How Social Media Can Help (or Hurt) Your Recovery

One is social media, which enables us to stay in contact with friends, family members and others at any time, no matter where they are in the world. These platforms also provide an easy way to join groups of like-minded people or support groups, for instance.

They are accessible to anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection, and they are free and easy to use.

Social media platforms can provide a number of benefits to those who are on a recovery journey, but there are potential downfalls to using them as well. In this article, we’ll describe how social media can help or hurt your recovery.

Benefits of Social Media for Recovery

Social media can provide many benefits for recovery, when used properly.

First, it provides a way for you to connect with people who are in your life now and reconnect with those who were in your life before. Not only does this give you an opportunity to catch up with those who you don’t get to see often, it also helps you mend relationships that may have been damaged due to your addiction.

Social media is a much more informal way to reconnect with people, to keep them updated on your life and your recovery journey, to see what they’re up to in their lives and to try to make amends for any wrongs you may have done to them.

You can also connect with people who form your support system, and it allows you to expand this system through other support groups or people who have similar struggles.

Through social media, you can find new ways that you can become involved in your local community. By volunteering and giving back, you can expand your horizons, do good for your local community and experience the personal benefits of doing something for others.

In addition, you can gain inspiration and stay motivated on your recovery journey by reading and watching others’ success stories. Sometimes, listening and/or watching other people discuss the challenges they are facing and how they overcome them can go a long way in helping you in your personal journey — even if you don’t interact with them directly.

Dangers of Social Media for Recovery

At the same time, there are some dangers of social media for recovery.

For one, social media can be considered a tool for building or growing a relationship, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for a well-rounded relationship. It can be easy to think that connecting with someone online is a real relationship, but the best benefits you can gain from others is through connecting with them in person.

In fact, many studies have shown that social media can increase loneliness and become an anti-social activity. While there is the opportunity for you to connect with people and gain valuable support resources, all of the activities you will be doing on social media are done alone.

Excess social media usage can lead to distress, anxiety and depression, according to studies, especially for people who are prone to such mental challenges.

When you begin to interact with various recovery support groups and contents, the algorithms of these social media platforms will see that and might start to feed you more similar content. While this can be good, it can also be very damaging, as you might begin to see content that is triggering to you.

Finally, social media can paint a rosy picture that isn’t realistic. It’s what’s known as the “Instagram effect,” where influencers and others portray an image of themselves, their world and challenges they’ve overcome in a way that is very curated, filtered and shiny — and hides any negative aspects or real human emotions.

This can create a lot of FOMO in those who view it. It can also cause people to play the comparison game, where they look at their own situation compared to what they see online and feel depressed because they don’t feel on the same level.

Learn to Balance Social Media in Your Recovery Journey

There’s a lot of good that social media can do for you on your recovery journey, but there are plenty of pitfalls of these platforms as well. Knowing what some of these negative aspects are, and coming up with a plan ahead of time to avoid them, is important if you plan to use them while you’re recovering.

At times, you may feel overwhelmed by social media and need the support and guidance of others to get you through. At Freedom Recovery Centers, our team is always here to lend a helping hand, no matter where you are in your recovery journey.

For more information and to get started, call us at 804-635-3746 or fill out our online form.