Message Boards/Chat Rooms : Treatment Options : The Addiction Recovery Guide

*If any of the terms are unclear, please follow the link to learn more about their meaning.

A message board is a place where you can post, respond to, or simply read messages posted by others. Typically, they are free to use, though some type of registration is usually required to access all features. Most message boards require a username (first name and initial, or fictional name), a password, and an email address.

Visitors can begin a new discussion by starting a "thread" on the board to which others can reply. These messages will often remain posted for an indefinite period time, so a thread begun today can help support others who visit the board months or even years from now.

12 Step City (63.247.80.252/12steps/index.php)
This virtual online community has a variety of tools to encourage wellness and recovery. The web site is a public service center and is not affiliated with any 12-step organization. The Message Board covers various topics including General Discussion, Spiritual Experience, 12 Steps, and more.

Buddhist 12 Steps (web site unavailable)
This message board focuses on the Buddhist approach to recovery. It provides people with a Buddhist philosophy dealing with recovery issues and a place to exchange ideas, perspectives, experiences, support and sharing.

SoberPost (sober24.com/SoberPost/default.asp?cookieCheck=81741705)
Sober24 is a "Virtual Fellowship" for those in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. The SoberPost message board includes various topics: Families in Recovery (Al-Anon, Nar-Anon), Co-dependency, Relationship issues, Steps and Traditions, Book Study (NA and AA recovery texts), Women Helping Women, For Men Only, Young People, Parents in Recovery, Spirituality, Just for Fun and Shared Readings. This is a heavily attended message board and has been a two time recipient of the Forbes "Best of the Web" award.

SoberRecovery (soberrecovery.com/forums)
The message board in this directory of recovery resources has various categories: Newcomers, Ask the Experts, General Forums, Alcoholism (AA, Alanon, ACOA), Drug Addiction (NA, Nar-Anon), Family and Friends, Mental Health and more.

Google.com (google.com/groups)
The google search engine includes a tab titled “Groups.” Visitors can click this tab to perform a search on hundreds of message boards simultaneously. This is often a good starting point when searching for specific information that may be difficult to locate otherwise.

Online Teen Recovery (onlineteenrecovery.com/forums)
A message board for teens seeking help with recovery issues, spiritual issues and general teen concerns.

OnTheWagon.org (messages.recoverychat.com)
This web site is a forum for people in recovery from all types of addiction, for those who are interested in recovery, and for family and friends. The site has a useful list of recovery links. They host an active message forum and chat room for discussing topics of addiction and recovery.

Rational Recovery (rational.org)
Supports self-recovery from addiction through planned, permanent abstinence. The purpose of the Discussion Forums is to provide mutual guidance on the use of AVRT (Addictive Voice Recognition Technique). The forums are intended for people who already have basic knowledge of the technique and it is recommended that you read the online module on AVRT or the book Rational Recovery before participating.

RecoveryBoard.com (recoveryboard.com/forums)
Discussions on the ability to manage one’s life without being addicted to drugs based on a non 12-step recovery program. Topics include Methadone recovery issues, Personal stories, Spiritual beliefs, Medical issues, and other recovery and addiction discussions.

Recovery with Depth (recoverywithdepth.com)
Developed by a recovering alcoholic and chemical dependency counselor for more than 25 years, the purpose of this site is to reverse the process of isolation developed during addiction by creating a space to share experiences outside the recovery process. Through bringing recovering persons together to share areas of interest other than the story of their recovery (such as their hobbies, a place or a profession), it is hoped they find new depth and new meaning in their lives. The user creates postings about subjects of their interest, and these are matched with the postings of other users who have similar interests. There is an e-mail service internal to the site for communicating.

SAFFARA (geocities.com/kaostar200/index.html)
The SAFFARA forum message board is not affiliated with any established alcohol programs or any religious organizations. It is run by alcoholics and recovering alcoholics for other alcoholics and people affected by drink-related issues. The forum is a resource for men and women with alcohol related problems to share their experiences and information.

Smart Recovery (smartrecovery.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x)
Discussions on the practice of Smart Recovery, including coping with urges, motivation, problem solving and lifestyle balance.

Substance Misuse Management in General Practice (smmgp.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic)
This excellent web site provides an interactive Discussion Forum where questions related to addiction medications will be answered by some of the leading addiction experts in the United Kingdom. Click here (smmgp.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic) and scroll down the page to the Online Surgery section to post your questions.

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Codeine
Codeine Addiction Help Forum (mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/cahf/index.html)
This community aims to help those who have a Codeine Addiction or dependence. The online forum provides an opportunity to get advice and support from fellow sufferers who either have an active addiction or are in the recovery phase. The site offers a discussion forum, detox and treatment resource files, and links to support agencies and published reports.

Crack Cocaine
This community aims to help those who have a Codeine Addiction or dependence. The online forum provides an opportunity to get advice and support from fellow sufferers who either have an active addiction or are in the recovery phase. The site offers a discussion forum, detox and treatment resource files, and links to support agencies and published reports.

Crack Cocaine Recovery (crackrecoveryforum.com)
This excellent web site has a variety of high quality addiction resources including message boards and 24 hour chat rooms on crack cocaine addiction recovery issues. They also provide links to other recovery resources including a self-evaluation survey, a complete online version of the AA Big Book, and the NA Basic Text.

Methamphetamine
Meth Madness (pub28.ezboard.com/bmethmadness)
The web site hosts its own message board and chat room and also provides links to others that are related to methamphetamine recovery. In addition, it provides other helpful recovery links, personal writings, articles, book recommendations, and other resources to help people educate themselves about Crystal Meth.

