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Reddit is an American social platform used to share news, rate content, and discuss different topics of interest. Users can submit content onto the site such as links, text posts, images, and videos. These can then be voted up or down and commented on by other Reddit users.
Keep reading to find out more about Reddit, the ‘Stop Drinking’ subreddit, and how to get truly effective treatment for alcohol no matter where you reside in the US!
On Reddit, there is a subreddit titled /r/stopdrinking, which deems itself a “support group in your pocket!” The forum’s goal is building a community for those struggling with alcohol abuse and addiction to support them in controlling or stopping their drinking.
The subreddit welcomes anyone interested in being a part of the community, whether through sharing their experiences and personal struggles, or even just encouraging others who are trying to limit their alcohol use.
The only rule is that individuals only post when they are sober, and to keep negative or potentially triggering commentary out of the forum. This is mainly in place to help keep the forum as welcoming and positive as possible.
Social media platforms, including Reddit, have become one of the main ways people interact with the world every single day. Social media has even been found to have an effect on people’s daily behavior, as well as their attitudes toward health.
With this, there has been considerable debate around the use of social media for assisting in recovery and addiction. Although there is still a significant stigma surrounding substance use disorders, addiction has now become understood as being a disease of the brain.
For those affected by this condition, their behavior has less to do with a moral or ethical inability to quit using, but rather a chemical imbalance in their brain that makes it feel almost impossible to stop these self-destructive habits.
With this new definition and understanding of addiction as a serious medical condition, many people have been able to overcome the shame that has caused them to avoid seeking help and carried them into self-isolation.
Much of this has been done through social media, such as the /r/stopdrinking subreddit. Through finding a massive community of people struggling just like them, many people struggling with and recovering from addiction have found great help online.
While this subreddit can certainly be a helpful tool for finding encouragement and like-minded individuals on your journey to sobriety, it may not be enough to help you overcome your alcohol abuse and addiction on its own.
There are a lot of factors that go into addiction recovery, many of which will require professional treatment and intervention in order to be properly addressed.
This can include the mental health repercussions of addiction and recovery, as well as various uncomfortable and potentially dangerous physical side effects that may occur during alcohol withdrawal.
Unfortunately, with their many positive attributes, social media platforms may not always be a safe space when it comes to serious mental and physical health issues. Essentially, the internet acts as a virtual gathering spot for people of all different backgrounds, mindsets, and beliefs.
This means that you may be exposed to people who may not view your struggles with addiction the same way, and may create a negative and harmful environment where you are attempting to find support in your recovery.
In fact, there are many people who use the internet specifically as their tool to cause harm and spread negativity. This includes promoting and glamorizing substance use, which can be a dangerous trigger for those in recovery from addiction.
There is also such a thing as an Internet addiction, which often occurs alongside depression, anxiety, and other substance use disorders and addictions.
Over time, social media itself can become an addiction, leading to hours spent mindlessly scrolling through videos and forums and obsessing over other people’s glamorized lives.
This is known as a process addiction, or an addiction to non-substance things, but which still activates the brain’s reward system. In many cases, a process addiction can cause the same type of reaction in the brain as would be produced by abusing drugs or alcohol.
Upon scrolling through the /r/stopdrinking reddit forum, there are several pros and cons that can be noticed in terms of the use of this page for sober support.
For starters, there are a lot of users who participate in the forum, many of which choose to share their own experiences with getting sober in hopes of encouraging others to do the same.
Some people even share before and after pictures of themselves, providing visual proof of their physical and emotional progress after quitting alcohol. This can be a great source of motivation for those looking to start their own recovery journey.
Of course, there were also a few posts about people giving up or backtracking on their choice to become sober. While this is a very real part of recovery for many people, it can also be triggering and disheartening to those who are considering getting help for their addiction.
Overall, while this subreddit can be a great source of inspiration and support when starting your journey to sobriety, there are some risks involved, as well. If you are considering using this forum, it may be a good idea to also have other recovery tools and resources available to you.
If you prefer to receive support primarily through online resources, then Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) chats may be a good service for you to check out. This platform is designed to help those recovering from alcohol abuse and addiction access AA resources in an entirely online format.
The AA chat rooms provide a safe and supportive space for AA members, as well as any individual with a history of alcoholism, to connect with and support each other. This is a highly inclusive tool, open to anyone looking to quit drinking, even if they are not actively AA members.
Alcoholics Anonymous also has several virtual and telephone meeting options available to those with limited transportation methods, or who simply do not wish to attend one of their meetings in person.
While having a community of individuals to rely on for emotional support and advice is an essential part of your recovery journey, so too is receiving physical care. This is why alcohol treatment is often far more extensive and intensive than it may initially be assumed.
This is because alcohol can be an extremely dangerous substance to withdraw from, particularly for those with severe dependencies on this substance. Some of the most common treatment options used to help these individuals overcome alcohol addiction include:
With that being said, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for addiction. What works for someone else may not work for you. This is why it is important that you find a facility or treatment provider that is capable of addressing all of your care needs in an effective way.
It may be helpful to speak with your doctor or an addiction specialist, such as the Rehabs Of Armerica recovery representatives, when attempting to narrow down what options will work best for your recovery from alcohol abuse and addiction.
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol, know that you are not alone, and help IS available. At Rehabs Of Armerica, our hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to connect you with recovery tools and resources, anytime you need them.
We can help you find alcohol detox and treatment that can address all of your personal care needs. So don’t wait; call now, and we will take the first step on your recovery journey with you, where you can become a happier, healthier, and sober you!
Edward lives and works in South Florida and has been a part of its recovery community for many years. With a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts, he works to help Find Addiction Rehabs as both a writer and marketer. Edward loves to share his passion for the field through writing about addiction topics, effective treatment for addiction, and behavioral health as a whole. Alongside personal experience, Edward has deep connections to the mental health treatment industry, having worked as a medical office manager for a psychiatric consortium for many years.
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