Rehab can be a life changing experience that teaches you how to handle the first few months of sobriety with the help of committed staff members. However, transitioning out of the rehab facility to living sober in your own home can be a major struggle with plenty of ups and downs. When people leave rehab they no longer have the 24 hour a day support that was always available to them while in treatment.
Fortunately there are many options to help people adjust to sober life on their own. Many people continue attending twelve-step meetings or participate in aftercare programs that offer counseling and support. One of the services available to people after rehab that has become increasingly popular is assistance from a sober coach.
The reason people turn to sober coaches is because they need as much as support as possible in their struggle to remain sober after rehab. They can be very helpful in early stages of recovery when someone feels that they can’t trust themselves not to relapse when they are alone or in certain difficult situations. Having someone there for you at all times can be a great help in preventing relapse when times get tough.
What is a Sober Coach?
For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, a sober coach is someone who is a specially trained recovery professional who works with clients one-on-one. While in the past a sober coach was usually reserved for celebrities who needed to stay on track while working after rehab, they are now affordable for almost anyone. People in almost every part of the country now use the services of a sober coach in their transition out of treatment.
Sober coaches are not in any way a type of primary treatment for addiction. In order to use the services of a sober coach you will have to either already have completed rehab or be enrolled in an outpatient treatment program. Sober coaches aren’t like therapists who treat the addiction itself, they are more like mentors who provide emotional support for someone working on their recovery efforts.
Essentially, a sober coach is complementary to other types of treatment that are the foundation of recovery. People who don’t have enough support from family, friends or spouses at home might need the help of a sober coach just to keep them on track. They can still attend counseling and group therapy and then have the sober coach available to them when they are home alone or left to their own devices.
The sober coach’s services will vary depending on what the client’s specific needs are. Some people may have a sober coach live at their home to provide them with 24 hour support and friendship at all times. Others may only need their sober companion for certain times such as attending a social gathering or will want them to be on call for any moment where they feel tempted to use again.
What a Sober Coach Does?
Some people might imagine that a sober coach is a luxury for the wealthy elite or Hollywood celebrities that are trying to quit an addiction. The reality is that many sober coaches can be an affordable and effective option for anyone that is in need of assistance in their recovery. Sober coaches provide a necessary service for people that are worried about the possibility of relapse.
Someone might choose to hire a sober coach if they feel that they don’t have a close friend or family member that can give them all the help and support that they need. Some people in recovery have a limited social support system or simply want to avoid being a burden on the people in their life. A sober coach can act as a friend that you can always call when you need to talk or need motivation and guidance.
Sober are often employed for the first few weeks after leaving a treatment center and returning home but they can be used at any point in the recovery process. A sober coach essentially provides assistance through answering phone calls, attending social events with you, checking in through daily meetings and providing counseling on-call. The sober coach will set up face-to-face meetings with you to boost your confidence and see how you are doing on a regular basis.
The Benefits of a Sober Coach:
There are many reasons why a sober coach might be a good option for someone who is struggling with recovery. Some people need a person who has special training and can provide them with expert advice when they don’t know what to do. Others simply need a friend and companion who supports their sobriety and provides compassion and understanding.
Not all sober coaches have the same skills so it is a good idea to do some research beforehand to find one that will offer the kind of care that you are seeking. Some coaches are also trained in psychotherapy, social work or addiction counseling. Others have had their own struggles with addiction and recovery so they are able to provide first hand experience and knowledge that can be very helpful to clients.
When you choose a sober coach that is right for you they will provide you with constant support and companionship. Anyone who is particularly worried about relapse will find that a sober coach gives them extra strength so that they can handle triggers and allow cravings to pass. If you have a limited support network at home then a sober coach can be a lifesaving tool that will prevent from having to go back to rehab a second time.
Everyone experiences recovery differently and there is no shame in needing extra support so that you don’t have to make the journey alone. A sober coach can be especially helpful for people with a history of mental illness, past instances of relapse or those who are recovering from very severe lifelong addictions. Whatever the circumstances, having a companion there with you at all times makes recovery that much easier.
Learning to Cope with Triggers through a Sober Coach:
One of the most useful things that a sober coach can provide is assistance in dealing with triggers as they come up. Triggers can happen at any time and people in recovery will need someone to talk to so that they can get through them without relapsing. The sober coach can give you ideas and tools on how to cope with triggers so that you will become more adept at handling them in the future.
Triggers can occur in many different situations and through many mental states that naturally come up during the day. People can be triggered by things like boredom, fatigue, loneliness, physical discomfort, running into an old drinking buddy or dealer, being near an old bar or hangout and many other situations. Any time a trigger occurs you will need to have some type of response that works best for you so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the temptation to use again.
Sober coaches have had many years of experience working with addiction issues and understand what tactics work best when triggers come up. They can help you come up with strategies to deal with triggers based on what personally seems to work best for you. Each individual will react differently and have their own unique needs in order to stay sober and a sober coach can work to tailor their program to you.
The important thing to understand about a sober coach is that they will not necessarily be by your side all the time but are there to give you motivation and support. It is up to you to take their advice and do the work to stay sober. Being focused on sobriety means paying constant attention to triggers and employing strategies to minimize them whenever necessary.
Even though a sober coach is not with you 24 hours a day, they can give you what you need through one-on-one meetings and counseling in order to feel more confident in being sober. Having a sober coach can make the most difficult moments of living sober a little easier and more manageable as part of the overall recovery process.
Is a Sober Coach with Me 24/7?
People in recovery often need extra support to keep them from feeling tempted to relapse back into their habits of addiction. There are many options to keep you focused on sobriety goals during or after completing rehab including meetings, aftercare programs and sober homes. One of the most personal and effective choices for some people is hiring a sober coach to provide advice, knowledge and one on one assistance whenever you need it.
A sober coach is not necessarily someone to watch over every move you make or spend every minute with you. They are simply a resource that you can check in with every day and use whenever you really need someone to be there for you. The sober coach does not act as a babysitter but more like an on-call counselor and friend that offers support for those in need.
Utilizing the help of a sober coach can be part of a greater plan to stay sober after finishing rehab. There are many pieces that need to be in place in order for a recovering addict to adjust to their new sober lifestyle. A sober coach can be available in the most difficult moments until you feel more stable and confident in your sobriety.
If you are experiencing a difficult transition from rehab to living sober then contact a sober coach to help you stay on track.
