5 Tips for Choosing the Right AA Sponsor

5 Tips for Choosing the Right AA Sponsor

5 Tips for Choosing the Right AA Sponsor

You've been to a few meetings and you've decided AA is for you. Here's how you find the right AA sponsor to aid your recovery.

Keyword(s): AA sponsor

2017 study showed that attending AA meetings significantly impacts ongoing abstinence from alcohol. 

There's a caveat, though. If you want to stay sober thanks to the Alcoholics Anonymous program, you've got to play by the rules. Apart from attending meetings, this includes choosing a sponsor to guide your recovery.

Your AA sponsor has a major impact on how long you stay sober and how much you'll get out of your sobriety, so it's important to choose one that's a good fit for you. Here's your guide to finding the help you need.

1. Define Your Perfect AA Sponsor

Make a list of qualities you'd like in a sponsor based on your self-knowledge. For instance, if you're particularly manipulative, it's best to choose someone who will see through your ploys.

AA recommends you find a sponsor of the same gender, as this enhances mutual understanding. 

Write down some personality traits that you admire in a mentor. Would you prefer someone kind and soft, or do you work better with people who get straight to the point?

2. Think About Your Expectations

It's imperative to let your sponsor know what you expect from them at the outset, so figure this out before you approach someone.

This information includes how much of their time you expect to take up, whether you'd like to attend meetings with them, or whether you want to interact only via telephone.

3. Get to Know Them

While you're at your AA meetings, make a mental note of any fellow attendees you admire. These are the people best suited to sponsor you.

Take time getting to know these people before you ask them to sponsor you. You could arrange to meet for coffee, or simply talk to them for a few minutes after each meeting. 

When you meet with them in a different environment, you can interact less formally, and get to know the person on a more intimate level.

 

4. Ask Plenty of Questions

It's vital to choose a sponsor with as many years worth of sobriety under their belts as possible. AA sponsors are addicts, too, and the last thing you need is for yours to relapse while they're meant to be helping you.

You should seriously consider approaching a sponsor with similar interests to yours. You'll have more to talk about that way.

You should also question potential sponsors on their life experiences, as they're better equipped to help you if they've walked a mile in your shoes before.

5. Discuss Their Expectations

Working with a sponsor is a two-way street. They're bound to expect you to keep working at your recovery.

Most sponsors will insist you attend a certain number of meetings per week and check in at certain pre-determined times. Others are happy to help on an ad-hoc basis.

 

 

 

Experience the True Joy of Recovery

Take these tips to heart if you want to live your best life every day you stay sober. A sponsor can help you navigate all the obstacles you'll encounter along the way and ensure a smoother journey along the right path.

There's no point in staying sober if you're miserable. A great AA sponsor helps you discover the true joy of a life free from booze, rather than the misery associated with being a dry drunk.

Browse our blog for more about the road to recovery, and check out our shop for the best AA literature to enhance your sobriety and immerse you more fully in the AA program.