction in the beginning.

3. Find strategies that work for you.

Women’s sober living is not a one-size-fits-all experience. What works for someone else might not work for you. Some people find that they’re able to resume an essentially normal life and routine once they leave a treatment facility. Others find that they struggle with mundane things: using mouthwash that contains alcohol, taking cold medicine that has an alcohol base, even drinking nonalcoholic drinks when they’re out with friends. If those things tempt you to fall back into your addiction, it’s best to avoid them. On the other hand, if you can enjoy them safely, feel free! Your past addiction doesn’t have to control your life forever. It does, however, need to shape the choices you make in the future so that you’ll be better able to say on the right path.

4. Make a list.

Throughout your recovery, you’ve probably heard a lot about lists and about learning to focus on the things that really matter to you. Think about your family, your friends, your job—all the reasons why sobriety is important to you. Sometimes, simply focusing on those critical points can be enough to get you over a difficult hump.

5. Develop new coping skills.

Many people use substances as a way to cope with stresses or problems in their lives. With the crutch removed, you need a series of positive coping skills. Women’s sober living means being able to spend a hard day with your kids without a glass of wine that evening. It means going to visit your parents and coming home without pouring a cocktail. It means handling those hard, endless days at work, without stopping at a bar before you head for home. One of the most critical things you can do while you’re recovering is learning those coping strategies so that, when the hard days hit, you have the tools you need to overcome them.

If you’ve made the decision to get a new start in life but need help with the early stages of the process, contact us. We will provide a secure facility, where you don’t have access to your addictions while you get your life in order and learn to function normally again. Women’s sober living can be difficult and challenging, but the journey to reclaim your life is well worth the effort you’ll expend along the way.

If you are trying to get sober, you need all the support you can get. For some people, that looks like moving into a halfway house, or a sober living house.

If you are looking for a place in Chicago for sober living, Stairway to Freedom may just be the place for you. We are not a rehab facility, but rather a transition home for people who are trying to get into a sober lifestyle and want extra accountability and positive influences. 

Recently, a news story from Washington state reported that a man running a halfway house was caught hiding meth and heroin in the sober living house he was running. Upon finding out about the betrayal, one resident said,

“It’s really sad that he would have a house like this, have people under the pretense that it was clean and sober, and not have our backs.”

Many of the residents were unsure of what to do next because they had nowhere else to go. But many of them still expressed a desire to continue sober living.

This situation is horrifying, and is the exact reason why Stairway to Freedom is needed. People can become so ensnared in bad lifestyles that they abuse others, determined to continue on their bad path. But there are many people who are looking for help, and need somewhere to turn. Stairway to Freedom is a place you can trust, because it was started by a group of members from the Recovery Community. Our recovery homes have been operating since 2007, so we have almost 10 years of helping people on their road to health and recovery under our belt. We have weekly house meetings, curfews, and comfortable accommodations. 

Contact us at Stairway to Freedom to schedule a free consultation and see if moving into one of our recovery homes is right for you.