‘Someone like me’: User experiences of the discussion forums of non-12-step alcohol online support groups, June 2019

Abstract

Background: Peer support is widely acknowledged to be an important factor in recovery from problem drinking. Many seek this from support groups, including those online. Whilst Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step groups have provided help to many people, some individuals do not find them useful. This paper aims to contribute to the current limited knowledge on non-12-step groups, i.e., those that do not follow the approach of AA. Methods: Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were carried out with users of five non-12-step alcohol online support groups (AOSGs) which differed in approach to recovery from problem drinking, size and location. The study was publicised via the groups, and interviewees self-selected. Data were analysed using thematic and template analysis. Results: The most important benefit of the groups, according to most interviewees was finding 'someone like me': something that many did not feel they could do elsewhere, including in AA.Another key perceived difference from 12-step groups was that their groups provided support without requiring them to follow a set programme for recovery. The groups respected individuals' rights to choose their own goal for sobriety (e.g., abstinence, moderate drinking) and to choose how they achieved it. Other key benefits included seeing that recovery is possible and sharing experiential information. Some disadvantages of using the forums are also discussed. Conclusion: The findings report the experiences and perceptions of twenty-five users of non-12-step AOSGs. These are groups that have received little research attention so the findings offer a rare insight into users' opinions on these sources of peer support.

Peer mentorship as an adjunct intervention for the treatment of eating disorders: A pilot randomized trial

“…Findings pertaining to attendance, feasibility, and intervention preference suggest that connecting with someone who has “been there” is a preferred treatment modality that can engender high patient engagement, which is particularly notable for patients with eating disorders, often characterized by high ambivalence about change. Our findings align with a growing body of literature across fields of mental health pointing to the utility of peer connection and relationships in mental health recovery (Collins et al, in press; Naslund, Aschbrenner, Marsch, & Bartels, ; Sanger, Bath, & Bates, ).…”

Online Sobriety Communities for Women's Problematic Alcohol Use: A Mini Review of Existing Qualitative and Quantitative Research

“…Graham et al's analysis of the 2015 UK Life in Recovery survey results found that there was a significant association between gender and the use of online recovery groups ( 38 ). More nuanced studies support this: Sinclair et al, found that 94% of respondents to their study of Soberistas were female, “overwhelmingly in employment with post-graduate qualifications” [( 39 ), p. 223–4]—a demographic reflected in Sanger et al's study of multiple non-12-step AOSGs ( 40 ). Furthermore, research regarding Dry January ( 34 ) and Hello Sunday Morning ( 41 , 42 ) shows that women are also at the forefront of trying to renegotiate their relationship with alcohol via abstinence challenges.…”

“…Studies of non-12-step AOSGs and TAI communities suggest a multitude of reasons why people (particularly women) are increasingly utilising internet platforms, including; flexibility and access ( 40 , 47 , 48 ), accountability ( 48 ), stigma reduction through anonymity ( 39 , 48 , 49 ), specialist information ( 39 , 50 ), support ( 39 , 42 , 51 , 52 ), empowerment ( 53 ), and the value of sharing personal storeys in the written form ( 39 , 49 , 50 , 54 ). Many of these advantages align with the gendered needs of women in recovery outlined within the introduction.…”

“…Sanger et al found that the most important benefit of non-12-step AOSGs cited by partiwas the ability to meet “someone like me,” who shared the same experiences and did not adhere to popular stereotypical connotations of an “alcoholic” [( 40 ), p. 2]. While Soberistas endorses a path of abstinence, it more closely aligned with popular themes of an “alcohol-free” lifestyle and self-improvement ( 19 , 48 ), similar to TAIs Hello Sunday Morning ( 41 ) and Dry January ( 55 ).…”

“…While Soberistas endorses a path of abstinence, it more closely aligned with popular themes of an “alcohol-free” lifestyle and self-improvement ( 19 , 48 ), similar to TAIs Hello Sunday Morning ( 41 ) and Dry January ( 55 ). This ability to individually self-define, reframe and re-work traditional terms ( 19 , 20 , 40 , 41 , 56 ) is valued by participants, and reduces the stigma associated with the false binary of “addict” or “alcoholic” vs. “normal” drinker ( 57 ). These groups provided “a sense of normality for those who did not feel they belonged in the world of AA” [( 40 ), p. 3].…”