please spare a few moments to fill out our survey on the benefits of online support groups / recovery support forums for alcohol addiction. We're trying to establish more data to prove that these groups are beneficial to its users, to hopefully result in more people being introduced to these groups as part of a recovery programme. If you do feel these benefits, please take the time to tell us about them.
Just FYI---I took the survey and found it interesting. Use of online supports is a hot topic right now, specific to peer supports for recovery.
"The researcher is w/the University of Nottingham--Dr Neil Coulson is an international expert in the role of online support communities and healthcare. His work has demonstrated the important role online communities play in empowering patients as they attempt to cope with the challenges of long term illness. In particular, he has has published a number of pioneering papers which have explored the provision of social support between community members (e.g. Coulson, Buchanan & Aubeeluck, 2008). Furthermore, his work has explored the mechanisms through which patients may benefit from participation in online communities and factors that may be associated with levels of satisfaction as well as a range of psychosocial outcomes." (from the web)
I appreciate your interest in the research and thank you for taking the time to fill out the questionnaire - as well as doing a bit of background reading on Neil, which should hopefully validate our research goals! You're right that it is a hot topic right now, and the implications are potentially profound. Hopefully, with our data, we can make a difference.
Ben in the archives of this forum, there is plenty of evidence of folks using our message board as a spring board to recovery, or another asset in their new, or ongoing, recovery. In the four five years that I've been here, I could list a couple dozen of "I remember when you came ins".
I took the survey, a lot of my answers are rather neutral because the forum is supplemental for me. I didn't come here as a newbie, or particularly hurting, I was just looking for an "anytime meeting". So hard to really gauge what impact it has had on my sobriety and life overall. But it is a place to share what's on your mind *when* it's on your mind, as opposed to waiting for the next f2f meeting. That's what it means to me anyway.
It's done the opposite for me Bari, I found myself going to fewer and fewer meetings, as I just wasn't feeling connected due to my infrequency of the same meetings. This board kinda gave me a home group that I'd been lacking. I appreciate each and every one of you.
I took the survey and I guess I feel something like barisax. I came to the forum to see if I could contribute something and I expected to learn a lot about how our program is practiced in different parts of the world. I still have my home group and local meetings and, though we are only a small city, I didn't come to the forum for support. This forum does widen my ESH and fits me better for carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. I greatly admire the clarity of thought and writing of many of the contributors, they are skilled in getting straight to the heart of a matter. I seem to be somewhat more verbose, probably indicative of foggy thinking, but I am sure I will get better with practice. As some famous writer once said "If I had more time I could make it shorter" God Bless.
The different ways in which you all experience support and what it means to you individually is precisely the intent of our research, so thank you all for taking the time to fill out the questionnaire. Obviously we'd rather honest neutral responses compared to extremes which don't actually reflect the way you feel about the forum so thats absolutely fine. I also really appreciate your feedback on this thread too as it gives us even more perspective on your perceptions of online support - it's not something we can use in our research, but its helpful nonetheless.
It's done the opposite for me Bari, I found myself going to fewer and fewer meetings, as I just wasn't feeling connected due to my infrequency of the same meetings. This board kinda gave me a home group that I'd been lacking. I appreciate each and every one of you.
If I didn't have a home group, I'd probably be in the same situation. Other than my HG which I do not miss unless I'm sick or out of town, I just catch random meetings here and there. While I see familiar faces at these other meetings, I just don't have that regular contact that the HG provides. Interesting to go to a meeting I haven't been to for years and see people still there from last time. Sometimes in the same seats. I still sometimes hang out at the clubhouse where I went to my first meeting, see some old familiar faces. Some still sober, some out and back, out and back. It makes me aware of how much time has passed in this sober life - what and who were there when I came in, and what and who are gone.
