Recovery Resources
We understand that making in-person recovery meetings can be challenge with busy schedules. These online groups are a great resource that can be joined from your comfort zone.
The Online Intergroup aids its member groups in their common purpose of carrying the AA message to the alcoholic who still suffers. | |
Electronic meetings, like all Al‑Anon meetings, offer help and hope to anyone who is affected by alcoholism in a family member or friend. Electronic Al‑Anon meetings agree to abide by the spirit of the Twelve Traditions. Each Al‑Anon member is responsible for keeping the meeting focused on Al‑Anon recovery and discussion of Al‑Anon related topics. | |
In the Rooms is an online global recovery community that offers 24-hour meetings of all different kinds as well as a huge network of people in recovery. | |
Faces and Voices of Recovery offers resources, support, and access to recovery literature | |
Our meetings, whether in person or online, consist of addicts using their Sober Self to connect with the Sober Self of other addicts. We share advice, understanding, and encouragement. We focus primarily on our current lives, not on the hurts and damages of the past. | |
NA teleconference meetings are a wonderful addition to a well-rounded recovery platform, can serve as life-saving outreach and are a great way to expand your support network nationally or even internationally. | |
We are a group of Narcotics Anonymous with daily online meetings where those seeking recovery can chat 24/7 for support and fellowship. | |
Welcome to a growing community of motivated individuals who will support and inspire you along your journey. We are here to help. | |
Recovery Dharma Online organizes daily meetings accessible via computer, smartphone, or dial-in. Together we meditate, study Buddhist teachings, and support each other on our paths to sobriety and peace. | |
SHE RECOVERS® is an international movement of women in or seeking healing from substance use disorders, other behavioral health issues, and a myriad of life experiences. | |
Self-Management, And Recovery Training (SMART) is a global community of mutual support groups. | |
Bringing Narcotics Anonymous Meetings to Remote or Isolated Addicts from around the world who may, for whatever reason, be unable to attend a local face to face meetings. |
FAMILY
Actions to take for those with an addicted loved one
1. Get Educated
Two books to start with:
Get Your Loved One Sober- Robert Myers
Love First – Jeff Jay and Deborah Jay
Don’t like reading? Take a course or watch videos:
Pleasure Unwoven & Memo to Self are great places to start. Both are available on www.vimeo.com
Take a course on Community Reinforcement And Family Training (CRAFT) at www.cadenceonline.com
RecoveryAnswers.org – Dr. John Kelly is a Harvard researcher who studies recovery. The site has great science but is geared towards readability.
Center for Motivation and Change
http://the20minuteguide.com/
https://drugfree.org/landing-page/get-help-support/how-do-i-help-my-child/
The Surgeon General's Report
Williamwhitepapers.com – Wonderful history and writings about the modern recovery movement.
Stop Talking Dirty - The Language of Substance Use has changed.
Rather than saying "Addict/Alcoholic" - We are talking about Substance Use Disorders and using person first language. Ie. I have a loved one with a substance use disorder, or I have a loved on who is in Recovery. Many families feel great shame and stigma around their loved one's substance use. This is unhelpful to their recovery or the family's sanity. Your loved one has a health condition, in many cases a bad one. Let's figure out how to treat it.
The Term Substance Use Disorder better represents the spectrum of challenges with substances, which range from mild to severe. At all levels, substance use should be addressed and treated.
2. Get Support
Individual counseling is often very helpful for families as they navigate very difficult circumstances.
12 step groups such as Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, and Families Anonymous offer mutual aid support to families.
Additionally, SMART Recovery offers online family meetings.
Northstar Community is a Christian community that focuses on recovery. It is an open and accepting, un-churchy church.
Celebrate Recovery is a Christian based recovery program, which is used by many faith communities of different denominations.
3. Get Naloxone
Naloxone is a drug that reverses opioid overdoses. If your loved one is using opioids, getting yourself and your loved one access to this life-saving drug is essential. Free Trainings are available periodically, and the drug can be purchased from most pharmacies. The drug also goes by the trade name Narcan. The drug is covered by insurance with a physician's prescription; however, a prescription is not required to purchase4. Arm yourself with resources
Unfortunately, there are insufficient resources in our community to treat all the people who need treatment. Families who can educate themselves on the most effective resources have the greatest chance of getting their loved one into effective treatment. While this post will not include suggestions about individual facilities or providers, it is worth finding several people who have “no skin in the game” to get some recommendations from or find an interventionist whose job it is to know these resources.
