11 Awesome Benefits of an Online Recovery Coach

When you are dealing with substance abuse, it is hard enough to break the habit without the needed support. Nearly anyone who has gone through the treatment process for recovery will tell you that it can be very taxing even under the best of conditions. For that reason, more people find success in incorporating a Recovery Coach in the healing process to motivate, support, and give them a push when it becomes necessary. As they explain at Oasas.ny.gov,

“Similar to life and business coaching, Recovery Coaching (also known as peer mentoring) is a type of partnership where the person in or seeking recovery self directs his/her recovery while the coach provides expertise in supporting successful change.”

Because the coach focuses on honoring the values and principle-based decisions one needs to make, they can be invaluable in helping the user to develop their own plan of action and guide them in using their personal strengths in attaining future goals. They are in fact a partner in the entire healing process.

Benefits of Using an Online Coach

While every case of substance abuse treatment is different there is a recovery coach that can be of great benefit to everyone. In fact, a recent study revealed that online coaching provided even more advantages to the recovering addict that was originally expected.

The study analyzed whether adding an online aspect to the coaching program would improve participation and if it would help more people to get involved in the program. The results were very encouraging. According to their findings published in NCBI.nim.nih.gov,

“Our results indicate that online coaching from a peer specialist significantly increased engagement and retention in MyRecoveryPlan.com. Future research should examine the effect of adding peer coaching to other online programs on quality of life and daily functioning.”

There are many reasons for the many benefits of an online recovery coach session.

1. It can be done any time in your busy schedule so it fits better into your normal life patterns, especially with the advent of Online Recovery Coaches who you can confer with face-to-face in the comfort and privacy of your home.
2. Recovery Coaches Empower clients in order to move them from Recovery to Discovery.
3. Recovery Coaches Make themselves accessible via text, phone, and email during Critical times (i.e “Triggers”, Holidays) throughout recovery.
4. Take a Non-Biased approach to recovery and substance use disorder.
5. Recovery Coaches “bridge” the gap between the client and family for recovery resources.
6. Recovery Coaches help provide awareness of “Life Purpose” beyond recovery.
7. Recovery Coaches help reduce or eliminate relapse.
8. Recovery Coaches help build confidence with skills in areas of the clients’ life pertaining to career, family, health/wellness and relationships
9. It works well for those who may live out of commonly populated areas where coaches may be difficult to find.
10. It eliminates the need to come to an office for your treatment.
11. You get the same benefits of structured and direct programs, as an in-person coaching session would bring.

Recovery from substance abuse can be difficult no matter how you look at it. The treatment alone can be very taxing for a recovering addict so having the kind of support you need at your disposal can prove to be one of your best lines of defense against a relapse.

Once an addict has completed their initial treatment and is sober, they are only halfway through the battle. The recovery process is an extended period of treatment where they need to learn how to maintain their soberness. The coach is there to help with the early stages of reinserting yourself back into life. They can help with pointing out valuable coping strategies and strengthen an individual’s awareness of their own attempts at self-sabotage and prevent a relapse.

For those struggling with any type of substance abuse, getting sober can seem impossible. While no treatment is effective for everyone, statistics show that there is a much greater chance of success if you’re not doing it alone. No matter how hopeless your situation may seem, getting a recovery coach may be the best way to take that tough road to stay sober. As they point out in the Help Guide,

“ Whatever treatment approach you choose, having positive influences and a solid support system is essential. The more people you can turn to for encouragement, guidance, and a listening ear, the better your chances for recovery.”

Recovery Coaches teach you how to live again without the use of substances to keep you happy. They are there to build you up at your weakest point and they focus on your entire life as part of your healing process. Those who take advantage of online recovery coaches gain the benefit of sharing guidance from them and others who may be experiencing the same struggles. While they may not be in the same location they can still make a huge difference in the life of an addict.

3 Reasons Why Recovery Coaching Works

As we gain a better understanding of how these drugs work on our minds, body, and spirit, we begin to realize that breaking free from the hold these substances have involves more than just getting rid of the drugs. According to the Life Coach Hub, the problem is not just about the drug itself.

“A recovery coach supports your recovery from addiction. With coaching, you can create a new and better life for yourself. Addictions become so ingrained that you hard wire your brain to do the negative behavior. Coaching is an ideal way to empower yourself to make necessary changes.”

When it comes down to it, the drug is only the catalyst that opens the door to negative behavioral patterns. Because they offer strength-based guidance and tap into the here and now aspects of treatment, they are able to accomplish many areas that are not usually addressed in typical therapeutic sessions.

Minute to Minute

While therapy works at getting to the root of the addiction, Coaching helps you to cope with the minute-by-minute challenges that usually cause people to fail at sobriety. When you’re in a treatment facility, things may be a lot easier than life could be when you’re in real life situations. Recovery Coaches serve as a guide as you begin to relive your life again in the real world. They help you face risks that could put your sobriety in jeopardy.  As they explain at Transcend,

“Once you return home from a sober living program or a residential treatment center and you return to your home community, there may be risky situations that could jeopardize your recovery. Having a coach can shield you from these risky situations, facilitating healthy decisions, serving as a reminder of your sobriety, and supporting you in your long-term goals.”

Recovery Coaches are the ones that give you the tools needed to fight back when the world of harmful substances start to close in on you again.

It’s a Partnership

It is difficult enough to get sober after addiction and it is even more challenging to stay sober without help from others around you. With a Recovery Coach, no one needs to feel like they have to fight the battle completely on their own. They are there to supply the support for the decisions you will have to make in order to remain clean. They help you to focus on your values and guide you in making principle-based decisions that will help you to develop the necessary course of action to fight the powerful attraction of drugs. They even direct your thinking toward your more positive strengths and keep your mind trained on future goals.

They Focus on the Outside World

Their non-clinical approach focuses on the external environment that people must live with. They guide you in decisions on housing, employment, court cases, and even meetings probation officers if needed. These are situations where people who have already undergone detox and treatment centers tend to wane from the stress and fall into relapse. According to the Addiction Pro,

“Recovery Coaches focus on non-clinical issues such as housing, employment, proceeding through drug court, and dealing with probation officers… Recovery coaches also can help engage people who are waiting to get into treatment.”

Once you realize that getting sober involves much more than just ridding yourself of the drug in your system then you come to realize just how important a role the Recovery Coach plays. While the therapist helps with finding out what caused the addiction the coach is helping out with how to avoid other traps that could lure you back into the practice. This requires a change in lifestyle and being able to identify and make different decisions as you work your way back into your environment again.

Article courtesy of recoverycoachingalliance.org

https://recoverycoachingalliance.org/11-awesome-benefits-of-an-online-recovery-coach/