There are many important relationships throughout your life, but when you’re on the road to recovery your sponsor can serve as your confessor, your friend, your mentor and even in some ways as a parental figure. Your sponsor is primarily responsible for helping you work the Twelve Steps, and is often one of the most rewarding relationships that you will develop along your road to addiction recovery. Here are a few books we offer published by Hazeleden that can also be very helpful. http://www.my12stepstore.com/The-Soul-Of-Sponsorship-Alcoholics-Anonymous.html http://www.my12stepstore.com/Twelve-Step-Sponsorship-Alcoholics-Anonymous.html http://www.my12stepstore.com/Things-My-Sponsor-Taught-Me-Alcoholics-Anonymous.html
Role of Sponsor in Recovery
Your sponsor is someone who has walked the challenging path back to wholeness, and has spent significantly longer on this journey than their sponsee. The deep level of trust that is developed between sponsor and sponsee help as an addict reveals thoughts and feelings about their work in recovery. Sponsors listen without judging, and can offer their experience as someone who has successfully come through a recovery program. Often, the knowledge that things will get better — perhaps even easier — is what can keep a sponsee going through a difficult recovery.
Motivational Coach and Accountability Partner
Sponsors are not just there to listen, however. One of the most important roles of sponsor is as a motivational coach: someone who can encourage you during dark days as well as provide the light at the end of the tunnel by relating positive stories about life without drugs or alcohol. They’re someone who gives you something to strive for — preferably someone who is fully integrated into the recovery lifestyle and actively serving others, yet still has time to be available for you when you need them. http://www.my12stepstore.com/product2564.html Their job is not to make you feel better if you slip, it’s to hold you accountable and provide you with the guidance and support to be successful in your Twelve Step program. http://www.my12stepstore.com/product2443.html
Your Sponsor Isn’t Your Therapist
While sponsors play many positive roles during recovery, they should not substitute for time spent with a qualified therapist. They’re not someone who should hold undue power over their sponsee at any time — this is not a healthy relationship. Your sponsor should not be someone that you find unduly attractive or could consider as a partner, as the dynamic that needs your focus is your long-term health and happiness.
While everyone’s recovery journey is different, having a positive sponsor is often considered a critical component for lasting change. Finding just the right sponsor for your personality and style may take a few tries, but hang in there and keep looking until you find the right fit. Ultimately, your sponsor is someone who is able to share the tools of recovery with you that helped make them successful. Find a variety of recovery support options available on www.My12StepStore.com, such as books on a variety of addiction topics, clothing, medallions & chips and more