We were not only dependent upon alcohol and/or drugs, but were also dependent on many others for continuing our alcoholic and/or drug addicted ways. When we stopped drinking or using drugs, we began to realize just how dependent we had become. For those of us who had been in institutions or half-way houses, resentments against authority were common.
- Residents democratically make their voices heard through the individual houses, the Chapters, the World Council and the Oxford House, Inc.
- When some communities tried to keep Oxford House from renting in their neighborhoods, Mr. Molloy and his lawyers went to court.
- Within an Oxford House group, it is not unusual to find some members who have problems which cannot be dealt with by the group.
- However, Oxford House members firmly believe that the Oxford House concept can expand as an independent entity, while fully utilizing the benefits of Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Narcotics Anonymous.
- In this respect, they are similar to a college fraternity, sorority, or a small New England town.
- We should spread the word about Oxford House, but be wary of individuals who place their own personalities before the principles that made Oxford House work.
There are over 3,500 Oxford Houses across the United States
He was also an alcoholic whose drinking would eventually cost him his job, his family and his home. I just had to follow the rules, get along with everyone, and work on my recovery. It took me awhile to get used to being with a group of guys like myself. But together we have learned to manage and maintain the house and interact as a family.
The Oxford House Model provides a community based, supportive, and sober living environment.
A painterly Italian scene was earmarked for the main bedroom, which Charlotte paired with plaster pink walls (Edward Bulmer’s ‘Jonquil’) and a pretty floral ‘Colette’ bed from Howe upholstered in Bennison’s ‘Pomegranate’ fabric. ‘We just wanted it to oxford house traditions feel cosy and warm,’ says Charlotte who used a palette of pinks, yellows and blues throughout. A sweet little single bedroom on the first floor is papered in Morris & Co’s ‘Seaweed’, while an attic bedroom is papered in ‘Meadow Sweet’, a pretty green and yellow floral pattern on a white ground, also by Morris & Co. In the ground floor study, the walls are enlivened by a yellow version of the brand’s renowned ‘Willow Bough’, recoloured by designer Ben Pentreath. ‘These papers just felt so right for the house and tap into that late Victorian aesthetic,’ Charlotte explains. The loo is no exception, tapping into Victorian Egyptomania and papered in Pierre Frey’s ‘Sur Le Nil’, where cattle, ibis and cats parade across the walls.
Each Oxford House follows three simple rules.
In those situations, it is not uncommon for the Oxford House members, at a meeting, to strongly suggest that a fellow member seek professional Sober living house help. In those situations where a member’s behavior is disruptive to the group as a whole, the member may be required to seek such professional help or more self-help meetings in order to avoid being dismissed from Oxford House. Some operate for several years and then, because of expiration of a lease, dissatisfaction with the facilities, or simply the finding of a better location, the members of a particular House will move into a new location.
Oxford House Manual: Chapter Manual: Sharing the Experience, Strength, and Hope of Oxford Houses for the Common Good
Oxford House, Inc. provides technical assistance to foster the expansion of the Oxford House Model. Find documents, templates, and everything residents need while living at an Oxford House. It is not easy to spread the word of a new concept or an old concept with a new twist.
Oxford Houses are self-run, self-supported homes for individuals in recovery from a Substance Use Disorder.
One of the greatest threats to the sobriety of a recovering alcoholic or drug addict is loneliness. At a time when we acquired a serious desire to stop drinking or using drugs, many of us had lost our families and friends because of our alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Too often, newly recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are faced with the necessity of living alone and of relying solely on contacts with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to stay sober. Some are able to keep from drinking in spite of the loneliness with which they were faced. The alcoholic or drug addict alone begins to compare himself to those members of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous who still have family and friends.
Loneliness and self-pity soon lead such individuals back to alcoholic drinking or drug use. With Oxford House there is no need for a recovering individual to live in an environment dominated by loneliness. At the Oxford House World Convention held annually, Oxford Houses throughout the country vote for representatives to the World Council. The World Council is comprised of 12 members, 9 of which presently live in an Oxford House, 3 who are alumni.