The journey to recovery can be difficult. Sometimes the most challenging part is ensuring your loved one will start treatment in the first place. The beginning stages can be a tumultuous and worrisome time. Even when a treatment center is chosen, a bed is reserved, and the plans are in place, the travel required can present a new challenge. How will your loved one make it to and from treatment safely? Will they use substances during that time? A sober companion transport service can provide peace of mind during this time.

Sober companion transport services are intended to get your loved one to and from treatment safely while ensuring that they do not use substances during that time. The periods before and after treatment have unique risks for substance use. Having a trained companion alongside your loved one can promote their safety and well-being.

How Sober Companion Transport Can Help Before Treatment

There are many different situations that can precede treatment. Some people are very motivated to get help. This might be because they have recognized the many benefits of living a life free from substances. On the other hand, the negative aspects of living with addiction may have become too much to bear. 

Other individuals might feel like treatment is less voluntary and not necessarily a good thing. In some situations, a crisis precedes a person entering treatment. As a result of substance use, an individual may have ended up in jail, been evicted from their home, or lost important relationships. The situation may have progressed to such severity that a person overdoses or experiences another medical emergency related to substance use. These types of crisis situations can make treatment feel like a last resort.

Even without a specific crisis, there can be other reasons why someone is reluctant about entering treatment. A person’s family may have held an intervention, persuading their loved one to seek help for their substance use. Interventions look different for every family, and each individual will respond differently. For some, it can be a motivating factor and a “wake-up call” that inspires change. Other people might view treatment simply as a way to appease family members.

No matter the circumstances surrounding a person’s entry into treatment, this can be a risky time. Even the most motivated individuals may be at risk of using substances immediately before starting to receive services. Some individuals may see this as one last opportunity to drink or use drugs because they know they will very soon have to go without them. Others might see it as an opportunity to get one last drink before conceding to their family’s wishes. Many people enter treatment at their lowest point when their substance use is the worst it has ever been, and these additional pressures can cause a person to make dangerous decisions.

Sober companion transport services can help your loved one in these situations. Having someone by their side when the cravings are intense can keep them from using. Getting your loved one to treatment safely can be a major concern, and sober companion transport can alleviate some of that worry. Furthermore, avoiding one last episode of substance use can better prepare your loved one for treatment and help them to start on the right foot. No matter what, the path to recovery will have a difficult start, but avoiding risky substance use immediately prior can help make the transition smoother.

How Sober Companion Transport Can Help After Treatment

Your loved one might feel a variety of emotions immediately after treatment. They will probably feel empowered after proving to themselves that they can endure without substances. Feeling apprehensive about what is waiting in the “real world” is common. It takes time and practice to learn how to implement coping skills outside of the treatment setting when there are real triggers.

All of these factors make the time immediately after treatment a risky period. Sober companion transport can help your loved one during this time as well. Someone leaving treatment might feel an abundance of caution about their ability to control their substance use. They might believe that they can drink or use drugs like a non-addicted person and just consume a small amount without relapsing. This is also a time when an individual may be confronted with triggers they haven’t faced since before they started treatment. It can be hard to employ effective coping strategies and resist triggers, especially early in recovery, and this makes the period immediately after treatment potentially overwhelming.

In both of these situations, sober companion transport can help your loved one weather the storm. Whether your loved one is stepping down from residential treatment to another treatment facility or returning home, having someone to accompany them can support their recovery in its infancy. A companion can help keep your loved one focused on their goals and encourage the use of coping strategies. This companion can also provide a much-needed source of accountability.

Support When and Where You Need It

Family-Centered Services is proud to offer sober companion transport across the nation. We can help no matter where your loved one is or where they need to go. It is important to find the right treatment center for your loved one. This means significant travel might be required. That is why we will accompany them throughout their entire journey, even if that means a layover at the airport or a night spent in a hotel.

It is hard to recover from substance abuse without the proper support. Your loved one deserves the best chance at success in addiction treatment. Family-Centered Services is dedicated to helping you and your family recover from the pain of substance abuse. This is why we offer a continuum of services that extends from before your loved one starts treatment to after discharge. Our sober companion transport service is a crucial part of this process. We also offer treatment placement consultation, sober accountability, individual and family therapy, comprehensive case management, and a family recovery program. If you or your loved one needs help starting the path to recovery, call us at (509) 991-5822.

Originally posted 2022-12-05 06:00:00.