Recovery-Focused Social Features

Build privacy-first social features for addiction recovery apps. These patterns prioritize anonymity, safety, and the unique relationship structures in recovery communities.

When to Use

✅ USE this skill for:

• Sponsor/sponsee relationship systems

• Recovery-focused group features (meeting groups, accountability circles)

• Privacy-first friend connections with mutual consent

• Safe messaging between recovery peers

• Anonymity-preserving profile systems

❌ DO NOT use for:

• General social media patterns → use standard social feature docs

• Dating or romantic connection features → not appropriate for recovery context

• Public-facing profiles → recovery apps should default to privacy

• Content recommendation algorithms → use recovery-community-moderator for content safety

Core Principles

Privacy by Default

Recovery apps handle sensitive data. Default to maximum privacy, let users opt into visibility.

interface PrivacySettings { profileVisibility: 'private' | 'friends' | 'community'; showSobrietyDate: boolean; showProgram: boolean; // AA, NA, CMA, etc. showLocation: 'none' | 'city' | 'region'; allowMessages: 'none' | 'friends' | 'sponsors' | 'all'; anonymousInGroups: boolean; // Use display name only }

// Default to most private const DEFAULT_PRIVACY: PrivacySettings = { profileVisibility: 'friends', showSobrietyDate: false, showProgram: false, showLocation: 'none', allowMessages: 'friends', anonymousInGroups: true, };

Anonymity Support

Many users need complete anonymity. Support display names separate from real identity.

interface Profile { id: string; // Private - never exposed publicly email: string; realName?: string;

// Public-facing identity displayName: string; // "JohnD" or "GratefulMember" avatarType: 'initials' | 'icon' | 'custom'; avatarIcon?: string; // Predefined icon set

// Recovery-specific sobrietyDate?: Date; programs: ('aa' | 'na' | 'cma' | 'smart' | 'refuge' | 'other')[]; homeGroup?: string; // Primary meeting }

Feature Overview

Sponsor/Sponsee Relationships

The sponsor relationship is hierarchical and private. Only the two parties should know about it.

Key concepts:

• Invite-based connection (sponsor generates code, sponsee accepts)

• Time-limited invite codes (24h expiration)

• Private by design - no public visibility

• One sponsor per program, unlimited sponsees

Hooks provided:

• useSponsorInvite()

• Generate and accept invite codes

• useSponsorRelationships()

• List sponsors and sponsees

Components:

• GenerateSponsorInvite

• Sponsor creates shareable code

• AcceptSponsorInvite

• Sponsee enters code to connect

• SponsorDashboard

• View all sponsor/sponsee relationships

See: references/sponsor-sponsee.md for full implementation

Meeting-Based Groups

Groups that form organically around meetings. Ephemeral by default but can be made permanent.

Key concepts:

• Tied to specific meetings or standalone

• Ephemeral groups auto-delete after 24 hours

• Visibility options: public, private, invite-only

• Member limits prevent overcrowding

Group Settings:

interface GroupSettings { name: string; meetingId?: string; // Link to meeting visibility: 'public' | 'private' | 'invite'; ephemeral: boolean; // Auto-delete after 24h maxMembers: number; // Member limit }

Visibility Who Can See Who Can Join

public

Anyone Anyone

private

Members only Invite only

invite

Members only Has invite code

Hooks provided:

• useMeetingGroup()
• Create, join, leave groups

Components:

• QuickMeetingGroup
• One-tap group creation at meetings

See: references/groups.md for full implementation

Friend Connections

Peer-to-peer connections without hierarchy. Mutual consent required.

Key concepts:

• Request/accept flow (no auto-follows)

• Real-time updates via Supabase subscriptions

• Blocking supported (one-way, discreet)

• Status: pending, accepted, blocked

Hooks provided:

• useFriendships()
• Full friendship management with real-time sync

Components:

• FriendRequestButton

• Context-aware add/pending/friends states

• PendingFriendRequests

• Accept/decline UI

See: references/friendships.md for full implementation

Safe Messaging

Recovery-appropriate messaging with crisis detection and safety features.

