Mentoring individuals in early recovery can be rewarding for those further ahead in the recovery process. To be a mentor means a great deal and can help you maintain your sobriety. Alumni often participate in mentorship programs to help those where they once were, guiding them through the recovery process and inspiring hope. Even individuals with excellent support systems can benefit from mentorship. Friends and family are great, but peers are the only ones who truly understand what people in early recovery are going through.
Any alumni from NorthStar Transitions can be a mentor to those in early recovery. However, you may not know if you are ready to be a mentor to someone. We can kind you toward that self-discovery and connect you with people who can use your peer support today.
As you well remember, having a strong support system is invaluable when getting through early recovery. Addiction is chronic, and you must have friends and family surrounding you when the weight of maintaining recovery becomes too much. Despite the need for friend and family support, unless they live with a substance use disorder (SUD), they may not know what it is like. That is why peer support is vital, especially during early recovery.
Peer support workers serve a role within their recovery circles, especially when they have years of experience to accompany their support. Some things they may do, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), include:
Now these kinds of peer workers serve in an official capacity, but you can fulfill similar roles as a mentor for someone in early recovery.
Being a mentor can mean many different things. You can function as an official peer support worker or become a sponsor to someone in early recovery. Individuals can also mentor others by becoming their accountability partners.
In any of these instances, being a mentor means utilizing your experiences, skills, and knowledge to help someone get through early recovery. That may include teaching them coping skills, helping them with relapse prevention, and getting them involved with organizations and sober activities. What many do not realize, though, is that this mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship. As you help someone through early recovery, you find new motivation to stay sober.
Relapse is always a risk at any stage of recovery. That means after years of being sober, you may experience situations threatening your sobriety. Connecting with others who do not struggle with addiction can be challenging. Connection is essential to recovery. You can have that connection as an accountability partner, sponsor, or mentor.
Helping others is also a great distraction. Loneliness or boredom can trigger a relapse. You will be more comfortable the longer in recovery, but you never know what may come around the corner. As a mentor, you will find a new motivation to maintain sobriety for yourself and your mentee.
Despite these benefits, becoming a mentor is not something you can just run into. Unfortunately, determining when you are ready to be a mentor can be challenging.
Becoming an accountability partner, sponsor, or recovery mentor is noble. However, as mentioned, knowing when you are ready can be challenging. Here are some signs that may indicate that you are prepared to be a mentor to someone in early recovery:
Along with determining whether or not you are ready for mentorship, you must also find opportunities for it. Thankfully, the NorthStar Transitions alumni program can help.
The alumni program at NorthStar Transitions allows clients to stay involved with our recovery community post-treatment. That includes keeping clients connected to peers, reducing feelings of isolation, and sharing experiences with others. Through this program, you will have multiple opportunities to share your recovery story, inspire others to persevere throughout early recovery, and learn to stay accountable for your sobriety.
Being a mentor to people recently sober is noble, but determining when you are ready to be a mentor can be challenging. Peer support is vital at any stage of recovery. As a mentor, you will have the chance to share your experiences, teach people new to recovery healthy coping techniques, and stay accountable for your own sobriety. The alumni program at NorthStar Transitions can offer you multiple chances for mentorship. The program connects peers together, reduces feelings of isolation, and allows you to share your recovery story with others, especially individuals new to sobriety. To learn more about becoming a mentor and how mentorship can benefit you, call NorthStar at (303) 558-6400 today.
