What Stage of Recovery Do Recovery Companions Help People With?
Recovery is a time for healing and rediscovering who you can be without substances. The process can be demanding and should be unique to who you are and what you are going through. A personalized experience will ensure your needs are met and provides you with the best opportunity to thrive in recovery.
The experts at Next Level Recovery use trained recovery companions to help individualize your experience to your needs. Your recovery companion also provides a helping hand and additional support. These companions are matched to you based on your recovery experiences and who will best be able to aid in your recovery.
Stages of Recovery
Though everyone's recovery experience is different, there are five stages of change that everyone goes through. The process of working through each stage will be different for you than it may be for anyone else. Below are the five stages of change and how recovery companions can be of assistance in each.
Pre-Contemplation
This is the stage where you still don't realize that your addiction is a problem. You will likely deny responsibility for the consequences of your actions during this time. As a result, you may blame other factors such as family, work, or difficult home life for your substance use.
Interventions and offers of help from others during this stage are often met with hostility and retraction on your part. This also means the use of a recovery companion may not be effective and may even push you further into denial as a way of combatting their claims that you need help.
Contemplation
The contemplation stage is when you realize you have a problem and want to find a solution. This can be a daunting task and it can take months or years to figure out how to proceed. During this time, you may still be using, but the substances don't have the same effect as before. This can be true even if you use more because you want to stop using but can't on your own.
To work your way out of this stage, you need to want to get clean more than you want to use. This can take a while to do and may involve a rollercoaster of emotions. The build-up of these emotions can be the push you need to seek treatment. At this stage, a recovery companion could help you realize and envision the possibilities of a life without substance use. They can also support you in taking the necessary steps to achieve that vision.
Preparation
During the preparation stage, you research treatment facilities and programs to see which would best fit your needs. Then, you can start making plans to enter recovery.
The recovery associates at Next Level Recovery can help you make these plans and guide you through each step of the process. We will match you up with a recovery companion to support you. Your recovery companion is there to answer questions, prepare you to begin treatment, and help you determine the best options for treatment along with your treatment team.
Action
This is when the hard work and determination to stop your substance use really comes in. You are starting treatment, which usually begins with detoxification. Detox is the process of removing toxic substances from the body. This is safest when done in a treatment facility. This way, you have constant observation by medical professionals, and medication can be used to help combat withdrawal symptoms.
After detox, you will start therapy to find the underlying reason for substance use, work on effective coping mechanisms, and create a support system for treatment as well as the time after.
Next Level's recovery companions can support and motivate you through detox and keep you focused on your goals when recovery gets hard. They can go with you to treatment, follow you to therapy and support groups, and hold you accountable to maintain your sobriety. A recovery companion can be a great help all throughout recovery, but especially in the early stages of treatment.
Maintenance
This is the stage where you have completed treatment and are sent home or to a sober living house. This means you are now out in the world surrounded by possible triggers, and it is up to you to fight to stay sober. You are responsible for attending support groups and therapy and for knowing when you may be getting close to the edge of relapse and need additional help.
A recovery companion can help with the transition from your treatment facility to the outside world. They can help in a multitude of ways, such as:
Finding the proper living situation that will keep you healthy, safe, and on the track to sobriety
Determining triggers and coping mechanisms when presented with a trigger
Accompanying you to high-risk situations, such as social events or on vacation
Helping you plan a health routine
Keeping you accountable for your actions and the consequences that follow
Recovery can be a long and difficult process, especially if you are doing it without enough support. Coming to terms with the fact that you have a problem and need help to fix it can stir up negative feelings and push you to keep using. If you feel ready to seek treatment and work toward a healthier you, do not wait and seek help today. There are people who want to help you discover a better version of yourself. When you choose Next Level Recovery Associates as your treatment facility, you will have the support of your treatment team and personal recovery companion to make sure your needs are met. We at Next Level Recovery want to help provide you with a personalized experience to ensure you get everything you need to level up in your recovery journey. For more information, email us today at consult@nextlevelra.com.