"Step Away" App?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: The South
Posts: 59
"Step Away" App?
Do any of you have experience with an app called "Step Away?" My alcoholic wife has announced that she's found it, subscribed and I'm now a contact.
On one hand, I'm very glad she's taking these steps. On the other hand, I've seen it before...she blew off an appointment with a premier substance abuse shrink for which I had high (no pun intended) hopes. She waited 45 minutes after the appointment time, got mad and left. (Or at least she said she waited 45 minutes. Her iPhone was suspiciously untraceable during much of the time.)
The info I've Googled looks pretty good, but I'm really interested in some real life experiences.
On one hand, I'm very glad she's taking these steps. On the other hand, I've seen it before...she blew off an appointment with a premier substance abuse shrink for which I had high (no pun intended) hopes. She waited 45 minutes after the appointment time, got mad and left. (Or at least she said she waited 45 minutes. Her iPhone was suspiciously untraceable during much of the time.)
The info I've Googled looks pretty good, but I'm really interested in some real life experiences.
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 13,560
Here is the description:
Are you ready to step away from your old drinking habits and begin your journey toward a new life?
You have just discovered the key to your journey of recovery: a revolutionary new mobile intervention system that will help you Step Away - and change your drinking habits privately and effectively.
Starting right now.
With Step Away, you have instant access to useful tools, proven strategies and helpful feedback on your progress toward alcohol addiction recovery - all available with a touch on your personal iPhone.
The features and information provided within Step Away stem from decades of research on effective interventions for alcohol addiction treatment.
During a pilot study (funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), an early version of Step Away was shown to substantially reduce both overall and problem drinking. People who used the early prototype - which provided far fewer features and less interactivity than this version - for only six weeks, were shown to cut down the days they spent engaged in heavy drinking by 60% and to reduce their overall number of drinks consumed by 50%.
Step Away offers alcohol addiction help when friends, family, therapists or groups may not be available or immediately present. Step Away provides strategies and reminders to help you overcome alcohol addiction during high risk times.
Step Away will be your personal assistant as you go through the process of changing your drinking. It provides the structure you need to help you stop altogether or to reduce your drinking to safe levels. The app empowers you by providing custom configuration for many features so you can decide how it will be most helpful to you. No need to wait until your next meeting with your counselor to receive helpful strategies and feedback on your progress in your journey to conquer alcohol addiction. Immediate help will be right there on your iPhone.
Step Away will also provide resources you can share with your support person(s) (these are a person or people who really care about you and want to help you but may not know how) - to help them learn how they can help you succeed in your journey toward changing your drinking.
In a nutshell, Step Away will help you to:
• Become more aware of your drinking patterns and triggers.
• Set an overall drinking objective (to either stop drinking OR moderate your drinking) as well as smaller intermediate goals to help you succeed in stages.
• Reward yourself when you meet your goals.
• Stay in control when you are feeling tempted to drink by providing immediately available tools.
• Learn new and helpful strategies for dealing with cravings, bad moods and boredom.
• Keep you on track during your personally defined “high risk times” for drinking.
• Remind yourself about your reasons for making a change when you are feeling like drinking or are in a tempting situation.
• Set up a support team and reach out for help when you need it.
• Share your progress with others (family, friends or health care provider).
• Monitor your progress through weekly reports on your drinking, your triggers and your mood.
• Help you prepare for “high risk events” in the coming week - and strategically avoid alcohol triggers.
• Identify alternate (non-drinking) activities and schedule them directly into your calendar.
Sounds like it cannot hurt, just another tool in the toolbox if you are reaching for recovery. If it's being used in place of face to face support, I would say it's a fail. Just my .02
Are you ready to step away from your old drinking habits and begin your journey toward a new life?
You have just discovered the key to your journey of recovery: a revolutionary new mobile intervention system that will help you Step Away - and change your drinking habits privately and effectively.
Starting right now.
With Step Away, you have instant access to useful tools, proven strategies and helpful feedback on your progress toward alcohol addiction recovery - all available with a touch on your personal iPhone.
The features and information provided within Step Away stem from decades of research on effective interventions for alcohol addiction treatment.
