Temporary Sponsorship?

[1cor13]

Just wanted to hear what you felt about Temporary Sponsorship. Is it something you recommend or is it something that you don’t recommend.

Thank you in advance!!!!

[best]

Any sponsorship is temporary. Some only last a few meetings and some only last for the remander of our lives but they all touch our life in one way or another.

If a person is jumping around from one sponsor to another as a choice, maybe they should look at the root reason why they are doing so.

I guess it could be said that my one post reply here is a temporary sponsorship of sorts.

Where ever we can find answers, it is always good.

[mikel60]

Temporary sponsorship is a good thing. Anytime one drunk is helping another it is a good thing. My first sponsor was only "temporary" but I still talk with him about things 12 years later. I don't believe in "firing" sponsors, as I've heard people say. I can learn from anyone.
Mike

[Signal30]

Temporary sponsorship is what I've personally seen a few newcomers call their sponsors at first, (you know us, we don't want to commit to anything at first...lol.) The "temporary" sponsor usually turns into their actual sponsor as time goes by and the message gets through.


Now the next time I go out of town for a week or more, I may ask for a temporary sponsor at whatever location I'm at when I find meetings. It would be nice to have someone local. I would of course still call my regular sponsor, but having someone close to confide with would be comforting. I tend to get stressed when I'm not in "my area".



Tom

[Tommyh]

I have had 2 sponsors before the one I have now.

Sponsor 1 quit going to meetings,but is sober today
sponsor 2 died 33 yrs sober,80 yrs old

both are still sponsoring me today-I still remember what they said/did and it still helps me today.I still draw on their ESH that was previously given to me.I hope to do so untill I die.

when someone is new,I suggest they get a temp sponsor < untill they can get a regular sponsor>to start with,because of the way some meetings and people are today.

[sugErspun]

For those who do sponsor others. How many temporary sponsees does each have?

If someone asks you for help (ie sponsorship), who is the one who decides the nature/label of such should be 'temporary'? I know sponsorship is ultimately a temporary relationship (in the very long term), but the only place I heard 'temporary sponsor' are in groups where those who are offering assistance to the newcomer don't want to put both feet in or at treatment centers, where the patients may only be living in the area for 30-60 days before moving back home.

Where did the term 'temporary sponsor' originate anyhow?

[jimhere]

I think you answered your own question Adam. The term more than likely comes from treatment.

[collinsmi]

"Temporary sponsorship"? I remember thinking "Wow, I didn't realize that was an option, but it sounds pretty good. No sense in rushing into anything." There was a drunk or 2 between then and now.

[collinsmi]

What would be the role of a temporary sponsor? Get someone through some of the steps? Will we one day see step specific sponsorship, i.e. "Well George over there is a top-shelf 4th step man, but if you're ready for your fifth, I suggest you go talk to Dave"?

[sugErspun]

Yeah - probably treatment centers. The group that I referred to that always said "We will hook newcomers up with a temporary sponsor" was located right near a treatment center, we were bussed there one night per week.

[collinsmi]

Must have been an interesting relationship between the 2 entities. Hopefully, for the group's sake, the treatment center remained financially stable.

[Rob B]

Once in a while somebody will come up to me and ask if I will be there temporary sponsor, I ask "do you want temporary sobriety". The response usually gives me an indication of willingness.

The majority of men I sponsor are temporary in the sense that they stop writing inventory, won't do a 5th, are unwilling to do ammends. etc... I don't fire anyone, they fire themselves.

[1cor13]

Wow everyone had something very positive to say, thank you. The reason for the post was that the other night I was asked to sponsor someone. I agreed and listened at length for about an hour. Got him to another meeting and started discussing the steps. He called me last night and I went from being his sponsor to his temp sponsor in less than a 24 hour period.

Having started him on the steps I wasn’t completely sure on how to continue. A temp sponsor from where I come from helps the newcomer get phone numbers and provides rides to meetings. The steps are for his or her sponsor and him. After reading the posts here I decided to continue to take him to meetings and help him get phone numbers but any step work was not my place to pass on.

As it turns out he didn’t call today anyway. Thanks everyone for your help great experience and advice, really fantastic stuff!!!!!!!

[Tazman53]

Well in my detox they told me to get a sponsor, the guy I asked I guess could tell I was still quite a mess and told me how important a sponsor was and that he would be mine teomporarily and if we decided to make him my sponsor sponsor we would go from there.

Worked out great for both of us, he helped me to stay sober and we did get started on step one, but he traveled to much on his job so I got my present sponsor to take me through the steps. We still talk and have an excellent relationship.

When my sponsee asked me to be his sponsor I handled him the same way my temporary sponsor did me, about a month later he asked me to be his "permanent" sponsor. We will be working step 11 Friday, he has proven to be a true blessing to my sobriety and of the steps.