Family, friends, and professional supports are great resources to have in your corner when you’re working toward recovery. None of these can replace the expertise of a peer who has been there themselves, though. At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, in Portsmouth, Virginia, we value the lived experience of people who are willing to share the lessons they have learned from recovery with our clients.
Examples of Peer Support
Broadly, peer support just means getting help from people who have been in the same situation. In the recovery community, this could include:
- Members of a mutual support group like AA, NA, or SMART Recovery. The people you meet in recovery meetings may have the unique ability to identify red flags you cannot see in yourself, and they may share tips for avoiding relapse.
- A sponsor. In 12-Step programs, like those listed above, this is typically someone who has been in recovery long enough to have wisdom to share with someone who is newer to sobriety. They help their sponsee work through the steps and identify work they should be doing to keep their recovery solid. Sponsors and sponsees usually meet face-to-face and may also talk on the phone or text. Finding a sponsor is often a recommended part of the recovery process.
- Other clients receive services alongside you. The people you meet in therapy groups or your treatment program may have information to share and may become part of helping you stay honest and accountable while you are in treatment together. You might also continue to interact through alumni groups or events after you complete treatment.
- A certified peer recovery specialist. This person may also be called a peer recovery coach. They are someone who is typically paid and has completed specialized training to teach them how to use their own recovery journey to help other people who have battled addiction. They may work for a homeless shelter, a medical office, a behavioral health program, a health insurance company, a drop-in center, or other places where people in recovery receive services. They often bridge the gap between professional supports and peers who have not had any training, with a more in-depth knowledge of recovery services and community resources. They often have significant ability to advocate on behalf of the people they are assigned to help, due to working for a provider agency. They sometimes visit people in the hospital or in jail, to try to support them in making a smoother transition back to their home and community when they are discharged. They can also become a source of hope, so that not only can people recover, but they can also use their story to help others.
Why You Need Peer Support
When you were in active addiction, you may have lost a lot of relationships that were important to you. People who knew you before you started using may no longer be in your life once you get sober. Once you enter recovery, the “friendships” you had with other people, that were centered around your substance use, may disappear too. If you don’t rebuild a sober support system, you’re at risk for isolation and loneliness, which can place you at increased risk for relapse. You don’t have to support yourself solely with peers who have an addiction history, but building a relationship with at least a few people who have lived experience navigating addiction successfully is a really good idea.
Other Types of Sober Supports
You might be surprised, how many people choose to maintain a sober lifestyle, even if they have never faced addiction. Beyond peers with recovery experience, you can enhance your life by building relationships with other sober supports, such as:
- Neighbors
- People with shared interests and hobbies
- Members of your faith community
- People you meet at the gym
- Co-workers and fellow volunteers
- Old relationships you are able to rebuild once you enter recovery
It is often said in the recovery community that the only way you can keep it is to give it away. At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, we believe in the power of giving back, as a tool to strengthen recovery, and sober peers helping each other is a great example of someone giving back to the recovery community, what they first received from it.