Informal Poll: Social Media and Recovery
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 543
Informal Poll: Social Media and Recovery
I am curious how many of you have changed your approach to following social media when you are in recovery.
I made an ill advised post last night with a political slant... and I sincerely apologize to the moderators for doing that... but my ultimate question is whether or not many of you have had better success in your recovery by moderating the type of information you take in on a day to day basis.
I ask because my mentor and I have different opinions on it. He has jumped off of social media (and the news cycle in general) entirely because he claims it is not beneficial to his recovery. I am tossed because I think knowing what is going on in the World is important and I'll acquire this information anyway purely through osmosis of interacting with people on a day to day basis.
That being said, I think I answered my own question. My recovery should be top on my priority list... the other stuff should be set aside because it does more harm than good during the healing process. If all is well and good in the World but it is not all well and good for me, then does it really matter... selfishly speaking?
Hmmmmmmm.....
I made an ill advised post last night with a political slant... and I sincerely apologize to the moderators for doing that... but my ultimate question is whether or not many of you have had better success in your recovery by moderating the type of information you take in on a day to day basis.
I ask because my mentor and I have different opinions on it. He has jumped off of social media (and the news cycle in general) entirely because he claims it is not beneficial to his recovery. I am tossed because I think knowing what is going on in the World is important and I'll acquire this information anyway purely through osmosis of interacting with people on a day to day basis.
That being said, I think I answered my own question. My recovery should be top on my priority list... the other stuff should be set aside because it does more harm than good during the healing process. If all is well and good in the World but it is not all well and good for me, then does it really matter... selfishly speaking?
Hmmmmmmm.....
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
I don't think knowing whats going on in the world and being in recovery need to be mutually exclusive.
I used to say I was too sensitive for the world but that was a cop out really. Getting sober has helped me engage much more in the world around me and helps me try and make some small difference in that world.
That being said, I think political discussions do more harm than good on a site like this, and I think the majority of social media hasn't a lot to do with news and everything with opinions about the news?
D
I used to say I was too sensitive for the world but that was a cop out really. Getting sober has helped me engage much more in the world around me and helps me try and make some small difference in that world.
That being said, I think political discussions do more harm than good on a site like this, and I think the majority of social media hasn't a lot to do with news and everything with opinions about the news?
D
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: here, now.
Posts: 1,236
I just recently deleted my social media profiles that are on sites that are conducive to “politics”. I kept the one that is just for sharing photos, because it promotes positivity.
I’m very much engaged in this stuff, in my real life. But I dislike how people treat each other online in an unmoderated environment. I think it’s making the world a little scary. In real life, we can engage differently. I also think memes etc promote cookie cutter thinking and frankly promotes idiocy.
I told my family and friends who are far away that they can text me or follow my page where I post pictures of my life every once in awhile. I did this pretty recently. I’ve been benefiting from this decision. My sobriety is stronger. But I think I came to this decision because of sobriety.
And this is also weird and I have no data but I could swear that the same part of my brain that is an addict mind is also the part that would engage on social media.
I’m very much engaged in this stuff, in my real life. But I dislike how people treat each other online in an unmoderated environment. I think it’s making the world a little scary. In real life, we can engage differently. I also think memes etc promote cookie cutter thinking and frankly promotes idiocy.
I told my family and friends who are far away that they can text me or follow my page where I post pictures of my life every once in awhile. I did this pretty recently. I’ve been benefiting from this decision. My sobriety is stronger. But I think I came to this decision because of sobriety.
And this is also weird and I have no data but I could swear that the same part of my brain that is an addict mind is also the part that would engage on social media.
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Derbyshire Dales, UK.
Posts: 2,618
I'm actually a Moderator on a political site on social media. It can be irritating at times, but if I feel super-stressed, I just tend to log out. I have 19 months of sobriety behind me though and I can imagine in the early days, it wouldn't have been so easy.
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Join Date: Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by Keto 
Life goes on...
-what would be next? No radio, no newspapers, no tv?
-what would be next? No radio, no newspapers, no tv?
If you ever read the book "Who Moved My Cheese?"... I am "Scurry".
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Join Date: Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by Dee74
That being said, I think political discussions do more harm than good on a site like this, and I think the majority of social media hasn't a lot to do with news and everything with opinions about the news?
D
D
No Dogma Please
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,562
I used to moderate the political forum on a music site. I did a lot of unmoderate PWI (Posting While Intoxicated). I still post on a political forum on Facebook. I have found that I prefer hanging out with the like-minded at this point, and have blocked a bunch of people from the other end of the political spectrum that I don't know very well. But I still Facebook a lot.
Thankfully I have no desire to post anything political on these forums, and I think the board is moderated so such discussions are not really all that welcome. We're all about recovery here, not politics, and I don't think they mix well.
Up to you. I think I kept off the political discussions for quite a while in early sobriety, I had bigger fish to fry. Now I'm back in the fray, but not nearly as stridently as when I was drinking 'n drugging.
Thankfully I have no desire to post anything political on these forums, and I think the board is moderated so such discussions are not really all that welcome. We're all about recovery here, not politics, and I don't think they mix well.
Up to you. I think I kept off the political discussions for quite a while in early sobriety, I had bigger fish to fry. Now I'm back in the fray, but not nearly as stridently as when I was drinking 'n drugging.
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Join Date: Jul 2017
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I found dumping the biggest social media platform very beneficial to me. I have much more peace when I'm not bombarded by a million different opinions on a million different things coming at me from all directions. Makes it much much easier for me to focus on keeping my side of the street clean instead of wanting to engage in why someone else's is so dirty. Does that make any sense?
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Join Date: Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by BlownOne
I found dumping the biggest social media platform very beneficial to me. I have much more peace when I'm not bombarded by a million different opinions on a million different things coming at me from all directions. Makes it much much easier for me to focus on keeping my side of the street clean instead of wanting to engage in why someone else's is so dirty. Does that make any sense?
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,981
Originally Posted by TeeJayVerm
That being said, I think I answered my own question. My recovery should be top on my priority list... the other stuff should be set aside because it does more harm than good during the healing process.
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 4,251
I just want to say I say your initial political post, but missed whatever happened next. I am sorry if it turned into something it was not meant to be. I know politics are a touchy subject and best left out of forums such as this one. That said, this political climate IS are really big problem or trigger for some people. It is an insane time right now and a lot of people are truly suffering- it is legitimate. I know a lot of people who have had to seek out professional help, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications and other sources of support to get through this. My mom has had to completely close down all social medial and has stopped watching the news, she was just getting too worked up and feeling psychologically unwell.
Anyway, all that to say, you are not alone in your concerns and stress over the current political climate.
Anyway, all that to say, you are not alone in your concerns and stress over the current political climate.
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