The Importance of a Recovery Coach in Addiction Treatment
Addiction to drugs and alcohol affect the lives of millions of Americans each year. Substance abuse is responsible for lost income, family breakups, health problems, and many forms of crime. The good news is that when an addict is finally forced to admit his or her problem, voluntarily or through intervention, there are a good number of drug rehab treatment options available — and many of them are covered by health insurance. The addict who wants to come clean and stay clean has a fighting chance of survival today, whereas in the past such people were often just labeled hopeless and filed away in prison or sanitariums.
For those who are ready to admit their problem and willing to fight it, the importance of a recovery coach cannot be overstated. In some states this is a licensed position; in others it’s a strictly voluntary position filled by good samaritans who have been there and done that, and are now willing to share their stories with recovering addicts.
For the most part, a recovery coach is not a medical doctor and rarely has any medical training. Most have worked at regular occupations, such as accounting, the law, in factories and in offices, as teachers, even as law enforcement personnel. Substance abuse can hit anyone, anywhere, at any time. The demographics don’t seem to matter — a prosperous lawyer is just as likely to suffer from an addictive personality as a janitor. While men still hold the lead in abusive chemical behavior, women are quickly catching up to them in this sorry field — what with ‘mommy juice’ and ‘girls night out.’
A recovery coach, like any other type of good coach, makes a personal and long-lasting connection with the recovering addict. They sit down together over coffee and donuts to review progress and report successes and failures. The recovery coach is there to tell his client that whatever the drug of choice and however messed up things have become, there is a way back — because he or she has personally been down that rocky road and is now coming back. Recovery coaches help people reconnect with family and friends. They teach basic life skills to those who have lost the ability to socialize while sober or have trouble finding employment after their last bender or jail sentence. They give rides. They make themselves available at all times for when a client faces a crisis that needs some outside help and perspective.
A good recovery coach does not lend money or pay off bills. They are not a nanny or any kind of enabler. When clients relapse into harmful behavior the recovery coach doesn’t give up on them, but neither does he or she promise to make everything alright. The recovery coach demands that the client make a list of goals, of steps to take to regain sobriety and independence, and then holds the client to those goals through thick and thin. They don’t judge, they just monitor. And the recovery coach is a resource guide, helping clients find job centers, rehab centers, and other agencies that can have a positive impact on an addict’s life.
People who deal with addiction should always be on the lookout for a good recovery coach. They come in all shapes and sizes — and when heeded, they become live savers.
