Upon successfully completing an addiction recovery program, you may be given the option of transitioning out of rehab into a sober living house. This transition is designed to ease you back into normal society while reinforcing the skills that you learned in recovery to overcome the temptation to use drugs or alcohol again.
However, as a first-time resident in one of these homes, you understandably have questions about what will be expected of you while you live there. You can avoid falling afoul of the requirements for residing thereby learning the most common rules for sober houses in Ohio today.
No Drugs or Alcohol on the Premises
One of the foremost rules that you must abide by involves avoiding having any drugs or alcohol on the premises. You cannot bring illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, or heroin into the home. You also cannot buy and drink alcohol while living there.
The only exceptions to this rule are for residents who must use prescription medications for their daily health. They are allowed to take prescription medicines under the care of a licensed local doctor. The house directors typically supervise the dispensation of allowable medications like:
- Antidepressants
- Anti-anxiety medicines
- Medications for high blood pressure or heart disease
- Methadone to help with withdrawals from heroin or methamphetamine
Residents who are found to be in violation of this rule will be asked to leave the house. They may not be given an initial warning to comply but instead removed from the home for the safety and wellness of other residents in recovery living there.
Payment for Own Expenses
Another critical rule for living in a sober house in Ohio involves paying for your own expenses. Your expenses will not be paid by the state or the rehabilitation program that you just left. Instead, you will be expected to get a job and pay for your own rent, groceries, and your share of the home’s utilities.
As a resident, you also will be expected to take part in regular chores around the house including:
- Taking out the garbage
- Washing dishes or laundry
- Mowing the lawn
- Cleaning the bathrooms
- Dusting and vacuuming the main living areas
- Making your bed every day
You also may be expected to help cook and serve meals. This participation is designed to give you a sense of belonging in the house as well as an accomplishment of being able to contribute to the household in which you live.
Random Drug and Alcohol Testing
While the overall goal of living in the sober living home is to teach you how to live independently and be responsible for your own actions, it also requires you to comply with random testing for drug and alcohol use. As a resident, you never know when you will be expected to take one of these tests. Random testing is intended to dissuade you from using drugs or alcohol while living there.
If you test positive for drug or alcohol use, you could be asked to leave the house. The test can also be reported to your probation or parole officer, and you could be arrested and sent back to prison or jail if applicable.
Attending Weekly Recovery Meetings
During the time that you live in a sober house in Ohio, you will be expected to attend weekly recovery meetings. Your attendance in these meetings can determine if or for how long you can remain in the home. If you fail to attend, you could be asked to leave the house sooner than other residents who show up to the meetings regularly.
The meetings reinforce your newfound sobriety and give you the opportunity to discuss your challenges by avoiding drug or alcohol use. You also have the chance to support others in your position and provide insight as to how they can overcome the temptation to drink or use again.
You also may have a sponsor with whom to attend the meetings. As you become stronger in your own recovery, you also could become a sponsor of a new resident in the house.
These rules are some to anticipate when you transition from a rehab program into a sober house in Ohio. You can find out more by reaching out to licensed recovery specialists in your area. Our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call (440) 253-9915 now.
