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A person who has battled addiction can attest to the herculean effort to stay clean and sober. One thing about addictions is that they thrive in secrecy, mainly where minimal-zero support exists.
In this state, the person is caught in a vicious feedback loop. This loop cycles through feelings of triggers, craving, reward, despair, and repeat, which can be challenging to break. This is where life coaching comes in.
Life coaching is a wellness profession that helps individuals achieve greater fulfillment in their lives despite prevailing circumstances. A certified life coach is specifically trained to help recovering addicts navigate the difficulties, fears, and doubts in recovery.
At Pacific Palms Recovery, our life coaches will help you or a loved one achieve personal goals and help you onto the right path toward recovery. Though our San Diego life coaching program is geared toward helping young adults and professionals, we want to help people of all ages achieve personal growth.
What is Life Coaching?
The staff at Pacific Palms Recovery views life coaching as a way to help you achieve clarity and the confidence to work through issues that are holding you back from enjoying a challenging and harmonious life. Life coaching is not about making simplistic judgments about someone’s life and telling that person how they ought to live it. The majority of coaches set out to fix what is wrong with people. We don’t subscribe to that approach.
A life coach is a wellness professional with the knowledge to help people make progress in their lives and achieve more fulfillment. Life coaches help clients improve their day-to-day lives, relationships, and careers. A life coach can help recovering addict clarify their recovery goals. They can also help identify the obstacles holding the addict back and develop strategies to overcome them.
Effective, authentic coaching is based on the following five principles:
- A shared feeling of trust and empathy between client and coach
- A relationship of equality between client and coach
- A desire on the client’s part to focus on the future, while acknowledging the effects of the past
- A willingness by the client to work through challenging issues towards empowerment, self-confidence and a happier, more productive life
- A belief in people’s ability to accept themselves and yet make changes that will improve their lives
Life Coaching & Addiction Recovery
A life coach can help anyone struggling with various life issues gain much-needed stability. Recovering addicts may benefit from having life coaching services. Addiction can often cause struggle with various issues during recovery. These include low self-esteem, relapses, unemployment, mental illness, and physical health. Life coach services can be very resourceful in helping addicts surmount those challenges.
Goals of a Life Coach
The main goal of a life coach is to help their clients find their purpose in life and reach their full potential. A certified coach will help clients understand the obstacles holding them from achieving their goals.
When it comes to a substance abuse treatment plan, a life coach can be a practical resource. Life coaching can help those struggling to identify the issues that led to substance abuse. A life coach will teach clients how to deal with the triggers to achieve solid recovery. Life coaches have the tools that can help their clients better implement the strategies they learned from their treatment for a full recovery.
Skills Taught by a Life Coach
A life coach undoubtedly comes in handy in the early days of your addiction recovery process. Usually, early recovery days are when sobriety skills are fragile, and willpower is low. A life coach is a professional who can help clients achieve their goals for life after rehab treatment.
Positivity Skills
A life coach can help recovering addicts learn about the positive side of life. The coach spends a lot of time determining what makes their clients happy. They typically use positive psychology to make them feel more satisfied.
Scientists agree that addiction can trigger chemical changes in the brain, making positivity and happiness elusive. With the help of a life coach, it is possible to get most of that happiness back.
Relapse Prevention Skills
Soon after starting rehab, people may struggle with the temptation to use drugs again. Life coaches typically provide round-the-clock support, which can be beneficial when facing different relapse triggers recovering people can’t simply ignore. Some life coaches may choose to move in with their clients. This means the client will have limited opportunities to sneak away and be alone to use.
Relapse prevention skills from a life coach can include:
- Self-Care – common post-acute withdrawal symptoms during recovery include fatigue and insomnia. These are also the most common triggers for relapse. A life coach can help a person implement sound exercise and a balanced diet. These changes can improve sleep quality and reduce the risk of relapsing.
- Inventory of Triggers – The most common triggers for many addicts are anger, hunger, tiredness, and loneliness. A life coach will teach clients to regularly inventory HALT (hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness). Anytime a recovering addict feels any symptoms of relapse, ask themself if they are feeling any of the HALT emotions.
- Mindfulness Meditation – According to research, meditation helps recovering addicts to be more self-aware. They can better cope with potential relapse triggers when they are more self-aware. A life coach will teach clients to pay more attention and be present in the moment.
Implementing Rehab Skills
A study revealed that recovering addicts at the 90-day mark should learn how to apply the skills they learned in rehab to areas of their life. Recovering addicts can utilize a clinical environment to translate to everyday life in a community. A life coach is suitable to walk clients through difficult situations and can help clients see how their decisions conflict with the rehab lessons.
Accountability Benefits
Early stages of recovery can include feelings of loneliness and isolation. During the recovery process, it is common to feel isolated and misunderstood by loved ones. A life coach can provide support in times of need and provide accountability. Life coaches provide support during difficult times by listening and advising when needed.
Treatment for Substance Abuse in San Diego
Substance abuse treatment is not a one size fits all affair. Addiction treatment varies depending on the specific needs of the patients. Many factors can be considered during the treatment process. These factors include the substance they use, their care level, and their mental health needs.
Some of the common addiction treatments that can set an addict on a successful recovery path include:
- Detoxification – administering medically assisted detox that helps patients rid their bodies of addictive substances in a safe location. Generally, detox doesn't address the underlying causes of the addiction and is often used in combination with other therapies.
- Inpatient – otherwise known as residential treatment typically takes place after a medical detox and involves psychotherapy and medicaition management when needed while providing 24/7 care. While attending an inpatient program, clients live on site.
- Outpatient – outpatient drug rehabs include individual and group therapy with medication management when necessary. Participation in this program involves living offsite and attending sessions at the facility.
Achieving Long-Term Sobriety with a Life Coach in San Diego
A life coach is undoubtedly a great accompaniment to a substance abuse treatment plan. Life coaches can help to put the knowledge, and coping skills learned in rehab into practice. They are a robust support system you need during your recovery. If someone is considering a life coach, they may want to consider choosing someone with is qualified and trustworthy.
If you or a loved one are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, reach out today to Pacific Palms Recovery in San Diego. Our team can answer any questions you may have and give you a better understanding of our addiction treatment program. We offer a wide variety of programs tailored to your individual needs.
Call us today for a free consultation and learn when your first coaching session could be.
Pacific Palms Recovery is a certified outpatient Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program. Our outpatient drug rehab is located in San Diego County, California. Pacific Palms Recovery implements a comprehensive clinical and holistic approach to treating drug addiction and alcohol abuse.