During a pilot study (funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), an early version of Step Away was shown to substantially reduce both overall and problem drinking. People who used the early prototype - which provided far fewer features and less interactivity than this version - for only six weeks, were shown to cut down the days they spent engaged in heavy drinking by 60% and to reduce their overall number of drinks consumed by 50%.
Step Away offers alcohol addiction help when friends, family, therapists or groups may not be available or immediately present. Step Away provides strategies and reminders to help you overcome alcohol addiction during high risk times.
Step Away will be your personal assistant as you go through the process of changing your drinking. It provides the structure you need to help you stop altogether or to reduce your drinking to safe levels. The app empowers you by providing custom configuration for many features so you can decide how it will be most helpful to you. No need to wait until your next meeting with your counselor to receive helpful strategies and feedback on your progress in your journey to conquer alcohol addiction. Immediate help will be right there on your iPhone.
Step Away will also provide resources you can share with your support person(s) (these are a person or people who really care about you and want to help you but may not know how) - to help them learn how they can help you succeed in your journey toward changing your drinking.
In a nutshell, Step Away will help you to:
• Become more aware of your drinking patterns and triggers.
• Set an overall drinking objective (to either stop drinking OR moderate your drinking) as well as smaller intermediate goals to help you succeed in stages.
• Reward yourself when you meet your goals.
• Stay in control when you are feeling tempted to drink by providing immediately available tools.
• Learn new and helpful strategies for dealing with cravings, bad moods and boredom.
• Keep you on track during your personally defined “high risk times” for drinking.
• Remind yourself about your reasons for making a change when you are feeling like drinking or are in a tempting situation.
• Set up a support team and reach out for help when you need it.
• Share your progress with others (family, friends or health care provider).
• Monitor your progress through weekly reports on your drinking, your triggers and your mood.
• Help you prepare for “high risk events” in the coming week - and strategically avoid alcohol triggers.
• Identify alternate (non-drinking) activities and schedule them directly into your calendar.
Sounds like it cannot hurt, just another tool in the toolbox if you are reaching for recovery. If it's being used in place of face to face support, I would say it's a fail. Just my .02
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: The South
Posts: 59
My wife is a techie and very much into things rather than face 2 face interactions from which she runs, or deliberately obfuscates. I was hoping someone here had some personal experience. At the same time, looks like it runs counter to a prevailing "all or nothing" theme on SR. And, of course that could be absolutely right. That's why I was looking for personal experiences.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 216
It boils down to whether your wife will be uber motivated to use this app constantly. The reason why programs such as rehab, support group meetings, therapy are gold standards for sobriety is because a person rarely succeeds in sobriety if they need to accomplish it all by themselves without the help and support of others. It's simple to turn off your app when you feel like it and most people have a million apps on their phone but only use two (Facebook and Twitter).
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: atlanta, ga
Posts: 3,581
It would be ridiculous to say that people haven't been successful getting sober using alternative methods, I think they are a low percentage. Perhaps it will work, who knows.
The red flag of course is that is contains language that lends toward moderation rather than abstinence. I see nothing wrong with her trying it - most likely she is still in denial that she is an alcoholic, and still trying to see if she can moderate her consumption. She's just going to have to play the game to the end if she is ever going to stop.
You never know what it is that will bring someone to the point of accepting they cannot control their alcohol consumption.
The red flag of course is that is contains language that lends toward moderation rather than abstinence. I see nothing wrong with her trying it - most likely she is still in denial that she is an alcoholic, and still trying to see if she can moderate her consumption. She's just going to have to play the game to the end if she is ever going to stop.
You never know what it is that will bring someone to the point of accepting they cannot control their alcohol consumption.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Canada
Posts: 235
I don't have any personal experience with the app, or any experience related to an A seeking recovery, as my XABF was still in denial.
With that being said, I would say that I feel this could be a great tool.... If the person really wants to get sober.
I don't really subscribe to the prevailing opinion that the only way to get sober is to work a traditional program. Yes, it's a way, and it works for many people, but it's not the way for everyone.
I think the best indicator of a potentially successful recovery is the deep and overwhelming desire to get better and stop drinking. If the person doesn't truly want to recover and is not ready to dedicate their energy towards that goal, then no tool, detox or 12-step program will work.
