Sober Living Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, sometimes known colloquially as Philly, is the sixth most populous city in the United States. It is also the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia contains more than 6 million residents. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States, having been founded by William Penn, an English Quaker, in 1682. Originally the capital of the Pennsylvania Colony, Philadelphia ended up playing important roles in both the American Revolution and as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers. While it was eventually overtaken by New York City as the country’s largest city, Philadelphia remains a thriving urban hub and industrial center.

Today, Philadelphia is known for its rich diversity. Immigration from Ireland, Germany, Eastern Europe, and Puerto Rico has made the city one of the most diverse in the country. Young people are also continuously drawn to Philadelphia for its many prestigious universities. The city is also a major economic hub, with five Fortune 1000 companies calling the city home. The city has paved the way for much of the country as well, being home to the country’s first hospital, first library, first zoo, and even first medical school. For locals, however, Philadelphia is known for its outdoor murals and sculptures, its cuisine, its deep colonial history, and its thriving arts scene.

Residents of Philadelphia are currently suffering from a major public health problem. Drug and alcohol abuse is causing record rates of addiction and overdose. Traditional drugs of abuse, such as alcohol, crystal meth, heroin, benzodiazepines, and cocaine, can be found on many street corners throughout the city. However, the greatest impact on Philadelphia has come in the form of prescription opioids. These synthetic opioid painkillers, which include fentanyl and oxycodone, are often more addictive — and more fatal — than heroin. Doctors write an average of 49.9 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people in Philadelphia. Opioid addiction accounts for 65% of drug overdose deaths in the city. But long before a person overdoses, the effects can be felt in their health, their family life, and their economic prospects.

There is no reason to suffer alone. While many people believe that they can manage their substance abuse simply by exerting a little more willpower or self-control, the reality is that substance use disorders require outside help. Fortunately, Philadelphia is home to many recovery resources for people suffering from drug and alcohol addictions.

Sober living homes are recommended for people suffering from addictions at all levels of severity. They can be helpful for Philadelphia addicts as a first-line approach to addiction recovery, as well as part of a long-term recovery strategy after finishing a rehab program. While living in a sober living, individuals can free themselves from the vicious cycle of drug and alcohol dependence and begin rebuilding their lives.

What Are Sober Living homes?

Sober living homes aim to provide safe, supportive, and trigger-free environments for individuals in early sobriety. Environmental factors play a key role in early recovery. Living in an unsafe or emotionally fraught environment can easily trigger a relapse, especially when a person lives with people who are not supportive or who actively abuse drugs and alcohol. Sober livings help people remove themselves from potentially triggering circumstances. While living in a sober living home, residents can be guaranteed a high degree of structure, peer support, and a clean and sober environment.

Residents must agree to remain drug and alcohol-free while living in a sober living home. Staff members generally administer drug screenings regularly to ensure that this fundamental rule is being followed. Staff members also enforce several sober living house rules that are designed to ensure a safe and healthy environment for residents. They also help connect residents with any recovery-related resources they might need, as well as assist them in addressing underlying issues that may be motivating their substance abuse.

Sober living houses are not simply places to eat, sleep, and work. They are communities where residents offer each other mutual support. To many residents, sober livings feel like families. Residents share their experiences, strength, and hope with one another, forming strong bonds in the process. After years of feeling misunderstood, connecting to a community of like-minded fellows can be a deeply healing experience. Research on sober livings shows that the peer support people find there is a significant protective factor against relapse. These relationships continue to serve as sources of support and strength long after people graduate from their sober living home.

Sober living homes are not rehabs, and they do not provide clinical treatment. Instead, sober living facilities aim to support residents on their recovery journeys by helping them rebuild their lives in sobriety. Residents have the opportunity to heal damaged relationships with loved ones and develop new ones. Many sober livings expect residents to find employment during their time there. Residents develop new life skills, new values, new behaviors, and begin taking positive steps toward futures that they would never have dreamed of during their years of active addiction.

Sober Fun in Philadelphia

The term “sober fun” may sound strange to your ears if you’re new to sobriety. Sober living homes make this seemingly absurd idea possible. How? Addicts rely on drugs and alcohol as a crutch to have fun — but they are often actually miserable. At a sober living home, people learn new coping skills to enable them to approach everyday situations without having to rely on substances. More importantly, however, residents develop a strong circle of sober friends. No matter what activity you do or where you go, having sober friends by your side is guaranteed to make laughter, fun, and even joy possible.

But is sober fun possible in Philly? After all, the city is well-known for its plentiful bars and its strong drinking culture. In fact, there is plenty to do in Philadelphia without having to resort to drugs and alcohol. Whether you are getting sober in Philly or returning to the city after attending a Los Angeles sober living home, you may find that there is much more to the city than meets the eye. Some ideas for sober fun in Philadelphia include:

Visit Rittenhouse Square

Rittenhouse Square, one of five city squares personally designed by William Penn, is home to some of the city’s most approachable attractions. These include many excellent restaurants, shopping opportunities, and an enormous park. This well-maintained park features a fountain where young people gather, plentiful picnic spots, and beautiful greenery.

Visit Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market is a sprawling space where vegetable, meat, and fish vendors sell their wares. It is a popular weekend spot for shopping and people-watching. Aside from the vendors, the area is home to some of the city’s best restaurants and bakeries. If you have a sweet tooth, we personally recommend Bassett’s ice cream.

Visit The Magic Gardens

This Philadelphia landmark is not a traditional garden. Instead of trees and flowers, you’ll find a melange of tiles, mirror fragments, and found objects, including glass bottles and bicycle wheels. This space — a work of art that you can walk through — was designed by Philly’s most famous mosaic artist, Isaiah Zagar. Much of Zagar’s work can be found throughout the city, but this indoor and outdoor space is a truly mesmerizing concentration of his surreal genius.

