Online sobriety and alcohol recovery groups can help you navigate your journey to getting better. Substance use support groups can be known by many other names, too.

For example, there are substance-specific groups — like alcohol recovery support groups — or groups for people at different stages of substance use — like sobriety support groups or recovery support groups.

Research indicates that long-term encouragement from support groups and family can lead to a higher rate of sustained sobriety.

If you want to jump directly to the sections for each service, you can click the links below. When it comes to sobriety support groups, Alcoholics Anonymous AA is probably the first group that comes to mind.

Alcoholics Anonymous is free to anyone who wants to participate, but there is a suggestion for donations to anyone who is able to contribute. Alcoholics Anonymous is available nationwide with support groups in all 50 states.

In addition to a geographical group locator on its website, AA has added a phone app that makes it even easier to find support groups and resources right from your phone. While AA and other step programs may be best known, research indicates that alternative options to step programs, including SMART Recovery, may also be effective.

Self-Management And Recovery Training SMART is an organization that takes a more psychological approach to face addiction by using cognitive behavioral therapy CBT techniques to address thoughts and attitudes that lead to choices that may be harmful.

SMART offers in-person and online meetings based on your location. Group meetings are free of charge, but donations are accepted and encouraged at the end of meetings.

In addition to organizing meetings, SMART offers a wide collection of online resources and media, including videos, podcasts, and worksheets. Your free account also gives you access to several discussion forums.

SMART Recovery has a massive online toolkit full of literature and worksheets for group participants, as well as friends and family members looking for support when a loved one experiences difficulties with addiction.

As an alternative to faith-based recovery groups, LifeRing believes that you are the person best suited to understand and control your own sobriety.

This group offers both in-person meetings as well as an impressive number of daily online meetings offered at various times throughout the day.

There are many approaches to managing addiction, and while some people have found success through faith-based support, LifeRing allows those managing addiction to approach sobriety in a secular way that puts themselves at the center of their own recovery. Women for Sobriety WFS was created because many recovery programs were designed based on how men recover from addiction.

Research suggests that men and women experience and recover from addiction in very different ways. WFS aims to help women deal with addiction by minimizing negative behaviors and growing their sense of self-value, self-worth, and self-efficacy.

Meetings are offered in-person however, they have temporarily switched to video conference due to COVID and are free to attend. Each meeting begins by reading the 13 Acceptance Statements. Then each person introduces herself with positive affirmations and shares a positive experience she had.

This program is specifically aimed at helping women with substance use disorder. Each meeting begins with introductions and statements of affirmation. Each participant is encouraged to share their successes and focus on accepting themselves as they are and their personal progress.

Sober Grid is a social-media-style app that connects people recovering from addiction and people who are sober. The app allows you to share your location if you chose to share it and helps you locate other people using the app in your area.

There is also a newsfeed option to share inspirational quotes, messages, or your own personal story with the community. Sober Grid is free to download to your smartphone. This app helps you access other sober people worldwide through a social-media-style platform.

App users can share their stories with the community and it can alert other app users when you need some extra support. Loosid is a free app for your smartphone that encourages you to have fun while staying sober.

It also connects you with other people who are sober. The most popular feature on the app is its dating network that lets you create a profile and match yours with other singles using the app. The hotlines are run by other members of the Loosid community.

Loosid focuses on living a happy, fulfilling life with other people in sobriety and offers resources and suggestions for sober dating and sober nightlife activities. Seeing someone you love misuse a substance can also be scary. These groups help people share their experiences from living with a person with alcohol use disorder in a safe and compassionate support group.

Meetings can be held in person or online depending on your location. Attendance is kept confidential. Addiction affects the lives of more people than just those who are dealing with addiction.

Al-Anon Family Groups give friends and family the support and resources they need to help them cope through challenging times. The biggest benefit of online support groups is that you can attend from almost anywhere without having to commute or drive to the meeting location.

However, for some people, online meetings may not be an ideal format. The structure of in-person and online meetings varies from group to group, but most encourage you to share your story with the group within your comfort level , support others in the group, and reflect on ways to improve your life going forward.

A large component of support groups is spending time talking with other people who are in the same situation as you. However, talking with a professional therapist or coach usually comes at a higher cost.

