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Sponsors play a vital role in recovery. The insight that a sponsor can have into any given part of the recovery process can be invaluable to those who may just be beginning their recovery journey, and the sense of support and community that can develop as a result of their efforts can help establish a healthy mindset for all involved for their own prolonged sobriety and health. Knowing the role that sponsors play in recovery can help those who are just beginning their own journeys reach out to effective peers, as well as understand the benefits of becoming a sponsor themselves as they progress on their own path. Having an effective sponsor can help someone reclaim their identity from a recovery standpoint, as well as influence their personal and professional growth.
What is a Sponsor?
Sponsors in recovery are individuals who have educated themselves and have lived through various parts of the recovery process themselves. They have not just practiced various therapeutic techniques, but they have also internalized the methodology behind their use and can help inform others not just which practices have helped them, but also why any particular skill was so effective in their personal lives. Sponsors can become invaluable teammates in recovery, providing a sense of relatability to those just beginning their own recovery journey while also serving as a symbol of potential and success. Sponsors can help inform others of common practices and expectations in a community, as well as practical applications for one’s own life. While sponsors are not therapists themselves, they play an important role in creating an effective community.
Sponsors may also be able to provide professional support. It is possible that someone can find another person in a recovery community with a similar career path, or at the very least, be able to provide key information on how to crack back into the workforce. Sponsors are those in recovery who are reengaging with their own identities and personal lives while simultaneously balancing their own recovery, and internalizing the essence of community that is demanded by much of the recovery process.
Finding the Right Sponsor
Asking for a sponsor may be a difficult thing to do, as it involves someone directly confronting their vulnerabilities and asking for help with their own intimate issues. However, finding the right sponsor in recovery can make all the difference. Optimally, sponsors will be able to help someone understand the methods behind many of the therapeutic processes in recovery while also helping those just beginning their own journeys set realistic, attainable goals that can be appropriately measured based on their success.
Sponsors are also in tune with the various struggles that someone will face in recovery, primarily because sponsors have faced these issues themselves at similar stages in recovery. However, finding the right sponsor doesn’t mean that they will make everything feel comfortable through the process. The best sponsors are the ones who are both willing to listen to one’s unique opinions and have them challenge their own thought process by providing new and alternative ways of looking at difficult situations and encouraging and supporting other people to exhibit their own agency in the situation. The best sponsors don’t answer questions directly. Rather, they help empower someone to find the answers themselves, and aren’t bound to agree with someone all the time.
Becoming a Sponsor
Becoming a sponsor to another in recovery can be incredibly profound. While not everyone will be able to provide the needed time in order to become a sponsor, or may not find the personal compatibility with someone just beginning their own journeys, those that are willing and able can make huge differences and embody the sense of fellowship that is instilled in effective recovery communities. However, it does have benefits for the sponsor as well. By constantly challenging others, sponsors are constantly viewing new situations, adjusting their own practices, and refining their own tools in order to address any number of stressors at their own stage in recovery. Sponsors are constantly having to think about their next step, and are constantly developing their own social skills and life skills needed for their own success.
Sponsors are foundations of change for many, as well as hope that change is not just possible, but constantly happening. Sponsors play an integral role in the recovery community, and help bridge connections between those beginning their recovery, alumni who have graduated and are passing on their knowledge, and those that are in the middle of it, and are essential in weaving together an effective community for themselves, as well as for those following in their footsteps.
Sponsors and mentorships are just one of the myriad of ways in which START UP RECOVERY works with each person on an individual basis. Residents at START UP RECOVERY are encouraged to express their individuality in a supportive community, each working to address their vulnerabilities with addiction and mental health while accentuating each person’s strengths. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction to drugs, alcohol, shopping, or any other addictions and the mental turmoil that comes with it, START UP RECOVERY can help you take the first step towards your own healthy future today. Providing a luxurious atmosphere for each person to explore their own vulnerabilities, and a strong sense of community and fellowship, Start Up RECOVERY seeks not to just provide quality care, but to turn recovery into a truly transformative experience. For more information on how START UP RECOVERY can help you, or to speak to a trained professional about how we can personalize a program that fits your needs and goals, call us today at (310) 773-3809.