I was asked to do this blog almost a year ago by the gentlemen (ahem) at In The Rooms.  Now, first and foremost, I don’t get paid to do this.  (ahem ahem)
Although I’ve thought since I do work hard at this writing schtick a little advertising wouldn’t hurt a page. (dotmack? RT? Kenny? yoohoo).  My name is kept off of here as well as my picture because I want this to be about recovery, not my “ass-ets”.  Plus I have another blog and am a social networking slut (what? I am. shush.) where I’m plastered everywhere. Feels sorta nice to be anonymous.   So, in honor of my (almost) one year anniversary of taking over the ILR blog … I’d like to talk about Internet Recovery and Phone Meetings.  (this should be good … maybe … cross yer fingers)

Online meetings (which are AA approved btw and mentioned in the fourth edition foreword of the book Alcoholics Anonymous aka the Big Book) can and have been a boon to folks all over the world. “Folks”, being me, for one; might not be able to “get” recovery any other way.  Your head instantly goes to ill people, shut ins, the elderly, yadda yadda and yadda.  How bout’ the recently divorced mother of three who works full time and can’t really afford a babysitter for her six and under crew.  Or where meetings are sparse or hell how about just to have somebody to “BE” with when the proverbial shit hits the fan.   The online recovery community has saved my tuckus more than once.

Now I’ve heard disparaging comments made about online recovery.  The Online Intergroup for Alcoholics Anonymous (point your mouse on the bold. it’s a link. imma smack this webmaster. *eye roll* COLOR LINKS!!!) would beg to differ.   Oh and NAWS has approved online NA meetings as well.  The whole NAWS anti-NAWS thingy scares the bejeesus outta me.  Those are some serious-ass recovery debates right there. Okay enough of my frivolous opinions …

The dubya dubya dubya is a source of instantaneous assistance from other drunks/dopefiends.  Even though all parties involved state that it shouldn’t replace “face to face” meetings and nose to nose honesty, I’m sure they’d not mind if you got online at 3 AM to chat with other recovering folk versus calling them to cry about your boyfriend.  Oh now. We’ve ALL done that. In The Rooms (link) is one example of an “up all night” party done recovery style. Links and audio of speaker meetings, 24 hour chat, resource guides; pretty much the whole nine when it comes to support for the recovering yokel.  Hell some of my best friends are halfway round the world.  That. Right there? Is exceptionally cool.  I’ve met online friends at Founders Day and met up at meetings more than once with my cyber family.  A beautiful thing really.

Just google “online recovery” and a gajillion sites pop up.  Find one that fits you.  Whether you’re an overeater type, gambler, drunk, dope fiend, or sex addict (I’d advise against web cam meetings for the SA folks. what? i would!) And oh yes … web cam meetings. Talking. Like at a discussion meeting. Wicked cool stuff.  One Recovery and Recovery Chat are two sites that you can talk/cam for a more audio/visual experience.   Then there are the two predominant telephone meetings: SoberVoices (AA) and The Bridge (NA) that you can hit when a “real” meeting is unattainable. (bold=link)

Define “real” for me please?  I’ve seen honesty, sharing, love, despair, recovery, stepwork, pretty much the whole enchilada on online recovery sites.   The only thing missing is touch. Which, if we’re being honest, is NOT always a bad thing. Omg.  I’m kidding. Sorta. ANYWAY … the medium in which we share is not always so important as the willingness to share and be in recovery.   We need others. This is true. No one can truly live a life happy, joyous and free without our guides and connections in the recovery community.

I’m sorry.  There is now NO excuse to miss a meeting. Busy? So. Get all your stuff done and hit The Bridge at 11 P.M. on a Saturday night.   Have to work late? Big whoop.  SoberVoices has a meeting every night of the week via telephone at 10 P.M. (noon too).   Hop online at 10 P.M. on In The Rooms and jump into chat … there’s an online meeting waiting for you to share your experience, strength, and hope.  And OneRecovery you can see the tears as someone shares their story while you hear the hope in their voice.  I won’t even go into the whole “fellowship” aspect of online recovery.  Hard to feel alone with most of the world plugged into the net.  Laughter can be found here.  Just hit me up on facebook and you’ll see mucho asshattery (Amy Gabriel. Yeah. Bring it. I adore the company.  We’ll drink tea and laugh at jokes listen to some youtube-age, perhaps I could bore you with some of my poetry). Or not. But we can learn together and laugh together and “be” together.  Humanity touches humanity … whether over phone lines, an ethernets cable, or across the table.  Connection is connection.  See you round the web. Or from your phone. Or on the web from your i-phone or from your blackberry to my desktop to your laptop. Or from your phone to my phone to your lap on top of my desk. Or something like that …

Seriously email me at soberandsassy@yahoo.com or hit me up on facebook with comments, questions, heckling, or your own personal rant. I’m down.  (words in bold are links. grrr. links should have a different color. i need to go write about this. just sayin.)