San Diego Sober Living - Recovery

What’s the Typical Length of Stay at a Sober Living Home?

In November 2023, Canadian actor Dean McDermott was interviewed by the British newspaper The Daily Mail about the status of his journey to sobriety. At the time, McDermott was staying in a sober living home after spending 40 days in a drug rehabilitation clinic to recover from chronic alcohol and cocaine abuse, and he had been there for two months while getting divorced from Hollywood actress Tori Spelling. The 56-year-old reality TV star spent the holidays in the sober living facility before checking out and getting on with his life. McDermott’s stay in a sober living home was just below the average stay of 160 days for most residents in the United States.

How Long Sober Living Programs Should Be

One of the most often-cited studies on this topic was completed in 2011 by researchers from the Public Health Institute in California. The study looked at the recovery journeys of 300 individuals who entered gender-specific sober living homes, such as Encinitas men’s sober living housing, over a period that lasted 18 months. About half of the people in the study had received inpatient rehabilitation treatment like McDermott did. Others were referred by counselors or special court programs. Most residents spent four months on average. The range was between 160 and 250 days, but this shouldn’t be assumed to be a treatment recommendation. In general, a stay in a sober living facility is at least twice as long as in a rehabilitation center, and most treatment plans call for longer stays.

How Sober Living Works

Many Americans know patients at drug rehab clinics often stay there for at least 28 days because of the 2000 film 28 Days, starring Sandra Bullock as an alcoholic going through a court-ordered program. Whereas rehab is part of an inpatient program that calls for a certain level of clinical care, sober living is part of a residential treatment strategy structured to promote the development of independent living skills. There’s a clinical aspect to sober living homes, but it largely consists of outpatient counseling and medication intake monitoring.

Understanding Transitional Recovery Treatment

In the case involving Dean McDermott, he could have gone straight into outpatient counseling after rehab and continued working, but he followed the medical recommendation to stay at a sober living home. The idea was for the actor to transition from living as a married man with six children to living as someone who needs to recover so he can still be a father. Just as there’s an unwritten standard for rehab lasting at least 28 days, transitional recovery is often recommended to last at least three months, but the stay can be shortened or extended by medical recommendation.

What Happens after Staying at Sober Living Homes

Some people continue their outpatient care, which may involve group therapy or individual counseling after they transition from sober living homes. The next step involves the real-time application of the life skills learned and practiced during the sober living stay. Ideally, residents will seek to build living situations that are healthy and conducive to continuing the journey to recovery and seeking the precious reward of sobriety.

If you or someone you love is addicted to alcohol or drugs and needs help, call on the compassionate team at Casa Pacifica. Along with providing Encinitas sober living housing, we work with our individual residents to develop customized plans that integrate treatment, aftercare, and recovery support. Our services include sober companionship, coaching, and mentorship for those who are recovering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. For more information about our sober living facilities, call us today.