Why is the Addiction Treatment Success Rate Higher with a Sober Companion?
10/16/2020 by Chris Cobb
I’ve been here, I’ve been there, I’ve been everywhere, man. Every time I fell off, all the king’s judges and all the king’s jails couldn’t put me together again. Neither could the drug and alcohol treatment centers, the anger management teacher who taught me how to hold my hand above my head and breath when I get mad (pretty sure the class caused me even more anger), or the crooked sober living directors who preached to me the things they were doing that I shouldn’t do. I was a 12 stepper against my own will. Even though I learned how to get to the underlying issues that seemingly caused me to destroy my life with drugs and alcohol in the first place, it was one of the most unnecessarily depressing and difficult times of my entire life. Sobriety alongside with misery made me sometimes wonder what the point of being sober even is. I was working my ass of and was still broke, I was keeping my side of the street clean but still being accused of doing the opposite. I’ve managed to roll up on almost 3 years sober so far, despite my self-proclaimed hardship that most people will probably think is just complaining (maybe it is, I’m still far from a cure). If I would have had someone to help me out when I really couldn’t deal with even my sponsor, maybe it wouldn’t have been such a bad experience for me. Even though I’ve pulled through to the point where I am away from all the ruckus and still sober, I’ve seen far too many people get kicked out of a so-called “recovery” program for not paying rent, fraternizing, staying out past curfew and so on, and the first thing they wind up doing is blaming someone else and running out to get high, drunk, in jail, or dead. So, what if there was something or someone better fitted for these transitional situations? A Sober Companion perhaps? I believe whole-heartedly that with a Sober Companion, Addiction Treatment such as inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, even when mental health and drug addiction coincide in a client / patient, would have a much higher success rate. Why do I feel this way? Well let’s get to it. Here are 3 reasons I just rambled to this point, but you’re still reading, so might as well finish.
- There for you no matter what:
Unlike that sponsor that dropped you because you went against their wishes and found a girlfriend or boyfriend in less than the year they “suggested”, or the sober living house owner who kicked you to the curb for eating someone else’s hamburger helper, your Sober Companion still has your back. He / she will still work with you, walk you through with their professional training and personal experience, and get you where you need to go if you don’t have a way. You have someone to talk to instead of going back out alone again.
- You don’t have to start over with everything again:
Most people including me, at one time or another, leave or get kicked out of sober living, or feel judged in an AA or NA meeting. And all they hear when they try to say something about it is “it’s your fault for taking it personally”, as if you’re supposed to be a robot with no emotions or reflexes. So now what? You feel like you have no one, even the programs put in place to help folks like you and myself have metaphorically chased you out with torches. Well I’ll tell you. Relapse. Jail. Hospitals. Institutions. Loss, death, you name it. With a Sober Companion, that one person who’s got your back no matter what, so much turmoil could be easily avoided. You’ve got someone to help you through this tough situation when it gets as tough as it can get. Someone to lift you up and motivate you, to teach you your self-worth. So you don’t have to go back to drinking and drugs. You don’t have to go back to jail, you don’t have to lose it all again.
- Proper Planning:
Say all the above happens and you feel cornered, lost. This is where having a Sober Companion can save your life, by having many tools at your disposal, despite the tools and resources that have been taken away from you over ridiculous circumstances. Get with your Sober Companion and make a plan. Even if it’s taking baby steps, like going to a meeting, and moving forward from there. Your Sober Companion has been where you are, found what worked for them, and made it through. Now you have someone to pull you up right when you feel at your lowest. Make a plan, find a new way. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. You’ve got a Sober Companion by your side to help you through it all.
If you are in need of a stress free, non-judgmental experience on your road to recovery, I highly recommend a Sober Companion. If you’d like to learn how to become a Sober Companion and help others overcome struggles similar to your own in past addictions, contact Dr. Cali Estes (The Addictions Coach) and The Addictions Academy at 800.706.0318 ext. 2, or visit their website – https://theaddictionsacademy.com