Prescription Medications
Pills Anonymous (groups.msn.com/PillsAnonymous/messageboard.msnw)
This web site has a discussion board and chat room focused on 12-step recovery from prescription drug addiction. Chat rooms are now a subscription service.

Methadone
Addiction Treatment Watchdog (readybb.com/watchdog/index.php)
This educational web site is geared to the needs of patients on medications for opiate addiction. It has a Clinic Report database and submittal form for reporting on the quality of treatment at specific methadone clinics, a section on clinic complaints, a resource section which includes Methadone Advocacy Organizations, a Methadone Watchdog section which answers questions on methadone maintenance, a chat room and two message boards (one for those in recovery and one for friends and families seeking information on opiate addiction).

To join a chat room, users will typically select from a variety of rooms and are often required to register prior to logging on. To “chat”, users type and submit messages that are immediately sent to the chat room for others to view and reply to. Thus real-time chat meetings feel more like face-to-face meetings than communicating via message board, though some message boards integrate real-time messaging features as well.

Chat meetings are essentially chat rooms than include a chairperson who introduces topics that others in the room take turns providing feedback on. At some meetings, an opening and closing statement is also included.

The latest development in online meetings is "voice chat", where participants can actually hear each other discuss the meeting topics. With the use of a microphone and speakers, participants can talk and listen in real-tom to others in the room. Users who do not have microphones can participate in the standard chat room fashion by typing their messages in directly.

Marijuana Anonymous Online (ma-online.org/chat.html)
This site hosts both chat rooms and online meetings for those recovering from marijuana addiction. Click on Online Meeting Schedule in the left menu bar for a list of ongoing online MA meetings. Click on MA Chatspace in the left menu bar for instructions on how to enter a chat room (specific instructions are provided for those using AOL).

NA Recovery (www.narecovery.org)
This web site by addicts for addicts offers on-line meetings (Sunday 11:00 PM and Monday at 9:00 PM EST) and an ongoing NA chat room for anyone who thinks they may have a problem with the disease of addiction. The site is based on the therapeutic value of one addict helping another build a strong program of recovery.

RecoveryBoard.com (recoveryboard.com)
They have two different chat rooms. One is a Java applet based chat (you should have at minimum a computer with a Java- enabled browser). You can download Chat Space Java Client from the web site. The second uses web TV or other ways to access the web and connects you to Talk City.

Recovery Chat (RecoveryChat.com)
Provides online recovery chat room services for those affected by any form of addiction. Multiple meeting rooms with scheduled meetings as well as user photos and a bulletin board are offered. The site uses a Java-based chat software called Digichat.

Sober24 (sober24.com/SoberChat.asp)
The SoberChat chat rooms are open 24 hours a day/7 days a week. They offer virtual meetings on a regular basis. SoberChat categories include an Emergency room, Recovery room, Family room, 12-step Recovery Meeting Room, Family Recovery Meetings, and Sponsor Rooms. Registration is required and is free for the first 24 days. After that there is a yearly membership fee of $32.00.

The latest development in online meetings is "voice chat", in which participants can actually hear each other share on the meeting topics. With the use of a microphone and speakers, participants can talk and listen to others in the room. Even those who do not have microphones can share by typing their messages on the screen.

Earth Group of NA (earthgroupna.org)
Earth Group of NA is an internet-based group of recovering addicts who meet twice a week via email for support. The site also has a message board, a chat room with 25 real-time online meetings a week, and online articles posted on a variety of recovery topics.

LifeRing Secular Recovery (unhooked.com/meetings/index.htm)
Regularly scheduled online meetings are held 24 hours a day/7 days a week. There is no registration required and participation is free. A current Java-enabled browser is required such as Netscape 4.07 or Internet Explorer 4.0 or above. jIRC applet is available for download.

There are several different types of formal meetings conducted by recovering addicts on the Internet. This guide lists the following types of meetings: NA Email Meetings (members share by email and receive a comprehensive email each week with the correspondence details), NA Web Based Meetings (the communications are posted on a web page), NA Chat Meetings (real time group discussions with formal chat meetings), NA List Servers (unmoderated forum that posts all communications to subscribers via email), Links to Nar-Anon Family Groups (12-step support for the loved one's of addicts), Links to General Chat Program Downloads (mIRC, ICQ, AOL IM, and Powwow).

Marijuana Anonymous Online (ma-online.org/schedule.html)
This site hosts both chat rooms and online meetings for those recovering from marijuana addiction. Click on Online Meeting Schedule in the left menu bar for a list of ongoing online MA meetings. Click on MA Chatspace in the left menu bar for instructions on how to enter a chat room (specific instructions are provided for those using AOL).

Smart Recovery (smartrecovery.org/onlinemeetings.htm)
Provides regularly scheduled online recovery meetings (1 ½ hrs) based on the Smart Recovery approach to abstaining from addictive behavior. A meeting for new members is scheduled each Sunday at 3:00 PM ET. Each Meeting has a Moderator who is in charge of the tone and continuity of the meeting and may also have a Professional Advisor, Coordinator, or Facilitator to assist with the SMART approach.

SMART Online utilizes two different formats. Text Chat at ParaChat uses a format called Java Chat that allows you to talk with typed messages in real time to other Internet users around the world. ParaChat is organized in channels on a specific topic. You can also talk privately with someone.

Smart Recovery Voice/Text Meetings in LivVe provides interactive voice and text capabilities. Live downloads are available at smartrecovery.org/livve.htm.