If you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, signing into Reddit could help.
That’s according to research from Recovery.org, which suggests the section (or subreddit) Stop Drinking is helping more than 50,000 people fight alcoholism.
The subreddit describes itself as “a place to motivate each other to control or stop drinking” and is full of people sharing their stories, tips and achievements.
The analysis found that 40% of subscribers actively comment and 23% of them publicly display the number of days they have achieved without alcohol.
The research also identified that 77% of subscribers are still in their first year without alcohol and have a combined 7,918 years of sobriety.
Active members regularly celebrate each other’s achievements and post words of encouragement when someone says they are finding it difficult to stay away from alcohol. In one post, a user thanked the Stop Drinking (SD) community for helping her go into 2017 sober, having achieved her first alcohol-free Christmas in 20 years.
“Tomorrow will be a milestone for me, 100 days sober, 100 days of freedom,” she said.
“It’s further than I’ve ever got before on my journey to recovery. I’m relieved in a way. Relieved that I can do this and that I know now that I have the power to master this pathetic drug that brings nothing to my life but misery.
“My life has changed so much already in such a short time. I now look forward to my future rather than be riddled with anxiety about what I said last night and who I’ve offended. I will not drink today. Thank you to my SD family.”
Another user said it was thanks to the subreddit that they had achieved 36 days without alcohol, saying: “If it wasn’t for this subreddit, I would still be drinking my way towards some terrible fate, a bottle at a time. I’m absolutely sure of it.
“It’s thanks to you that I’m turning things around. Thank you all so much.”
According to the Daily Mail Australia, the researchers described the utilisation of technology as “a crucial step in engaging and supporting recovering alcoholics”.
“For those who have embraced technology on the road to recovery, r/stopdrinking is a constant companion,” they said.
“Its members, committed to honesty and responsibility, proudly display their numbers of days sober. Daily discussions about relapse and alcohol fill the front page, and positive affirmations are freely given to those who may need them the most.
“While Reddit is often used to procrastinate, r/stopdrinking serves a greater purpose. It is a safe place for those battling an invisible disease. The beauty of it all? No one has to fight it alone.”
