- David Marion
How A Recovery Coach Helps You Break Free From Addiction
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In this article, you’ll find answers to common questions like…
What is a recovery coach?
What does a recovery coach do?
How can a recovery coach help me?
If you or your loved one is battling addiction, you may think that ending substance use will be the end of your struggles.
The truth is, ending substance use is simply the first step.
This is because your drug and alcohol use, or process addiction like gambling, was actually the symptom of a greater, underlying issue.
On a deeper level, you might have been using drugs and alcohol or engaging in other behaviors to numb your emotions, to escape your emotions, or to try to make yourself feel better in some way.
When you stop using, you have to learn a new way of living without the crutch of substances.
You have to learn a new way of navigating your thoughts, feelings, relationships, and the challenges you face.
That’s where a recovery coach comes in.
What is a recovery coach?
A recovery coach, also known as a sober coach, is someone who offers guidance, support, mentorship, and healing for anyone struggling with any kind of addiction.
A recovery coach is a professionally trained accountability partner who helps you understand your initial reasons for engaging in substance use or destructive behaviors, and guides you towards recreating the life of your dreams without the use of drugs or alcohol. They can work with you in any stage of recovery, whether you’re still using or you’re farther along in your recovery journey.
Recovery coaching isn't just about helping you end your substance use or process addiction. A recovery coach also works alongside you to really understand what drove your addiction on a deeper level. Recovery coaches help you facilitate a new way of living, based on your unique needs, strengths, and experiences. Recovery coaches work to help you improve all areas of your life, since it’s likely that all areas of your life have been impacted by the ripple effects of addiction.
A recovery coach doesn’t tell you what to do, but instead works with you from a collaborative space to make sure you experience success – whatever that looks like for you. Recovery is an ongoing process, and finding a path to recovery that feels authentic and sustainable to you will allow you to experience long-lasting sobriety. A recovery coach is there to help you find new ways of living that work for you.
In some cases, a recovery coach has been there firsthand. They’ve been consumed by the throes of addiction themselves and have learned how to heal from the inside out through experience. When they help their clients, they can do so from a place of wisdom, compassion, and non-judgment. They help you normalize your experience, so you don’t feel isolated or abnormal in what you’re going through.
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What does a recovery coach do?
Now you might have a better idea of what a recovery coach is, but you may be wondering… exactly what does a recovery coach do?
First, a recovery coach will meet with you to gain a better understanding of your history and your beliefs. Then, they’ll work with you to set goals and guide you through the steps towards achieving those goals. They'll be able to help you assess what's working and what isn’t. They’ll be able to highlight the internal blocks you're coming up against and guide you in how to move through them.
A recovery coach truly immerses themself in your life to help you as much, or as little, as you need. All recovery coaches operate from different modalities and belief systems. Some will meet with you virtually, while some will spend time with you in person. Some do weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, while others may talk to you multiple times a week. Some recovery coaches are much more immersive, and they’re available around the clock to offer you guidance and support.
Recovery coaches differ from therapists in that they can come to visit you in your home to have one-on-one sessions. They can go with you to meetings, and can even help you find additional treatment opportunities. Recovery coaches can also meet with your family members to help them minimize codependent behaviors, ensure they’re limiting enabling behaviors, and help them get a deeper understanding of the nature of addiction.
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5 ways a recovery coach can help you break free from addiction
Now you know more about what a recovery coach is and what a recovery coach does, but what are the benefits of working with a recovery coach?
Studies show that recovery coaches play a valuable role in helping people navigate treatment programs, shift their behaviors, and dig into their own motivations for change.
There are so many ways a recovery coach can impact your life for the better as you navigate the complex journey of recovery.
Below are 5 of the top ways a recovery coach can help you break free from addiction:
1. Accountability - A recovery coach offers you accountability as you move through recovery. Having someone beside you to help you stay on track makes a huge difference, especially in early recovery when the goal is sobriety.
2. Support - A recovery coach will always be there to offer you support. If you’re feeling judged by others or yourself, a recovery coach can help you foster an innate sense of acceptance. A recovery coach’s priority is to help you feel supported, understood, and safe as you learn how to navigate through life without the use of substances or destructive behaviors.
3. Guidance - If you’re having trouble navigating tough decisions, a recovery coach can offer you guidance. Whether you’re deciding what path to take in your career or what to do next in your relationship, a recovery coach can help guide you through life’s crossroads.
4. Experience - A recovery coach may have struggled with an addiction themselves. Because of this, they’re able to bring in a really special, nuanced understanding of how addiction works. They can truly empathize with everything you’re feeling and going through, because they've gone through it themselves.
5. Recovery Tools - A recovery coach has the training and experience to offer you a recovery toolbox. In recovery, you learn how to face challenging emotions and have to learn new ways of coping with stressors. Recovery is all about learning new ways of living. A recovery coach offers you the skills and tools you need to navigate this journey.
Additional benefits of recovery coaching
A recovery coach can also help you…
Develop self-esteem and confidence
Access additional support and resources
Discover your innate sense of self-worth
Set and achieve goals that are meaningful to you
Establish your independence
Achieve and maintain ongoing sobriety
Learn how to face your emotions instead of pushing them away
Repair relationships with loved ones
Foster new, healthy relationships with peers
Tackle life’s challenges head-on
Increase your resilience to stressors
Learn about the parts of yourself that are holding you back
Understand and work through your limiting beliefs
Recreate the life you dream of – without the use of substances.
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Overcoming addiction with a recovery coach
There are many treatment options for tackling addiction, encompassing everything from inpatient treatment to 12-Step meetings. A recovery coach can be an incredible addition to your treatment program, offering an added layer of support and direction.
A recovery coach is your guide, teacher, ally, and accountability partner. The wisdom, tools, and self-discovery you’ll gain by working with a recovery coach will be invaluable assets you can carry with you for the rest of your life.
- David
Resources
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Hi, I’m David Marion. I’m a Nationally Certified Recovery Coach, Nationally Certified Intervention Professional, Addiction Recovery Speaker, Author of Addiction Rescue: The No- BS Guide to Recovery, Sober Companion, & Sober Escort.
If you or your loved one is interested in recovery coaching, book a free call with me today. It’s time to finally break free from addiction and create the life you deserve.
Worried your loved one is in the midst of an addiction crisis? Unsure of what to do next? Download my free Addiction Crisis Guide. This in-depth guide covers everything you need to know including the stages of addiction, the emotional, behavioral, and physical signs of addiction, signs of addiction for different substances, and more.
