This post was originally published on January 19, 2016.
The fiery debate over whether AA works or should be the go-to treatment modality for floundering alcoholics and addicts rages on in both the mainstream and recovery-centered consciousness. As I’ve written about repeatedly, with more and more resources just a Google search away, it’s becoming increasingly clear that AA isn’t the only viable treatment option for those looking to stay sober.
Most of us have heard of other options like SMART Recovery, outpatient programs that teach cognitive behavioral therapy, and even the occasional ingestion of ayahuasca or ibogaine to get you sorted out. But the internet is also a viable tool to help people quit.
We’ve already written about Soberistas and Hello Sunday Morning. But there’s another forum that’s helping drinkers get their shit together, and it’s on an unexpected site.
Reddit.
That’s Right, We Said Reddit
Reddit is a lot of things. It’s a place to get tips on how to buy guns or drugs on the Dark Net, it’s a place where heroin users lament their track marks, and it’s a place where arguably the meanest trolls on earth can suck the spirit out of you with one searing jab.
(One of my own stories was upvoted under the subreddit r/SlutJustice. In addition to calling me an old slut and a human fleshlight, the user behind the upvote said my writing was a bunch of word salad.)
In short, there are very few rules and censorship on Reddit. Up until 2012 they even had a child pornography subreddit, which, thankfully, was finally vetoed.
Sifting through all the subreddits you’ll come across everything from r/RoastMyCar, r/ThomastheDankEngine, r/CrappyDesign and r/CircleJerk—where you can find a picture of a weird-looking goat with the caption “Test Goat—Please Ignore.”
Among the ridiculousness, you can also find solid support forums for things like cancer, parenting, depression, gardening, sewing, and yes, getting sober.
From AA to r/StopDrinking
The subreddit r/StopDrinking has 32,428 subscribers, and most of them check into the forum many times each month. (This number, of course, doesn’t include the many folks who stop by to check it out—like me—or comment.) Reading threads and commenting seems to be proving successful for many people, mainly because of the peer-to-peer support taking place, an aspect of AA that even AA’s critics say works.
“It’s the fellowship factor that’s effective,” addiction researcher at Harvard Medical School John Kelly told the Washington Post about this r/StopDrinking subreddit. “There’s accountability and monitoring over time. There’s 24/7 support. There’s cheerleading. It’s incredibly valuable, especially early on.”
The forum works almost like a meeting, with members checking in each day and sharing their sober time. They also can receive cyber-badges for all the days they’ve spent on the wagon. In 24/7 chatroom, members get immediate help in a pinch when they might feel tempted to relapse.
But, you may ask, what about in-person support or fellowship?
Well, r/StopDrinking has accounted for that too with their subreddit r/SDlocal. This forum is filled with posts from users all over the globe looking to create an SD in their city or country. Right now, the pickings are slim—there’s no StopDrinking subreddit for Los Angeles, but there is one for New York City (r/SDNYC).
On r/SDNYC, subscribers ask if others would like to get together just to hang out informally. Some want suggestions on decent AA meetings or quitting drinking without AA, and others ask about what SMART meetings might be good. With just 79 subscribers, the subreddit is obviously in the beta stage, but who’s to say that with a little more time this forum can’t explode just like r/StopDrinking?
This could definitely change the recovery game.
Thank You, Technology
For some reason, r/StopDrinking remains positive, lacking acerbic pro-AA or anti-AA rants, which is kind of shocking since it’s on Reddit where anything often goes. But it’s also very encouraging for us alcoholics and addicts. The information age has helped educate and spread awareness on oh-so many fronts (and also led to a bazillion cat videos and wonky quizzes), so maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that there are places where it can simply help one alcoholic talk to another.
Let’s all just hope the guys from r/CircleJerks don’t start trolling r/StopDrinking by posting more weird goat pics.
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