Experience Philadelphia’s Art Collection

The Philadelphia Museum of Art can take days, even weeks, to explore fully. It is home to a wide range of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings, as well as important surrealist works, including the major works of Duchamp. But art is available outside of the museum as well. Philadelphia is home to one of the world’s greatest outdoor art galleries, in the form of more than 4,000 murals. Take a walking tour run by Mural Arts Philadelphia, or just go with the flow and see what you find!

See Live Music at the Fillmore

Located in the hip neighborhood of Fishtown, the Fillmore is a factory converted into a music venue. The spacious main hall features famous bands and artists, while the smaller Foundry room hosts up-and-coming musicians of all genres, from rock, rap, and pop. Seeing a music show sober might take some getting used to, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how much better it is. Best of all, you’ll remember the concert when you wake up in the morning!

Benefits of Philadelphia Sober Livings

Drug and alcohol addictions are serious mental health disorders that require outside help. Recovery from addiction doesn’t simply happen overnight. In fact, there is no recognized “cure” for addiction. Learning to live with addiction, however, is very possible. It is even possible to be free from the obsessive thoughts and cravings that characterize active addiction. Doing so is a long-term process, though. It requires time to develop the skills, support system, and behavior patterns that make long-term sobriety possible.

Sober living homes are designed to support residents as they make these important life changes. Unlike many rehabs, which often limit the amount of time clients can stay, sober living houses offer long-term support. Many people choose to stay for a year or even longer. By the time they graduate, they will be well-prepared for independent life in the outside world, and they will likely have already begun taking some major steps toward their goals. Some of the many benefits of sober livings include:

24/7 Staff Support

Sober living house managers and staff live on-site with residents to provide support night and day. Their job is to ensure that the environment remains structured, supportive, and above all sober. Staff members administer drug tests regularly, enforce house rules, and provide support and guidance to residents. Many staff members have been through the recovery process themselves, and they are living proof of what sobriety makes possible.

Peer Support

Residents benefit enormously from living in a community of people who have had similar struggles and life experiences. Addiction is sometimes known as a “disease of isolation,” and that term is no joke: addicts generally either alienate their loved ones or withdraw into isolation voluntarily. Living with other addicts in recovery, they can finally feel understood. More importantly, they can find strength, community, and honest feedback from their housemates.

Mentorship Opportunities

After a person gets some sober time, they are in a strong position to help individuals who are just beginning the process of recovery. Sober living homes offer mentorship opportunities to house residents, allowing them to grow as leaders and pave the way for others. Many sober livings encourage members to attend AA or NA meetings, where there are additional opportunities to help others. Sobriety is not an individual battle; in fact, helping others get sober is often the best way of staying sober oneself.

Life Skills Training

Quality sober livings recognize that addiction recovery is not simply a matter of quitting drugs and alcohol. Most people want to begin leading better lives as well. Since active addiction deprives young people of the opportunity to learn important life skills, sober living staff work hard to make up for these gaps. Residents learn better communication habits, conflict resolution, and even everyday skills like how to write a resume and pass a job interview.

Transition From Rehab

Sober living homes are not clinical addiction treatment programs. However, they are often used in conjunction with rehabs as part of an aftercare program. Rehab graduates are often advised to attend sober living after graduating from an inpatient treatment program. Returning too abruptly to their old lives can lead to emotional triggers that put their sobriety at risk. Sober livings serve as a “bridge” to the outside world after rehab, allowing graduates to build new lives for themselves and continue to strengthen their sobriety. Moreover, research shows that ongoing involvement with aftercare recovery resources significantly reduces the risk of relapse.

Sober Living homes Outside Philadelphia

Philadelphia contains many high-quality sober living residences. Nonetheless, people who have spent the majority of their active addiction in Philly are often advised to attend sober livings elsewhere. All too often, the city itself remains a source of endless triggers. These triggers can come in many forms. One might encounter one’s former drug dealer at the supermarket, or even feel a bit triggered while walking past a favorite bar. Getting sober means developing new habits and behaviors. Making an entirely new fresh start is the best way to do that.

Southern California is widely recognized as one of the best areas in the country for addiction recovery. Its sunny climate, beautiful mountains and beaches, and its diverse culture make it appealing to just about anyone. More importantly, Southern California has a thriving recovery community. Various 12-step meetings, including Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, are held throughout the area at all hours of the day. The area is also known for being the birthplace of structured sober livings, a type of sober living house that offers even more extensive structure and recovery resources than the vast majority of traditional sober living programs.

Recover From Addiction at Design for Recovery

Design for Recovery is a structured sober living home in Southern California. It is a sober living home for men that provides a safe, supportive, and trigger-free environment. No matter what a person’s substance of choice was or how severe their addiction was, they can turn their life around at Design for Recovery. Residents work daily to develop the toolset, values, behaviors, and peer support that they need to maintain long-term sobriety. In the process, they work to build new lives for themselves beyond their wildest dreams.

Design for Recovery was founded on a simple idea: recovery involves more than just quitting drugs and alcohol. It means building a life that is meaningful, joyful, and free. Residents at Design for Recovery work to develop a strong foundation of values to live by. These crucial principles include honesty, integrity, responsibility, and accountability. By cultivating these values, a new life becomes possible. Relationships improve, career prospects change, and the future opens up.

If you are ready to escape the vicious cycle of drug and alcohol addiction, contact us today. Recovery is possible at Design for Recovery.