When a person finishes their inpatient rehab, continuing the drug and alcohol rehabilitation in the outside world can often be intimidating and overwhelming. For those who are lucky enough to enlist the services of a sober companion, they will have assistance that can make a great difference in achieving a successful recovery.
The first months out of rehab are an extremely difficult period for a recovering addict. This is why many addicts have opted to stay in halfway houses, so that the transition to living a life of sobriety in the world outside of a rehab facility isn’t dotted with potential pitfalls. But for people who want to return to their regular life, a sober companion is another beneficial option.
What is a Sober Companion?
A sober companion is someone who provides personal, one-on-one companionship to recovering drug addicts and alcoholics. The companion makes himself available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. His goal is to make sure the recovering addict stays clean in the crucial transition out of a rehab center.
The companion plays a significantly intimate role in the patient’s life, making sure that the patient doesn’t put himself in any situation where he can have direct access to alcohol or drugs. Overall, the companion seeks to be a calming and positive presence in the patient’s life outside of the facility.
The Positive Influence of a Sober Companion
Besides ensuring the sobriety of the client, the sober companion also looks to enable and reinforce positive patterns and activities in the client’s life. These often are activities that the client didn’t engage in while he was struggling with addiction. Some of these activities could include acupuncture, prayer, or positive visualizations to keep the addict strong in his sobriety. Even if the client tried to do this on his own, having a companion on this difficult journey can make a significant difference in this fragile period of transition.
An Important Buffer from Dangerous Influences
One of the biggest dangers of relapsing for a client involves once again socializing with the people that he did drugs or drank alcohol with. Often these addictions stemmed from social activities and the influence of peers. A significant role the sober companion plays is acting as a strong buffer between his client and these dangerous influences. Oftentimes, without realizing it, the client can fall back in the same patterns and with the same people as before. It’s the sober companion’s duty to steer his client away from these dangers.
A Source of Comfort
The ultimate goal of the sober companion is to make his constant presence in his client’s life no longer necessary. By helping his client regain his foothold in his regular life, the sober companion provides guidance and structure to his client’s life. Generally, sober companions are around for thirty days, but can go on as long as the client believes he’s in danger of relapsing. Oftentimes, in the journey to recovery, the recovering addict needs to reach out to a non-judgmental and supportive influence, like his sober companion. When a client feels dangerously close to relapsing, by talking to his sober companion he can find a source of comfort. He can talk rationally about what triggers his need for drugs or alcohol, with someone who can provide insight and support. The comfort that the sober companion provides can be an invaluable tool for a recovering addict.
A Common Presence
Sober companions are becoming more of a common presence for those seeking structure and support when leaving a rehab facility. A sober companion provides spiritual guidance and protection from previous negative influences. Moreover, sober companions have often been addicts themselves, and provide a personal understanding about the demons of addiction. Individual support in recovery is crucially important, and sober companions are able to provide that invaluable service.
Learn more about the sober companions offered through Seasons In Malibu.