{"id":21442,"date":"2024-02-21T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lantanarecovery.com\/?p=21442"},"modified":"2024-02-21T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T19:00:00","slug":"what-does-a-peer-based-approach-to-treatment-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lantanarecovery.com\/what-does-a-peer-based-approach-to-treatment-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a Peer-Based Approach to Treatment Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While there are many reasons that recovery communities like 12-Step programs have been so successful over the last 88 years or so, one of the primary ones is that it is people who have been through \u201cit\u201d helping people who are going through \u201cit.\u201d The \u201cit\u201d represents the overarching journey from active addiction to intervention\/treatment to long-term recovery. This is also the reason that a peer-based approach to treatment can be so successful. It is the continuous cycle of the recovery.<\/p>\n

What Does \u201cConnection\u201d in Recovery Mean?<\/h2>\n

\u201cConnection\u201d in recovery is crucial. Now, this type of connection is much more than simply \u201ccoming together.\u201d In recovery, connection has to do with a deep bond that only people who have been through active addiction can relate to, and the differences that people may have outside of that experience do not matter. This is explained in the primary text of 12-Step recovery known as the \u201cBig Book<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cBig Book\u201d states, \u201cWe are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain’s table. Unlike the feelings of the ship’s passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our separate ways. The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us.\u201d This type of connection or bond is also one of the cornerstones of the peer-based approach to treatment.<\/p>\n

What Does a Peer-Based Approach to Treatment Mean?<\/h2>\n

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a concise definition of what a peer-based approach is. SAMHSA explains, “Peer support workers<\/a> are people who have been successful in the recovery process and help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding, respect, and mutual empowerment, peer support workers help people become and stay engaged in the recovery process and reduce the likelihood of relapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

A peer-based approach also helps to bridge the gap between the treatment center and the outside recovery world. For example, peer support workers can introduce people to other members of a recovery community. They can also either act as \u201csponsors\u201d (similar to a mentor) or play the role of \u201ctemporary\u201d sponsors to individuals who are new to that type of recovery. A peer-based approach is also one of the best ways to keep someone accountable for their recovery. This is an essential benefit, and it is not the only one.<\/p>\n

A Peer-Based Approach: What Are the Benefits?<\/h2>\n

Besides keeping one accountable to their recovery plan, a peer-based approach to recovery also has a myriad of other benefits. Some of these benefits include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n