Residential treatment centers and outpatient treatment centers provide thousands of individuals with a fresh start in their recovery. However, clients may benefit from a step-down program that helps them transition back to daily life, or a sober companion to help them through this transition.
Upon discharge, many clients rely on continuous structure for the first several months so that they can:
- Develop a healthy routine
- Find coping skills that work for them
- Adjust to a new way of life
- Develop life skills
- Start a new career or educational pursuit
- Make new friends
In effect, when people have newly completed a program or when they are going through a challenging time, they need people to support the application of skills and tools that were learned during recovery. This can be provided by a sober companion.
Why Hire a Sober Companion
So why hire a sober companion? A sober companion can help keep you focused by providing ongoing support, especially if you don’t have a sponsor or need to rely on some form of support beyond what a sponsor can provide.
A sober companion can work with you for however long you need, whether that’s a few weeks during a temporary challenge, several months, or longer. Sober companions provide emotional support, accountability, perspective, guidance, even advice, helping you to avoid a relapse as you transition.
A big part of a sober companion’s job is to help you create or maintain your healthy routines, focus on finding the things you need most in life like a doctor or a therapist, as well as friends and supportive social networks. They also help you attend your meetings and focus on propelling your life forward with career educational development, among other things.
Participation
One of the main reasons that you might benefit from hiring a sober companion is that they can help participate in whatever is recommended as part of your transitional plan.
If, for example, you were recently discharged from a residential or outpatient program, your sober companions can help you do things like:
- Meet new people
- Get your prescriptions filled
- Participate in 12-step programs
- Conduct your journaling
- Meditate
- Attend virtual therapy
A sober companion can be someone who visits with you virtually, visits with you daily in your home, or lives with you, depending on your needs.
For those who, for example, were not recently discharged but are still struggling with their sobriety and in need of some form of supportive aftercare, having a sober companion who lives in your home may not be required. However, having a virtual sober companion can still be someone who helps you stay committed to your available recovery services and walks you through familiarizing yourself with your current lifestyle based on your needs and your goals.
Support
In addition to the most preliminary forms of support, why hire a sober companion? A sober companion can provide individualized support in a way that helps you with things like housekeeping tasks or removing any triggers of your previous life. You can even take advantage of a sober companion who helps you do simple tasks like:
- Call a dentist or physician to schedule an appointment
- Get the courage to reach out to a new therapist
- Get emotional support before a court hearing
A sober companion can offer day-to-day support but can also be a companion during difficult phases. If an individual is struggling with a death in the family, a wedding to which they were not invited, a business struggle, or anything else, a sober companion can help reduce the pressure or tension that’s often associated with relapse during these more challenging time frames.
Get Help with Aligned Living
At Aligned Living, we provide virtual aftercare program options. Our goal is to provide services like life skills coaching that can connect you to long-term support no matter where you are in your recovery journey.
Aftercare is often one of the hardest resources to come by for those who have completed inpatient or outpatient treatment. It doesn’t matter where you are; we can help you go from chaos to clarity by connecting with an online sober coach who can encourage you to develop the appropriate life skills to move forward, live a life of purpose, and find joy and peace in your daily decisions.
When you reach out to Aligned Living, we can explain why to hire a sober companion, or whether life skills training and coaching is appropriate for you. We can also review costs, virtual connectivity options, and more.
A sober companion can be an essential resource, someone who lives with you and helps guide your decisions in a supportive fashion when you find yourself in an unsteady situation or circumstance. Whether you have just finished drug rehab or you are dealing with a difficult time in your life, consider hiring a sober companion for additional support.
Contact Aligned Living today to discuss how our continuing care can help you.