The Role of Peer Support in Addiction Recovery

Clinical services are essential components of addiction treatment. However, during (and especially after) a person’s time in rehab, they may also benefit from peer support.

What is Peer Support?

Peer support is a broad term that can refer to various forms of non-clinical assistance for individuals who are in recovery. 

Peer support providers are typically in recovery themselves. This personal experience with the devastation of addiction and the challenges of recovery gives peer support professionals unique insights into the obstacles that their clients may encounter as they work to maintain their sobriety.

How Does Peer Support Help With Addiction Recovery?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), multiple studies have identified the following benefits of peer support in addiction recovery:

• Increased engagement with treatment
• Improved satisfaction with treatment
• Reduced substance abuse
• Fewer relapses
• Lower likelihood of being re-hospitalized
• Decreased involvement with the criminal justice system
• Decreased use of emergency services
• Better access to social support services

In addition to these benefits, a review of prior research that was published in the journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation found that peer support can also lead to the following positive outcomes:

• Curtailed drug cravings
• Improved self-efficacy
• Diminished feelings of guilt and shame
• Reduction in behaviors that are risk factors for HIV and hepatitis C
• Lower likelihood of returning to homelessness

Types of Peer Support 

Peer support can take many forms and involve people with a variety of backgrounds and capabilities. Also, the appropriate terminology and certification requirements (if there are any) may be different from one state to the next. 

Depending on where they reside and what types of services they offer, individuals who provide peer support on a professional basis may be referred to by a variety of terms, including recovery coaches, recovery mentors, peer mentors, and sober companions.

• Recovery coaching services are usually provided by individuals who have personal experience with both addiction and recovery, and who have also received specific training in how to support individuals who have recently completed treatment. An addiction recovery coach may be employed by a treatment facility, work with a third-party agency, or offer their services as independent professionals. 
• In some states, individuals who wish to provide professional (but non-clinical) support services to individuals in recovery are called a peer mentor or a recovery mentor. Peer recovery mentors often work at rehab facilities, where their services may include providing recovery instruction, connecting patients to community-based support services, and remaining in contact with patients after they have transitioned out of treatment.
• Sober companions typically help people transition out of treatment and establish a healthy independent lifestyle in recovery. Some sober companions provide these services on a live-in basis, so their client can benefit from 24/7 on-site support. Others may meet with clients for a certain number of hours per day or per week, or be available on an on-call basis

As is the case with so many aspects of addiction treatment and recovery, there is no single peer support model that works for everyone. Take your time to explore your options, so that you can make an informed decision about which form of recovery guidance is best for you.

Addiction Recovery Tips for those Who are Starting Out

Early recovery can be a particularly vulnerable time. In addition to relying on your personal peer support network, here are a few additional tips to help you protect your sobriety:

• Stay active: One of the many challenges of early recovery is figuring out how to fill the hours that you previously devoted to substance abuse. Participating in a peer support group can take up some of this time, but you need to find other healthy and productive pursuits. Options can include taking classes, doing volunteer work, and finding a hobby that you enjoy. Don’t let long stretches of unfilled, unstructured time push you into relapse.
• Take care of your body: Early recovery is a time of healing for your body as well as your mind. To rebuild your physical strength, follow a healthy diet plan and get appropriate amounts of both sleep and exercise. These steps can also help you manage stress more effectively, which can eliminate a potentially serious threat to your continued recovery.
• Practice mindfulness: It’s very easy to become overwhelmed by regret over your past or paralyzed by fears about your future. Both of these experiences can undermine your recovery. Practicing mindfulness encourages you to be fully present in the moment. It also empowers you to feel difficult emotions, and then let them pass without reacting impulsively. 
• Treat yourself with compassion: As you undoubtedly learned in treatment, ending your substance abuse won’t magically solve all your problems or prevent you from making bad decisions in the future. You’re human, and mistakes are an unavoidable part of the human experience. But when you learn to treat yourself with compassion, and forgive yourself when you fall short of your standards, you can prevent temporary setbacks from causing long-term harm.
• Get professional help when you need it: Help can come in many forms, including informal get-togethers with longtime friends, support group meetings, and other peer interactions. But sometime these sources aren’t enough. When you encounter an obstacle that you can’t overcome on your own or with the help of your peers, don’t hesitate to seek professional care. Whether this involves occasional outpatient therapy sessions or a return to an addiction treatment program, don’t ever forget that asking for help is a sign of both strength and hope.

Contact Phoenix Rising To Start Your Addiction Recovery Today

Phoenix Rising Recovery is a premier provider of comprehensive, personalized treatment for adults who have been struggling with addictions to alcohol and other substances.

With a full continuum of care – including detoxification, residential rehab, a partial hospitalization program, an intensive outpatient program, and outpatient treatment – we are prepared to meet you wherever you are in your recovery journey. In each of these programs, you can expect to receive focused services from experienced professionals within a safe and respectful environment.

The day you enter treatment at Phoenix Rising Recovery, you take an important step toward a much healthier and more hopeful future. When you’re ready to get started, we’re here for you.

To learn more or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact Us page or call us today.