1. The “SUMA” project Soberistas – Understanding a new form of Mutual Aid Sophia Chambers, PhD student sec1n14@soton.ac.uk

3. BLOGS ONLINE CHATROOM ‘ASK THE DOCTOR’ BOOK CLUB WEBINARS PERSONAL STORIES

4. The “SUMA” research project 1828 members, (≈2000 browsers) 438 completed survey 76 provided email address 31 interviewed PHASE 1 PHASE 2

5. Grounded Theory Methodology

6. Maximum Variation Sample CharacteristicMy sample Gender Age Current alcohol use Treatment history Time with Soberistas Membership

7. Maximum Variation Sample CharacteristicMy sample Gender 6 males / 25 females Age Range 28 – 74 years Current alcohol use 7 Currently drinking 24 Alcohol-free (2 weeks – 5 years) Treatment history 13 None / 13 Previous 5 Current Time with Soberistas Range 1 week – 3 years Membership 24 Subscription-paying 4 Ex-members / 3 Browsers

8. HOW & WHY does Soberistas work to help people change their problematic alcohol use? IDENTITY TRANSFORMATION

9. 1.Secrecy, isolation & problematic alcohol use Online Identity: “LURKER”

10. 1.Secrecy, isolation & problematic alcohol use Online Identity: “LURKER” “Reading other people’s stories was so important because it made me realise I wasn’t alone. There were people exactly like me…my age, my profession, my social background.” (Angela, member, 2 months alcohol-free).

11. 2. Acceptance & Action Online Identity: PARTICIPANT

12. 2. Acceptance & Action Online Identity: PARTICIPANT “Once you create an identity, and you put yourself out there on blogs…there's almost, well I'm out there now…you're accountable to everybody else.” (Michelle, member, 5 months alcohol-free).

13. 3. “Secure in Sobriety” Online Identity: LEADER

14. 3. “Secure in Sobriety” Online Identity: LEADER “I remember when I started the discussion group…I had progressed to being a grown-up [laughs]...it’s kept me more on the straight and narrow – no weakness allowed!” (Linda, member, 15 months alcohol-free)

15. ONLINE IDENTITY: ALCOHOL USE: “LURKER”“PARTICIPANT”“LEADER” PROBLEMATIC ANONYMITY RESONANCE REASSURANCE STEPS TO BE ALCOHOL FREE MUTUAL SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY “SECURE IN SOBRIETY” SUPPORT OTHERS

16. ------------------------------------------------ The Soberistas Bus “Sobriety and recovery is an ongoing journey, it never ends” (Caroline, member, 3 years AF) Problematic Alcohol Use Alcohol Free

17. “I just found it easier to talk about the whole subject anonymously… …I found it much easier to admit online that I was sitting there at 9 o’clock in the morning with a bottle of vodka in front of me.” (Steve, member, 3 years alcohol-free)”