With this new Corona Virus global outbreak, 12-Step meetings are being forced to close, as their venues are shutting down temporarily. Around the world, countries, states and municipalities are closing down in whole or in part. forcing places of even small gatherings to shut their doors.

The effects of this new threat event will visit the economics at every level of our lives, from corporate earnings to the family income. Jobs will be lost, at least for a while, and standards of living will change for so many. Panic will set in where panic can, as we humans are, after all, survivors and hold the basic DNA of hunter-gatherers. We must all learn calmness and patience, as this pandemic is expected to be quite temporary. Things will return to normal.

However, for the alcoholic and drug addict, this situation could be as deadly as the virus is proving be to the aged and the infirm. Much of the recovering population has achieved sobriety with the aid of the 12-Step programs, and they depend on the daily to weekly meetings for survival, as much as the diabetic is dependent on insulin.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Natrcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and all the many other “Aonomymouses” provide a daily reprieve from the urge to drink and/or drug, while lending to help establish a new sober lifestyle that promotes long-term, sustainable recovery for the millions who seek that. Instantly removing this valuable service leaves the addicted, especially the newer members, without that important lifeline.

There is a solution.

While so many meetings will temporarily close, and as so many people are limiting even local travel or are quarantined, operating from home becomes the best credible solution. Over the last 20 years or so, the 12-Step community has established many online meeting venues. These online meetings take the forms of email-based and voice/video-based. Both forms are very useful. Some meetings are specific to a certain 12-Step organization while others serve all “A’s”.

Here are a few examples of online meeting resources:

Alcoholics Anonymous: http://aa-intergroup.org/directory.php

Narcotics Anonymous: https://www.neveraloneclub.org/

Cocaine Anonymous: https://www.ca-online.org/

Multi-Step Forums: https://www.intherooms.com/

And, there are many more out there. Just do a search for “online recovery meetings” or be more specific, then scroll past the ads to get to the organic results. Check out a few until you see some that interest you and try them out. You will find that new “home within your home”.

The appeal of the 12-Step online meeting stemmed from those who have no local face-to-face meetings, those who are home-bound, and those who have a feeling, real or perceived, that they should not be seen in a “public” recovery place. Therefore, these online venues are a perfect fit for this Corona Virus outbreak.

We are all in this together. People are safely helping however they can.

You can help those in need, even if you don’t know them personally, by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you can. The share buttons are below this post.

Also, if you have any other ideas about how people can access recovery from home, please feel free to comment in the section below. Your ideas may keep someone clean and sober today or tomorrow.

If you are in crisis

If you feel the need, please feel free to reach out to me to talk, or for an accessible rehab referral. I can help you. Contact me here or call (413) 221-6805.

Thanks,

Dave