Research shows that when you initiate positive changes in your life, like attending a sobriety group, engaging in productive activities, and understanding your own relationship and attitude toward addictive substances, you have a better foundation to achieve your goals. If you feel that you need additional help, organizations like Recovery Centers of America RCA offer treatment, medically managed intensive inpatient treatment, and rehabilitation.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration SAMHSA is a national resource and helpline that can provide you with additional information and treatment referrals. They can be reached at Substance use disorder and addiction affect many people.

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Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health NIH.

Elizabeth Brownfield is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher who specializes in food, travel, home, and lifestyle content. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.

Online addiction support groups are designed to help members successfully manage their recovery from alcohol abuse or substance use disorder. These "sober clubs" have been found to improve treatment engagement while also positively affecting alcohol or drug cravings and increasing participants' beliefs that they can achieve their goals.

With so many options available, you may be wondering which one is best suited to your needs. Based on our review, seven online addiction support groups stand out as being among the best. Here they are, as well as their pros and cons. Free to anyone who wishes to participate, Alcoholics Anonymous is known for its step process and welcoming community.

Alcoholics Anonymous AA is an international association for anyone who has ever had a problem with alcohol. It is open to anyone regardless of gender, age, or background and is available worldwide. Founded in , AA follows a step program based on spiritual principles, including the following:.

AA also operates on the tradition that the group's common welfare comes first, and the only requirement for membership is the desire to stop drinking.

Ultimately, the goal of the group is to carry its message to alcoholics who are still suffering. You can find an AA group near you by using the local resources locator on the AA website and searching by your zip code or postal code. AA also runs online groups and meetings for those who do not wish to attend in person.

There is no fee to join AA, but members accept donations to help support local groups since they do not accept outside contributions.

Self-Management and Recovery Training SMART aims to support through self-empowerment and motivation with a focus on education and mental health. Self-Management and Recovery Training SMART offers global support meetings for recovery from addiction through self-empowerment.

The goal of the program is to promote abstinence from alcohol and other substances through positive lifestyle changes. It's designed to empower individuals and transform lives from self-destructive to positive, constructive, and enjoyable. The premise of SMART is that addiction serves a purpose in coping in the short-term with life problems but turns into a long-term problem.

It's based heavily on addiction research and focuses on a four-point program involving the following components: motivation to change, coping with urges, managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and living a balanced lifestyle.

The program has a strong psychological focus by helping individuals develop the motivation to make changes that serve them better in the long-term, change beliefs surrounding addiction, manage emotions that trigger addiction, and replace addictive behaviors with more enjoyable activities.

Meeting facilitators follow a structured program focusing on mental health and education. They are not focused on the past but the present and future. SMART meetings are free to attend, but donations are accepted near the end of every meeting. Loosid offers a variety of online tools for support and provides interaction with others to encourage connections and networking while enjoying a sober lifestyle.

Loosid is a community for people looking to thrive and enjoy fun events and activities while abstaining from alcohol and other substances. With Loosid, this includes "Boozeless Guides" that direct you to places you can go where there will be no pressure to drink alcohol, such as restaurants, events, and travel spots.

The company also offers a sober dating community for those who are single and looking to met someone. The group's motto is "Sober shouldn't be somber," reflecting the idea that people can still have fun even while not drinking alcohol or using other substances. This is best for people who feel as though their life will be lacking excitement if they are sober.

Loosid offers chat groups to help sober people meet one another where they live, make new sober friendships, and find people to do activities that don't revolve around alcohol.

In addition to its social components, Loosid also works as a recovery app, with a Sobriety Help feature to help individuals work through a recent relapse and how people can maintain sobriety.

These hotlines are operated by community members who share what has worked for them. The Loosid app is free to download. LifeRing offers online and in-person meetings that promote self-empowerment rather than belief in a higher power, making it a good alternative to faith-based recovery groups.

LifeRing promotes an abstinent lifestyle through self-empowerment rather than belief in a higher power. Its three principles are sobriety, secularity, and self-help.

While members may also attend different groups or follow other sobriety teachings, some people come to LifeRing after finding that other programs did not work for them.

LifeRing focuses on the present day rather than the past and promotes the idea that what will work for each person is unique.

Prominent within the LifeRing philosophy is the idea of the "Sober Self," or the part of you that has the power to overcome addiction.

