A Baltimore, Maryland study of 500 former and current heroin and cocaine injection drug users over the course of one year indicated having an AA/NA sponsor was not correlated with any improvement in sustained abstinence rates than a non-sponsored group (Crape 2001:291). However, being a sponsor was found to be highly correlated with sustained abstinence. In fact, 75% of the sponsors group maintained abstinence over the one year period and showed the the most improved lifestyle changes (Crape 2001:298).
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous claimed similar statistics:
“Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses, and among the remainder, those who stayed on with A.A. showed improvement. Other thousands came to a few A.A. meetings and at first decided they didn’t want the program. But great numbers of these–about two out of three—began to return as time passed” (AA 2001:xx).
Moreover, “This seemed to prove that one alcoholic could affect another as no nonalcoholic could. It also indicated that strenuous work, one alcoholic with another, was vital to permanent recovery” (A.A. 2001:xvi – xvii).
How does sponsoring others contribute to the addict’s ability to maintain continuous abstinence successfully over long periods of time? First, the act of providing direction to the alcoholic/addict who still suffers is a predictor of improved psychosocial adjustment. Furthermore, sponsoring others in addiction improves feelings of self-value and social usefulness. The sponsorship model also reinforces successful behaviours, public commitment to behaviour change, and improves relationships and strengthens new social networks. Lastly, the act of sponsoring others is valued within the community and to maintain their valued role, sponsors seem highly motivated to stay abstinent. All of these factors seem to reinforce the sponsor’s resolve to continue working with other suffering addicts and improve their chances of remaining abstinent (Crape 2001:297).
Thus, the conclusion of the study suggests that sponsoring other addicts in a 12-step program is highly associated with continuous abstinence, but for those being sponsored, there was little indication of improved rates of alcohol or drug abstinence.
References:
Alcoholics Anonymous. New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 2001.
The beauty of the above article is that the sooner you do the steps and take a newcomer through the steps and then they takes someone through the steps, then the message has been handed down.
The more people you take through the steps then the more chance of continual abstinence for everyone.
“We teach that which we most need to learn ourselves”
Hello Savon! I just came across this page and read your remarks. Did you ever find a sponsor? If not please contact me at chumbaby@me.com. I’ve sponsored other women via FaceTime during this pandemic and would be happy to sponsor you. Please take care.
Sincerely, Traci C
Hello Im Looking For A Sponsor I am Currently In Treatment Out in LA & Would Like To Find A Sponsor Before Leaving In A Few Weeks . Ill Be Going Home Which Is Baltimore , My COD Was Percocets .
The study concludes the chances for life changing, life saving, life long abstinence are increased if the sober alcoholic/addict sponsors/helps others recover. Thank God simply sharing TRUTH with other human beings may save my life from a drunken overdose.
It is my experience in AA/CA that sponsorship is a gross misrepresentation of what the program states. It does more harm than good since nobody “recovers” in AA/CA anymore; they are all “recovering”. Until we can recover as the Big Book states many times over, sponsorship becomes a “life sentence” to both parties – the sponsor and the sponsee. This is something I’m not interested in.
It’s a matter (this manner of living) that lasts a lifetime.
hence why your recovering