What Is a Peer Supporter?

In society, we recognize the importance of role models for showing people that they can achieve their dreams. Peer support for addiction recovery is a more targeted version of this. For someone who is new to the recovery process, healing can seem nearly impossible. Self-help groups, counselors, therapists and doctors can be easy to dismiss, thinking of them as authority figures who don’t understand.

A peer supporter approaches the relationship from an entirely different angle. They are someone you automatically view as an equal, and you know unequivocally that they understand what you are going through. They share all the wisdom and experience that helped them to regain control over their drug and alcohol abuse symptoms to get where they are today.

Get Started with a Peer Supporter Today!

All of the On Demand Counseling Peer Supporters are ready and excited to work with you or your loved one in recovery and finding a new love for life.

Email us today to meet with one of our peer supporters or learn more about our peer recovery support services.

[email protected]

How does peer support help in addiction recovery?

When you’ve been struggling with substance abuse and all the difficulties that come with it, inspiration seems like a distant dream. However, inspiration, motivation and desire will be the driving forces of your long-term recovery journey. The primary benefit of peer workers is the fact that they can help you access positive, helpful feelings towards yourself and the recovery process. Trust and understanding are crucial, so we always make sure you and your individual worker are an excellent match.

There are hundreds of myths about substance use disorders and recovery. When you first enter outpatient addiction rehab, your mind will be full of expectations, prejudices and concerns. Most of these will disappear as you see how loving, comfortable and practical our recovery community is.

However, there are always some unhelpful beliefs about drug addiction recovery that remain. Your support specialist can help you separate fact from fiction and provide emotional support and coping strategies to help improve your quality of life. There might be questions you feel are too embarrassing or silly to ask a medical professional. In this case, you can ask your recovery group mentor. The chances are that they’re such an addiction recovery program pro that they’ll know the answer. If not, they’ll find a way to confidentially get the answers for you.

In some cases, they’ll encourage you to seek out information for yourself. When it comes to healing from drug abuse or managing mental health symptoms, wellness education is crucial. The better you understand what causes you to feel the way you do, the easier it is to understand. Learning how drugs and alcohol affect the brain also helps to inspire the motivation necessary to move forward in your recovery efforts.

Some people describe addiction as a gradual lowering of interests until eventually, only the substance of choice is left. This can go on for months or even years before seeking help through a substance abuse treatment program. During this time, your self-esteem and inner confidence usually suffer significantly. No matter how tough you are, excessively using drugs or alcohol puts an additional strain on your body and mind. Even highly functional addicts lose track of their hopes and dreams.

Your peer mentor will help you to identify your strengths and feel proud of them. You’ll work together to set short-, medium- and long-term goals. Quickly, you’ll start smashing your short-term goals — which is an excellent way of gaining momentum to grab any opportunities that come your way.

What Are the Main Benefits of Peer Support?

The benefits of peer support in addiction and mental health treatment are almost endless. Within the recovery community, these support groups have long been understood as the most effective form of aftercare. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and similar organizations such as 12-step programs have formed a blueprint for another variety of peer support: sponsorship. This is where a member who has gained full control over their symptoms offers guidance to a more junior person within the community.

All this guidance happens on top of the treatment you get from counselors at On Demand Counseling. This extra layer of care is designed to give you the absolute best chance of recovery from addiction.

There is a stigma attached to addiction — no denying that. The result of this is that lots of people who struggle with this debilitating medical condition feel shame and guilt.

Feeling bad about yourself or hiding away in shame won’t help you to get better or get back on track to living your best life. Your peer support person will help you to see the myriad of strengths you have to empower you to make the most of them.

When you have someone working as closely with you as your mentor does, the service you receive can be much more personalized. In one-on-one therapy or group therapy sessions, the relationship is close and you’ll open up to them. However, with your peer supporter, you’ll be able to speak to them about anything. This means you’re more likely to get what you need out of the recovery process.

Lots of people who suffer from addiction or mental illness have had struggles in their personal relationships. Whether this is a result of society misunderstanding you, a challenging upbringing or just falling in with the wrong crowd, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. These people can help you by guiding you gently through a healthy interpersonal relationship with boundaries and respect.

The Importance of Role Models

Role models help us see that people who have had experiences similar to ours are capable of doing awe-inspiring things. It’s easy to believe that only people who are privileged or have everything handed to them on a plate succeed at achieving their goals. When you meet someone who is just like you but a little further on in their journey, it gives you genuine and valid hope.

Interested in Becoming a Peer Support Specialist?

Certification and training: Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Email [email protected] for more info.

Long-Term Benefits of Peer Support Groups

Research shows that those who continue to attend peer support groups long after they’ve finished a course of rehab are more likely to maintain sobriety. This is because you gain more insight into addiction and mental health from interacting with a group than it’s possible to do any other way. As you share your experiences with a peer support group and hear other people’s stories, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your triggers and what makes people tick.

Often, people who progress through these types of support groups go on to provide mentorship to junior members of the community. Being a peer support specialist is an excellent first step on the ladder to a career in mental health — or leadership of any kind.

Find Out More About the Benefits of Peer Support Today

There is a multitude of evidence to back up the effectiveness of peer support in mental health. Call On Demand Counseling today at 330-270-8610 to find out more about these benefits in the treatment of addiction.
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For more information about how On Demand Counseling in East Liverpool, Austintown, and Newton Falls can help you change your life, call 330-270-8610.