When you’re stuck indoors and can’t leave the house, it can be tricky to stay sober. Whether you’re house-bound because of sickness, a pandemic like COVID-19, or any other reason, you still need to be able to focus on your recovery. In fact, we would say that now more than ever you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself by not drinking.
Still, we can all admit that it’s not easy during these times — especially when life is so stressful, everything on the news seems to be claiming the apocalypse, and your anxiety is understandably skyrocketing on the daily. While there are things you can do to stay sober when you can’t leave the house, one of the things that we sober folks need today more than ever is continued social support. For many of us in recovery, that usually means in-person meetings. But that’s just not possible right now, which is where this list comes in.
Whether you are self-isolating because you might be feeling a bit sick or practicing social distancing in order to help stop the spread of disease, you don’t need to forego on your recovery during this time. Here is a list of 10 recovery meetings and groups that you’ll want to check out if you are stuck at home.
1. Tempest
Tempest is a holistic, evidence-based digital recovery program for anyone who wants to stop drinking and feel better. Whether you’re trying to quit drinking or you’re already sober, Tempest combines a personalized approach to recovery with membership and one-on-one support to help you make a lasting change. In a study done in partnership with the University of Buffalo and Syracuse University, Tempest’s program was clinically-shown to reduce the symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (problematic drinking) by 50% as well as a 25% reduction in the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms.
This recovery program is clinically-proven to help you stop drinking. The customizable membership program is here to empower you to live an alcohol-free life through education, community, and a dedicated staff. When you are ready to make small, realistic changes to build a foundation for the kind of life you want, Tempest is here to put you at the center of your recovery.
Disclosure: Tempest is the parent company of The Temper.
2. r/redditorsinrecovery
This Reddit community isn’t as big as r/stopdrinking, but r/redditorsinrecovery can be a great secondary Reddit resource. Their group goal is to “discuss the various ways to achieve and maintain a life free from active addiction.” Threads in this group focus on topics such as how to cope with triggers, recovery from porn/sex addiction, how to learn after a relapse and so much more.
One of the nicest parts of this community is it focuses on recovery writ large. So, if you need sobriety support from harder drugs or other issues, then you might just feel at home here.
3. SMART Recovery
SMART Recovery is a sober community that focuses on helping individuals through group meetings in person… but they also have a thriving online community that includes resources and meetings. Their philosophy is largely focused on using cognitive behavioral therapy to change bad habits surrounding alcohol use disorder, eating disorders, sex addictions, and more.
Plus, their website offers resources including a suggested reading list, blog posts, and other articles and essays. The best part of the program is that they help you to empower yourself to overcome your addictions, which, for some, is a welcome change from traditional 12-Step programs.
4. Forever35 Sober
Forever35 is a podcast between two best friends that has sprouted many Facebook groups — but none quite as moving as the Forever35 Sober group. The community of mostly women is for supporting each other through the sobriety journey, wherever you are in the process.
The sober/sober-curious group acknowledges that all of its members do things differently and have different philosophies about drinking. One of their top rules is all about sharing that philosophy without attacking another’s.
Why? Because “living a sober/more sober life can be challenging enough without judgment from others.” At the end of the day, the recovery journey is about supporting each other every step of the way, no matter what.
5. Soberistas
This online-only community is worldwide, which makes it easy to connect with like-minded women who are friendly, non-judgmental, and helping each other kick the booze and stay sober. All you need to do to join is to create a profile and look around through their wealth of information on ditching the drink, personal stories, and lots of advice to help each other work towards a happier, healthier you.
6. Sober Recovery
The forums of Sober Recovery are a great place for people with substance use disorder to find assistance and helpful information. The community has more than 168,000 people who are recovering from substance use disorder and/or codependence, as well as their friends and family.
If you’re new to recovery, you can check out the many helpful threads that are perfect for newbies: Newcomers to Recovery, Newcomer’s Daily Support Thread. You might also enjoy The Gratitude List and many other forum posts and chats. A favorite of mine is the Anxiety Disorders section, where I can talk to others in recovery who also suffer from anxiety about how we deal with staying calm in a world that sometimes just wants us to keep drinking.
7. r/stopdrinking
If you’ve never participated on Reddit, then you might not know just how close-knit and supportive the people you meet online its thousands of “subreddits” can be.
With more than 150,000 subscribers, the r/stopdrinking subreddit does exactly what it says in the name: helps its members to stop drinking. (According to their tagline, they’re “a place to motivate each other to control or stop drinking.”)
