What is a Sober Companion?

Many people first learned of sober companions through Robert Downey Jr.’s frank and honest account of his struggles with sobriety.

Not just for A-list celebrities, sober companions can provide the extra help that makes the difference between short term and long term recovery. Often starting with sober transportation from the intervention to the rehab facility, a companion can provide the bridge from rehab to the real world.

A sober companion can accompany you home to take some of the fear out of adjusting to life outside of rehab. Many companions start out in rehab with the recovering addict. This is a great time to establish a solid relationship between both parties. A recovering individual needs to feel like he can trust and rely on his sober companion.

In some instances, companions also act as sober escorts. This can come in handy as an extension of regular companion services. For instance, if you’ve just come home from a few months in treatment for alcoholism, you will likely have several outpatient and follow-up therapy appointments throughout the week that you need to attend. A sober escort can be by your side as you travel to and from these appointments. On the way to a support group meeting, you may feel unnerved and have urges to stop and have a drink to take the edge off your mood, but it’s unlikely you’ll actually do this with a sober escort by your side. The same goes for the trip home when you may be feeling a little deflated after realizing a friend you made during treatment had relapsed or failed to show up for the meeting.

Of course, it isn’t a requirement that sober companions move in with you and supervise your every move. Many can be there to support you on an as-needed basis. Sober companions come in many different forms. Some are fans of newer therapy modules, like practicing mindfulness, while others prefer more traditional concepts, such as following the 12-step program as outlined by organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous.