Everyone’s recovery program will look different. Our experiences with addiction are totally unique to who we are, and so our experiences with recovery will be unique as well. One of the things that helps a great many of us, a common denominator in the recovery experience, is working with a sponsor.

Sponsors help us with the recovery process in several ways. They have personal, firsthand experience with recovery, so their wisdom and knowledge can be an invaluable resource for us to benefit from. Many sponsors have worked with people before, so they know the ropes of coaching people who are new to recovery. We stand to learn so much from others in recovery. Sponsors actively want to help other people recover, and they make themselves available to offer their support, guidance and encouragement. They can help talk us off the ledge, navigate our emotions and resist addictive urges and compulsions. They can help point us in the right direction for resources and additional support.

Struggling with our addictions can make us feel completely alone, disconnected from other people, and isolated. We often add to this by isolating ourselves in extreme ways, staying indoors for much longer than is healthy, distancing ourselves from loved ones, turning down the help they offer. Our sponsor can help us to break these patterns of isolation. Even a simple phone call or text can remind us we’re not alone. Our sponsors can help us to feel heard and understood. They can relate to our struggles and empathize in ways that our loved ones who aren’t addicts themselves often can’t.

When living with addiction, sometimes we worry that we are burdening other people, bringing them down or inconveniencing them. This fear can cause us to retreat inwardly and not reach out for help, especially if we think we will be shunned or misunderstood. Sponsors, on the other hand, are dedicated to our recovery. They have signed on to be there for us, so we never have to feel like reaching out to them is a burden or hindrance. They genuinely want us to connect with them and get the help we need. Our pain is met with compassion and patience. With our sponsors, we don’t have to let our fear of bringing other people down keep us from getting the support we need to get better. They have lived through addiction and recovery, and they are up for the challenge of being there for you along your own journey.

Sponsors can be a lifeline in our recovery process. They can mean the difference between isolating ourselves and never allowing ourselves to be supported, and having a successful recovery with all the tools and support we need.

Let us help with the next step in your recovery. Call 888-570-7154 for more information.