In the end, I think the question isn't "Does the app work? " but "Is the person ready to do anything and everything to recover".
With that being said, I would say that I feel this could be a great tool.... If the person really wants to get sober.
I don't really subscribe to the prevailing opinion that the only way to get sober is to work a traditional program. Yes, it's a way, and it works for many people, but it's not the way for everyone.
I think the best indicator of a potentially successful recovery is the deep and overwhelming desire to get better and stop drinking. If the person doesn't truly want to recover and is not ready to dedicate their energy towards that goal, then no tool, detox or 12-step program will work.
In the end, I think the question isn't "Does the app work? " but "Is the person ready to do anything and everything to recover".
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 16,246
Rev....sorry, I don't have any experience with this particular thing. (I don't even use a textin' machine (as stevetom says).
I have worked with alcoholics, though. To me, it sounds like a tool. Just like a hammer is a tool. It depends on how one uses any tool...I assume.
Just like Antabuse or suboxone is a tool......
I wish her the best.....
dandylion
I have worked with alcoholics, though. To me, it sounds like a tool. Just like a hammer is a tool. It depends on how one uses any tool...I assume.
Just like Antabuse or suboxone is a tool......
I wish her the best.....
dandylion
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,438
Originally Posted by Rev 3:16 
My wife is a techie and very much into things rather than face 2 face interactions from which she runs, or deliberately obfuscates. I was hoping someone here had some personal experience. At the same time, looks like it runs counter to a prevailing "all or nothing" theme on SR. And, of course that could be absolutely right. That's why I was looking for personal experiences.
if that's what you mean by "all or nothing".
I also didn't go to rehab, outpatient, or detox.
So it is quite possible to quit on your own, but you really
can't be in denial that you have a serious problem and
expect to "moderate" your drinking.
I found out through trial and error that just simply doesn't work
for alcoholics.
In that sense, "all or nothing" has proven true for me through validated personal data collection (me trying it).
If I could have found a way to drink "safely" I would have.
Now, I don't miss it or want it in my life.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
Hmmmmm. I am on a weight loss program at the moment, and thee is an app and check in thing for that as well. I always check in and do all the whizzy stuff... when I'm doing it. When I want to break lose from the plan i switch the bugger off.
I suspect that most alcoholics would switch the Step Away doobry off if they're tempted to drink, as it's not like an actual person (sponsor / AA buddy / partner / whoever) who will still, be there to answer to after the event. But maybe that's just me and my own addict nature. Hopefully she'll use it eh.
I suspect that most alcoholics would switch the Step Away doobry off if they're tempted to drink, as it's not like an actual person (sponsor / AA buddy / partner / whoever) who will still, be there to answer to after the event. But maybe that's just me and my own addict nature. Hopefully she'll use it eh.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: The South
Posts: 59
I believe my wife is sincere in:
--Wanting to stop behaviors that distress me. Her words: "I want to be the best wife I can be for you."
--Recognizing that she is doing physical harm to herself
--Recognizing that she comes from an addiction prone family...brother an opioid drug abuser; sister who is morbidly obese and addicted to food; mother a narcissist and attention addict.
--Recognizing how all of these people have ruined their lives. Additionally, an exhusband who is virtually a vegetable after suffering strokes brought on by long term drinking.
Some of this turn around has occurred as I began attending Al Anon meetings and frankly began "detaching with love." And, after advice here, realized that I needed to start cutting away the rigging on a marriage being ship wrecked by alcohol.
"You're not the same," she said once recently. She wants to come to an Al Anon meeting with me and I see that as a positive step. She can see the pain and suffering of loved ones dealing with drunks and addicts.
And, yet we'll have to see if there's a change in behavior.
Not sure there's a question here. Just thinking through the keyboard. Thanks for reading....and if you have some thoughts, I'd welcome them.
--Wanting to stop behaviors that distress me. Her words: "I want to be the best wife I can be for you."
--Recognizing that she is doing physical harm to herself
--Recognizing that she comes from an addiction prone family...brother an opioid drug abuser; sister who is morbidly obese and addicted to food; mother a narcissist and attention addict.
