3 Technologies That Are Helping People Overcome Addictions

Addictions have become an increasing problem in our country. Alcohol and drug addictions seem to be the worst out of all addictions. Each year about 40 million serious illnesses or injuries in the United States are caused as a result of drug abuse.

With the cases and effects of drugs and alcohol ever on the rise, what is there to be done? Is there any help out there for individuals struggling with addiction?

Luckily, there are so many resources out there for those struggling through addiction. There are support groups, counselors, treatment centers, etc. All with the intent of helping people work through addictions and find a road towards recovery.

And in today’s world, there have become even more resources available. With the continued growth of the Internet and technology as a whole, there have been technologies becoming available that are geared towards helping people overcome addictions.

Here are 3 technologies that are helping people overcome addictions:

Social Network Sites

We all know of the crazy growth of social networking sites. Between Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc, most of us are part of at least one social networking group. But now there are even social networks and chat rooms completely dedicated to addiction recovery. They help addicts find other individuals who are struggling with, or who have struggled with, similar addictions to theirs. They are able to share experiences, advice, and support. They typically have online meetings that members can participate in, as well as the typical friending and communicating of other social networks.

Chat Tools

Chat rooms have been around pretty much since the beginning of the Internet. But more recently, we’ve seen chat tools for addiction become available. These chat tools have been created by addiction recovery help groups to make access to help even more available. One of the addiction chat tools explained their service in this way: “This service allows you to chat confidentially with a trained addiction counselor who can answer your addiction-related questions, assist you in finding the most effective addiction treatment program, and provide guidance in a time of need.”

These chat tools are different from chat rooms or social networks in that you are speaking with an addiction specialist instead of other individuals that are also struggling through addiction. They are similar to addiction chat lines: they offer help and advice to someone struggling with an addiction. But, instead of the individual having to call a number and talk to a specialist over the phone, they are now able to access that help through their computer.

Mobile Apps

There is now a mobile application for almost everything! And addiction is no exception. There are many different mobile apps that have been created to assist people in dealing with addiction. Some of these apps have been created by treatment centers or groups as a resource to their members. They provide them with online journaling tools, directories, etc, as well as tools to find friends.

On top of that, some other groups have also created mobile apps to help people with addictions. There are addiction journaling apps, motivational apps (you get a motivational message or advice every day, etc), meeting finder apps, audio file apps of addiction speakers, progress tracking apps, sobriety counter apps, and more. Most of these mobile apps are extremely inexpensive (or free) and can provide an addict or recovering addict with support, advice, tracking, and other tools that they may find extremely helpful.