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For sobriety to be long term, you have to honestly want it for yourself. Sobriety is not something that can be forced upon you by someone else in your life. The maintenance necessary to remain sober takes a lot of time and a countless amount of effort. After you make the conscious decision to recover, everything else will follow. Sobriety is like the fit body that people want. The first thing you do when you want to become fit is to go to the gym or attempt to eat right on your own. Afterward, people may get a trainer or nutritionist. That’s where a mentor comes in. Ultimately, you have to do the heavy lifting, but your mentor provides encouragement and guidance through your recovery journey.
The Job of a Mentor
Although mentors usually are a part of a sober mentoring program, their job is more than that; they possess a passion for helping others. They even sometimes have a similar story to the people that they are helping.
Sober mentoring is more than just some sponsorship program. You can build a strong relationship with someone who has a goal in mind for you. A mentor can help you transition from a recovery community back into real life. Recovery can be challenging at times, and a sober mentor is there to help you. In general, life can be challenging but adding on the struggle of sobriety may need assistance. When you leave treatment, you may have difficulty adjusting between staying sober, managing triggers, coping, and dealy with new struggles such as financial situations, family, and more. With the help of a sober mentor, you can get the help you need to stay on track.
When you have a sober mentor, they work to show you all the possibilities a sober life can bring. A sober mentor can help with your daily routine, find treatment options, and emotional support. Mentors can also help bridge the gap with professional, family, and friends through crisis management.
The Relationship With a Mentor
Your relationship with your mentor is one of the most important ones you can have during your recovery journey. Although this is a job for them and they have to be professional, it works better if they are warm and friendly. The process of finding the right mentor is similar to dating or finding the right friend. Compatibility is key. Make sure that you and your mentor have good chemistry. Find someone that makes you comfortable with being yourself.
Before you find the right mentor, make sure that you are ready to start holding yourself accountable. Your mentor is there to help you, not recover for you. Mentoring will not work if you are not consistently doing your part. Choose someone you feel is best for your road to recovery. If you approach the searching process considering the type of mentor you want in your life, you are on the right track.
The relationship you have with a sober mentor can be very personal, so you can’t just pick anyone. Figure out the schedule or routine you want to be on with your mentor and decide an objective. Create a plan with your mentor so they can know precisely what you need to reach your goals.
Long Term Goals
The relationship with your mentor can be both professional and personal. However, this relationship is ultimately meant to be short-term. Like many other relationships, the timeline can be different for everyone. This means that some may only need a few weeks, and others may need months. In the long run, a mentor will focus on the present and then help you build for the future.
A relationship with your mentor may not last long, but they can also bring your loved ones into the picture and equip them with the skills to help you with your journey. It’s essential to have someone beyond your mentor who can help, preferably the people you already speak with frequently. You do not have to walk the path of healing alone. Having a support system is essential. When you experience complicated feelings, thoughts, or scenarios, it is crucial to have support outside of your sober mentor.
The right sober mentor can help a person overcome the most challenging parts of recovery. Eventually, you will have to prepare to take a more independent route on your road to recovery. However, recovery should not be accomplished alone, but no professional help is meant to last forever.
A sober mentor will play a key role on your road to recovery. However, the decision to recover is ultimately yours alone, and you must do the work to heal. Recovery is an ongoing process that will require a lot of help on the way, but none of the support is guaranteed to be permanent. A sober mentor is meant to help guide you and create a plan to put you on the route to success. Finding the right mentor you are compatible with makes it easy to plan and create a routine that works best. Before you go through the efforts of reaching out to a mentor, make sure that you are ready to be held accountable and prepared to move forward into a better life. While a mentor is there to help you, they cannot do the required work for healing; that is up to you. If you are a loved one is struggling with substance use and needs professional help, contact START UP RECOVERY at 310-773-3809.