Sober homes in Los Angeles vary widely, and the experience of living in one differs from location to location. Life in a sober home in general, however, tends to involve taking daily steps to strengthen one's sobriety. Another important aspect of living in a sober home is learning to live in a community setting.
Each sober house believes that the social skills fostered in a community living environment are conducive toward the goal of long term sobriety. They also operate on the philosophy that sobriety is best achieved by helping others get sober. With that in mind, most sober homes are highly organized. Residents follow a set of rules and are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the facility itself.
Most sober homes hold regular group meetings to ensure individual accountability and the cohesion of the group as a whole. 12-step based sober homes often encourage or require daily attendance of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Regular drug testing is also common.
All in all, however, the daily life of a sober resident is not very different from the life of a sober person. The houses are designed to be comfortable, safe, and trigger-free.
The vast majority of them have televisions, books, and even fitness equipment for recreation and self-development. Staff understand that people need time to relax, chat, and zone out sometimes they emphasize recovery and community, but in the end they are what they claim to be: homes.