Answers
Here are the answers to some questions you may have. If you have a question you don’t see the answer to below, please feel free to email us at:
How Wecovery works
- How do I share?
To listen to shares, simply select Listen from the Main Menu. The most recent shares appear at the top. You can use the Filter icon on the top right to sort by Addiction, Topic, or Step.
To share, select Share from the Main Menu. Press Share then Record and begin speaking. When you are done, press Pause, then Save. You will have the option to Listen to your share before saving it to the Wecovery share repository. You may also tag it by Topic or Step if you wish.
- What should I share on the app?
Share from the heart, just as you would at a 12 step meeting.
Or, recite the Serenity Prayer, or read The Promises, The 12 Steps, or any program literature. We want to make the experience as much like an in person meeting as possible.
- What types of addiction does Wecovery.org support?
Wecovery.org supports people suffering from all types of addictions – from alcohol and drugs, to sex and gambling, to codependency and overeating. Addiction is addiction is addiction. That is why only one of the 12 steps mentions the addicts’ specific addiction. If you are working a 12 step program, Wecovery is meant to help you, whatever your addiction may be.
- Does this mean I have to hear shares that aren’t relevant to my situation?
People are able to self-identify their addictions and to categorize their shares by addiction. So, if you are an alcoholic you can sort by shares from other alcoholics, etc.
- What about trolls?
Trolls are an unfortunate nuisance in any online community. This community is self-policed, meaning that people are able to flag shares that have inappropriate content or “cross talk.” Flagged shares will be reviewed by the folks at Wecovery and taken down if they are in violation of the community’s basic rules.
- What is “cross talk?”
Cross talk is defined as referring to or commenting on what another person has shared.
- Are members be able to “like” someone else’s share?
No. This is not Facebook. The point of Wecovery is for addicts to share sincerely from the heart like they would in real meetings. Adding “likes,” or “views,” or the number of “shares” may encourage inauthenticity – and that wouldn’t help anyone.
- Is Wecovery affiliated with AA?
Wecovery is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous or any other 12 step program. We are grateful to AA and the other 12 step fellowships for the services they provide.
- Is Wecovery meant to replace in-person meetings?
No. Nothing can replace the magic that happens during an in-person meeting. Wecovery is meant to supplement it, and to offer an option for folks who can’t make a meeting when they really need one.
Privacy and anonymity concerns
- What if someone recognizes my voice or identity?
For addicts who are worried about this, there is an option to alter the tone of your voice.
However, the chances of your coworkers, clergymen, or neighbors trying to find you on Wecovery are akin to them showing up outside your next 12 step meeting to see who walks in the door.
- Are members be able to delete their shares if they wish?
Yes, members are able to access and delete their past shares if they would like to do so.
- Aren't people afraid to have a recovery app on their phones?
Secrecy and shame are two of addiction’s greatest weapons. Recovering from addiction is one of the hardest things a person can do in life. It is something to be proud of. Wecovery is meant to lend a voice to the people struggling in the shadows, to give them a sense of pride in their miraculous accomplishments, and to dissolve the power of shame and secrecy.
- What personal information is required?
The only information you are required to provide is a username and email addres We want to make it as easy as possible for recovering addicts to sign up and get the help they need.
We will ask that you voluntarily identify your addiction, sobriety date, and location so we can keep track of our community to best respond to its specific needs.
The 12 steps
- I thought 12 step groups don’t work, that people in them don’t stay sober.
Incorrect. We’ve seen hundreds of men and women who have been freed from the shackles of addiction by going to meetings and working the 12 steps of recovery. Just like with everything else in life, you get out of it what you put in. Or, in 12 step vernacular, “It works if you work it.” Wecovery offers a tool to help recovering addicts work it.
You may know people who have gone to 12 step meetings and gotten sober for a period of time “only to relapse.” It’s unfortunate that this is viewed as failure. What about the period of time during which the addict stayed clean? Any single sober day for an addict is a miracle in itself. 12 step programs deliver these miracles on a daily basis all over the world.
- Aren’t 12 step groups religious?
No. 12 step groups are not affiliated with any religion. In the 2nd Step, recovering addicts “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” This Higher Power need only be something that is not the addict’s self-will. Often, it is the group itself- in AA, folks frequently quip that GOD stands for Group of Drunks. For others with more religious backgrounds, a Higher Power may take on a more traditional image of God according to their religious traditions. Every 12 step group member is encouraged to define his or her own version of spirituality.
- Where can I find more information on the 12 steps?
Here’s a good starting point: http://www.12step.org/
Funding
- How is Wecovery funded?
Wecovery was funded by generous people who chose to make a difference in the world by contributing to our Indiegogo campaign. We are eternally grateful to them for their support. Without them, Wecovery would not exist.
- What was the funding for?
Their contributions went towards the development, marketing, and initial launch of the app. The more expensive items included:
o Coding / programming
o Functionality and layout
o User experience design
o Marketing
o Secure data warehousing
- How does Wecovery make money?
The purpose of Wecovery is not to make money but to get this tool into the hands of the people who need it as soon as possible.
As the Wecovery community grows, we may look to more traditional means of monetization to support and sustain the app’s maintenance and growth.
There are no plans to charge users for the app. We hope to provide Wecovery for free to the people who need it.