For a “newborn” on the road of recovery, jumping back into the jungle of life is a shock to their system. Someone being chemically dependent or in a relationship with several character defects for a number of time is almost guaranteed to stumble if not transitioned properly post treatment. The beginning of recovery can be very challenging and can be alarming for the client to return back to their previous life. Going back to the same job, same family, and same environment (if this is the case) can be a slippery slope, but it is very possible to thrive if the client is set up appropriately in the early recovery process.
Families, loved ones, and friends are uneducated at the beginning and feel lost when trying to find a means of help for their loved one who is struggling. The “identified patient” has successfully completed treatment. Now what? Trust issues are still present with the people involved in their lives and stability is just beginning to take place, but not constant yet. How can this individual have the best possible outcome in transitioning back into life clean, sober, and free from their destructive pleasures or self-medicating behavior?
Sober Companions have been a huge success in the field of recovery, offering their recovering client that extra support needed based on their particular circumstances. Becoming enlightened and informed on the benefits of a Sober Companion may help you, your family, or potential client decide whether or not this would be a productive resource to seek out.
Listed below are several benefits of a Sober Companion:
- Clients such as actors, musicians, and high profile athletes could benefit greatly from this service due to the pressure and high demands returning to their previous lifestyles. Having a Sober Companion acting as a motivational support can be a significant and positive recharge through the transitional process. The Sober Companion can help the client structure their new found life in a way that could be manageable yet productive. One of the most common slip-ups for people in early recovery is taking on too much at once. The client must be willing to place recovery first before anything else and learn a completely new way of living. One of the Sober Companions job descriptions is to teach this and be patient while the client is learning.
- People who are newly in recovery need structure, which has been a very unfamiliar lifestyle to them previously. This is to help assist with forming healthy habits and help them practice using new coping skills. Sober Companions assist in providing these tools and helping the client apply them on a daily basis. Another benefit to having a Sober Companion is having them help the client with structure of any kind. Family members, friends, and loved ones of the client have lives and may have biased opinions. This could interrupt the client’s recovery process and could potentially throw them off. Having a non-biased party who has been in the clients “shoes” before can help the client on an emotional level and mental level that others can not.
- A client who has experienced multiple relapses post treatment may benefit greatly from this service because they are unable to obtain a stable beginning in the recovery process. Having a Sober Companion teaching Relapse Prevention through action, will help the client become motivated, show them that a different life is possible, and help them understand consistent application of new coping skills is vital to have continuous abstinence from their drink/drunk /behavior of choice.
- There are individuals that seek out Sober Companions who come from many different walks of life. Some of these individuals lack highly in self-care, which frustrates them and frustrates those around them. The Sober Companion will teach self-care to the client such as healthy eating habits, exercise, keeping their living space clean, getting up at a certain time, learning to use certain appliances that client is unfamiliar with, and keeping a day planner to keep track of accomplishing daily goals and tasks. When the client is diligently practicing this new way of living, it is a significant self-esteem booster and they start to see their self-worth in a way they never had previously. Having that extra push and teacher side by side with them will give them the encouragement to continue taking opposite action and getting these tasks done.
Having a Sober Companion shows commitment, dedication, and surrender to a new journey. Being humble enough to have a guide assist you or loved one on this new path shows courage and strength. These individuals in the recovery field are dedicated to helping assist in saving the lives of hopeless individuals. Having another person along side who is compassionate with the client’s process is priceless.
