Life coaching online for addiction recovery

Life coaches can enhance your recovery, and can even do coaching online. Life coach and former business man, Keith Bray, explains more about life coaching online and how addiction coaching works.

5
minute read

What is an addiction coach?

Over the past few weeks I’ve looked at and addressed the topic of “RESPECT” as it relates to addiction and living. Of course it’s from the perspective of a “coach”, a perspective that is not widely understood.

I coach, plain and simple, and the results achieved by those I have worked with indicate a high success rate. I am not a therapist or addiction counselor, I am a recovered addict professionally trained and experienced in coaching success. I am an active member of a 12 step fellowship and have been for years. I work the steps as best I can on a daily basis and incorporate the steps into my coaching practice.

Life coaching online

Life coaching provided by a recovering addict with strong business and an experienced life background can change your life. Be sure to choose a coach who is a fully trained, experienced and accredited master level coaching professional. Using the telephone or Skype, coaching can be scheduled into busy lifestyles and can be carried in total confidence.

Is there more out there than 12 step groups?

I coach people, who for whatever their reason, chose not to go to groups or need more than a 12 step setting. I ask the question, “Is there a healthier way for people to live?” Their reasons for engaging a coach (as were mine) are their reasons. The ultimate goal is individual success. Whatever works is the RIGHT WAY for the individual that succeeds, and there is no ONE RIGHT WAY!!

Life purpose coaching Q & A for drinking and drug problems

Here are a few things I want to share because I think they might be important to some who read this. If not for them, then for someone they know.

—–

Q: Addiction is a disease, but is chronic relapse necessary?
A: No. Addiction coaches don’t think that chronic relapse is necessary.

Alcohol and drug problems are characterized as conditions that can trigger chronic relapse. As such, addicts and alcoholics then consider it normal to drink and drug again. In fact, it is rather accepted and considered “normal” to go through detox and treatment repeatedly, at great cost, again and again. Addiction may be a disease, but is it necessary to chronically relapse?

Instead, we believe that people don’t have to relapse when using the support of a coach. That means they don’t have to experience negative consequences that often accompany a drug or alcohol relapse. Addiction coaching helps protect your initial investment in addiction treatment by preventing relapse, and helps those who have relapsed prevent further harm and get turned around. With coaching, addicts can avoid repeated consequences of relapse such as:

  • The cost of repeated treatment
  • Disappointment of family and friends
  • Loss of health
  • Problems at work
  • Problems with the law
—–

Q: Does addiction coaching shift away from primary treatment?
A: Not exactly.
 

Many people who are experiencing addiction will need detox and treatment, but they will also need support when they get out. Crisis stabilization is not enough. There must be support after treatment—otherwise nine out of ten people typically relapse. That’s why the emphasis is shifting to recovery support. We all know that staying in recovery isn’t easy and that people with addictions often have complicated lives. That’s why having a coach for addiction problems makes such a difference. Whether you need help managing money or medications, addiction coaches help you stay in recovery and make recovery worth it.

—–

Q: What is it like to have an addiction coach?
A: It’s like having someone believe in you.

Addiction coaches help you enjoy life and take care of things before they become stressful. So you aren’t in danger of relapse because you feel good about your life. It is a co-creative holistic approach to life. Having an addiction coach is like having someone smart in your life that cares about you and believes in you and wants to help you with whatever is important to you. That could be:

  • Doing something about food, sex, internet habits, etc.
  • Doing something to have more fun
  • Getting a job
  • Getting more exercising more
  • Getting out of a relationship that no longer works
  • Managing money better
  • Quitting smoking
—–

Q: Can an addiction coach work with someone who is still using drugs or alcohol?
A: Yes, as long as there is progress.

If a person can show up for scheduled phone calls and starts to take positive action between the calls, addiction coaching can work. However, good addiction coaches only take clients who we believe can benefit from coaching. Although addiction coaches don’t diagnose nor offer treatment for addiction, we do help clients integrate addiction treatment in other ways:

  • Create a harm reduction plan
  • Face life challenges after treatment
  • Prepare for addiction treatment
—–

Q: How does addiction coaching fit in with what addiction professionals already know?
A: Addiction coaching provides recovery support after acute addiction treatment.

Most addiction professionals are trained to work with acute episodes of addiction in a treatment setting such as a drug rehab center. But as public funding and private money for treatment dries up, all the talk is about recovery support. We know that support must go beyond stabilization of drug or alcohol use and we now know that abstinence is not enough.

People want rewarding lives in recovery. That is where addiction coaches can help. We help make recovery worth it by enhancing lives. Good addiction coaching teaches you to co-create so that you can live better. Addiction coaching should also be 1 on 1, be client focused.

Life coaching for addiction issues helps addicts live better

Coaching is not therapy, and does not replace traditional addiction treatment. However, coaching can complement other recovery related activities and harness the talent of the client to achieve personal success. One of my goals is to be more actively engaged in my life mission: to be of service to others and to do my part in helping increase the rate of success in recovery. But folks, I can tell you from personally hiring coaches and being one myself, coaching is not well understood and I hope you find some enlightenment here!

About the author
I am a Master Life Coach who is ICF certified and a certified addictions coach. I consider myself recovered from the effects of addiction (16 years) but still in recovery mode as it relates to personal growth. Professionally, I am university educated, a former corporate CEO and have been in the consulting business for over two decades. I'm a husband, father, grandfather, friend, uncle son, a trusted confidant and many other things but bottom line, I'm Keith. I hope that I can help SOME out there with ideas that will make you think deeply.
I am ready to call
i Who Answers?