Addiction is a disease of isolation, and for people in recovery dependent on social recovery meetings who are forced into isolation during the pandemic shutdown, it can be a dangerous time. From opioid treatment centers challenged with responsible methadone dispensing, to the closure of small 12-step meetings, the challenges of offering new pathways of connection are daunting. But the recovery community is meeting the challenge.

Almost immediately AA/NA and other recovery groups locally and internationally responded to the crisis by setting up online groups using the ZOOM platform where meetings can be accessed through cellphones or computers.

ZOOM meetings maintain the same formats as social meetings and offer different levels of anonymity. Some attend by voice only while others use the video link to interact.

Although there has been some concern with hackers forcing their way into meetings, ZOOM started remediating their security issues in early April and has pledged to guard against any ongoing vulnerabilities. Experienced members of ZOOM meetings will help newcomers set their security parameters.

Here, Rachel Goss a recovery advocate and volunteer networker for all things recovery on the Eastern Shore offers an overview of how the recovery community has responded to the pandemic.

Information and online meeting schedules can be found below:

Marylandmidshoreintergroup.org (go to virtual meetings page where they offer codes to join meetings).

Other resources are:

thefix.com
intherooms.com
celebraterecovery,com
retreathousehillsboro.org

If you know of other recovery resources offering virtual meetings, please add them in the comment section.