How Peer Coaching Can Help You Get Sober

Today there seems to be a lot of different self-care solutions floating around. Wake up at 4 a.m. and you'll be a successful CEO one day. Drink (insert gross looking drink here) every morning and lose 10 pounds. Have you tried upside-down breathe holding yoga in the dark? I heard it does wonders for your skin. All of these self-care solutions may help but you have to stay disciplined and do them regularly. You won't get the benefits of waking up early unless you do it every day, you won't lose weight unless you stick to the weird looking juice diet, and the yoga isn't going to help your skin unless... okay I'm not sure about that one. You get the point - self-care and a healthy lifestyle take time and discipline and our hectic lifestyles make that hard.

Don't even get me started about how difficult it is to stay sober. You want me to keep a work-life balance, take care of myself, exercise, get enough sleep, see friends and family, look presentable, have a healthy relationship, be social and charismatic AND STAY SOBER? Give me a break.

That's where certified peer coaches come in. Certified Peer Coaches, according to SAMHSA, are "a person who uses his or her lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or addiction, plus skills learned in formal training, to deliver services in behavioral health settings to promote mind-body recovery and resiliency." In other words, Peer Coaches have been around the block a couple of times and they have been trained to help you get sober and stay sober. Those CEO's started waking up at 4 a.m. because they had a coach who pushed them too. Athletes, Business professionals, doctors, teachers, lawyers... almost everyone has had a coach in their corner helping them be successful at one time or another. It just makes sense that you have one to help you stay sober and get sober.

Let me break it down for you

What does a Peer Coach Do?

Certified Peer Coaches can help you in supporting you by sharing their stories, helping you in recovery, setting goals, monitoring progress, and offering support along your recovery journey. They can help you with resources for jobs, housing, health care, education, and more!

Are they Trained?

Training varies from state to state. Usually, certified recovery coaches have over 500 hours of training and supervised coaching before they can be certified.

What makes a Peer Coach Different from a sponsor?

Peer Coaches aren't specific to any program. While some people may use just a peer coach or just a sponsor, they can be used together to form an even more solid foundation. Recovery Coaches receive special training and are state-certified to provide qualified peer support to people in recovery. Peer Recovery Coaches have gone through extensive training with hundreds of hours of supervised coaching. Coaches are people that have firsthand experience with addiction and have overcome the perils of substance abuse.

Who can be a peer coach?

Usually, a coach has multiple years of sobriety under their belt as well! Peer Coaches can come from all different walks of life.

How can they help me?

Peer Coaches can help you stay on track and be a personalized resource whenever you need them. It has been shown that peer coaches can improve relapse rates compared to other programs. Having a peer coach in your corner can help you get sober and stay sober.

How can I get a Peer Coach?

Sober Grid has partnered with Ascent Coaching to offer 24/7 Certified Peer Coaching. Download the Sober Grid App today!