Online Recovery Meetings & Chat Rooms
Online recovery meetings can help you keep in touch with your support group so you can safely connect and work together during COVID-19. Learn the benefits and how it works.
Online Recovery Meetings & Chat Rooms
Organize and Attend Online Recovery Meetings from Anywhere at Anytime
Due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), social distancing has made it necessary for people to avoid in-person events like addiction recovery meetings. You may be staying at home to help your community, protect your family, or because you’re sick or caring for a loved one.
Whatever the reason, it doesn’t have to get in the way of your recovery. Free online recovery meetings can help you keep in touch with your support group so you can safely work together to stay sober.
Features & Benefits
Flexibility.
There is an online recovery meeting for every day of the week and most times of day, so it’s usually easy to get something that fits your schedule.
Anonymity.
Staying anonymous helps people support each other without fear of judgment. Online meetings held in video and chat rooms can be completely anonymous with made-up screen names you choose.
Convenience.
Online recovery meetings can happen anywhere with a stable internet connection. You can be at home or traveling abroad and still attend your meeting.
Comfort.
For many, attending a meeting from the safety of their own home can make the recovery process more comfortable. Others may enjoy not having to commute to their meetings.
A wider network.
In-person meetings are sometimes limited in size and location. Online support groups help you access new people and perspectives you may not get locally.
Access to specific topics.
Online recovery meetings can bring people together for targeted meetings for women, veterans, LGBTQ+ people, adolescents, speakers of different languages, families of addicts and more.
What to Expect
Many of the things you can expect from in-person recovery meetings still apply when it’s online. Joining a support group and attending meetings regularly can help you:
- Feel encouraged. Hearing other people’s similar experiences with addiction and recovery and telling your own story can bring you hope and comfort during the process.
- Be accountable. Seeing your peers each week can instill more responsibility for your actions than going through recovery alone.
- Cope with challenges. People in recovery can give you practical tools and helpful advice to cope with life’s challenges.
- Grow relationships. Support groups are a place to make new friends, build trust and get a fresh start with people who are rooting for your lifelong recovery.
A Great Solution For...
Online AA Meetings
Online AA support groups, just like in-person ones, follow a 12-step program to recover from alcohol addiction. Some of these steps include admitting a lack of control, recognizing a higher power, self-reflection and making amends.
Smart Recovery Online Meetings
Smart Recovery online meetings are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy in a 4-point program. These meetings help people understand their own behavior and thought processes to change their actions moving forward.
NA Online Meetings
Also using a 12-step program, Nar-Anon online meetings are designed for people addicted to narcotics and drugs in general.
How It Works
Many online recovery meetings use video conference calls so members can see and hear each other over the internet. Video conferences allow for more non-verbal communication than a phone call, which can help you better connect with fellow attendees. Participants can also choose whether they’re seen or not and can mute themselves if they desire. Some programs also offer chat room texting options to use when the internet connection isn’t stable.
For those who may not be comfortable with computers or the internet, meeting online can seem intimidating or stressful. Thankfully, people host online addiction recovery meetings on many platforms and websites. There’s a good chance you’ll find a program you’re comfortable with.
For example, The Recovery Village Recovery Room app is easy to use, free and anonymous for up to 50 attendees. To host a meeting, you’d follow these steps:
1. SIGN UP
Answer a few questions about yourself and the time and date you’d like to schedule.
2. TELL EVERYONE
Share the provided meeting link with your attendees through email, text or any other method you’d like.
3. JOIN THE GROUP
Everyone clicks the link at the desired time to enter their meeting.
FAQs
Questions? Here are some frequently asked questions.
The Recovery Village Recovery Room app is free to use. You will never be asked for payment information.
Group sizes are limited to 50 attendees on video, including the host.
The Recovery Village Recovery Room app can be used for any online drug and alcohol recovery meetings, including AA, NA, SMART Recovery, Al-anon and more.
There is no limit to the number of meetings you can host free of charge.
Information shared on the app is protected by HIPAA privacy regulations and encrypted. Just like in-person meetings, attendees have a responsibility to keep anything they hear in an online meeting confidential. By using the app, you’ve agreed not to share others’ information.
You can join meetings using a laptop or desktop computer, mobile phone or tablet using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari. The device should have a connected camera and a microphone.
The Recovery Village Recovery Room app is available for international hosts or participants, however the app complies with U.S. HIPAA regulations and confidentiality laws. Other countries may have different privacy regulations that may or may not apply to using this app.
Many addiction support group organizations also offer search tools to find online meetings using different platforms. Here are a few:
- Al-Anon Electronic Meetings (video conference calls, VoIP and phone)
- Nar-Anon Family Groups Forum (forum only)
- Online Service Area Of Cocaine Anonymous (email and VoIP only)
- Marijuana Anonymous Find a Meeting (video conference calls, voice, chat rooms and phone)
- Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) Meeting Directory (video conference calls and VoIP)
- Smart Recovery Online Meetings & Events (video conference calls, VoIP and chat rooms)
Some locator apps for local addiction recovery meetings, like SoberMap, also offer online meetings in their search, so they can be a good resource to check.
Organize an Online Recovery Meeting
Many addiction treatment programs make attending a support group a mandatory part of an aftercare plan because of the numerous benefits for those in recovery from addiction. If your circumstances make it difficult or impossible to attend an in-person meeting, online recovery meetings can be the solution that helps you commit to lifelong wellbeing.
If your regular support group can no longer meet in person due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, The Recovery Village Recovery Room app can help.
Host a meeting online for a convenient, free and anonymous solution.
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Advanced Recovery Systems, LLC is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official websites for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous can be found at https://www.aa.org/ and https://www.na.org/. Information communicated via this telehealth platform by Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous is not intended to be medical advice by Advanced Recovery Systems, LLC. We ask that all participants using the site be considerate and respectful and to refrain from demeaning, discriminatory or harassing behavior and speech. Please be mindful of your surroundings and fellow participants. This platform is not a 911 or emergency service. Do not use this site to report events presenting an immediate threat to life. If you require emergency assistance, please contact your local authorities.
