Few things have the ability to rip apart families and communities like addiction. You can see true addiction in a person when they’ve begun to place drugs or alcohol in front of their spouse, kids and life. Addiction is a serious illness that must be treated. 

For true addicts, the process of getting sober might feel like moving heaven and earth, but it is possible with all the right help and resources. When someone chooses to get sober, they have to ask themselves why they are making that choice. A lot of addicts get sober not for themselves, but for their families. Other addicts might come to realize that their lack of sobriety is keeping them from fulfilling their dreams and purpose in life. No matter the reason to choose to get sober, addicts can’t get help until they ask for it. 

Getting treated by professionals at rehab is mandatory, but so is living at a good halfway house after rehab. Lots of recently treated addicts leave rehab believing they are prepared for sober living, only to find that they aren’t prepared to deal with the stresses of normal life. Halfway houses help bridge the gap between the help someone receives at rehab with the temptations and stresses of life. Addicts and alcoholics interested in lifelong sobriety need the accountability and professional help halfway houses can give before they go home. 

Stairway to Freedom is an incredible community of Recovery Homes in Chicago that give a structured and safe environment to help addicts and alcoholics rebuild their lives. Their focus is to promote lifelong health and sobriety to their residents by setting up strict rules and safeguards. For more info on Stairway To Freedom, contact them today!

Most people remember their first days outside of that secure, albeit strict, inpatient drug treatment facility. Some addicts say they thought graduation day would never come. Others admit they prayed for freedom from active addiction, as well as from that demanding counselor who seemed to never stop poking and prodding about sharing feelings or having a family session. Then prayers are answered and reality arrives.

The next phase in their life involves commitment to change and it must occur now. Choosing to use the tools they learned in treatment or doing nothing different from what they did in the past will have a significant effect on future success or failure to remain free from active addiction. They may find themselves taking baby steps to mark the beginning of their journey into recovery. It can be a serious struggle to try to build a solid foundation to support a healthy new lifestyle.

Some recovering addicts find themselves thinking the safety net provided by the confines of that drug treatment program and persistent therapist was not so awful after all. A healthy compromise for many individuals facing this dilemma is to move into a halfway house in Chicago. This alternative to going home is often a life-saving measure that helps to prepare addicts fresh out of treatment to take that gigantic leap back into the real world. Living without using any drugs or alcohol is a completely foreign concept. Former addicts in long-term recovery tend to agree that virtually nobody can do it alone.

A few key components are critical for almost everyone who is new to this journey, which is taken just one day at a time or even one hour at a time if necessary. Personal recovery may vary slightly depending upon each individual’s addiction history, however, there are some fundamental suggestions proven to help anyone with a desire to develop a clean and sober lifestyle.

• Structure – Recovering addicts benefit from having a daily schedule that includes attendance at recovery meetings. Creating a plan for every day is essential to a recovering addict’s success as any free time can open the door to boredom and the temptation of old habits. Having a consistent bedtime will improve overall health and people who get seven to eight hours of sleep each night are proven to be more productive and focused on priorities. Setting an alarm to wake up at the same time each day prepares an individual for being on time for work or college.
• Support – “The therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel,” is a belief shared by treatment professionals and members of Narcotics Anonymous, This is the type of support recovering addicts will get at a halfway house. It is also referred to as “peer-based support.” When former addicts live with a group of people, who share the same goal of beginning a new life free from addiction, they are able to offer unmatched support to one another. Additionally halfway houses employ managers, who have several years of successful recovery and they are there to enforce rules and provide support as needed.
• Safety – Living at a residence in the “real world,” that is not a recovery house, presents daily opportunities for exposure to alcohol and drugs with nobody standing beside you to help you say no. Halfway houses offer protection from threats to your recovery. They usually promote a buddy system or require all new residents to travel with an individual, who has been living there for a while and can show them the ropes. They also conduct random drug tests and breathalyzers to hold residents accountable and ensure that the entire house is alcohol and drug-free.

Please contact us to learn more about the journey in recovery at a halfway house in Chicago.

If you have a family member or a close friend who is battling a drug or alcohol addiction, you know just how painful it can be to love someone who has a substance abuse problem. You probably want to do everything that you can for your loved one, but you might feel powerless in this situation.

Luckily, there is something that you can do to help your loved one — recommend that she attends a rehabilitation treatment facility and moves into a  women’s sober living home.

There are a few reasons why a women’s sober living home can be a good choice for your addicted loved one. First of all, she will be held accountable for her actions and will be living in a home in which drug and alcohol use are not allowed. Being held to strict rules regarding drug and alcohol use could be what she needs to stay sober and on the right path. Staying strong against an addiction can be tough when your loved one is in a place where she can easily use, but this won’t be the case in a sober living facility.

Plus, you will feel good in knowing that your loved one is safe if you choose a good sober living home for her. Women who live in drug- and alcohol-stricken homes can often be subject to abuse, rape and many other dangers, but your loved one will be in a loving, supportive and safe women’s-only household.

If you want to do something to help you addicted loved one, contact us at Stairway to Freedom. We can tell you more about our sober living homes and can help you choose the right sober living house for your loved one.

It takes stability and love to make a family thrive, and a parent who’s unable to stay sober threatens the peace and foundation of their family. Broken and suffering families over time translate to widespread instability, violence and crime in larger communities. If addicted and alcoholic parents want a loving and solid family life, then it’s vital that they get sober. How?

Admitting you have a problem and that you need help is key. If your family is suffering because of your addiction, then nothing is going to change or improve until you admit to yourself that you need help and that you can’t do it alone. Seeking professional help after that admission is paramount. You may know you have a problem, but things won’t get better without some drastic changes. 

For most serious addicts and alcoholics looking to get sober, spending a considerable amount of time at rehab is mandatory. But after rehab is when many people make a serious mistake that could threaten their newfound sobriety and send them back into the arms of their addiction. Recovery Homes should be looked at as a vital step in the healing and recovery of an addict. All too often, folks in the “honeymoon” phase of their sobriety exit rehab and are unprepared for sober living. Recovery houses help addicts slowly transition back into normal life, and give them the best shot at a lasting recovery. 

Stairway to Freedom is an incredible community of recovery homes in Chicago that give a structured and safe environment to help addicts and alcoholics rebuild their lives. Their focus is to promote lifelong health and sobriety to their residents by setting up strict rules and safeguards. For more info on Stairway To Freedom, contact them today!