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Online Meetings for AA &
NA
Online meetings for addiction and recovery groups
August 4, 2006
By: Alice Osborn
Online meetings can help those who are trying to recover
from alcoholism, drug abuse, and other addictions. These
web-based meetings make it easier for members to apply
recovery skills, locate more support resources, and learn to
live without their debilitating substance. Two online
recovery organizations are SMART (Self Management and
Recovery Training) Recovery (SMARTRecovery.org)
and
eGetgoing.
SMART Recovery participants receive recovery support
similar to the NA and AA meetings online that proliferate
the Internet, but this organization views addiction as not a
life-long disease, but as a bad habit that can be broken.
Their meetings are free and are facilitated by volunteers
that include text and voice chatting.
On the other hand, eGetGoing is a fee-based recovery
program which encourages anonymity and has a professionally
certified staff that uses the traditional AA 12-step
recovery program, which focuses on how the recovering addict
needs to accept powerlessness and learn to help others in
the same situation. Both programs use
EvoiceCafe chat software for their real-time web
meetings, and eGetGoing offers video meetings
(non-interactive), as well.
How the SMART Recovery meetings work
In the case of the nonprofit organization SMART Recovery,
the scheduled online recovery meetings using voice
conferencing are ninety minutes long and sometimes occur
twice a day. SMART Recovery's chat room meetings are also
scheduled and can either be a general meeting or be a round
table to discuss SMART Recovery recovery methods.
Registration is free, and once your email is provided, it
remains anonymous, since you choose a display nickname.
Here is a sample of an online meeting's agenda (for both
text and voice chat):
- Welcome and check-in -- The volunteer
facilitator welcomes everyone to the meeting and explains
SMART Recovery's philosophy along with general
instructions about the meeting. For instance, a
participant has the choice of joining or not joining the
discussion, but once he or she joins, they cannot
interrupt the speaker who has the floor.
- Agenda and goal setting -- The facilitator
discusses the topics for the meeting, which are generated
from the SMART Recovery Tools Kit, to include the Recovery
4-Point Program, and makes sure enough time is spent
discussing the said topic and that everyone has a chance
to share. Topics include problem solving, tips for
abstaining from the addiction, coping with urges, and
striving for and maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
- Meeting homework and checkout -- Many
facilitators assign worksheets so that the participants
can practice their tool kit and at checkout, participants
who have been silent throughout the meeting may wish to
speak.
The framework for eGetGoing meetings
For three months, these meetings cost participants $399
per month for the biweekly meetings, although some insurance
companies may help cover some of these costs. This includes
twelve months of a weekly aftercare support program at no
extra charge. This ongoing recovery support program normally
costs $50 per month.
With eGetGoing software, participants have a personal
home page which includes a journal and homework assignments
to track the participant's progress and give the meeting
counselor a quick report card. Participants also receive a
headset and microphone for the ninety-minute live support
meeting, which is followed by a half-hour post-chat.
During these meetings, participants can also view a
simulated face-to-face meeting video, can draw on
whiteboards, and can join break-out sessions. The
counselor's image is shown in the upper left hand corner of
the screen and the interactive conference includes yes/no
icons and "ask a question" hands to keep the meeting running
smoothly.
Benefits of online addiction meetings
- Anonymity -- While chat rooms and forums are
vital components of the online addiction meeting model,
hearing and seeing another person going through what you
have been through is more meaningful, and may make a large
difference in your recovery — especially if these meetings
remain anonymous. Many recovering addicts don't want to
run into someone they know at the recovery meeting. Both
SMART Recovery and eGetGoing use member ID/nicknames to
keep participants' emails private.
- Convenience and continuing care -- Participants
can get their recovery support without driving to a
meeting. Although participants must follow the online
meeting's schedule. Live support chats and meetings may
help those participants who don't feel comfortable in a
face-to-face group setting and who feel more comfortable
typing their recovery concerns into a chat box.
These online interactions give participants ample access
to recovery resources, so that once the hard part of their
recovery process is behind them, they can maintain their
progress to achieve their recovery goals.
Today, if you do need to get help for your addiction or
substance abuse, you have options. You can join a
twelve-step online support program or opt for SMART
Recovery's program. The good thing is that many of these
virtual meetings are free and easy to join, and while you're
working on your recovery, you have access to others who are
also trying to recover from their addictions.
About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Web-Conferencing-Zone.com. Your
definitive guide to
web conferencing services,
online collaboration software and
web meetings for business.
Also See: [
Free web
conferencing software solutions that are truly free ]
[ Free web
conferencing solutions for productive online meetings ]
[ Finding the
best news & latest trends about online collaboration software ]
Home Page:
[ Web-Conferencing-Zone.com ]
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