Sober Redbirds, a registered student organization, is hosting a new weekly recovery group on campus that provides support for anyone in the campus community who is in any form of recovery (substances, disordered eating, gambling, mental health, etc.) or is considering it.

The free group meetings follow the academic calendar and are on Fridays from 7–8 p.m. in 314 Student Services Building. The format of the meetings rotates between skill development (emotion regulation, self-care), discussion (self-love, connection to others), meditation, and writing to recover. In the writing groups, participants will be given a writing prompt or can choose a topic of their own. After 30 minutes of writing, participants can elected to share or get feedback.

These groups facilitate skills and opportunities for personal growth and recovery, and they also build connection, which is essential for recovery. According to Johann Hari, an author on the topics of depression and addiction, “The opposite of addiction is connection.”

Sober Redbirds is an organization that is sponsored by the Dean of Students Office. For more information or for accommodations, please email SoberRedbirds@IllinoisState.edu.