Mutual support and recovery in the Russian Alcoholics Anonymous online community

Abstract

AIMS – In Russia the paradigm of alcoholism as a disease is still in contrast to the general perception of alcoholics as weak-willed. This article studies alcoholism and recovery in Russia through the case study of the Russian Alcoholics Anonymous online group. It studies how people who are seeking help for their drinking problems in this online community come to incorporate a new self-understanding of being ill with alcoholism.

Keywords

• alcoholism
• recovery
• Russia
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• online support groups