Don’t feel trepidation if you’ve never spent time on Reddit. This subreddit is an extremely welcoming community for anyone who wants to ask for advice, share their experiences, and stories or simply ask for encouragement about trying to quit or cut back on alcohol. Their only rule? You can only post when sober. But you can read anytime you want and comb through the thousands of helpful threads including a daily-check in and countless stories of those who have struggled with sobriety.
8. This Naked Mind Group
Have you read the book that has helped countless people reevaluate their relationship with alcohol, The Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life? If so, you might be thrilled to know that author Annie Grace has created a supportive Facebook group.
Just like the book, the group focuses on discussing “the role of alcohol in our lives openly, honestly, and without judgment.” It’s a community for people no matter where they are in their journey — even those who still love to drink but are sober curious, people who are moderating and loving (or hating) the way it’s going, or those are are completely sober already.
The group is a friendly, safe space to talk about dreams and inspirations in sobriety as well as fears and regrets. This kind of soul searching can be scary at times — but it’s also thrilling.
9. In The Rooms
In the rooms describes itself as a free online recovery tool that offers 130 weekly online meetings for those recovering from addiction and related issues. What we love about In The Rooms is that they embrace multiple pathways to recovery, including all 12 Step, Non-12 Step, Wellness and Mental Health modalities. Check them out!
10. Hello Sunday Morning
If you’re seeking a community that’s focused on positive health and behavior change, then Hello Sunday Morning might be right for you. This community supports anyone who wants to change their relationship with alcohol, in whatever form — whether abstaining, taking a break, or just better understanding it.
Their community, Daybreak, is a worldwide community of “people working together to change their relationship with alcohol in an anonymous, safe and secure environment.” You can chat one-on-one with health coaches or get support from peers to go through habit change experiments and more.
11. Sober Mommies Support Group
This Facebook group an excellent place for moms in sobriety to connect to their fellow sober mothers. It’s a welcome respite from all of those “mommy juice” jokes.
This community provides a “safe, understanding, judgment-free support system for mothers in and contemplating recovery from substance abuse/misuse.” The goal here is to empower women to reach their full recovery while parenting… which can be harder than it looks.
This support group hopes to provide opportunities for women who are balancing recovery and parental responsibilities to share with their peers about the ups, downs, and unique challenges of this lifestyle.
12. LGBTteetotaler
As a member of the LGBT community, I sometimes have sobriety-related concerns that are difficult to share with my heterosexual friends. That’s exactly where a community like LGBTteetotaler comes in — and now with weekly sober queer Zoom calls to help you through this difficult time (more details here).
Started in 2016 by fellow The Temper contributor Tracy Murphy, this community involves a secret Facebook group that serves as a confidential place for queer, trans, and questioning folks who are sober, in recovery, or sober curious to share together. Sometimes, you just need a community that gets you on several levels. LGBTteetotaler can provide that boost of extra confidence.
13. LifeRing
One of the reasons that some of us don’t really enjoy traditional 12-Step meetings is because of the repeated use of the word “God.” If that resonates with you, you might find LifeRing’s secular recovery helpful. And the best part? LifeRing is adding more online-only meetings.
LifeRing is “an abstinence-based, worldwide network” of people who want to live without drugs or alcohol. It’s a self-directed group (meaning members help to lead meetings and direct the theme of the discussions) with sober and secular people that have in-person meetings, online chat rooms for support, and other resources for those who want to develop, refine, and share their personal strategies for abstinence.
14. She Recovers
One of the biggest resources for women in recovery is She Recovers. With events, retreats, coaching, resources, and more, this community of like-minded individuals is for women who want to be stronger together in their recovery.
This group is particularly great for women who don’t want to hit rock bottom, because one of their guiding principles is all about early recovery. She Recovers believes that you don’t have to get to the bottom in order to recover from something.
The group also focuses on individual strengths, not weaknesses, as a way to inspire change in the fellow members of the community.
15. Sober Mom Squad
The Sober Mom Squad began during COVID-19 times as a way to offer support to women who are sober and now find themselves overloaded with taking care of the kids while also working and quarantining and…. oh yeah, it’s a lot.
There is a weekly support call that. is free, as well as a new membership program that offers more virtual meetings, a community forum, group coaching, and more. If you’re a sober mom in need of help and extra support, this may just be the place for you.
Don’t forget: At the end of the day, your recovery is the most important thing. Yes, you want to take precautions (like washing your hands and staying away from crowded places) but you also want to keep your sanity. If you’re feeling like you need a meeting or a support group, then head to one of these ASAP and get the help you need. Also, don’t forget that you can follow sober women on Instagram who will surely provide sources of inspiration. And make sure to follow The Temper on Instagram where we will continue to post resources and provide support to our community. Stay safe out there, y’all!
