Becoming a Sponsor
Three well-known and successful treatment recovery programs center on the twelve-step model of addiction recovery and abstinence. These programs are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA). Each program provides group recovery meetings for discussion and encouragement.
Although the entire service group of each twelve-step program is considered a sponsorship in itself for people who desire addiction recovery, single sponsors commonly help new addicts. The step recovery model is supported by the group but is encouraged more closely by an individual sponsor, who has lived through and sustained the recovery experience.
No strict guidelines exist to define or restrict the position of a sponsor; instead, the post has developed naturally as a result of treatment program fellowships. Empathy from a fellow recovered addict can help another in recovery. Thus, anyone sober who has completed the twelve steps and who continues to participate in the fellowship can be a sponsor.
The AA, NA, and CA programs all suggest that anyone considering a sponsorship role be addiction free for a minimum of one year to provide the best counsel; however, a baseline time limit is not enforced, and the person’s strength of character during sobriety is often more relevant than the length of sobriety itself.
A sponsor’s level of patience and willingness also are key factors in appropriate selection. In addition, AA suggests that sponsors ideally be the same gender as the new addict, to encourage focus on the recovery process and not on a potential personal relationship. In addition, a single sponsor is considered sufficient for ultimate bonding, focus, and discussion about the addiction recovery process. Selecting a sponsor early in the program, but doing so with care and consideration, is highly recommended for the best chance at recovery.
Becoming a sponsor is as simple as connecting with a new member in a mentorship; a new member simply asks an existing recovered addict to sponsor his or her twelve-step recovery, often after forming a bond with the sponsor at an early meeting. By participating in group meetings, a new addict can identify with a recovered addict he or she desires to emulate or with whom he or she has shared experiences of abuse and recovery. An addict-sponsor relationship relies upon compatibility and the assurance of sobriety in the sponsor. The sponsor should continue to live according to the twelve steps and traditions of the program.
Roles and Responsibilities
Upon voluntarily sponsoring a recovering addict, a sponsor’s role varies. Sponsors provide informal, individualized support; at minimum, the sponsor attends meetings with the recovering addict and assists the addict through the twelve-step path. In addition, sponsors encourage the new lifestyle promoted by recovery programs—one that is moral and often faith-based.
A sponsor should be available to the recovering addict between meetings to answer questions about the recovery process and to provide deeper and more personal discussions of relevant issues than are possible during group settings. Sponsors provide individual care and attention, and they ultimately guide an addict to recovery and abstinence by developing a close, confidential relationship built on mutual trust and respect.
Although a sponsor can encourage a recovering addict by sharing his or her past experiences, the sponsor cannot be available at all times, cannot provide medical advice, and is not expected to provide financial or other social support and guidance. The burden is on the recovering addict to maintain open communication with his or her sponsor, to progress along his or her own twelve-step path, and to be responsible for his or her own personal recovery. Sponsors introduce the new addict to other members, provide opportunities for sober interactions, and offer literature to support the addict.
Sponsors also experience benefits from their roles and responsibilities. The twelfth step of recovery typically involves helping another addict by introducing him or her into a recovery program. Sponsorship itself is not a step, but it is a continuous relationship that supports lasting twelfth-step work.
Being a sponsor is an important responsibility that can strengthen personal sobriety, provide a continued role for the recovering addict in the program, and provide an active mentorship connection without temptation of abuse. Sponsor roles are privileged and must be well-balanced among the members of a service group; a one-on-one relationship serves both the addict and the sponsor by providing opportunities to a variety of group members.
Bibliography
Alcoholics Anonymous. “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship.” AA.org. Alcoholics Anonymous, 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2012.
Cloud, Richard N., et al. “Posttreatment 12-Step Program Affiliation and Dropout: Theoretical Model and Qualitative Exploration.” Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions 7.4 (2007): 49–74. PDF file.
Hamilton, B. Twelve Step Sponsorship: How It Works. Center City: Hazelden, 1996. Print.
Moos, R., and C. Timko. “Outcome Research on Twelve-Step and Other Self-Help Programs.” Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment. Eds. M. Galanter and H. O. Kleber. 4th ed. Washington: Amer. Psychiatric, 2008. Print.
Narcotics Anonymous. For Those in Treatment. N.p.: NA, 1991. PDF file.
Websites of Interest
Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.aa.org
Cocaine Anonymous
http://www.ca.org/literature/choosesponsor.htm
HelpGuide.org
http://www.helpguide.org
Narcotics Anonymous
http://www.na.org
No comments:
Post a Comment