What do a bad neighborhood and learning to beat addiction share in common? They’re dark, lonely, scary places to visit alone. If you’re planning to enter either one anytime soon, you’ll need some back-up assistance.
Why would anyone require help doing something as simple as quitting alcohol or drugs? Well, because it’s far harder to do than most people realize. It’s not stopping that’s difficult – it’s staying stopped. According to studies, approximately 80% of people leaving treatment return to drinking or using within a year. The main reason recovering addicts relapse is because they have no aftercare plan in place when leaving the safety of a rehab program. Many people avoid 12-step programs and support groups, for one reason or another, and try to remain sober on their own. But few realize just how tricky and persistent addiction can be, and even fewer remain clean and sober for more than several months.
As any veteran A.A. member can tell you, help is there if someone wants it. Although Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other support groups have helped many people to remain sober, they are not for everyone. In fact, many new-recovering alcoholics or addicts that do attend AA often disappear after one or two meetings and are never seen again. Reasons for this vary, although most I’ve spoken with have said they simply felt uncomfortable and out of place while attending meetings with a group of strangers.
Thanks to the latest advances in technology, however, finding aftercare help has never been easier. Many Internet recovery-related websites and social networks now offer resources and information to help people recover from addiction. Private, one-on-one sessions can be scheduled at a time that suits the client, whether on the road or from the comfort and privacy of one’s own home. All that’s needed is a computer and an internet connection. Addiction Recovery Coaching is a great way to connect. Clients and Recovery Coaches communicate via telephone, Internet-enabled cell phones, e-mail, and/or text messaging. Recovery Coaching is also a great option for people who feel uncomfortable attending A.A. meetings and offers an affordable alternative for those without health insurance or unable to afford conventional in-patient rehab treatment. Additionally, hiring an addiction recovery coach is a fantastic aftercare service for people who have completed in-patient treatment (or soon will), as that is the time when relapse is mostly likely to occur. In fact, some traditional rehab clinics now encourage Recovery Coaching as an aftercare option for people leaving treatment.
An Addiction Recovery Coach doesn’t judge the addict/alcoholic as a person, nor their past. Trained Recovery Coaches help people in any stage of addiction, whether or not they have received treatment in the past, or are considering learning ways to overcome addiction for the first time. We focus only on helping the addict move forward in a positive direction, based on the addict’s interests, talents, skills and strengths.
Addiction recovery doesn’t have to be like going into a bad neighborhood alone. We can walk you through it, side-by-side, every step of the way. If you or someone you know might be interested in learning more about Recovery Coaching, please visit www.breakingfreeaddictionrecovery.com
