Briefly describe the sponsorship component of the 12 Steps.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Sponsors have only one role, and it is critical. They (as sponsors) share with the newly recovering individual (the sponsee) how the 12-step experience helped them achieve sobriety and stability. The sponsor–sponsee relationship lasts for as long as it is beneficial.
Newly recovering individuals are encouraged to obtain sponsorship as soon as possible (and as soon as they are ready for this relationship). Individuals can find a sponsor in a few ways. They can approach a member who has said things of importance and relevance to the individual looking for a sponsor, or an individual can approach the 12-step group leader and inquire as to who may make a good sponsor. The sponsor–sponsee relationship starts as a temporary one. Both parties need time to decide if this relationship works for them. There also tends to be a lot of pressure regarding the sponsor–sponsee relationship. Sponsees sometimes hope to find the “best” sponsor on the first attempt. They hope to “nail it” with their first choice and have their lifelong support person in place. Similarly, some sponsors feel a pressure to be the ultimate hall-of-fame sponsor. They either get far too involved in their sponsee’s life and/or they feel a tremendous deal of misappropriated responsibility and guilt if the sponsee relapses or leaves the 12-step group. Consequently, the counselor should try to address these misperceptions as early as possible, for instance, checking in with clients who are sponsors to see if they are taking on more personal ownership than warranted, or helping the sponsee work toward a more pragmatic and realistic perspective that, just like recovery, finding the “right” sponsor for them is an imperfect process.