So first I will say that I understand the fear that many people face in terms of wanting to keep their problem with addiction as a private matter.
I think all of us have faced the struggle of feeling judge by society and thus wanting to keep our addiction hidden from public view. It can feel like a badge of shame you wear everywhere you go. However I have yet to meet individuals who are as strong and inspiring as recovered addicts. Overcoming hardships should be worn as a badge of honor. It shows strength, determination, and fortitude. It is because of this that I will not hide my identity. I will proudly state that I am a recovering alcoholic and that I have faced my demons and I have the determination to win. I will not hide myself, I will not be ashamed of my hardships because all of us humans are flawed. Perhaps one day if we can fight together and stop hiding ourselves and show the world our strength, the word addict will no longer carry the burden of shame. Keep fighting everyone.
Im glad you arent ashamed. Neither am I.I proudly talk to friends and family about what Ive overcome. However like I’ve previously said I cant afford to lose customers over a controversial subject like this.Just like politics, some things should be kept seperate. Im not willing to take the risk of losing a $20,000 sale because of something they saw me post online.
I can see how that would be hard. Like I said I completely understand where you’re coming from but I’d like to see a day where we no longer fear our label and if I have to face some challenges and hardships because of how people judge me then I will do so. Not just for myself but for all those with addictions issues so I will proudly tell all the people in my life that I am a person with addiction issues. I have faith that my higher power will take care of me
That is great.I hope that day comes too.
The issue behind all of the posts about not being anonymous anymore goes far deeper than what you see on there between the user who was deleted and the admin.Its very unfortunate and I wish she was on here to explain herself to you, so you dont think its just as simple as that.She is a highly intelligent woman with great influence.
We certainly feel very strongly about helping others by being proud of our sobriety. I wish that this forum was compeltely private though. I feel that people feel comfortable in AA rooms because its Anonymous.So therefore this sober app should be too. For the fragility of early sobriety and peoples preference to stay private regardless of those who could care less.
This app is fairly new and not perfect and theres nothing wrong with some feedback in order to make it a better place.
When I first came here there was barely anyone and I didnt find it by google I found it by typing into my playstore for apps.
Oh I didn’t mean this to sound like I was upset at anyone for wanting to be anonymous. I completely understand that not everyone is in a position like me where they don’t need to really worry about it and I think for those just coming to terms with their sobriety anonymity is vital to them. People should absolutely have the option to be anonymous on forums like this. We all should always have the option to whom we are divulging personal things like this to. So in short I totally get where you and other people on this forum are coming from.
Appreciate the understanding.
Another thing that concerns me is for some of the womens safety its vital that she get the option to have the content she shares private and not easily googled. Not everyone can freely enter the rooms of AA in placement of this, this IS their safezone, or it was supposed to be .It worries me alot. There are woman who are dealing with physical or mental abuse and this is an outlet for them to help them stay sober, and if somehow their abuser finds this then it will be taken from them and they will sink right back down that hole.
If they do not want things out in the public, they should not post it in public. This has always been an open forum. They can use private messages for private discussions.
Look robin, obviously we were under the impression it couldnt be googled no matter how many times you say its always been that way.The bottom line is we clearly didnt realize just how public it was and we are allowed to feel how we feel.
I think we all need to take a step back and remember that we’re all here for the same reason. We need to support each other and not fight one another.
I think it’s good that people can now delete all of their posts if they choose to, no one who is going through this should have to worry about people finding out things about them that they do not feel comfortable sharing. There are many reasons an individual might feel this way and they are all valid as this is their personal life and therefore should be under their control.
Now I will say I do not think it was Robins intention to make people feel uncomfortable. I think everyone needs to remember that it’s extremely unlikely that someone who isn’t an addict would be looking at this forum and would actually spend enough time digging through it to find you. I understand that it is possible and I completely get why some people are concerned but I really don’t think we should be fighting about this.
In the end we all want the same thing, to be sober. So let’s work together and not against one another. I can see both sides of this topic getting frustrated with each other but remember… you’re on the same team guys.