--Recognizing how all of these people have ruined their lives. Additionally, an exhusband who is virtually a vegetable after suffering strokes brought on by long term drinking.
Some of this turn around has occurred as I began attending Al Anon meetings and frankly began "detaching with love." And, after advice here, realized that I needed to start cutting away the rigging on a marriage being ship wrecked by alcohol.
"You're not the same," she said once recently. She wants to come to an Al Anon meeting with me and I see that as a positive step. She can see the pain and suffering of loved ones dealing with drunks and addicts.
And, yet we'll have to see if there's a change in behavior.
Not sure there's a question here. Just thinking through the keyboard. Thanks for reading....and if you have some thoughts, I'd welcome them.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Washington
Posts: 11,589
there truly IS an app for everything! personally, if it came with a non-moderation version, i'd be all in. but moderation is a slippery slope and pretty much impossible for a "true" alcoholic. i do hope this helps her.....sounds like there is a lot of advice and ideas on how to deal with a variety of situations.
i recently started a weight loss program and signed up for the daily text thing.....just a little text each day with some positive message or suggestions on how to stay on track. they had an app as well but it was kinda useless, IMHO. but that little ding that accompanies the daily text is a gentle reminder of what i am trying to accomplish.
i recently started a weight loss program and signed up for the daily text thing.....just a little text each day with some positive message or suggestions on how to stay on track. they had an app as well but it was kinda useless, IMHO. but that little ding that accompanies the daily text is a gentle reminder of what i am trying to accomplish.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,438
It sounds like she's nervous you're pulling back and focusing on your own life instead of managing her and her drinking.
Ultimately, actions are everything--her not drinking is really the only thing that speaks truth, however good her intentions. . .
I truly hope it helps, but I don't believe in moderation for alcoholics,
for reasons enumerated above.
Ultimately, actions are everything--her not drinking is really the only thing that speaks truth, however good her intentions. . .
I truly hope it helps, but I don't believe in moderation for alcoholics,
for reasons enumerated above.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 844
I dont have experience with that one but it sounds good and its backed by a real good association.
There are a ton of tools available to people now so I wouldnt dismiss this one. My husband relapsed after a lot of stress and he is going to do an inpatient he thinks it will help him reset himself and its a sort of resort like place. But originally he got better by using a therapist. That dr had him monitor his feelings, moods and watch his patterns, if he used then examine what was going on prior) and over time its how he stopped and got control.
He just quit a 12 step outpatient because it didnt work for him.
It would have been good if your wife saw the psych doc but you know this could help her make some realizations she needs more help if this doesnt do enough.
There are a ton of tools available to people now so I wouldnt dismiss this one. My husband relapsed after a lot of stress and he is going to do an inpatient he thinks it will help him reset himself and its a sort of resort like place. But originally he got better by using a therapist. That dr had him monitor his feelings, moods and watch his patterns, if he used then examine what was going on prior) and over time its how he stopped and got control.
He just quit a 12 step outpatient because it didnt work for him.
It would have been good if your wife saw the psych doc but you know this could help her make some realizations she needs more help if this doesnt do enough.
Originally Posted by Rev 3:16
Do any of you have experience with an app called "Step Away?" My alcoholic wife has announced that she's found it, subscribed and I'm now a contact.
On one hand, I'm very glad she's taking these steps. On the other hand, I've seen it before...she blew off an appointment with a premier substance abuse shrink for which I had high (no pun intended) hopes. She waited 45 minutes after the appointment time, got mad and left. (Or at least she said she waited 45 minutes. Her iPhone was suspiciously untraceable during much of the time.)
The info I've Googled looks pretty good, but I'm really interested in some real life experiences.
On one hand, I'm very glad she's taking these steps. On the other hand, I've seen it before...she blew off an appointment with a premier substance abuse shrink for which I had high (no pun intended) hopes. She waited 45 minutes after the appointment time, got mad and left. (Or at least she said she waited 45 minutes. Her iPhone was suspiciously untraceable during much of the time.)
The info I've Googled looks pretty good, but I'm really interested in some real life experiences.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