Key concepts:

• Real-time message delivery via Supabase

• Crisis keyword detection (non-blocking, shows resources)

• Soft-delete (messages hidden, not destroyed)

• Privacy-first (no read receipts by default)

Crisis Keywords (trigger resource prompt):

const CRISIS_KEYWORDS = [ // Suicidal ideation 'suicide', 'kill myself', 'want to die', 'end it all', // Relapse indicators 'relapse', 'using again', 'fell off the wagon', // Self-harm 'hurt myself', 'cutting', 'self-harm', ];

Best Practices:

• Non-blocking - Crisis prompts suggest resources, don't block messages

• Privacy-first - Don't log or report crisis keywords automatically

• Helpful tone - Gentle, non-judgmental language

• Direct resources - Link to crisis page, not external sites

• Offline capable - Cache crisis resources for offline access

Hooks provided:

• useMessages()
• Real-time message thread with Supabase subscriptions

Components:

• MessageInput
• Input with crisis detection overlay

See: references/messaging.md for full implementation

Accountability Features

Sharing recovery progress with trusted connections.

Check-In Sharing:

• Share daily check-ins with selected sponsors

• HALT tracking (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)

• Mood and gratitude logging

Sobriety Visibility Settings:

Level Who Can See Use Case

private

Only self Maximum privacy

sponsors

Self + sponsors Accountability focus

friends

Self + sponsors + friends Peer support

community

All app users Public milestone celebrations

HALT Check-In Data:

interface DailyCheckIn { date: string; mood: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5; // 1=worst, 5=best halt: { hungry: boolean; angry: boolean; lonely: boolean; tired: boolean; }; gratitude?: string; notes?: string; }

Components:

• ShareCheckIn

• Select sponsors to share with

• SobrietyVisibility

• Privacy level picker

See: references/accountability.md for full implementation

Safety & Moderation

Content moderation and user blocking for safe communities.

Moderation Categories:

Category Description Action

crisis

Suicidal ideation, self-harm Show resources, don't block

sourcing

Drug seeking, dealing Block + flag for review

harassment

Personal attacks, threats Block + flag for review

spam

Promotional content Block

explicit

Sexual/graphic content Block

Blocking Behavior:

• Blocked user cannot send messages

• Blocked user cannot see blocker's profile

• Blocked user cannot see blocker in groups

• Existing messages are hidden (not deleted)

• Blocking is one-way (blocked user doesn't know)

RLS Policy Pattern:

-- Hide content from blocked users CREATE POLICY "Hide messages from blocked users" ON messages FOR SELECT USING ( NOT EXISTS ( SELECT 1 FROM friendships WHERE status = 'blocked' AND ( (requester_id = auth.uid() AND addressee_id = sender_id) OR (addressee_id = auth.uid() AND requester_id = sender_id) ) ) );

Hooks provided:

• useContentModeration()

• Check content against moderation API

• useBlocking()

• Block/unblock users, check block status

See: references/moderation.md for full implementation

Quick Reference

Feature Privacy Default Who Can See

Profile Friends only Configurable

Sobriety date Hidden Configurable

Sponsor relationship Private Only the two parties

Group membership Group members Configurable per group

Messages Participants only Never public

Check-ins Private Opt-in sharing

Database Schema

See supabase-admin/references/social-schema.md for complete Supabase schema including:

• Friendships table with RLS

• Sponsorships with invite codes

• Groups and group members

• Conversations and messages

• Real-time subscription patterns

References

Detailed implementations in /references/ :

File Contents

sponsor-sponsee.md

useSponsorInvite hook, invite UI components, SponsorDashboard

groups.md

useMeetingGroup hook, QuickMeetingGroup component

friendships.md

useFriendships hook with real-time, friend request UI

messaging.md

useMessages hook, MessageInput with crisis detection

accountability.md

ShareCheckIn, SobrietyVisibility components

moderation.md

useContentModeration, useBlocking hooks, RLS policies