Enthusiastic Sobriety Survivor Support Resources
Content Warning for Survivor Support Pages.
The following pages include Enthusiastic Sobriety Survivor testimonies of abuse, discrimination, assault and suicide that occur in Enthusiastic Sobriety Teen Alcohol and Drug Rehab Facilities during Intensive Outpatient Treatment, Individual Counseling for Teens, Residential Treatment Program, and Alternative Peer Group social functions.
Scroll to the bottom of the page if you would like to talk with a group, staff or parent survivor.
For Current Group Members
If you are currently in an Alternative Peer Group or an Intensive Outpatient Program in an Enthusiastic Sobriety Program, we are here for you. Ask us questions, take time to investigate on your own, decide what rings true for you and know that we are here for you if you ever need support.
For Current Staff Members
If you are currently an Enthusiastic Sobriety Program Counselor, we are here for you. Ask us questions, take time to investigate on your own, decide what rings true for you and know that we are here for you if you ever need support.
For Parents and Family Members
If you are current or former Enthusiastic Sobriety Program Parent or family member, we are here for you. Ask us questions, take time to investigate on your own, decide what rings true for you and know that we are here for you if you ever need support.
Mental Health Support
The Enthusiastic Sobriety Survivor Community has compiled resources for understanding the long term impacts of The Group, different therapeutic styles that have worked for them, and several different directories for mental health professionals to help you on your healing journey. If you struggle with other self-destructive behaviors associated with substance use from your time in an Enthusiastic Sobriety Program, you are not alone.
Crisis Support
It's important for people to know more about what they can do to help prevent suicide and overdose. Enthusiastic Sobriety Abuse Survivors have seen an alarmingly high suicide and overdose rate coming from The Group. Most former members reach out to their peers, both directly or indirectly for mental health support. Here is a guide to help you if someone reaches out with suicidal ideations, a mental health crisis or you find someone who has overdosed. These resources address preparation and prevention.
Substance Abuse Support
There is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to addiction recovery. Whichever treatment path you choose, be sure that it has everything you need to help you achieve a successful recovery. These are methods and approaches that have been successful for Enthusiastic Sobriety Abuse Survivors who have been looking to recover from both substance abuse issues and trauma from a harmful adolescent drug and alcohol rehab program.
Cult Information & Recovery
Understanding the different characteristics of high control groups, undue influence and brainwashing has helped create a vocabulary and connection with Enthusiastic Sobriety Survivors. These resources are intended to illustrate the experience of a cult survivor and hopefully allow Enthusiastic Sobriety Survivors to feel validated and less alone.
Sexual Assault Support
Victim-blaming, sexual assault, abuse and rape are prevalent in Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs. These are resources to help understand consent, coercion, reporting abuse, and reclaiming your body and sexuality as you recover from sexual trauma.
Homeless Youth Support
Your family actually has a legal obligation to house you if you are a minor. Kicking an underage child (meaning under 18 in most states) out of the house, without the child being emancipated, can often be considered child abandonment, which is a crime.
If staff have convinced your parents to kick you out of the house, please visit this support page for resources and help.
Pregnancy, Parenting, Adoption & Abortion Support
If you have experienced pregnancy, parenthood, adoption or abortion in the group - and feel you were not given appropriate support or may have experienced undue influenced in your choice, you are not alone. We have compiled survivor stories and support resources.
If you are currently in The Group and pregnant or a parent - we have provided information and resources for you to make your own decisions and figure out what is best for you.
LGBTQIA+ Survivor Support
LGBTQIA+ Enthusiastic Sobriety Survivors have regularly reported accounts of Conversion Therapy methods, discrimination and harassment from fellow Group members and Staff. We have compiled resources and information for mental health support and LGBTQIA Survivor testimony on homophobia and transphobia in The Group.
BIPoC Survivor Support
Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs are built on the core belief systems of Bob Meehan and his overt and unrelenting racism. BIPoC survivors have regularly found themselves surrounded by slurs, threats, bullying, “jokes", and racial micro-aggressions. We hope to provide BIPoC survivors with mental health resources that specifically target healing from racialized trauma.
Disordered Eating Support
Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs regularly attempt to treat eating disorders, which is out of scope of their already unqualified training from The Meehan Institute and Staff often cause additional physical and emotional harms to Group members. Please visit our page with actual recovery resources, understanding and survivor testimonies.
Chronic Illness Support
Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs regularly discredited diagnosis’, discouraged medication and medical treatment. Living with a chronic illness comes with its own mental health issues, and The Group certainly made us feel isolated, ostracized and gaslit about our conditions. Please visit our chronic illness support page to read survivor stories, find an understanding mental health care professional and a directories on appropriate emotional support groups.
Religious Discrimination and Bullying Support
Many Enthusiastic Sobriety survivors experienced and witnessed anti-semitism, islamophobia, anti-christian rhetoric and non-religious (atheist & agnostic) discrimination. Enthusiastic Sobriety Abuse Alliance has compiled helpful resources and mental health support that specifically addresses religious discrimination.
Grief & Loss Support
Nearly all survivors and current members of Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs have experienced loss. This page intends to provide resources for coping with death, especially focused on suicide and overdose, as well as expose how Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs handle program deaths, suicidal ideations and attempts of their current clients and survivors.
Content Warning: Discussion of death, neglect, suicide, overdose, self-harm and other sensitive topics. Reader discretion is advised.
Making Friends After The Group
Leaving a Meehan Program is a jarring and isolating experience. Read about tips and learned lessons from fellow survivors of Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs on how to build a social life after The Group.
If you would like someone to talk to, scroll down and fill out the form below. You are not alone!
Quitting Nicotine Support
One of the first things The Group encourages is smoking and vaping. Most survivors say they developed a pack or more a day cigarette habit - that The Program encouraged and enabled through convincing parents to buy their kids cartons of cigarettes at a time. After leaving the Group, smoking and vaping addictions are the most common long term issues survivors face. We hope these resources can help survivors kick the habit.
Recommended Reading
Due to the nature of trauma in a “therapeutic” establishment like Enthusiastic Sobriety Programs - many survivors are hesitant to seek out professional help (and for legitimate reasons.) Enthusiastic Sobriety Abuse Alliance and the overall Meehan Program Survivor Community has curated a recommended list of cult, trauma and recovery books for independent healing.
Survivor Events
ESAAlliance hosts online Survivor Support Events as well as promotes Survivor Lead Support Groups that are planned, created and hosted by Program Survivors who volunteer their time and energy to create a safe space for the ESA Community.
Click the link below to learn more and sign up for upcoming events!
For Current & Former Group Members, Staff & Parents
If you’d like to talk about the group, whether it’s to share experiences, ask questions or talk to someone who understands - please reach out! We have a growing list of Enthusiastic Sobriety Abuse Survivors who are willing to talk with you via email, phone, text or social media. You are not alone!
If you would like to volunteer for our Survivor Community Network to connect with Current and Former Group Members, Staff or Parents that are looking for support - please fill out this separate form! Open to all Group, Staff and Parent Volunteers!
