Decoding Personal Drug Experiences Online
Understanding the conversations around substance use through AI-powered analysis of online communities
Understanding the Conversations
Millions of people turn to online communities like Reddit to share their experiences with substance use. Whether they're seeking advice, discussing recovery, or simply sharing their personal stories, these conversations provide valuable insight into the realities of substance use.
At our research lab, we set out to understand these discussions better. We analyzed thousands of Reddit posts to uncover common themes, the kind of support people seek, and how they talk about their experiences.
Our Approach
To make sense of these online conversations, we developed a three-level classification system that helps us categorize posts based on their content and intent.
Connection Type
Is the post asking for advice Inquisition or sharing a personal experience Disclosure?
Connection Type
Is the post asking for advice Inquisition or sharing a personal experience Disclosure?
Connection Type
Is the post asking for advice Inquisition or sharing a personal experience Disclosure?
Using this system, we trained AI models, including state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4, to automatically classify thousands of posts.
Key Findings
Information Seeking
Most discussions are inquisitive—people are actively seeking information about substances, their effects, and harm reduction strategies.
Experience Sharing
Posts about safety, substance combinations, and mental health tend to be more disclosure-based, where users openly share their experiences.
Topic Distribution
Conversations around dependency often include discussions on how drugs are used and their effects, while recovery posts focus on support, relapse, and personal milestones.
Why This Matters
Our findings help researchers, healthcare professionals, and harm reduction advocates understand how people talk about substance use online.
Improve the way support is provided in online communities
Identify common concerns and challenges faced by people with substance use disorders
Help shape better harm reduction strategies and interventions
We're continuing to explore how language influences perceptions of substance use and how AI can help create more supportive online spaces.
Want to learn more? Check out our research or get involved in our work!
Read the Paper