Meeting-based recovery groups shift to online in response to coronavirus concerns
The isolation of staying at home and stress caused by news about the coronavirus can hinder recovery from alcohol and narcotic use, said one addiction expert.
Dr. Cheryl Giscombé, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor of psychiatric and mental health, said, “It’s impacting us mentally — of course depression, anxiety, all of those things. And if people are already susceptible to [substance use] or dealing with that, then isolation can make that worse.”
To help those in recovery, local Alcoholics Anonymous groups have shifted many meetings to online video calls in an effort to maintain support while respecting the social distance guidelines put forth by state government. In the Triangle, information about online meetings can be found at https://www.triangleaahelpline.com/meeting-updates-covid-19-coronavirus/.
Bryan R., the chair of the Tri-County Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous’ public information committee, said he attended four or five in-person meetings weekly before COVID-19 caused widespread closures and social distancing. (Members of Alcoholics Anonymous do not reveal their last names when speaking publicly.)
Even with those policies in place, Bryan said, he is attending a similar number of meetings.
“We’re not meeting in person, generally speaking, but I am still able to attend meetings online and that has been very, very helpful. With the technology that’s been available it’s been nice to see familiar faces,” Bryan said.
Bryan added that the online meetings have typically followed the same format as their in-person counterparts.
Capital Area Narcotics Anonymous, which covers an area from Wake County to Wilson, has also started to hold many of its meetings online. The organization is posting an updated list of video chat information daily at its website, capitalareancna.com. International meetings are available at virtual-na.org.
Joe M., a member of the Capital Area Narcotics Anonymous public relations subcommitee, said there is at least one online meeting daily. Like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous requires that members keep their anonymity.
Joe has been in recovery for 16 years, and said he attends one or two meetings a week. Over time, Joe said, the people attending those meetings become friendly with each other and form a support network.
“Those are the people that help keep us accountable so you don’t have that as much now. That is a concern. People aren’t getting that face-to-face with their support network,” Joe said.
Connecting face-to-face is is important enough to those in recovery that “An addict alone is in bad company” is among the mantras repeated at meetings.
As someone who has avoided using substances for more than 15 years, Joe’s primary way of maintaining that connection is frequently sharing his story at meetings and with those who are new to recovery.
Joe said, “When I get isolated from that reminder, when I’m not around other addicts, when I am not sharing that experience with other addicts, I am at danger of forgetting that I am an addict and that the most important thing in my life needs to be staying clean.”
Giscombé stressed the importance of continuing to attend meetings and work on recovery during stressful times.
“At this point, people need to connect to positive groups, so using technology and having accountability partners that they can call,” Giscombé said. “And then keeping their home safe, so not having things in the home that are going to be challenging.”
It is also important, Giscombé added, for people in recovery to get fresh air when they are able to, such as taking walks outside.
Bryan said the advice he’s received has emphasized going to meetings, having phone conversations with other alcoholics and reading recovery material.
“I know that sobriety in and of itself is a difficult thing to achieve and we all face difficult things in doing that,” Bryan said. “I will say that the hand of AA has always been there for me and continues to be.”
Joe, of Narcotics Anonymous, is more familiar than most with working on his recovery virtually. Several years ago, his sponsor moved out of state, and their weekly 12-step meetings now take place over Facetime instead of in-person.
“Recovery hasn’t changed,” Joe said, “but the vehicles on which we carry the recovery has changed.”
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This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 3:08 PM.