What Happens If I'm Kicked Out Of A Sober Living Home?

When you are coming out of an inpatient treatment program, you must ease back into everyday life. You do not want to enter back into environments rife with triggers without a little backup.

Sober living homes can help you make the transition. To get the most out of a sober living environment, it is good to know the rules and what your next steps should be if you are asked to leave one.

Getting kicked out of a sober living home is NOT the end of the world.

What Is a Sober Living Home?

Sober living homes are residential facilities for you if you are in recovery from a substance use disorder after treatment, or during outpatient treatment. They are not run by counselors or social workers and are typically more affordable than other living options. You might have a private or a shared bedroom, depending on the house.

Either way, you will live, cook, and clean alongside other people in recovery. The people you live with often become one of the biggest parts of your support system.

Sober living homes ask you to follow visiting hours, curfews, and a number of other rules. You will need to be employed or actively seeking employment while staying in a sober living home.

Though this might seem restrictive, this structure is meant to strengthen your recovery. It helps you avoid triggers that could lead to relapse.

What Rules Do You Have to Follow?

Every good sober living home enforces rules. If they do not have or enforce rules, view this as a red flag. The house manager or staff should provide the rules up front and explain what happens if the rules are broken. The expectations should be clear, and it is okay to ask questions if anything is ambiguous. 

Many sober living homes require you to sign an agreement to be admitted into the home. While it is not necessarily a legally binding agreement, following the terms of the agreement ensures you and everyone else living there can stay safe and trigger-free. Typical house rules include the following:

• Do not drink or use while a resident of the house
• Do not bring drugs or alcohol onto the premises
• Pay your rent on time
• No overnight guests
• Attend support meetings or counseling as required by your house
• Observe your curfew
• Participate in all house meetings
• Finish your assigned chores
• Report any prescription medications to the house manager
• Comply with guidelines about medication administration
• Submit to randomized drug and alcohol testing
• Absolutely no violence
• Phones and computers may be monitored and limited
• Respect all house residents and staff

These rules help you maintain your recovery and ensure the house residents can live in harmony. If you do not follow the rules, you will likely be given a warning and a timeframe to improve. You will rarely be expelled without warning and prior strikes against you. Immediate expulsion usually only happens in these instances:

• You bring drugs or alcohol into the house
• You relapse and do not own up to it immediately or are unwilling to do the work to reverse it
• You are physically violent against another resident or a staff member

In any of these instances, you will likely be asked to vacate the premises within 24 hours. Be aware that for instances of violence, the police may become involved, which could lead to fines, assault charges, or even jail time.

What Do You Do if You’re Kicked Out?

The number one way you can get kicked out of a sober living home is if you start using or drinking again.

Most sober homes offer you the opportunity to admit relapsing. If it is your first time and you are honest, you will likely be given the chance to seek further help and get back on track.

If you lie about the relapse, you could be expelled. If you repeatedly relapse, even if you tell the truth, you may be expelled, especially if you bring drugs or alcohol into the house. This puts other residents at risk.

All of this is decided by the house manager, the staff, and a jury of residents and alumni.

When you are asked to leave a sober living home due to relapse, it is a sign that you need more treatment. It may be that you are not as far along in the process of healing as you thought you were.

Get back in contact with your detox centers and treatment facilities for additional help. If they do not have room to admit you back into their program, they can recommend another facility. If that is not an option either, call DetoxNearMe.com – we’ll help you get back into recovery again.

Depending on the circumstances of your leaving, you may be allowed back into your previous sober living home once you have completed further treatment. The residents and alumni usually get to decide on matters like this. If you are not accepted back into the same place, you will need to find a new sober living facility.

Getting kicked out of a sober living home is not the end of the world, nor is it the end of recovery. As long as you are willing to do the work to remedy the reason you were expelled, recovery is still on the horizon for you.

Before Sober Living Comes Detox. DetoxNearMe.com Will Help You Find Your Detox Center

Sober living homes help people newly in recovery from substance use disorders transition back into the outside world.

In general, sober living homes play a role for those advanced in recovery. If you’re starting your journey towards a healthier life – or need to recover from a relapse – you’re on the right site. DetoxNearMe.com helps take the sting out of the search for a reputable detox center.

With thousands of detox listings at your fingertips, finding a detox center for you has never been easier. Start your search now with DetoxNearMe.com!