You’ve finally decided to toss in the towel. You’ve surrendered, handed your self-will keys over to the universe, and realize there could be another way in this thing called life. You’re ready to start the journey of sobriety and recovery, but where do you even begin? You are desperate for answers and even more so you realize you needed more support now than ever. Your mind starts to race frantically and you become overwhelmed. “I’ve pushed everyone away. Who do I call? What do I do? I can’t live without drinking and using. I am so far gone that nobody can help me.” Instantly you remember that a drink or a drug will quiet the opponent who taunts you (the mind). You take the drink/drug and the drink/drug takes you. It takes you for all that you stand for and all that you are. You wonder how you got here again. You surrendered, but you see that the addiction vortex has a hold on you. At a certain point, you have to give up your best ideas because they have ultimately continued to bring you to this spot. Place one hand in the unknown and one into a human beings hand who has been in your shoes, and who has accepted recovery into their lives. These people and resources are available and there is always hope.
Most people don’t realize the services out there in the recovery world that are offered. People who battle with addiction/alcoholism have come from many different walks of life and not all will require the same type of treatment or services. Some will need that “cushion”, that extra push to help keep them accountable and away from their toxic relationship with their drink/drug of choice through this transition. One of the ways people are making it to and from treatment safely is with the assistance of a sober companion who can help support the client. The client may have a strong urge to return once again back into their comfortable, broken lifestyle, want to reach out for their drug of choice, or come up with excuses as to why they may have overreacted.
Now nobody wants to drive, fly, or be on a train with anyone they don’t know? It is scary, almost seems dangerous to some, and this is such a raw time of your life (or a family or friends life) that you don’t want to talk to anyone at all. There are significant benefits to utilizing a sober companion to help be by your side at your weakest moments- whether it’s traveling to treatment or whether it’s transitioning out of treatment. Most people want proof or to be armed with facts before making a decision especially when it comes to major life changes and decisions.
If you are struggling or a loved one is battling addiction, and needs extra support to or from a facility or home, these are the benefits/facts to having this sober companion be side by side with you/your loved one:
- Companies who are passionate, ethically strong, and understand the various levels of alcoholism/addiction will require that their employees are in some type of recovery themselves for an extended period of time (anywhere from a year and over). Having had time to practice their own recovery tools, they are able to pass these along to the client they travel with in hopes they are able to motivate this person into continuing their journey to or from treatment. It has been brought to the attention of the recovery community that individuals seeking help are willing to open up to someone who has had similar life challenges and can discover a sense of hope through this individual. This can be a great reason why a sober companion may benefit someone going to or leaving treatment- to instill that hope again and recharge this individual with new life opportunities and willingness.
- It can be IMPOSSIBLE for someone who is fully dependent on drugs or alcohol to not indulge especially when there is no accountability or anyone watching. You or your loved one has lost all trust in themselves and cannot make rational decisions. Having a sober companion accompany you can act as another brain. When you are unable to connect to a rational thought, they are. With this person by your side, you will have dodged the fatal bullet of insanity, and continue on the path of abstinence and recovery.
- The client who would be utilizing these services would undergo a comprehensive assessment to gain a better understanding of his/her needs and to pair the client with a sober companion that would be their best possible match. This is to help create comfort for the client as well as to establish a positive connection so that the client can have a safe place during that time to open up or share what is going on with them internally.
Utilizing a sober companion ensures a safe passage journey to and from facilities or home for the recovering client and can be a source of accountability to begin rebuilding their trust with themselves and others. There is so much help and so much hope. Each person deserves a chance at life again. Their best possible chance is to do it side by side with a like-minded individual. That is when identification is born and hope comes to life.
