At Driftwood Recovery, we believe staying connected through a peer-driven network is integral to lasting recovery. We believe that mutually supportive attachment with others can give you the tools you need to reintegrate into everyday life. Engaging in a robust alumni program allows you to connect with your peers and other resources like digital media for lasting recovery.
Yet, you may question how digital media can offer positive interpersonal connections to thrive in recovery. You have likely heard stories about digital media making people more distant from each other. Despite how interconnected and instant digital media has made us, a great number of people are experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Thus, understanding digital media and its relationship to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health is important for recovery.
Connecting Digital Media With Mental Health and SUD
The use of digital media is broad in scope. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in general, digital media is on-demand mass communication that is distributed digitally. For example, digital media can include things like blogs, podcasts, video games, and social media. Therefore, most people’s domains, such as work, school, and health, have been touched by digital media in some way.
When you use a smartphone, apps, a computer, or tablet, you are engaged in and consuming digital media. Despite the broadness of digital media, at its root, it connects people. Whether that connection is through interactions, sharing information, or creative expression, digital media is a source of connection. However, that source of connection can also expose you to content that advertises and glorifies substance use. Social media, in particular, normalizes the overconsumption of alcohol and drugs as a positive.
In addition, digital media impacts your mental health. According to Cureus, digital media, like social media, can increase your risk for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Despite being social creatures with the desire and need for companionship, digital media can distort those meaningful sources of connection. Digital media often leads to fewer face-to-face social interactions and can influence how you view and maintain your relationships. Thus, recognizing digital media’s influence on mental health and addiction can highlight its impact on recovery.
The Impact of Social Media on Recovery
Recovering from addiction and co-occurring mental health challenges can be difficult enough on its own. The addition of digital media can further compound stressors that may have contributed to your substance use. Listed below are some of the ways social media can hinder the recovery process:
- Advertisements
- Romanticizing your past substance use
- Can trigger cravings and negative emotions
- Information overload and online conflict
- Increases risk for depression and anxiety
- Difficulty dealing with stress, anger, and frustration
- Substituting addiction
- Spending an unhealthy amount of time scrolling on social media
- Distraction from recovery work
- Disrupts sleeping patterns
- Sense of disconnection from others
- Spending an unhealthy amount of time scrolling on social media
- Self-perception and fear of missing out (FOMO)
- Decreases self-esteem
- Loneliness and isolation
- Impairs mental health
- Increases temptation
The pervasiveness of social media highlights how digital media can act as a barrier to recovery. However, social media can also be used as a tool to dismantle barriers to sustaining recovery.
Dismantling Recovery Barriers With Digital Media
Some common barriers to maintaining recovery include lack of transportation and access to services, financial instability, and stigma. In addition to traditional recovery barriers, there can be barriers to accessing digital resources. According to JMIR Human Factors, barriers to the uptake and engagement of recovery apps can include:
- Poor access to smartphones, Wi-Fi, and mobile data
- Low motivation
While there are broad structural issues with digital exclusion and marginalization, digital recovery tools can still act as supplementary tools for healing. Through your alumni program, you can find the support needed to effectively utilize holistic intervention in digital technologies. Therefore, access to an active alumni program, both in person and digitally, can provide the tools needed to build connections and dismantle barriers.
As noted in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, peer-to-peer recovery support is valuable to healing and recovery. Thus, digital sources can help leverage peer-to-peer connections for addiction and mental health recovery. With digital sources like online meetings, social networking sites, and recovery apps, you can find support no matter where you are.
Some of the ways digital tools like recovery apps can support you include:
- Connection
- Community
- Educational information
- Motivation
- Accountability
- Monitor progress
Yet, you may question how you can benefit from digital media without being harmed by the pitfalls of social media.
Ways to Build a Positive Relationship With Digital Media
Despite the challenges digital media presents to well-being, it can also support wellness when used thoughtfully. Finding recovery value in digital technologies starts with learning how to build positive relationships with digital media. Listed below are some of the ways you can build a positive relationship with digital technologies:
- Role of digital technology in your life
- Set clear and healthy boundaries
- Types of media use
- How much time is spent on digital media
- Tech-free zones
- Engage in mindful media consumption
- Seek out positive and educational content
- Practice digital detox days
- Prioritize non-digital activities
There are many healthy ways that you can engage in digital technologies. With alumni support, you can continue to expand on your personal growth in every domain of your life.
Enhancing Healing Through Digital Connection With Driftwood Recovery
At Driftwood Recovery, we know healing takes time; change takes time, and we are committed to your long-term well-being. Therefore, we provide a wide range of support services and resources like our alumni app. No matter where you are, our recovery app can help you stay connected to yourself and your peers to thrive in recovery. We are with you along every step of your journey, from sharing recovery milestones to access to recovery-focused podcasts. Through our sober community, you can find connections for belonging, compassion, understanding, and guidance.
Digital media has become integral to life, from work and school to expression and connection. However, exposure to glorified representations of substance use, information overload, and curated highlight reels of others’ lives can increase your risk for SUD relapse, along with challenges with depression and anxiety. Despite the harm digital media can do to your well-being and recovery, digital technologies like social media and recovery apps can be beneficial to sustaining recovery. You can find connections, motivation, and resources to support your recovery through digital technologies like recovery apps. With support from a vibrant alumni community at Driftwood Recovery, you can learn how to build a positive relationship with digital media. Call us at (512) 759-8330 to learn more today.