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Physically Distant, But Socially Close: Staying Sober While Staying Home

Marissa Melton

   "Meetings are huge for me," says Mike S., a 52-year-old web content
   specialist who has been sober since 2012.

   When his community began practicing social distancing, some of his
   usual meetings began offering the option of attending online. Mike went
   in person as long as he could, but things already felt different.

   With some regulars attending online through a video conferencing
   service called Zoom, the number of people physically attending "dropped
   on average by about half," he said, "which was disconcerting and felt
   ominous."

   Connection with one another is a key part of the way many people in
   recovery from drug and alcohol addiction stay clean and sober, which
   makes the stay-at-home orders affecting many urban centers particularly
   challenging.

   Larry C., a real estate agent, relapsed last year after more than a
   dozen years sober. He is participating in an outpatient treatment
   program that, due to social distancing restrictions, occurs entirely
   online through Zoom.

   "I initially did worry about 12-step meetings and [treatment] meetings
   via Zoom, but the video platform has turned out to be great," he says.
   Like many of his peers in recovery, he supplements his online meetings
   with phone calls to other people in recovery, study of recovery
   literature, and by trying to maintain healthy eating, sleeping and
   exercise habits.

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