Addiction Recovery and E-Mentoring

People in the 21st Century are busy, extremely busy. An article published by ABC News paints a grim picture of today's busy American. It's no surprise when a person suffering from the depths of addiction starts on the road to recovery, roadblocks are immediately encountered. These roadblocks are a direct result of our culture and for some, options are very limited. With limited time to commit to the time and energy consuming activities associated with recovery, it's no wonder why Americans relapse back into their addiction time and time again. Who really has time to attend support group meetings every week, attend group treatment, seek a qualified sponsor and work on staying clean, sober and out of trouble? Not to mention these commitments often come with a hefty burden that involves leaving work early, taking vacation or sick days, or juggling your schedule to make things work. Come on people, let's move into the Age of Information already!

One of the biggest factors the lead people back into the deadly grip of addiction is a lack of positive pro-social support. How can I make such a claim? I've been working in the field of criminal justice and addictions for over seven years. I have counseled hundreds of people that suffer from this disease and I know why relapse often times occur. Support programs such as NA and AA should help provide direction by utilizing a sponsor or someone that will hold you accountable to the program. This is beneficial in many ways but again requires a large time commitment. So, what is the answer? Well, there's not one solution for everyone. Different avenues work for some but not all and I'm here to present another possible avenue for the busy American that wants some positive support from others that have experienced what they've experienced or someone that has experience working in the field.

Mentoring programs can help guide an addicted person in the right direction. Many schools and colleges utilize mentoring programs to help students successfully complete their courses and eventually graduate. There are business coaches all over the internet that business owners can hire to teach them their secrets to success. There are even mentoring programs in the criminal justice system that can help offenders attain success in the community. Unfortunately, these programs are underfunded and usually cut shortly after they're up and running even though research shows how effective a mentor, mentee relationship can be. Mentoring programs are by far the best way to help support someone who may need some direction and guidance. If a good match is made, relationships generally continue on even after the term of the mentoring program ends.

There is a challenge to mentoring as well, and that is time. Along with support groups and attending counseling, people just don't make the time to do what they know they need to do. So, unfortunately, it's no surprise when these programs fail. Mentors are unable to commit and participants are unable or unwilling to make the effort. If we know mentoring programs work when they are properly funded and we know that people are much too busy to prioritize volunteering then the only other solution I see if bringing the mentoring program to the internet!

I must say upfront that I'm biased because I am a Christian and I believe the only true way a person can change is by asking Jesus Christ into his/her heart and allowing the Holy Spirit to do his work. So, it should be no surprise my company is a Christian E-Mentoring program which aims to support people that have suffered through an addiction and is now on the road to recovery or someone that is involved in the criminal justice system and wants some direction from a biblical view.

This E-mentoring program allows mentors to even be paid for their time and effort working with participants strictly online. We of course encourage offline participation as well when possible but the focus is online communication through our various forums, chats and live presentations. Participants pay a monthly membership fee and complete an online assessment to determine the most appropriate mentor for him/her. The mentor and participant then spend a minimum of 30 minutes each month communicating via our live chat format. Members will also have access to live presentations on resume writing, job skill building, bible studies and much more. Members also have access to the live forums to speak with a mentor live whenever someone is available.

I have not been able to find such a program on the internet and I understand that most of mentoring programs such as this are free. What I will say is since there are currently no sponsors helping offset costs of running the webpage, maintaining the website, paying the monthly software usage and other expenses, a member fee helps cover those expenses. The value in return could mean the difference between failure and success!

Check us out at Christian-Ementoringnetwork.org to learn more and sign up as a mentor or a member. The full site is expected to be online by June 30, 2013!