Like so many meetings, both personal and professional, members moved their acts to virtual platforms like Zoom. ![]() “The problem is you don’t immediately know where it’s coming from, so while you can kick them out, it isn’t easy when they are organized and there’s so many,” he says.Īs the novel coronavirus pandemic has shut down nearly every aspect of normal life, 12-step recovery groups gathered across Los Angeles and in cities across the globe have also seen their spaces shuttered. He then saw one use a drawing tool to cover an X-rated clip with a swastika. “It was like an ambush,” David explains of the coordinated attack, which saw multiple users unmute their computers at once, yell racist and anti-Semitic insults and utilize the screen-sharing feature to blast pornography. They introduced themselves after the meeting’s announcements were read. ![]() There were others, though - he can’t say for sure how many - whom he didn’t recognize. Many of the faces staring back were friendly ones, people he’d met during three and a half years of sobriety. Saturday, the glow in the living room was better.Īs the 20-minute speaker booked for a virtual 12-step meeting organized out of West Hollywood (who asked to use his first name only for this story), David wanted a maximum amount of comfort while offering what those in the recovery community call sharing one’s “experience, strength and hope.” He opened a laptop, clicked the link and connected to find more than 50 attendees online. ![]() He normally preferred his breakfast nook for morning Zoom meetings because of its access to natural light, but at 8:30 p.m. He had participated in a global meditation event, recited a prayer and found a comfortable spot on the sofa, nestled between two dozing golden retrievers.
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