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What should I look for in a potential Sponsor?
A sponsor should be a person that you are not in danger of acting out with.
The prospective sponsor has a sponsor of his own.
Newcomers have asked this question many times of other members. Depending on a meeting's format, a Trusted Servant, or Chairperson, can ask the group if there are any members who are willing to be Sponsors or Temporary Sponsors.
Others will have that information on their phone list.
Some members may announce their availability for Sponsorship either during their sharing, or pitch, or during announcements.
A great way to choose a Sponsor is to listen at meetings.
You can also announce that you're looking for a Sponsor during sharing or announcements. This way available Sponsors will be able to approach you or offer their suggestions about Sponsorship.
If no one in your group has worked the Steps, you may find a Sponsor in another Twelve Step fellowship or you may begin to co- Sponsor with another member for the purpose of working the Steps.
Some members have found it useful to attend larger meetings, retreats, and the International Convention of SAA to find a Sponsor.
Do not take it personally. They may tell you their reason why they cannot Sponsor you: they may have too many Sponsees; or they're not ready to sponsor yet.
Keep asking, and ask other group members for suggestions in Sponsorship. This may very well lead you to a person who is just right to sponsor you.
In working the Twelve Steps of SAA with a Sponsor, we discover who we were, who we are now, and who we want to be in sobriety. In the process of working our program with our Sponsor we build a safe and trusting relationship with another human being who knows our character defects as well as our assets. We gain a sense of acceptance, belonging and strength. Most importantly, we gain a sense of hope that we can recover, one day at a time.
If you have more questions, please ask other people in the program.
What is a Sponsorship? Sex addict who has made some progress in the recovery shares that experience on a continues, individual basis with another sex addict who is trying to attain (maintain) sobriety though SAA program.
Sponsor shares his experience, strength, and hope:
What the Sponsor does:
When we enter the recovery we have our fears and secrets (".... we do not have to be alone anymore...").
Our Sponsor is the person who feels the safest.
A Sponsor can answer many questions that we have as newcomers or help to answer the questions that come up as we go though the recovery.
Self-examination is difficult without the help from a Sponsor.
Sponsor keeps us honest, Sponsor will point out when we are deceiving ourselves regarding our addiction or recovery. We learn to live in reality rather than in a fantasy.
Self-examination is painful - a Sponsor can help us to go through the necessary process of self-examination.
A Sponsor is an individual in a 12 Step program who agrees to work together with another person in the program.
A Sponsor is not responsible for the recovery or failure of the Sponsee.
A recovery partner must be someone you trust and with whom you feel safe.
Shaming by an accountability partner is not acceptable.
Your life partner can not be your Sponsor.
Once we have obtained a sponsor, we commit ourselves to maintaining regular contact with that person. The frequency of contact is determined jointly by the sponsor and sponsee - as we each become familiar with our individual needs and boundaries.
See also: