When you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, there are many avenues to explore in terms of getting (and staying) sober. An addiction life coach is one of those options and can be an extremely effective tool in addiction recovery. This article will discuss addiction life coaches, including what they do, how they can help, how their services are specifically tailored to addiction recovery, and what you can expect from working with one.
What is an Addiction Life Coach?
An addiction life coach is a professional who helps people in addiction recovery to achieve their goals and maintain sobriety. They work with clients on addiction-related issues, including triggers, cravings, relapse prevention, and more.
Addiction life coaches are different from therapists or counselors in that they focus specifically on addiction recovery and growth rather than on the past or mental health issues unrelated to addiction. This allows them to provide highly targeted support that can be very helpful in achieving and maintaining sobriety.
Addiction life coaches are not therapists or counselors but often have a background in psychology or social work. Addiction life coaches are also not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication.
An addiction life coach can help you understand your addiction, set goals for recovery, and create a plan to achieve those goals. An addiction life coach will also provide support and encouragement as you work to overcome addiction. In addition, an addiction life coach can hold you accountable for your actions and help you to stay on track in your recovery.
Let’s talk more about these benefits next.
How Can an Addiction Life Coach Help?
An addiction life coach can help you in several ways, all of which are geared toward helping you achieve and maintain sobriety. As mentioned above, an addiction life coach will help with understanding your addiction, setting goals for recovery, and coming up with a plan to reach those goals.
In addition, an addiction life coach will:
- Understand your addiction
One of the most essential things an addiction life coach can do is help you to understand your addiction. This includes understanding the root causes of your addiction and the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors associated with it. Once you understand your addiction, you’ll be better equipped to deal with it effectively.
- Help set goals for recovery
An addiction life coach will help you to set realistic and achievable goals for recovery. This includes both short-term and long-term goals. Having these goals in place will give you something to work towards, and your addiction life coach will help you to create a plan to achieve them.
- Create a plan for sobriety
In order to achieve your recovery goals, you’ll need a plan. Your addiction life coach can help you create this plan, which will likely include attending counseling or therapy, participating in support groups, making lifestyle changes, and more.
- Provide support and encouragement
An addiction life coach understands what you’re going through and can provide the support and encouragement you need to stay on track in your recovery. This includes helping you to deal with difficult emotions, overcoming obstacles, and staying motivated.
- Hold you accountable
One of the most important things an addiction life coach can do is hold you accountable for your actions. This accountability can be extremely helpful in preventing relapse and maintaining sobriety. Your addiction life coach will check in with you on a regular basis to see how you’re doing and to make sure you’re staying on track.
- Identify your triggers
An addiction life coach can also help you to identify your triggers. A trigger causes you to crave drugs or alcohol or to engage in addictive behaviors. Once you’re aware of your triggers, you can work on avoiding them or dealing with them in a healthy way.
- Help prevent relapse
Relapse is common in addiction recovery, but it doesn’t have to be. An addiction life coach can help you to prevent relapse by teaching you about the warning signs, developing a relapse prevention plan, and more.
What Can You Expect From Working With an Addiction Life Coach?
If you decide to work with an addiction life coach, you can expect a few things, including regular meetings, homework assignments, and accountability.
Regular meetings
When you work with an addiction life coach, you can expect to meet with them regularly. Depending on your needs, this could be weekly, biweekly, or monthly. These meetings will give you a chance to check in with your addiction life coach and update them on your progress.
Homework assignments
In between meetings, your addiction life coach may give you homework assignments. These could be things like reading articles or books about addiction recovery, attending support groups, journaling, or meditating. These homework assignments help you continue working on your recovery even when you’re not meeting with your addiction life coach.
Accountability
We mentioned accountability already, but it’s worth mentioning again. Even the most well-intentioned family and friends may struggle to hold you accountable. A third party, such as an addiction life coach, has tools and strategies for doing this more effectively.
An Addiction Life Coach Should Be…
In addition, you can expect addiction life coaching to be:
- Flexible: Addiction life coaching is flexible in that it can be adapted to meet your changing needs as you progress in your recovery.
- Compassionate: Your addiction life coach will have compassion for your situation and will understand what you’re going through.
- Supportive: An addiction life coach will provide support and encouragement as you work towards your recovery goals.
- Professional: Addiction life coaching is a professional relationship in which you will receive confidential help for your addiction.
Other Addiction Recovery Support Routes
Along with addiction life coaching, many other addiction recovery support routes are available. Often, they can be used to complement your life coaching support.
Sober services
- Sober companions: A sober companion is a hands-on addiction recovery support professional. They will provide support and guidance 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Sober coaching: With a dedicated sober coach from Elysian Sober Services, you’ll have one-on-one coaching to help you in addiction recovery and life. Sober coaches help individuals through the lowest spots of early recovery and check in with them at least once a day. They do not live with recovering individuals, but they do offer several services very similar to sober companionship. Our sober coaches act as more of a mentor to the client, helping guide them in decisions and integrating them into the recovery community.
- Sober buddies: A sober buddy can also be a helpful addiction recovery support system. Sober buddies are people who have been through addiction and recovery themselves and can offer support, advice, and friendship to those in early recovery.
Other options
- Group support: There are many different types of addiction recovery groups available, such as 12-step programs, SMART Recovery, and more. These groups can provide support and camaraderie as you work towards sobriety.
- Therapy: Often, addiction life coaching is used alongside therapy. This could be individual therapy, group therapy, or family therapy.
- Supportive friends and family: Friends and family members can provide support and understanding as you recover from addiction.
- Online resources: There are many online resources available for addiction recovery, including articles, forums, and websites.
- 12-step programs: There are many 12-step programs available, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. These programs provide support and fellowship for people in addiction recovery.
- Individual therapy: Individual therapy can be beneficial in addiction recovery. This is because it provides a space for you to talk about your addiction and work through any underlying issues.
- Inpatient treatment: Inpatient treatment is another option for addiction recovery. This type of treatment usually lasts 30 days or more and provides around-the-clock care for addiction recovery.
- Outpatient treatment: Outpatient treatment is another option for addiction recovery. This treatment usually lasts less than 30 days and allows you to live at home while attending addiction recovery programming.
Conclusion: Addiction Recovery Support Routes
As you can see, there are many addiction recovery support routes available. These include addiction life coaching, sober companions, group support, therapy, and more. For many people, the best approach is a combination of different addiction recovery support routes.
Inpatient treatment isn’t always practical or the best option for some people, but luckily, there are many other paths to follow. Addiction life coaching is just one example of the different types of addiction recovery support available. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, don’t hesitate to seek the help and support you need. So many people want to help you on your journey to sobriety. Addiction life coaching can be one of many great ways to get started on your road to recovery.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help. The Elysian Sober Services team comprises people who have been where you are, and we’re here to help you on your journey to sobriety. Contact us today to learn more about our sober services.