Get to know treatment and recovery resources – Resources to explore include:
Inpatient Detox
Intensive Outpatient
Short-Term Residential Treatment (Less than 30 days)
Long Term Residential Treatment (60 days or more)
Outpatient physicians
Recovery Housing
Continuing Care Support
Recovery Community Organizations
Know what you can afford
If residential treatment is needed, find out what if anything is covered by insurance. Here are some tips for finding treatment.
Always ask, what is the maximum out of pocket expense? Try to get as much as you can in writing.
Talk to your insurance company, try to get treatment pre-approved. Find out what they cover.
Grill the Residential Facilities – You are spending a lot of money on treatment, ask questions.
What is the average length of stay?
What do you do to connect them with follow up support?
Do you provide continuing care support? What are your outcomes?
Do most clients step down into recovery houses?
How is the family involved in treatment? Do you have a family program?
What is your facility’s particular strength? Why is my loved one a good fit?
What other facilities would you suggest that I look at for my loved one?
Listen – A few things to look for:
Do they really treat addiction as a chronic illness? This means long-term treatment. If they are a 30-day provider, what do they do to match the patient with long term support? What do they suggest if there is a return to use?
Clinical Humility - If they say they do everything, chances are that they may not be particularly good at anything. If they are able to identify the things that they do particularly well (Ie. We are really good with young adults, or professionals, or trauma, etc.), and it matches the need for your loved one that is good. If they don’t have contacts at other facilities, beware.
They should offer support to families, and it should be free.
They should have clear and meaningful outcomes, and if they don’t they should admit it. They should be able to send you a document that outlines their outcomes and their methods of measuring them. Treatment providers are finally moving in this direction but they are not there yet. Asking this question of all providers is a way of advocating for better treatment in the future.
5. Buckle up for the long haul
Addiction is a chronic disease that must be managed - Your loved one will need to learn to manage the disease over the long term. The majority of people will not find recovery the first time they seek help. This does not mean that treatment was a failure.
Recovery is not binary – People tend to think of addiction in very black and white terms, not drinking/using=success, drinking/using=failure. This can be problematic as it leads to the oversimplification, “he can just not use, and he’ll be fine.” Recovery is about a lifestyle change and happens slowly over a long period of time. Often people have a slip or a lapse during that time. Family member’s ability to respond compassionately, yet firmly during these lapses can make all the difference in recovery.
30 days of recovery is barely a start - The vast majority of people need a number of recovery supports to be successful with long-term recovery. For many people, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous SMART Recovery, or Celebrate Recovery serves this purpose, but other supports can be critical to augmenting this support. Length of engagement is incredibly important in predicting recovery outcomes. This can include:
Recovery Housing
Employment support (Through EAP Programs, Lawyers Helping Lawyers, Physicians Help Programs)
Recovery Coaching
Medication
Individual Therapy
Intensive Outpatient
Group Therapy
SMART Recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Celebrate Recovery
Refuge Recovery
Look at crisis as an opportunity – With your loved one’s next crisis, look for opportunities to get them into treatment. Most people are ambivalent about change most of the time. Looking for windows of opportunity to engage people in positive change helps get people into treatment and start the road to recovery.
Recommended Resources for Families
Books
Get Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening by Robert J. Meyers and Brenda L. Wolfe - Amazon
Love First A Family's Guide to Intervention by Jeff and Debra Jay - Amazon
Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change by Jeffrey Foote - Amazon
Addiction Recovery Management: Theory, Research and Practice by John Kelly and William White - Amazon
Movies
Pleasure Unwoven by Kevin McCauley- Institute for Addiction Study
Memo to Self by Kevin McCauley- Institute for Addiction Study
Anonymous People - Available on Netflix and Amazon
Websites
http://the20minuteguide.com/
https://drugfree.org/landing-page/get-help-support/how-do-i-help-my-child/
Lovefirst.net
motivationandchange.com
cadenceonline.com
Science and Kindness
