As COVID-19 reached its peak, countries across the world entered national lockdowns leaving individuals battling drug and alcohol addictions unable to attend recovery meetings, leave their homes, see their loved ones or seek the vital support that they need.
In the United Kingdom, it has been reported that over 500,000 people are alcohol independent. Meanwhile, over 300,000 people are currently suffering from drug addictions. With an increasing number of the general public-facing drug and alcohol-related addictions, support for out-patients has been forced to adjust.
Regardless of whether you have previously completed in-patient treatment or typically obtain out-patient care, you may find yourself concerned that the support available to you is now non-existent.
You may even believe that your long-term recovery and sobriety will be compromised. This may cause you further distress, especially if you are worried that you may relapse.
While some measures have started to relax, the ability to seek face-to-face professional help for addictions has remained somewhat limited. However, it should be noted that there are several online resources for recovery that can be accessed. These resources include online therapy sessions, support groups and addiction recovery apps.
At Cassiobury Court, we have rounded up our top online resources for addiction recovery during the coronavirus pandemic.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Although face-to-face Alcoholics Anonymous meetings may have had to pause, for the time being, that does not mean that support is unavailable for those recovering from alcohol addictions.
Understanding that sobriety support is paramount, Alcoholics Anonymous members have launched online meetings that can be joined by those in recovery across the country.
The meetings are typically carried out over Zoom and last for one hour and 30 minutes. As always, the meetings enable those in their recovery to share their stories and also listen to other people’s experiences with alcohol and sobriety.
Understanding that those in recovery need support at various times of the day and often cannot determine when they are likely to heavily rely on the support available to them, Alcoholics Anonymous hosts a 24-hour marathon meeting every single day. Location-specific meetings are also held every day of the week.
SMART Recovery
Similarly to Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery has ensured that individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addictions can continue to access online sobriety support by hosting virtual meetings.
These meetings help build and maintain motivation, provide support to cope with any urges that may arise and offer a helping hand when it comes to managing thoughts, behaviours and feelings that are likely to be encountered throughout recovery and sobriety.
Regardless of whether you are recovering for a drug or alcohol addiction, you can access SMART recovery meetings on a daily basis. National meetings are provided every morning for individuals across the country to join. There are also numerous meetings held for specific towns and cities throughout the week. If you would prefer to join one of these meetings, it is highly recommended that you visit the SMART Recovery website to determine the days and times that meetings are held in advance.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotic Anonymous has also provided several online resources for recovery during Coronavirus. These include Zoom meetings for particular topics such as illness in recovery and strength and hope in recovery.
Meetings also boast guest speakers that are on hand to share their personal experiences with drugs and sobriety. This can provide essential inspiration and motivation to encourage those in recovery to continue their journey to sobriety even when they feel that they are unable to do so.
Each meeting lasts for approximately one hour; however, some are slightly longer.
To find an online meeting that is suitable for you, visit the Narcotics Anonymous website. There you will find a schedule for all of the meetings that are available each day of the week.
Recovery Apps
In addition to the various online meetings that are held across the country, there are several addiction recovery apps that can be downloaded and taken advantage of. These apps provide online sobriety support and provide those in recovery with the opportunity to connect with others that also require support.
Understanding that dealing with addiction and sobriety on your own can often seem impossible, many of the addiction recovery apps that are available focus on providing a community support group. This enables users to talk to others, seek support and share their recovery stories. At a time where face-to-face meetings are unable to continue, this community support is imperative.
The majority of addiction recovery apps offer various features to help individuals in recovery fulfil and meet their sobriety goals. These features include, but are not limited to; milestone trackers, daily pledges, built-in goals, motivational messages, peer coaching and recordings provided by guest speakers that want to share their stories with others.
We have researched and compiled a list of the applications that we would highly recommend below;
- I Am Sober
- Pocket Rehab: Sobriety Time
- Nomo – Sobriety Clocks
- Sober Time – Sobriety Counter
- Turn – Addiction Recovery
- Sober Grid – Social Network
- Days – Sobriety Counter
- SoberTool – Addiction Recovery
Contact Us If You Need Additional Support
At Cassiobury Court, we continue to ensure that our services are available to those suffering from drug or alcohol addictions. We have implemented many measures to protect the health and safety of our in-patients and staff throughout the pandemic.
Regardless of the addiction you are recovering from and the sobriety support you may require, we are confident that the above resources for addiction recovery during Coronavirus can assist you.
However, if you have used any of the above online resources for recovery during coronavirus and still believe that your addiction recovery may be compromised, we would encourage you to reach out to us by giving us a call on 01923 369 161.
At a time that you may feel most alone and isolated, we are here to support you.
From seeking our advice to simply lending a listening ear, we will do everything in our power to ensure that your sobriety journey continues.
