Online Sobriety More Popular Than Ever

Nov. 26, 2008 - PRLog -- (OAK RIDGE, NJ)—In recent years, online recovery for alcohol and substance abuse has rapidly grown in popularity.  “The reason for this increase is the convenience of finding thousands of AA/NA resources which are only a click away,” says Stephen Della Valle, author of Rising Above the Influence: A True Story About Alcohol, Drugs and Recovery.  

Stephen, who is also the President of Turning Point Rehabilitation Center in Verona, NJ, believes the internet can be a very beneficial tool in one’s rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol.

“When I first got sober, we didn’t have all of the recovery resources as we do today,” says Stephen.  “Nowadays within seconds people can have 24/7 access to countless websites dedicated to assisting people with substance abuse.”

Stephen believes the major benefits of online recovery are:
•   Sober chat rooms
•   Online meetings
•   Recovery podcasts
•   Alcohol and addiction forums
•   Free access to recovery literature
•   Recovery blogs and treatment links
•   Anonymity and confidentiality

“My only concern with the recent rise in online sobriety is that people may become complacent with just sitting in front of their computer rather than going out to a meeting,” says Stephen.  “It is crucial that people in recovery remain diligent and continue to keep doing the things that got them sober in the first place.”

In his new book, Stephen discusses the dark and lonely road addiction led him down for more than twenty-five years, and ultimately what led him to sobriety.

“Alcoholism and drug addiction are serious diseases taking the lives of more than one-hundred thousand people annually,” says Stephen.  “The internet is an additional line of defense in helping educate people of the real life dangers of addiction, and if it can help just one person change, then it is a huge success.”

A testament to the power of twelve-step recovery, Rising Above the Influence is Stephen’s honest, inspiring account of the depths one man can fall to and the heights he can achieve if only he reaches out a hand for help.

For more information please visit www.risingabovetheinfluence.net