Quick answer: Group therapy can help people feel less alone, learn coping skills, practice communication, and hear new perspectives. A clinician should help decide whether a particular group fits your needs. Clinical therapy and peer support meetings have different roles.
Three young people standing together outside of a treatment facility
Alpine Recovery Lodge helps people regain their independence. We offer an individualized approach to treating addiction.
But, drug recovery doesn’t end after rehabilitation or an inpatient treatment program. Recovery often includes ongoing care, skills practice, and support. Needs can change over time.
We understand the desire to increase your chances of recovery. People always ask if there are resources that are available after detox or inpatient treatment. It’s essential that people with addiction continue to explore ways to cope with their urges. This includes group therapy.
If you or someone that you know suffers from addiction, then discover the advantages of therapy in a group setting. Here are five ways that group therapy is effective for treating addiction.
#1 – Group Therapy Helps You Realize That You’re Not Alone
One of the main benefits of group therapy is that it helps you realize that you’re not alone.
A group can offer support from people with shared experiences. You get to share your experiences with a group of people that understand what you’re going through. They can sympathize with your struggle in a way that other people can’t.
Realizing that you’re not alone can help deal with one of the biggest challenges of addiction – the isolation. Substance abuse tends to lead to a sense of isolation that makes it difficult to resume a normal, productive life.
When you connect with people that are dealing with the same issues, you realize that you’re not alone. The sense of isolation begins to get replaced with a sense of hope.
Along with this isolation, it’s easy to become focused on your own impulses, thoughts, and problems. Yet, many of the people in your group will be going through the same thing.
With repeat visits, along with support from group members and group leaders, there is continual encouragement to attend these group sessions. Attendance expectations should be clear. If transport, health, cost, or anxiety makes attendance difficult, discuss adjustments with the clinician; guilt is not a useful substitute for a workable plan.
Support and encouragement may make participation easier. During sessions, members may also encounter new perspectives.
#2 – Group Therapy Can Help You See From a New Perspective
The fact that everyone is different and has different experiences can be incredibly beneficial. In a group setting, you can see things from a new perspective.
When you attend a group therapy session, you will hear experiences, problems, and stories from someone else’s point of view. This can give you new insight into your own problems.
Learning more about other people’s problems can also provide inspiration. Not everyone will be at the same stage of recovery. There may be individuals that have maintained their sobriety for years.
By paying attention to what these people say, it’s possible to learn new coping techniques and find inspiration that you too can remain sober.
Some people experience isolation during addiction or recovery. Hearing different perspectives may help, although connection develops at a different pace for each person.
When you get stuck seeing things from your own isolated perspective, it’s harder to look at the big picture. It’s more difficult to have hope.
Group therapy provides a direct contrast to this problem. With this new perspective, you may see your problems in a different way. You can find solutions where previously you only saw obstacles.
Also, when you hear drug abuse stories from others in the group, you are more likely to take the details of their story seriously. This is someone that has gone through a somewhat similar experience and is sharing details of what they went through.
You can often find ways to relate their stories to your own condition. Drug abuse stories can provide insight, encouragement, or fear. Different perspectives may help you recognize choices and supports to discuss with your care team.
The sharing of these stories does more than just give you a new perspective. You are also more likely to share your own experiences. This can help improve confidence and self-esteem, while also teaching new social skills…
#3 – Group Therapy Can Help Teach New Social Skills
Dealing with the real world can be a challenge for recovering people with addiction. After years of struggling with addiction, some people lose touch with certain social skills and behaviors.
A well-facilitated group can provide a place to practice communication and boundaries. The clinician should address harmful interactions and help determine whether the group is a good fit.
You learn how to relate to people again. At the same time, you also learn how to relate to yourself. This can really open your eyes to the inter-connectivity of people. You’ll begin to see the importance of sharing and socializing again.
Along with social skills, you can learn other skills. This includes skills to avoid engaging in destructive behavior. For example, you may learn how to avoid seeking out drugs or how to replace your old habits with healthy, new habits.
These skills may be acquired based on experiences shared by others in the group or with the help of trained professionals. When an experienced counselor or therapist is in charge of the therapy session, they can provide suggestions and advice for treating addiction in the real world.
A trained professional may offer techniques that limit the chances of relapse. For example, there is a coping reminder called DEADS. This is an acronym that offers steps for dealing with drug cravings and urges. Each letter stands for one step in the approach:
- Delay – pause before acting on an urge and use your agreed support plan
- Escape – get away from the situation or negative environment
- Accept – accept that your cravings are natural and will eventually pass
- Dispute – question the thought that you must act on an urge
- Substitute – substitute your cravings with an activity or thought
That is just one of many methods that are often explored during these group therapy sessions. You will hear about these various methods and listen to others explain what worked and what hasn’t. You can even share your own experiences about what worked for you.
#4 – Group Therapy Sets Expectations for Respectful Sharing
A well-led group explains its purpose, participation rules, and confidentiality limits. Members are asked to protect one another’s privacy, but a program cannot guarantee that every member will keep information private. Ask before sharing sensitive details.
You do not have to tell your whole story at your first session. Tell the clinician if you feel unsafe, overwhelmed, or pressured to share. Group therapy should support safety and choice.
When you are ready, talking about an experience may help you ask for feedback or practice a new response. Some people prefer to discuss certain topics in individual therapy.
#5 – Group Therapy Can Be Part of Many Addiction Treatment Plans
Group therapy is used in many substance use treatment plans, but its fit depends on a person’s needs and the group’s purpose. This includes illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and opiates, along with addictions to stimulants, depressants, or pain medication.
Substance use disorders can involve impaired control and continued use despite harm. Symptoms and treatment needs vary; a group should not assume that every member has the same history or risks.
If you or someone that you know is suffering from any type of addiction, then group therapy could be the right option after rehab or detox. Though, it’s just one of many types of drug treatment available.
Group Therapy is One of Many Resources for Treating Addiction
Clinical group therapy is led by a qualified professional and has treatment goals. Peer support meetings, such as Narcotics Anonymous, provide mutual support and are not the same as clinical therapy. Both may have a role, depending on the person’s preferences and care plan.
At Alpine Recovery Lodge in Utah, we recommend that our patients continue to seek support, even after leaving our personalized treatment programs.
Group therapy offers numerous advantages. It can help you realize that you’re not alone. It may provide support and skills practice as part of a broader recovery plan.
The bottom line is that group therapy helps people develop the skills needed to cope with their addiction. It’s a safety net that can provide support and insight. But, group therapy is just one of many possible treatment options.
In addition to group therapy, individuals suffering from addiction should consider a rehabilitation program if they’re still using. An assessment can identify withdrawal risks and the right level of care. Detox alone does not treat every aspect of addiction.
Alpine Recovery Lodge serves adults in Alpine, Utah. Admissions can explain available services. Withdrawal needs require clinical assessment; medical detox or hospital care may require referral.
For those that are trying to get by in the real world and continue to struggle with cravings, group therapy offers beneficial support. After you’ve gotten the drugs out of your system, you still need to deal with the cravings and urges.
If you want group support, ask a qualified clinician about options suited to your goals and current needs. Medication, individual therapy, and other services may also belong in your treatment plan.
Before Your First Group
- Ask who leads it and what training they have.
- Ask whether it is therapy, skills training, or peer support.
- Discuss group size, schedule, cost, and confidentiality limits.
- Tell the clinician about concerns that may affect participation.
- Ask how to raise a concern or request another care option.
Find Support That Fits
Talk with Alpine admissions about available adult treatment programs and group services.