You’ve gone through the most challenging aspect of recovery – your formal treatment program – but now what? You may be packing up your bags, ready to go home, but if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that recovery doesn’t stop when you leave your treatment program. In fact, your journey towards greater healing and restoration has only begun – and now is the time to use everything you’ve learned in treatment towards real-life situations you will encounter from day-to-day.
It was once stated,
“As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.”
In many cases, connecting with other people can bring us a bountiful amount of joy and hope for the future – and even if it’s not always in person, online connections can make a world of difference, too.
The Increased Use of Technology for Recovery Support
Technology has become much more prominent in the addiction recovery field as numerous apps have been made to support people in their journey. For health alone, there are nearly 318,000 apps – with more than 200 health apps being added each day. Last year, CNet – a website that publishes information related to the best products, their reviews, “how-to” videos and more, explained that the driving factor for people in addiction recovery is social support – and receiving this through both in-person and social media platforms, a person will be set.
Peter Ruderman, a psychoanalyst in St. Louis, stated,
“The key to sobriety is relationships. People go to 12-Step programs seeking relationships, and they get tremendous support from the group.”
In addition to attending these types of incredibly helpful meetings, those in recovery may wish to utilize mobile applications to access entire networks of people whom they can get to know and support throughout recovery. Whereas some people in recovery may battle “unhealthy isolation”, others can break this gap by getting to know people in post-treatment recovery groups as well as through online databases.
Apps for a Stronger Recovery
Earlier this year, Healthline, a website that often talks about a variety of health topics, listed their top apps for addiction recovery:
- Twenty-Four Hours a Day: This app does cost $5.99, but provides daily meditations and allows you to save, go back and favorite the ones that resonate with you most.
- AlcoDroid Alcohol Tracker: Costing $3.49 per item, this app includes a blood alcohol content (BAC) calculator and helps individuals track their alcohol consumption.
- 12-Steps Companion: Considered one of the most comprehensive sobriety tools available, this app features a Big Book reader, a search tool, a sobriety database and more.
- I Am Sober: Those in addiction recovery can track their sober days and milestones, build new habits and receive constant motivation from a group of people who want to help them succeed.
The Success of Addiction Recovery Apps
A 2018 study titled, “Technology and Social Media Use Among Patients Enrolled in Outpatient Addiction Treatment Programs: Cross-Sectional Survey Study” assessed addiction recovery app use amongst 259 individuals; 70% of these people indicated a preference for wanting to use a relapse prevention app on their phone. The study found that many people believed these apps were incredibly supportive to receive information on recovery or prevent relapse. Online support groups were also found to be favored amongst those in recovery, especially through a Facebook support group, through text messages sent every day or through an app on their phone.
A few years ago, Forbes Magazine highlighted Sober Grid founder Beau Mann, who created the app as a way for people in the addiction recovery community to connect with one another. Mann understood just how difficult it could be for those in recovery to find a strong group for support – and so in addition to attending 12-Step programs and other recovery-related in-person meetings, individuals can benefit from apps such as this to propel them on their recovery journey. Beau stated:
“I started Sober Grid because I saw an important, but at the time unmet, need for people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction to find and connect with their peers. I entered recovery at the age of 23, and I have relied on the support I received from sober peers to achieve and maintain my sobriety.”
Even for people who may be shy or afraid to step out into the social networking world, addiction recovery apps can boost a person’s confidence by allowing them to “dip their toes” in getting to know other people.
Jumpstart Your Recovery Today
If you’re ready to seek help from a team of people who truly care about your health and wellbeing, speak with a professional from Cumberland Heights today. It’s never too late to ask for help – and with many opportunities to meet other people, especially through 12-Step programs, you’ll be well on your way to developing a strong support system for healing and restoration.
Cumberland Heights is a nonprofit alcohol and drug addiction treatment center located on the banks of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. On a sprawling 177-acre campus, we are made up of two 12-Step immersion campuses, 12 outpatient recovery centers and 4 sober living homes. We believe that each person has a unique story to tell – and that’s why we always put the patient first. For more information, call 1-800-646-9998 today.
