What is a Live-in Sober Coach and Can it Help People in Recovery?
A new way to hold people accountable in recovery has emerged that challenges the idea of how to maintain sobriety every day. Professionals who have a higher income are seeking sober companions who live in their homes as a coach and support their journey in recovery. When all else fails, it may be a support to have someone live with a person who does not have a family or is struggling to stay sober after treatment. There may be some unique challenges to this situation. Find out why people hire live-in sober coaches and whether it really helps in recovery.
Addiction and Recovery
The long hours and stress of working professional jobs can take a toll on a person’s life and health. Eventually, the dependency will overtake their ability to perform at work and they will need to seek help if they want to keep their jobs. Prescription pills, alcohol, and other drugs are part of the culture for some people who cannot function at their high level jobs without medicating the stress and anxiety that comes from high-powered jobs. One solution for people in this position is to seek treatment, then follow up with a live-in coach who helps keep them sober every day.
Cost of Companionship
It is not cheap to hire someone to live in a house with a person with addiction. Their recovery ultimately depends on the ability of the coach to support their recovery at a cost of almost $2,000 a day in some cases. Coaches do lots of things, including:
- Travel to and from work with them
- Attend meetings at the office
- Become part of the family dynamic
- Attend parties or events that may be triggering
The plethora of choices available to someone with a lot of money and power in their positions can create a safe space for them to feel like recovery is working in their favor, according to their specific needs at any time of day. The challenge becomes how to maintain sobriety on their own when the coach is not around. Results for live-in coaches vary, but there is no real evidence from research to suggest this way works over any other way. The prevention of relapse in recovery is solely dependent on the person with addiction’s ability to maintain sober living on their own terms, whether or not a companion comes along for the ride. They cannot keep the bottle of pills or drink from a person’s hand who is going to use it. What they can do is provide encouragement and support for the journey.
A Human Journey
Being in recovery from addiction is a strictly human experience and journey. People who seek treatment and are willing to do the work will put in the time, regardless of who is there with them. Support is essential, but live-in coaches can become a crutch for those who are not putting in the work themselves and relying mostly on the coach. A good coach trained in recovery processes may be of great support for some people and it may not work for others. The journey of recovery is a human one, no matter how much money a person earns. Treatment is going to be more universal than people think, with detox and withdrawal hitting a high-level executive in similar ways to another person. They might be more comfortable or have more money for expensive treatments others do not have but they are still human and frail. They are not immune to the health risks and complications of addiction over time. If a sober coach can provide support, that is a great way to bridge the gap between addiction and recovery. If it is not of great support, there are always accountability partners and companions who are willing to be a person’s friend solely because they understand the addiction journey and have been there themselves. These may end up being lifelong friends who stick with a person through thick and thin for the long haul. That is what makes the recovery journey worthwhile.
The Palmetto Center is based on a Therapeutic Community model. We help people learn how to live free of addiction. We believe in setting you up for success in recovery in whatever way works best for your individual needs. It starts with getting treatment and finding hope for healing in recovery. Our program provides special focus for professionals including chiropractors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and more who need help with addiction recovery. Call us to find out more: 866-848-3001.