Finding a Sponsor

Module 1 of 9

What Is the Role of a Sponsor in Recovery?

To compete this section, listen to the audio recording, respond to the reflection questions, and share your responses on the discussion board.

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READ

“My sponsor was at the very first meeting I attended and she told me to pick up that 500-pound phone and call her whenever I needed. She told me she would just be someone to talk to. We worked through the Steps and she was there for me as I was dealing with the death of my husband and that of my 21-year-old daughter.” - Diane S.

“The man who would eventually become my first sponsor invited me to grab a cup of coffee after the meeting and we started doing this on a regular basis the first six months. We read through the Big Book and considered it in light of passages from the Bible. We shared with each other what we thought, and he listened to me and educated me on the nature of addiction. He told me that he would give me a vocabulary with which I could understand my life and experiences, which was really helpful and valuable for me. We need a sponsor to help us as we experience things we don't have the answers to. If we did have the answers already, then we probably wouldn’t need recovery in the first place.” - Scott W.

REFLECT

Reflect on the following questions. It’s recommended that you write these down in a journal. Feel free to share your responses below in the discussion board.

In what ways have I tried to navigate recovery or difficult areas of life on my own, and what has been the result?
How might having a sponsor help bring greater accountability, hope, and honesty into my recovery journey?
What fears, hesitations, or expectations do I currently have about developing a close relationship with a sponsor?