While this part of you may be weakened and overpowered by the "Addict Self," it is still there and can be re-awakened. Therefore, the goal of LifeRing is to strengthen a person's Sober Self and weaken their Addict Self by connecting with others and sharing encouragement, advice, and strength.

LifeRing does not require you to follow a step-by-step program; instead, you design your own program, as only you know the best path forward and the changes you need to make. LifeRing offers online meetings and email groups. There is no cost to join LifeRing, but donations are accepted.

Promoting a mindfulness approach to sobriety, Club Soda offers live events worldwide to help connect people who want to cut down, stop briefly, or quit drinking altogether. Club Soda bills itself as the "Mindful Drinking Movement" and was designed for those who want to cut down, stop briefly, or quit drinking altogether.

It offers a "How to Drink Mindfully" program and also a one-month reset refresher course. Club Soda also published a book, "How to Be a Mindful Drinker," and has a monthly podcast with tips to change your drinking, events, and interviews. Club Soda is based in the U. but has members worldwide and hosts Mindful Drinking Festivals.

It also works with the hospitality industry to encourage more offerings to people who choose not to drink alcohol. Club Soda is a great group option if you are looking for live events that you can attend, a mindfulness approach to sobriety, as well as a searchable guide to alternatives to drinking alcohol.

Club Soda might be best used as an add-on resource to other sobriety groups or step programs since there is no inherent support group built into the program. Women for Sobriety focuses on strategies that prioritize self-empowerment to overcome addiction and uses positive affirmations and mantras for self-value and emotional growth.

Women for Sobriety WFS was founded in as a not-for-profit organization helping women recover from substance use. The organization offers both online and in-person support groups run by certified moderators and chat leaders.

If you wish to speak to someone one-on-one, there are also phone volunteers who can help you. The program's foundation comes from a sociologist who believed that addiction among women could be traced to loss of identity , competing roles in society, and low self-esteem , depression , and guilt.

Some of the group's strategies include positive reinforcement, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, diet, and exercise. With these tactics, there is a focus on self-empowerment to overcome addiction. The program is based on 13 Acceptance Statements encouraging spiritual and emotional growth.

When these mantras are internalized, they provide a new way of thinking. Members are asked to wake up 15 minutes early each day, go over the 13 acceptance statements, and think about each one. Then, they are to choose one statement to focus on for the day.

There is no cost to attend meetings. Tempest is a unique membership-based sobriety support group focused on helping individuals free themselves from addiction. Tempest members also have the option to sign up for Accountability Coaching. Tempest's membership focuses on the underlying causes of addiction and how they show up in people's lives, how addiction affects all areas of your life, and why creativity, meaning, and purpose are crucial to breaking addiction.

Tempest operates under the assumption that addiction is the result of trying to escape from something else but that alcohol eventually becomes a problem on its own. For this reason, the membership programs involve looking deeply at the underlying causes of addiction, in addition to the secondary problem the addiction itself.

Visit their website for membership discounts when you sign up in-full. Friends and family members may offer help but a structured group or program can be more effective in providing a plan that can keep you on track toward your goal of recovery.

Online sobriety groups can offer you a good support system. It provides a safe space for sharing your experiences and challenges, while also offering a new network to connect with as you try to live a sober lifestyle.

Best of all, most of these online sobriety groups require no membership fees. Which one you choose will ultimately depend on your personal needs and goals.

Sobriety support groups are organizations dedicated to helping those seeking a sober life connect with other like-minded individuals and find ways to jumpstart their new lifestyle.

Sobriety support groups are not the same as treatment facilities and should not substitute for addiction treatment. A sobriety support group might be right for you if you are seeking a connection with others who are also looking to maintain sobriety, as well as resources specific to the addiction recovery process.

Sobriety support groups can be structured in a variety of ways. Some involve a series of steps through which members must progress to complete the program.

Others use apps or coaching programs to help members work on specific goals or psychological techniques to manage addiction's underlying causes. The cost for sobriety support groups ranges from free up to hundreds of dollars, depending on the program. Those with one-on-one components or structured coaching aspects will generally cost more, whereas groups that meet in-person and are led by former addiction sufferers tend to be free with suggested donations.

Sobriety support groups generally do not accept insurance because they are not treatment facilities. However, most groups are free of charge or have nominal fees.