Here is a brief history of Sober Companions and Recovery Coaches – (Paraphrased from Wikipedia)
In 1984, the rock group Aerosmith was attempting a comeback; but it was not working, just as their newest album Back in the Saddle was not climbing the charts. There were a lot of things that were not working for Aerosmith. Among them, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler, the in-the-spotlight front men for the group, are referred to as the “Toxic Twins” for their heroin habits and other damaging behaviors both on and off the stage. (George-Warren & Romanowski, 2001). In fact, the entire band was heavily drinking and/or engaging in large amounts of drug use.
That summer, while touring for the new album, co-manager David Krebs hired a psychiatrist (with some expertise in drug & alcohol addictions and treatment) to tour with the band. After a month or so, the doctor claimed the band was “un-fixable” – Krebs soon left the band. Aerosmith denied drugs were dragging down the tour and the album sales. (Aerosmith and Davis, 1997). The band pointed their fingers outward, blaming everyone and everything else for their problems. During that time the band had changed record labels from CBS Records to Arista Records, and hired Tim Collins to manage the band (Aerosmith & Davis 1997).
Tim Collins told the group that in order to survive and continue their success they would need to get sober, claiming that if they stopped using alcohol and drugs, he could take them “platinum” again (George –Warren & Romanowski, 2001). Band members Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton both became sober, and by the fall of 1986, Steven Tyler went to an in-treatment drug rehabilitation center, followed by Joe Perry. By the end of 1986, the final band member Brad Whitford had accepted sobriety. Even so, a new era of recovery support had begun. Sober Companions became an important form of support especially to persons in high risk situations or those under contract to perform. Each of the band members had numerous occasions where recovery coaches, sober travel companions and others were integral to their daily decisions and actions…
The need for experienced and credentialed sober companions and recovery coaches is very real, and you may never know it but these recovery and treatment professionals have greatly impacted the course of success within the lives of many prominent actors, actresses, musicians and professional athletes…not to mention the many, many other lives they have impacted!
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