Sponsor helps maintain sobriety by connecting people, providing social network for recovery community
The latest messaging, social network, geo-location and encryption technologies have been used to create a secure global online platform for people in recovery, working to maintain their sobriety or currently struggling with addictions. Called Sponsor, the just-launched mobile app and platform helps people maintain their sobriety by staying connected to others who are sober or in a recovery program.
The Sponsor app is designed to be a resource to assist in the recovery process and is not a replacement for meetings or other forms of addiction counseling or treatment. Sponsor is currently available in the Apple App Store with an Android version expected in mid-2017.
Addiction is a disease of isolation and connecting with others is a key element of recovery and the fundamental component of all 12-step programs, said Joey Carson, founder and CEO of Sponsor. Sponsor gives people with any type of addiction a platform to reach out for support, get and share information, and manage their sober life and recovery relationships in one place.
Key features of Sponsor
- Facilitates daily real-time communication between alcoholics/addicts, which is an integral component of all 12-step recovery programs.
- Secure messaging to provide a safe environment for one alcoholic/addict to talk with another.
- Make your location visible through the local feature to reach out to others nearby for support or to find a meeting.
- Create a profile using optional fields to control how much information is provided to others; share as much or as little as you want, or remain completely anonymous.
- Find, invite and add friends, create private groups and organize into categories.
- Post personal updates, comments, information, resources, questions, pictures, links and other content on the friends newsfeed.
Carson, a former television industry executive and pioneer in reality programming, founded Sponsor following a relapse after 25 years of sobriety. Having regained his sobriety, he is currently an advocate for people suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction and is well-known within the recovery community for his efforts.
Some basic facts on addiction
- Per a recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General, one in seven people in the U.S. is expected to develop a substance use disorder at some point in their lives and only one in 10 will receive treatment.
- 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the U.S.
- More than 10 percent of children in the U.S. are living with a parent who has problems with alcohol.
- An estimated 95 percent of people who need treatment for alcoholism do not think they need treatment.
- Approximately 450 people die every day from drug and alcohol related overdoses; this rate has more than tripled during the past 20 years.