The Necessity Of A Sober Coach
In recovery, we might think we don’t need a sober coach. After all, we’ve fought our own battle. We’ve striven hard and put in work. We attended therapy. Then, we followed out treatment provider’s prompts and directions. Why do we need one more authority figure in our lives?
However, research seems to indicate many benefits from having a sobriety coach. We must admit that we never finish recovery. Recovery does not have a finish line. We didn’t complete treatment just so we could become sober.
We measure success by continued, deliberate, long-term recovery. So, we musn’t ask, “why do I need a sober coach?” Instead, we ought to contemplate the benefits of having one.
In this article, you will learn:
- What is a sober coach?
- Why should I seek out a sober coach?
- How can a sobriety coach help me?
- What if I want to become a sober coach?
- How can I get more information about a sobriety coach?
What Is A Sober Coach?
First and foremost, a sober coach acts like a regular person. Sober coaches don’t wear lab coats or prescribe medication. They don’t conduct therapy sessions or see clients. They have no medical or clinical training.
A sober coach has had personal struggles with substance use disorder (SUD). They may also have endured various mental illnesses. Often, people suffer from substance use disorder in addition to a mental illness. Research refers to this as “comorbidity.”
At some point, a sober coach recognizes an addiction. They become mindful of it. Next, they seek help. They look for, and participate in, recovery treatment. As they progress, they move to less restrictive forms of treatment.
Once treatment concludes, a sober coach lives in recovery. They implement their treatment principles into their daily lives. Therefore, they transform themselves and their lives. Sober coaches catalyze lasting change in their own lives. With that done, they can pass their wisdom to others.
Why Should I Seek Out A Sober Coach?
Each person at a treatment center fills a critical role. Treatment centers need business managers. They need logistically minded leaders to oversee client accounts. Likewise, they need highly educated and compassionate therapists and counselors.
A sobriety coach has firsthand experience of addiction. They had no need to study it, read about it, or research it. Quite the contrary, a sobriety coach lived through it. They felt the cravings and languished through the withdrawals. When a person possesses this kind of intimate knowledge, we know they speak the truth. When they say they know how you feel, you can bet they mean it!
How Can A Sobriety Coach Help Me?
A sober coach has trod the road of addiction. Then, they made a change toward recovery. For this reason, you can trust them. They know what it feels like to succeed in recovery. But they only know this because they failed first.
Those who have used sober coaches have offered positive personal feedback. Clients with sober coaches report less anxiety and depression during their recovery. Researcher also correlate sober coaches with lower rates of drug consumption. Furthermore, sober coaches contribute to clients cutting down on behaviors that can lead to HIV.
Support from sober coaches can help prevent relapse. Our environments can make or break our efforts at prolonged recovery. So having a sober coach after leaving treatment keeps us grounded in a healthy environment. Such an environment discourages relapse.
What If I Want To Become A Sober Coach?
Sober coaching brings its own set of demands. Like any leadership role, it comes with pressures and obligations. To become a sober coach, best practices indicate that you practice sobriety for at least one year. Professional certifications exist for sober coaches. Before you begin looking for positions, make sure that you enroll in a quality training program.
How Can I Get More Information About A Sobriety Coach?
In this blog, we learned how to define the role of a sober coach. We looked at why clients have a need for sober coaches. We examined how a sober coach might help you. We also provided basic information on becoming a sober coach.
If you’d like more information on Long Island Rehabs’ sober coaching program, get in touch with us now! Give us a call or drop us an email via the contact form.