Signing up for drug addiction treatment is a vital step toward recovery that one has to take and that too with immense courage. When you finally decide to fight your demons, it comes with multiple emotions, such as hope, anxiety, and perhaps even fear. But it has to be done if you want your life to be a fulfilling and happy journey. One such highly effective method to fight drug addiction is Group Therapy.
What is Group Therapy?
Group Therapy is a powerful part of drug addiction treatment and recovery. In group therapy, people going through the same challenges and difficulties connect with each other in order to make you feel that you are not alone in your struggles. In other words, group therapy invites you into a safe space where you can be vulnerable. A significant component of individual therapy, family therapy, therapy for drug addiction, etc., group therapy allows you to open up in front of other people. You might attend group therapy in a hospital, a community center, a mental health clinic, or a substance abuse treatment program.
In addition, group therapy is a process where a group of people indulges in a guided discussion on mental health and substance abuse topics. While it can happen between a few people, the number of members allowed depends upon the treatment centers. Also, the format and duration of group therapy for drug addiction depends on therapists and individual needs respectively. While some therapists allow an open discussion, others like to keep it more focused.
Types of Group Therapy
In substance abuse treatment like drug addiction, group therapy includes several types and formats, such as:
- Psychoeducational groups – Psychoeducational groups address addiction and mental health issues. In this group, the therapists and members discuss subjects like medical and mental health conditions, trauma, disease of addiction, relapse prevention, and components of a healthy lifestyle and further relate them with their own challenges.
- Interpersonal process groups – Interpersonal process groups are one step forward in what you learn in a psychoeducational group. Here, the members discuss real-life issues and hear reactions and potential solutions from peers. Interpersonal process groups allow you to create similar relationship dynamics with fellow members as you do with your family or loved ones so that you can learn better ways to communicate.
- Skills development groups – Skills development groups teach practical skills & the use of relapse-prevention tools in daily life. Learning practical skills teaches you to manage your anger, teach you better ways to communicate, you’ll learn how to refuse drugs and how to cope with urges and triggers. These new skills will help you keep your mind off drug addiction.
- Cognitive–behavioral/problem-solving groups – Cognitive behavior or problem-solving groups help members to avoid self-destructive behaviors. This group teaches people to understand their emotions, set goals, develop problem-solving skills, and identify patterns that can fuel substance abuse in any way.
- Support groups – Support groups are most beneficial in the early recovery stages. These groups encourage people to discuss their day-to-day life and the challenges they face and help them to maintain sobriety. Support groups also provide patients with a sense of accountability.
Benefits of Group therapy
You may feel isolated through a drug addiction treatment or recovery process. In group therapy for drug addiction, you’ll get a chance to connect with people who face similar challenges as you in everyday life. With peers like these, you will feel safe to share your feelings and thoughts.
- Groups can provide you with a safe space: Whether you are dealing with anxiety issues, depression, drug addiction, or panic disorder, a group setting can make you feel comforted. And trusting that what happens in the group will stay in the group will let you open up a little more.
- Group Setting Help You Learn from Others: When people share similar experiences as yours, you tend to understand yourself better. Sometimes, group therapies will help you gain insights that you have never seen before on your own.
- Group Therapy Gives You Voice: Not many people succeed in making their voices heard. In group therapy for drug addiction, you can convey your thoughts, expressions, and feelings without fear or hesitation, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Using your voice in an unfiltered manner will boost your confidence and empower you to believe that you deserve to be heard.
- Group Therapy Encourages Growth: Growth is rewarding and group therapy encourages you toward it. In group therapies, you learn more about communication skills, how to overcome fear, how to set healthy relationships, and much more, which instills growth.
- Group Therapy Helps You Solve Problems Better: Group Therapy allows you to understand the perspective of others. For example, if you tell a story about a fight you had, they will see it from a different perspective than yours. Hearing what other people have to say about your reactions can be very powerful and it will help you deal with your problems better.
Do’s and Don’ts of Group Therapy
Group therapy for drug addiction treatment is most beneficial to those who come to the group with a mindset of understanding first, and secondly, to be understood. What group therapy entails is being open to the process of giving and getting support from others. When other people talk about their struggles that might be similar to yours, you become more comfortable and strong to talk about the same things yourself. But there are still a few things that you must and must not do in order to support group therapy:
Do’s of Group Therapy:
- Be open to other people’s perspectives and suggestions.
- Be willing to share your experiences with the group members.
- Listen to other people’s stories and struggles to understand their feelings.
- Be supportive of other group members.
- Apply what you’ve learned in group therapy sessions in your real life.
Don’ts of Group Therapy:
- Be careful of sharing your peer’s stories with other people outside of the group (it has to be anonymous).
- Never talk over or interrupt when someone is telling their story or sharing their experience.
- Don’t take other people’s feelings lightly.
Substance Abuse Topics and Activities Covered in Group Therapy
You should always be flexible and open to organic conversations in group therapy sessions. While there can be multiple substance abuse topics that can be discussed in the group sessions, they can be unplanned and new to some people. Some of the substance abuse topics that may instigate personal growth are:
- Trauma
- Goal Setting
- Self-care
- Self-esteem
- Codependency
- Relationships
- Anger Management
- Addiction and Mental Health Education
- Financial Management
- Stress Management
- Impulse Control
In group therapies, recovery can revolve around one of these topics every week. For example, a group session on anger management may focus on techniques that can help reduce anger in unfavorable situations, ensuring recovery. Also, group members may be asked to share the story of when they successfully overcame their anger and why those strategies are not working now.
Group Therapy at Glance
Nothing is more relaxing and satisfying than being able to share your feelings and thoughts with people who understand you. And group therapy for drug addiction is a way to do that. While it may seem scary and uncomfortable at first, most people find it beneficial after one or two sessions. So, if you have finally decided to start your journey to sobriety, reach out to your nearest rehab center or drug addiction treatment center. The rehabs help those who suffer from any kind of substance abuse and focus on empowering people to build healthier lives.
