Recovery is a rewarding yet challenging time in your life. It is the start of your new sober lifestyle. The right support system will greatly increase your chances of succeeding and maintaining your sobriety. This support system can include a sponsor. You can find a sponsor online, through meetings, and with the help of your recovery program.
Spero Recovery works to find the best match for you regarding a member of your support team. We help you figure out what you need in a sponsor, understand the relationship, and find the right one.
What Is a Sponsor?
A sponsor is someone that is in recovery and acts as a mentor to help you work through the steps of your recovery. They are an unbiased and confidential party that you can reach out to when you feel like you are slipping or tempted to use. You will often be asked to reach out to obtain a sponsor if your recovery program is based on a 12-Step program.
Benefits
Sponsors have been seen to impact your success in achieving and maintaining your sobriety greatly. Some benefits of using a sponsor include:
- Having someone that has struggled with substance use disorder to confide in. This can make it easier for you to open up, feel heard and understood, and come to terms with parts of your past.
- They can make having an available support system easier. You need to feel like you have people on your side at all times to help prevent you from relapsing.
- You can lean on them when you feel like you are at risk of relapsing and know they are an unbiased, confidential, and empathetic person.
- A sponsor is there for you to ask questions and guide you while you work The Twelve Steps.
- Learning from their experiences can help you realize you aren’t alone and help resolve internal conflicts you may be battling.
- Their lessons and advice can help you rebuild yourself, your life, and the relationships you lost.
- You both attend meetings together, which can make it easier for you to go in and hold yourself accountable.
- They can help keep you motivated in your sobriety.
- A sponsor online may make it more convenient for you to reach out to them and get the support you need.
How to Choose the Right Sponsor Online
There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a sponsor. These include:
- Making sure that they have similar priorities regarding recovery as you. Having someone with similar values can ensure you are getting the right guidance to achieve your goals.
- Understanding that finding the right match takes time. You want to make sure your sponsor is someone you can talk to and that is truly going to help you through your recovery.
- Setting boundaries and making sure your sponsor is willing to stick to them. Also, make sure you are willing and able to follow the boundaries your sponsor sets.
Boundaries With Your Sponsor Online
Healthy boundaries can help you maintain a working and proper relationship with your sponsor. They can also help you both feel more comfortable entering the relationship. Some boundaries to think about include the following:
Communication
Setting times of day and ways of talking that each of you is comfortable with. Some people aren’t comfortable talking on the phone, so they may prefer text and email. They may also want to set limits on the amount of daily, weekly, and monthly contact.
Undisturbed Time
When the both of you are together, there shouldn’t be anything that can distract you from the time you are spending with one another. This time is meant for your recovery and to talk about any concerns you may have pertaining to it. Your sponsor is taking the time to meet with you, and you should be focused on working through The Twelve Steps when you are with them.
They Are Not a Therapist
Your sponsor is there to support you and provide guidance, but they are not a mental health professional. They can share their experiences and advice but should not force their methods or views on you. If you feel like you need professional assistance, you need to reach out today.
Confidentiality
Anything you and your sponsor discuss is meant to stay between the two of you. Just like when you are in meetings, anything said stays there. Even if you have a sponsor online, the information shared is for your eyes and ears only.
How Can I Find a Sponsor Online?
Spero Recovery
If you are looking for an affordable yet effective recovery program, then Spero Recovery is the right facility for you. They use grants and donations to keep their costs below the national average. This makes them the perfect match for underinsured and uninsured people that want to get the help they need.
They offer inpatient recovery programs for men and women. These programs include peer-led experiential sessions, meaning alumni of the program come back to run activities such as hiking, woodworking, cooking classes, and meditation.
If there are services you need but are not offered onsite, they will work to get them. For example, there are no therapists in the facility. This means they will help find you a trusted mental health professional.
Another service is how they can help you find a sponsor. This can be through online efforts or their alumni.
A sponsor can be an important addition to your recovery community. They help provide unbiased support you may not be able to get anywhere else. A sponsor understands what you are going through because they have been through a similar experience. They can help you understand your behavior, be a shoulder to lean on when you feel weak to your addiction and help motivate and hold you accountable for your sobriety. They also can be a point of support that is more accessible than your other community members. If you feel like you are struggling to find a sponsor for your recovery journey, reach out to Spero Recovery at (303) 351-7888 for more information today.
