So much of our lives happen online, it would be silly to think our social media feeds don’t affect our thoughts. Like many other things in life, social media has both positive and negative effects.
I’ve written on this blog about how after the first COVID-19 lockdown, a social media culture quickly cropped up around drinking to cope. Images of people drinking at 2PM and jokes about “quarantinis” became common. One such joke might not have an impact, but when those posts are all over the place, it normalizes unhealthy drinking patterns.
Advertisers make big money off social media ads, and ads for alcohol are almost inescapable. I know because I’ve been alternately “hiding,” “reporting”, and “it’s not relevant-ing” them for the five and a half years I’ve been sober; they simply switch up the type of alcohol they try to sell me.
That said, whether or not your social media feeds are beneficial for your sobriety can be a matter of curation. One immense positive of social media is that it allows us to connect with anyone, anywhere. It has built-in support systems that people may not find otherwise.
How Can I Find Online Recovery Communities?
A quick search of the hashtag #RecoveryPosse on Twitter reveals a vast online network of support. If you search Facebook groups, you can find a huge range of sobriety support groups. These are particularly helpful during COVID-19, when we have to get a lot of our support online.
You can find almost anything on the internet, so it’s possible to get more specific than simply sobriety or mental health. For instance, if you’re part of the LGBTQIA+ community and want to find other queer sober people, there are tons of spaces for that. As a sober queer person myself, I am part of several LGBTQIA+ sober groups on Facebook.
Instagram is one of my favorite places to follow great recovery and mental health accounts. Besides finding your specific niche, you can also look for accounts that offer different types of content.
What Are Some Sober Accounts to Follow?
I follow funny recovery accounts like @facebooksober, @fucking_sober, and @brutalrecovery that give me relatable humor when I need it. I follow accounts like @thetemper, @soberblackgirlsclub, @soberbrowngirls,, and @freeofspirits_ that are about sobriety more generally. I follow mental health accounts like @makedaisychains, @melaninandmentalhealth, and @brenebrown that give me great perspective.
If you spend a lot of time on your phone, you don’t want it to be a triggering place that makes you want to drink or use. Prioritizing your sobriety means ensuring the spaces you frequently occupy—online or otherwise—are affirming of recovery.
If you are struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder, there is help and hope. TruHealing Centers offers high-quality treatment for addiction and mental health disorders in facilities across the country. Our staff—many of whom are sober themselves—will help you build a solid support system and a foundation for lasting recovery. Call an admissions specialist at 410-593-0005.