This is in response to McKaye and her practicum project
questions. I do believe as someone said
in class today that the support groups online are a supplement to attending a
live meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.
But I view it as more of a first step for people not quite ready to
admit their problems to a large group of people. It really gives to the whole idea of being
anonymous. Furthermore, this is an
opportunity for addicts to be more open as is often found on a social
networking site. This opportunity allows
for users to admit more than they might be willing in a large group of
people.
Unfortunately, these types of sites can never complete
replace the advantages that live Alcoholic Anonymous meetings can. Take for example, the human contact and
interaction. It gives addicts an
opportunity to meet a sponsor and work with someone one-on-one who knows what
their specific problems are. This is
definitely something that online support groups can’t supply.
