Inside the Taylor Swift-themed addiction recovery group, where former alcoholics and drug users sing her songs and gossip about Travis to combat their problems

Taylor Swift is now helping Swifties shake off, bringing together fans with drug and alcohol abuse issues to heal through her music.

Quick stepsa virtual support group for Swifties battling addiction was launched in January this year and has since grown to a 740-strong group on Facebook.

The group meets virtually four times a week to continue their recovery journey together.

Swift Steps founder, Julianne Griffin, told the Philadelphia researcher that she uses a mix of Swift’s music, history and guest speakers to spark the difficult conversations that people in recovery sometimes have to have.

The group was founded on the premise that some young adults are looking for a less judgmental recovery program than the traditional 12-step process.

Griffin is also the founder of Blank Space Recovery, a mentoring service for people in recovery that hosts Swift Steps. She became a certified peer specialist after beginning recovery from opiate and benzodiazepine addiction nearly a decade ago.

Her friend Emily Bee, who is not in recovery herself but lost a sister to addiction at a young age, helps run the community.

Griffin says the group’s goal is to foster an addiction recovery community “where everyone is accepted.”

That non-judgmental atmosphere is exactly what members appreciate about the group, and according to the Inquirer, medical professionals see the group as a useful addition to the standard 12-step program.

Groups like Swift Steps can be especially helpful for those who don’t necessarily embrace the religiosity or rigidity of more conventional 12-step programs.

For Griffin, that kind of space became a necessity when she stopped attending 12-step meetings after being told her MAT treatment plan meant she wasn’t completely sober.

MAT – Medication-Assisted Treatment – ​​is the use of medications, in addition to therapy, to treat addictive disorders.

Eric Zillmer, director of the Drexel University Happiness Lab, calls Swift Steps “brilliant.”

“People with substance use disorder can feel alone… so it’s fantastic to create a platform where people feel comfortable sharing in a cultural phenomenon driven by authenticity,” he said.

‘Swift is so culturally irresistible, but also amazingly authentic and so positive. She communicates a message of hope,” he added of Swift’s overall place in the culture.

Griffin and Bee agree, but Griffin adds that members of the group “live by Taylor’s example” precisely because “she’s not afraid to be messy.”

Those in recovery “have regrets,” she says, “and that’s okay. We can make something better out of it.’

The group, which meets virtually four times a week, has grown from zero to almost 750 members in four months.

The members of Recovery talk about Taylor’s music and history, in addition to hearing from guest speakers and having more difficult conversations about recovery

Griffin hopes Swift Steps will become her full-time gig sooner or later. She currently works in finance and sells Etsy merchandise to offset the group’s costs

Swift’s cultural relevance has never been more tangible, as her fans grow up with her and deal with adult issues (like addiction) and find ways to navigate life with her.

Swift’s cultural relevance has never been more tangible. As her fans grow up with her and deal with adult issues (like addiction), they find ways to navigate life with her.

Swift Steps is a great example of the communities of adults in their late 20s, 30s, and probably even 40s uniting around real-world issues through its product.

And the artist doesn’t slow down.

Her latest offering, The Tortured Poets Department, was an instant hit with consumers. It sold approximately 1.4 million copies on the Friday it was released and was streamed more than 300 million times on Spotify in a single day.

The album’s lead single, Fortnight, featuring Post Malone, also shattered several records.

On Sunday, Billboard announced that Swift’s album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking her 14th No. 1 album and tying her for the most No. 1 albums among solo artists. TTPD also received the highest number of streams ever in a week for an album.