The thriving student city of Leeds is unsurprisingly a location that is familiar to drug and alcohol recovery services, including sober coaches Leeds.
Qualified in coaching and knowledgeable in addiction, sober coaches usually apply their expertise to one-on-one therapy-style sessions with people suffering from addiction. Group and family sessions are also available, helping those with substance use disorders to embrace the support around them.
For confidential, fast referrals to an experienced Leeds sober coach, reach out to Rehab 4 Addiction on 0800 140 4690 (UK) or +44 345 222 3508 (international).
While most UK towns and cities are battling addiction problems, Leeds is dealing with the highest severity. With almost 10,000 alcohol dependency cases recorded in one year, the city has been named the second in the country for dangerous drinking (1).
Unfortunately, this problem extends across generations.
On one end of the scale, we have university students. A study of University of Leeds second-year medical students in the year 2000 found that one-third of students were engaging in illicit drug use (2).
On the other end, we have the elderly. Pre-pandemic, it was discovered that the number of people aged 35-64 using heroin and crack cocaine in Leeds had risen by 63% over six years (3).
As a direct result of this substance use emergency, Leeds has welcomed many recovery services that aim to reduce drug and alcohol use and promote sobriety.
The University of Leeds has advertised its commitment to harm reduction, which is a modern approach to addiction that focuses on reducing the risks involved with addiction, as opposed to attempting to block drug use completely (4).
Leeds is also home to CARR, the first European research centre to focus on addiction recovery, based in Leeds Trinity University.
The centre has several powerful objectives, including to “advance science around recovery and recovery capital” and “to be a global leader in teaching and dissemination around recovery and recovery capital” (5).
Providing something different to the recovery industry, sober coaches Leeds are professional addiction experts who shape the lives of the people they work with by engaging them in addiction-focused discussions, helping with practical tasks, and ultimately supporting the individual to wake up and choose sobriety every day.
Often, though not always, sober coaches are on their own recovery journey after dealing with drug or alcohol use disorders. This has been criticised due to the sober coach’s potential vulnerabilities.
However, having first-hand experience of addiction can gift sober champions with a deep understanding of recovery, and empathy for the person they’re working with.
As with any type of therapy, boundaries are needed. As long as appropriate boundaries are set, sober coaches who have had addiction issues can certainly be successful coaches, confidants, and accountability partners.
Given addiction recovery is a lifelong process, sober coaching can be sought at any point in someone’s journey.
While coaching is best after formal professional treatment (such as rehab), it can in fact take place alongside rehab, if both the sober coach and the rehab facility consent to this arrangement.
The majority of people pursue sober coaching once they’ve undergone a medical detox and intensive therapy programme at rehab, either as part of their aftercare plan or following their aftercare.
This style of coaching can be integrated into someone’s daily or weekly routine if they feel they would benefit from this level of support. It can also be arranged short-term for periods of life that are trickier than others, including:
The risks of recovering alone are severe, so there is never any harm in trying out sober coaching. Experienced coaches will be perfectly happy to work with you on your own terms, and if that means tentatively trying one or a few sessions, that’s what they’ll do.
It’s unlikely for someone to not benefit from sober coaching whatsoever; if there are any issues, it’s usually that they haven’t found the right coach, timing, or specific types of support within the frame of coaching.
As sober coaching is tailored by nature, most people find that they are able to move forwards in their sobriety effectively, and that they can speak up if they feel they need more or less support.
Sometimes, people worry that they won’t thrive during sober coaching as they haven’t had good experiences with self-help groups.
Please note that the two services are completely unique. Sober coaching is personalised, one-on-one, and clinical, which means there is every chance you will have a great experience even if group programmes weren’t for you.
12-step groups, from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to Food Addicts Anonymous (FAA), and group therapy for addiction, are helpful for recovery in a very different way to sober coaching.
Meeting with like-minded people to share addiction stories and support one another can help you to stay sober, particularly if you incorporate the meetings into your routine.
However, with no clinical basis, these meetings can only go so far. Sober coaches are able to use clinical techniques to help prevent relapse, as well as work with medical professionals to trigger a comprehensive approach to your treatment.
Leeds is spoilt for choice for addiction recovery services, so it’s common to get a sober coach whilst still attending 12-step meetings and/or group therapy. Why not enjoy the benefits of each one?
As we’ve discussed, sober coaches can work with other medical staff to ensure all aspects of a client’s recovery are being tackled simultaneously. This is commonly known as integrated care.
Sober champions often work with:
During and after rehab, these professionals may work together to reduce the risk of relapse in various ways. Rather than directly working together, they liaise with one another to ensure they are both on the same page regarding the client’s progress.
Rather than a quick fix that may not last, integrated care helps people stay engaged with recovery long-term.
You live in a remote area near Leeds, but you’re in desperate need of a sober coach — what next?
Support is open to those who live in remote areas just as much as people in the centre of Leeds. While you may have to travel a little further to get to it, you would be surprised at the sheer amount of sober coaches located all over Leeds.
What’s more, remote sober coaches Leeds is always an option. Taking calls from your home means you can cut out the commute time entirely, and lean on your home comforts during tricky conversations.
We connect you with the experts. As wonderful as our team is at identifying your needs, our goal is to get you to a sober coach as soon as possible, and that’s exactly what we do.
After a quick phone call with us (or long, we’ll always make time for you), we match you to a sober champion in Leeds who can aid you in your recovery like no one else.
Reach out to us on 0800 140 4690 (UK) or +44 345 222 3508 (international) to find out for yourself why sober coaches Leeds are trending.
Below, we answer some commonly asked questions about the sober coaching process:
No, you do not have to have received an official diagnosis of addiction to get a sober coach in Leeds.
However, if you have never had professional help for your substance use, it’s recommended to do this before looking into a sober coach.
The type of treatment you need is dependent on many factors, but Rehab 4 Addiction advisors can recommend a suitable programme, whether it’s residential rehab, outpatient treatment, home detoxing, or self-help groups.
More and more people in Leeds are turning to sober coaches every day. They can be used on a flexible basis, or structured, such as once a day, once a week etc.
Yes, you can get a Leeds sober champion for your loved one, but be mindful that a coach won’t be able to work with them unless they agree to it themselves.
If you call Rehab 4 Addiction today, you can get a sober coach within days. We are committed to finding quality support for you as quickly as possible.
[1] https://thehootleeds.com/news/leeds-ranked-second-in-the-country-for-dangerous-drinking-culture/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10652069/
[4] https://students.leeds.ac.uk/health-wellbeing/doc/drugs-alcohol
[5] https://www.leedstrinity.ac.uk/research/research-centres/centre-for-addiction-recovery-research/
