Benefits of Sober Living Communities: Living a Sober Lifestyle

Your donation will provide a scholarship to someone in recovery, supporting them through the first few months of sober living in one of our partner organizations. To learn how your gift supports our scholarship, click below. By connecting faith and experience, AA has found a way to make spirituality attractive and available to many who never thought they would spend so much time thinking about God. For some, that personal relationship with a Higher Power, combined with the community of meetings, is enough.

Fulfill your promises.

If you promised your father to help him mow the lawn on Sundays, but years have passed, and you’ve never once shown up, start now. If you promised your son or daughter to be there to see them off to college, clean yourself up and show up. You don’t have to be the best son or daughter, and you don’t need to be an ideal parent, but you need to show up when you make promises to do so. Recovery homes have proven to have a success rate of 80%—that is a great success rate for recovery from a substance use disorder. Paul needed a structured and supportive social life, he needed to be with others in recovery. For Mary, a Chicago woman who overcame a compulsion with food through Overeaters Anonymous, prayer also was instrumental in her spiritual conversion–one that ultimately led her to join the Catholic Church.

Preparing for Making Amends in AA

For example, if you are estranged from a loved one and they will not see you, your indirect amends may involve reflecting on and modifying the behaviors that led to the estrangement. However, even if you feel extremely motivated to make direct amends, it is advisable to take your time with this step. Make sure that you are comfortable with your progress during recovery and that both you and the other person are ready to engage in the process. Once you enter into sobriety, there isn’t a set timeline for working Steps 8 and 9, so you might want to ask your sponsor and recovery support network for their insights about whether you’re ready.

Focus on your behavior.

• However, the pain is so much worse when it’s kept inside and remains unspoken; and while drinking or using may look like a way to find quick relief, you can’t actually escape this hurt.
• They want to find ways of making up for all their past wrongs, and they don’t want to miss the opportunity to do so once their loved one dies.
• In a sober living house, members can transition out of treatment and adjust to their new substance-free lifestyle.
• They also have the opportunity to work on repairing their relationships with friends and family that may have been damaged because of their previous addiction struggles.
• Addiction takes over your life, stealing both your joy and your time, and making it impossible for you to give back to others and live a generous life.
• If we decide to award you a scholarship, you must agree to our terms by responding to an email.

They may choose to make living amends by promising to change their ways and become more helpful to others. Another example is a substance or alcohol-addicted adult child who regularly steals money, jewelry, and other valuable items from their elderly parent’s home. However, they may suddenly feel guilty and decide to change their ways.

• What they fail to realize is that whenever recovery becomes supported mainly by a human relationship, the recovery (and usually the relationship) are on thin ice.
• “You’ve been awarded…”………………… when I tell you I almost cried…..
• I can now pay it forward just like many did for me and would like to sponsor/scholarship someone.

In doing so, you promise to live a sober and honest life and never return to your old ways of lying and hurting the people you love the most. Unfortunately, after you get sober, all the hurt and destruction you caused in the wake of your addiction doesn’t just go away. You have to put in the work to repair the damage living amends and heal those relationships. To make amends, you must do more than just make apologies for your past behavior. Instead, making amends means you apologize for what you’ve done and make it right. Similarly, making living amends means you completely change the way you live and remain committed to that lifestyle.

Support Our Mission

In some cases, simply opening up a conversation with a friend or family member about your history of alcohol use can begin the process of making amends. Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. Remember, this is a Twelve Step process that can provide a platform for healing, but the person we are reaching out to may not be at the same place in healing as we are.

Positive Psychological Effects of Step 9 AA

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