Sponsors on 7 Cups!

@GlenM Regarding reaching out for help, NPR posted an interesting article yesterday about how most people around the world who suffer from depression don't reach out for help because of the stigma around mental illness. Here's the link to the article: http://n.pr/2gUJYnY

Sponsor model is great but I'm not sure if it fits with 7 cups. If it was to be implemented it would need to be altered and modified a great deal and I'm not sure if it would make it loose a lot of its efficiency as a result.

Something at the core of the AA model is that sponsor has personal experience of recovery and is following the same program as the person they mentor, they are further ahead. I suppose many listeners have personal experience of recovery but it is not Universal. Also sharing your personal details and circumstances is core to the sponsor relationship. I don't know how well this can be replicated online, particularly if we are going to maintain the rules about not sharing personal details.

DOI: Involved with AA professionally, tea total.

I'm not sure that this would be benifitial if it were a manditory thing. Depression and anxiety are similar in some ways to addiction but are not the same thing...most people that have addictions also have either depression or anxiety at least some of the time but I don't believe treating them as the same thing would be the best thing for all memebers. People who have social anxiety and lack of energy from depression will feel worse if they feel like they are being monitored by someone that may judge them for "slipping up" when the sponsor didn't when anxiety and depression doesn't revolve around indulging in a physical substance. I also think that commitment involved in staying on 7cups for a specific length of time is impractical for most people visiting this site; at least it is for me. I feel I can help more people without being attached somehow to one of them. I've been helping one person with severe depression elsewhere on the internet by befriending them and mentoring but I feel sure that it can sometimes be exhausting as much as it might be rewarding...and isn't free from risk in relapsing yourself into deep depression from worrying about them. I also can't see everyone wanting to make progress if they have to sponsor once they hit level 150 on growth path for example. They may feel ready to grow but hesitate from not wanting that much responsibility.

@GlenM Wonderfull concept about the sponser programme.. giving indepth support to members based on their particular area of problem is just a WOW stratergy .. yes we can definetly get there as long as we all are united and share our beliefs and thoughts with each other.

@GlenM Oh, thank God you're doing this! As great as some of the listeners I've encountered on here are, a sponsor would be even better for me and for others. I have a face to face sponsor as well in the 12step program I'm in, and I had a different sponsor in another 12step program and it really works. I definitely cannot wait to check this out, and see how it works on this site as I feel I could use an online sponsor too because some sponsors that I've encountered aren't as open-minded or as well-trained as the listeners are here.

I would like to request a sponsor 😊

I need a long time support system as my current support system has huge gaps in it. I'm looking for extra support. The holiday season is very difficult for me. The past 2 years so many things have changed and I've had so many losses. Including my family. They are still here but don't acknowledge me.

Brilliant Idea, looking forward to it!👍🏻

Id like to try it

I like this idea