/ Drug Abuse / Online Support Groups

Advantages and Disadvantages of

Online Sobriety Support Groups
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Written by: Editorial Staff Updated: Dec 20, 2022

Table of Contents

For many years, people had to travel to a predetermined location in order to

attend addiction support group meetings. Today, with the increasing availability of
digital services, these groups can now meet online.

We’ll discuss how virtual support groups work, the pros and cons of online
support groups, and how to get help for you or a loved one that is struggling with
addiction.

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What Is an Online Support Group?

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 Online support groups are meetings or group therapy conducted virtually, either
online or through a mobile app. Whether in-person or online, group therapy and
other support groups are a foundational element of recovery. In these settings,
individuals can find encouragement, support, and community from a network of
people who are going through similar circumstances.

How Do Online Support Groups Work?

Online support groups for addiction function similarly to in-person events. Meeting
times are typically scheduled, like face-to-face sessions, though there are often
more flexible times available. Chat rooms and now even video chat conferences
can be used to hold meetings. Others may use open message boards or Facebook
groups where members can go any time of the day to post questions, share
stories and emotions, and give advice to one another.

12-Step Zoom Meetings

During the Covid pandemic, many 12-step meetings needed to find a way to stay
connected during lockdowns. Like many businesses and schools, NA and AA
meetings started happening remotely, too.

12-Step Zoom meetings continue to be an invaluable resource for many people,

even as the world opens up post Covid. They offer flexibility and greater
accessibility — especially for individuals who may have limited in-person options.
For individuals who are immunocompromised or caring for older folks, online
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 support groups can be an important lifeline to their recovery networks.

Pros of Online Support Groups

There are several benefits of online support groups. They can help people to stay
connected with their online sobriety support networks while traveling, if unable to
attend in-person sessions due to illness or conflicting commitments, or if they
can’t reliably get to a meeting.

The most obvious advantage to online addiction support groups is accessibility.

Though not everyone may have internet access at home, but many public libraries
offer computers and Internet access. For folks who cannot afford home Internet
or a computer, using publicly available resources can help them stay connected.
Particularly, this is important for at-risk communities — especially people
struggling with homelessness. According to the National Alliance to End
Homelessness, one in five homeless individuals is suffering from a substance use
problem.

Other advantages include:

Physical accessibility: People with chronic illness or mobility issues can have
significant trouble leaving the house on a regular basis to get to in-person
meetings. Also, people who live in rural areas may be too far from the location
of these meetings to make them reasonably accessible.

Emotional accessibility: People with social anxiety, agoraphobia, and other

anxiety disorders can feel much safer talking to people online under an
anonymous username. Additionally, people may feel more comfortable sharing
experiences with each other with their peers online than in-person.

Constant availability: Chat rooms and message boards remain open 24 hours
per day, allowing members to ask questions and seek support at any time. If
they are in crisis, they may be able to find advice and somebody who knows
how to help them immediately instead of having to possibly wait days until the
next meeting.

Empowerment: Message boards and Facebook pages are another way that
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 can allow people to work collaboratively, potentially for hours at a time, to
solve problems. This cooperative helps to build relationships, self-esteem,
and positive ownership of one’s issues.

Diversity: Online support groups can offer a wealth of diversity which can
help people feel seen, heard, and accepted. For marginalized groups, such as
women and minority groups, diversity can provide a sense of inclusion and
community.

Safety: In many cultures, substance use or addiction is frowned upon or

completely unacceptable. Not only may addiction support groups not be
available in all areas, but going to a meeting could expose people to
harassment, ostracism, and being disowned by their families.

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Cons of Online Support Group

Though there are plenty of advantages to holding meetings online, for many
people, there is no replacement for face-to-face relationships. There are a lot of
different opinions about online interaction. Studies have been conducted on the
issue with varying results. Some people find that they are much more comfortable
interacting online, while others feel that they can’t make a real connection by
chatting with people.

If they are easily accessible, in-person meetings may very well be a better option
for many people. The opportunity to form a network of people on their sobriety
journey who are going through the same experiences, is an invaluable resource
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 for many While online groups may be right for some, there are some
disadvantages to them as well, including:

Miscommunication: It can be difficult to convey tone in writing — especially

online. People tend to have significantly more misunderstandings when
interacting over the Internet because they can’t hear each other’s tone of
voice or see facial expressions in chat rooms or on social media groups.

Online bullying: Unfortunately, cyberbullying can be a problem in online

forums. While moderators are doing their best to weed out individuals who
harass or bully members, cyberbullying still occurs. People don’t tend to try
this kind of thing at in-person meetings as they would have to deal with
immediate consequences and would not be anonymous.

Misinformation: It’s easy to post links to online articles that may seem
legitimate but are completely wrong, which can be dangerous when it comes
to addiction.

Lack of commitment: Though easy accessibility can be an advantage, it can

also make it harder to form an attachment to the group and the individuals in
it. When a person has to make a time and energy commitment to get to
meetings, it helps make them feel more committed to attending.

Lack of stability: People recovering from addiction need stability. Online

support groups tend to be more subject to changes in leadership and
members, and the disappearance of online friends can be a relapse trigger.
Meeting times may also change more often because it’s easier to do so, and
meetings may be canceled more frequently.

It may be best to try both online and in-person meetings to figure out which
approach fits you best. For many people, using both online and in-person support
combines the best of both worlds and provides a wealth of resources to help
them in their continued recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol.

How to Find an Online Support Group

If you’re not sure how to find an online support group, many groups offer
resources on their websites, as well as mobile apps that can offer even greater
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 access to support networks. Some of these support groups include:

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) provides a robust web-based tool to help connect

to online and telephone meetings. They also have an app that you can
download to locate a meeting near you.

Al-Anon — a support network for families and loved ones of people struggling
with addiction — has meetings across a number of platforms, including Google
Meet, Skype, and their mobile app. You can search for the one that works
best for you on the Al-Anon website.

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) is a support group for the adult children of
individuals who struggled with substance use disorders. Their online calendar
provides times and days for different kinds of online and telephone meetings.

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Addiction can take a heavy toll on your life. With effective treatment and the right
aftercare tools, it is possible to live a rich and rewarding life in recovery. Recovery
First knows that treatment doesn’t end when you leave rehab, and we offer both
virtual and in-person options for you to get the support and encouragement you
need on your recovery journey.

Contact our admissions navigators today at 888-368-6674 to learn more about

our South Florida drug and alcohol rehab. Our navigators can answer your
questions about the admissions process, paying for treatment, and walk you
through signing up for our alumni app — which can help you stay connected to
your recovery community anywhere.

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About The Contributor

Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff, American Addiction Centers

The editorial staff of Recovery First is comprised of addiction content experts from American
Addiction Centers. Our editors and medical reviewers ha … Read More

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