Even in the best of times, everyone has times when they struggle to maintain sobriety. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these times were made easier by the support and encouragement offered by groups of people with similar experiences.
Now that many in-person meetings have been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, you may feel a little lost. But you shouldn’t! There are online support groups to help.
Online Support Groups & Resources
Support Groups Central
Support Groups Central offers group video meetings led by trained facilitators. They cover a wide range of topics including addiction recovery. Most of the meetings are free, although some ask for a voluntary contribution.
They also have 1:1 coaching.
DailyStrength
DailyStrength has many online addiction & recovery support groups. These groups support for people dealing with:
- Prescription and synthetic drug abuse
- Marijuana addiction and recovery
- Cocaine addiction and recovery
- Alcoholism
- Smoking addiction and recovery
- Heroin addiction and recovery
- Meth addiction and recovery
Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous (OIAA)
Alcoholics Anonymous has been around since the first half of the 20th century. It follows a 12-step program based on spiritual principles.
Through the Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous has a list of online meetings you can attend, and if you can’t find one that suits you, they also provide a list of best practices for hosting your own online meeting. They also have a private Facebook group.
If you’ve never been to a meeting before, OIAA has many online resources available to guide you as you decide whether or not it’s the right choice for you.
Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART)
SMART Recovery has also taken its cognitive behavioral therapy approach to recovery online. It offers a four-point program designed to help you find the motivation to change, cope with your urges, manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and live a balanced lifestyle.
There are an online community and SMART online meetings you can go to for support.
Loosid
Loosid is a sobriety and recovery app that provides a number of features, ranging from chat groups to sober dating. The app is designed to create a community of people who are looking for ways to have fun without alcohol.
They also have six hotlines answered by community members that are available 24/7. The hotlines address your urges, handle bad days, early recovery advice, recent relapse, weekend/holiday issues, and times when you just need help. Community members are there to listen, provide support, and let you know what’s worked for them in similar situations.
LifeRing
LifeRing is a secular group that focuses on self-empowerment. Therefore, they aim to empower your Sober Self through support and advice from a community with similar experiences.
They have online meetings, email groups, and a forum to help you maintain sobriety. They also have a program called ePals, for people who are new to sobriety or LifeRing and aren’t sure whether or not they want to join.
The program will connect you with a LifeRing member who can provide support and answer questions via email.
Club Soda
Club Soda, champions of the “Mindful Drinking Movement,” is a mindfulness-based online community for people looking to drink less, take a break from alcohol, or stop drinking entirely.
They have a free course called “How to Change Your Drinking” that is designed to provide an introduction to their approach. In addition to paid courses like How to Stop Drinking, they provide access to an exclusive Facebook group for support.
Women for Sobriety (WFS)
Women for Sobriety is an organization dedicated to helping women stay sober. Their approach is based on internalizing 13 Acceptance Statements to change your thinking. Members wake up 15 minutes early to review each of the statements before choosing one to focus on for the day.
They have an online community, phone support, and a private peer-to-peer support group on Facebook called New Life Connection.
Tempest
Tempest is a group coaching program to help you maintain your sobriety. They say their 8-week program is “proven to reduce the severity of symptoms of an alcohol use disorder, anxiety, and depression.” You can access their library of free resources and join their program and participate in their online community.
The program costs $547 but they offer partial scholarships for “people from communities disproportionately affected by addiction, and who have typically been less represented within traditional recovery spaces.”
Find What Works for You at Silicon Beach Treatment Center
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so you’ll have to look around and see what works for you. But with the increasing number of online resources available for people seeking to maintain their sobriety, you should be able to find a great fit.
And for those in need of more intensive support, Silicon Beach Treatment Center can help. We offer intensive and high-quality substance abuse treatment, giving those suffering from addiction the ability to regain their health, relationships, and independence.
For more information, contact us today.
HealthNet now accepted!
