Ensuring Your Home is a Safe
Environment for Recovery
Many are taking advantage of this unprecedented time to turn their lives around, starting healthy new
habits, learning new skills, learning new things, and much more. Now, this may seem quite easy to those
who don't have substance abuse disorders or co-occurring disorders; for those who do suffer from
them, though, this time may seem a little overwhelming.
I'd like to give some advice on making sure that your home or living situation is a healthy environment
that nurtures recovery, whether you're starting or continuing it. You can remember this as the three Ps
of recovery, Preparation, Processing, and Positivity.
Preparation
Having known several people in and out of alcohol rehabs throughout New England, and some close
friends in sober houses in MA, I have witnessed how a residential treatment program has been
specifically designed to look after the physical and mental well-being of people with addiction problems.
I'd like to offer some ideas from the people who have been in such places to make your home your own
residential treatment center.
The most commonly recurring piece of advice I've heard is to make sure the space you're living in is free
from addictive substance, paraphernalia, and reminders. Things like shot glasses or movie posters
depicting alcohol or drug use can be incredibly triggering to the subconscious mind. This is key to keep
your mind on the positive progress you're making.
Processing
What can seem most daunting to many people with substance abuse problems is coming to terms with
all the repressed thoughts and emotions that they have unsuccessfully bottled up or ran away from.
When these feelings finally come to the surface, it can result in feeling an overwhelming amount of
anger, grief, and shame. This is an integral part of recovery, which is why many rehabilitation centers
offer therapy to let people share and come to terms with this pain.
Having supportive and loving people around you is integral in process