When I think about the foundation for my long term recovery from addiction, there are many resources and tools that come to mind. However, I believe that sober living was the most powerful tool in building a lasting recovery. During inpatient treatment, I was assigned a case manager who set me up with an aftercare plan. It was recommended to do three months of sober living and at that time, it felt like too much. However, I listened to the suggestions of people wiser than me and it ended up saving my life. I stayed in a structured sober living environment for over ten months. It was the groundwork for my long term recovery. Here are 5 ways that sober living saved my life.

However, they loved me until I learned to love myself. I learned how to build strong friendships and I learned how to be a friend. I understood how important it was to have connections with people who are also in recovery. I am still friends with the women I met in my sober living home. Even though I live in a different state than them, we all get together at least once a year to re-connect, laugh, and grow. Community is imperative to recovery and sober living allowed me to build one.

However, overtime, I found that making my bed in the morning set me up for a successful day. I already accomplished one thing at the very start of my day and this made me feel proud. I learned that structure was healthy for my recovery. In my addiction, my life was chaotic and messy. I couldn’t stick to a plan or a routine. The structure of the sober living home showed me how to live. It prepared me for my future and I am so grateful for the structure I learned during sober living.

In finding God, I found more truths about spirituality. I learned that I could let go of the wheel and allow something bigger than myself to take over. I stopped trying to control everything. Letting go of control was the ultimate freedom. Finding a spirituality that works for me is the most important thing in my recovery.

ABOUT LARA

Lara Frazier is a truth-teller, a sobriety warrior and a writer. She is a FIERCE believer in the power of owning our stories and is a strong advocate for addiction recovery. Lara shares a story of healing: in sobriety, through addiction, in life and love, and in all the other big huge moments of fear and magic that we rarely talk about, but we should. Find more of Lara’s work on Instagram @sillylara.