Finding an AA Sponsor

After completing addiction treatment, individuals in recovery are perhaps most focused on staying sober. The Early stages of recovery can be a challenge. When individuals return to their everyday life after addiction treatment, they may find triggers all around them. This is why i’s important to have a relapse prevention plan. For many, relapse prevention starts with finding a sponsor. In many 12 steps and non-12 step programs, a sponsor is an individual who is also in recovery but has been managing their addiction longer than the sponsee. They provide support and guidance as a sort of mentor.

The best support group option may be Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for someone recovering from alcohol abuse. This group has been helping addicts fight the good fight for the last 80+ years with great success. At Beaches Recovery, our addiction treatment programs can help those struggling with alcohol addiction not only heal but develop a relapse prevention plan. Our group therapy programs and aftercare programs can help individuals build up their community of support and find an AA sponsor.

Understanding How Alcoholics Anonymous Works

Alcoholics Anonymous is a 12-Step Recovery group. The group operates under a set of principles called the 12-Steps of Recovery. The actual 12-steps create a foundation for lasting abstinence. At Beaches Recovery, we sometimes refer to ourselves as a 12 step rehab center in Florida.

The 12-steps represent a staircase towards recovery, which members climb with help from an AA sponsor. The 12-steps require a member to do four things:

• Admit they have a problem
• Take responsibility for their transgressions
• Identify and make amends to people they have hurt when possible
• Submit to a higher power and continue heading in the right direction

These steps have nothing to do with becoming an AA member. They serve as standard suggestions for what a reasonable recovering addict must do to ensure their abstinence is maintainable. Most new AA members enter the program expecting to listen and learn. When the time comes to start working the steps, finding an AA sponsor can start the process in earnest.

The Role of an AA Sponsor

For most people, learning to live in recovery is a challenging process. The pressure to stay abstinent is enormous. Once they decide to turn to AA, they will find great comfort by finding a mentor. In AA, members refer to a mentor as an AA sponsor. The role of an AA sponsor is to provide leadership and guidance for a member with less program experience. Helping others work the 12-steps is perhaps the most important role a sponsor provides.

Finding an AA sponsor is just like looking for a mentor. You want to find a well-respected member with program experience, one who has been through the 12-steps at least once. It’s also helpful to find someone who is personally compatible and trustworthy.

Discover More About Beaches Recovery

Beaches Recovery stands as an elite addiction rehab center. We offer a full menu of treatment options, which we provide on a patient-by-patient basis. Our addiction treatment programs include:

• Drug and alcohol detox through our affiliate facility, Tides Edge Detox
• Residential or inpatient treatment
• Partial hospitalization program
• Intensive outpatient program
• Outpatient treatment
• Aftercare

When an individual struggling with alcohol addiction enters into any of our programs, they will immediately have the option to participate in numerous therapies. Among these therapies will be

• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy

Beaches Recovery can point you in the right direction if you are looking for access to an AA group. With help from that organization and an AA sponsor, you’ll have a better chance of maintaining abstinence and sobriety. For more information, you should immediately contact one of our addiction counselors at our Jacksonville, Florida center at 866.605.0532, or contact us online.