Addiction often feels like a lonely problem. Your habit may have started out as social — a few drinks in a bar with friends, a joint passed around among buddies. But in the time it takes to form a full-on addiction, the scene usually changes. More often, the drink or drug of choice is consumed alone, possibly in an atmosphere of shame and regret. It’s no accident that effective drug rehabilitation therapy includes the social support of a group. Find out how Alpine Recovery Lodge can help you recover from your addiction with the help of others just like you.
You may have already heard from others like your parents, teachers or those in positions of authority that you need to be careful when choosing friends, because it’s likely that their habits will become your habits. The science behind this phenomenon is akin to mob mentality: what the group does, everybody does.
If, as a teen who has not yet tried drugs or alcohol, you begin hanging around with a group of, say, four or five others who regularly use, it is not impossible that your influence will cause all the others to change, but it’s improbable. It’s the same when juries deliberate: If only one or two out of 12 has a different opinion, the majority usually convinces the outliers to change their minds. If you were to be immune to the influence of your friends who use, you would have to be deeply dedicated to remaining sober and strong enough to resist temptation. And there are few people in such a position.
Think of other friend groups you have been in. If everyone was getting better grades than you, did you study more or less? If everyone was unhealthy and fans of eating junk food, did you get healthier and fitter with them, or the opposite?
An important skill that those in inpatient recovery learn is how to resist temptation once they are back on the outside, in the real world. You may feel strong, healthy and motivated while in a residential recovery center, but no one can remain in this artificial environment indefinitely. It is meant to give you the critical jumpstart you need to begin your recovery. But as any drug and alcohol counselor knows, one of the most important parts of recovery is setting up a plan for reintegration that works..
While the Alcoholics Anonymous approach may be considered somewhat dated today, they are the organization that pioneered having a sponsor — someone to call when you feel tempted to use again. Maybe you had a fight with your spouse, child or boss and you’re really upset. Maybe someone close to you has fallen ill or died. Stress is a major trigger for those in recovery, and having social support can be the difference between success and failure.
AA also introduced the concept of support group meetings that many recovery centers use today, including Alpine Recovery Lodge. These meetings provide not only a critical foundation for recovery, but also ongoing reinforcement of the principles and practices necessary for success.
You may have seen movies or TV shows where everyone sits in a circle and a new member, riddled with fear and anxiety, enters the group, and says, “I’m Bill, and I’m an alcoholic,” and the group answers in unison, “Hi, Bill!”
In real life, it’s not exactly like that, but it’s similar. People sit in a circle so that everyone can see each other. Face-to-face interaction is important whenever you are engaging in a serious topic. It promotes truth-telling, accountability and sharing of raw emotion, pain and even trauma. The reason it is effective is the same reason so many people fear it: it’s hard.
At Alpine Recovery Lodge, group therapy is a part of the program from the time you enter the facility. When clients arrive at the lodge, they often feel a mix of unpleasant emotions: shame, regret, fear, anger, defiance. Inevitably, some lies are told at the first meeting, whether it’s because group members want to hide the truth or they no longer know what the truth is. In these first few weeks, group therapy helps clients understand that they all have something in common, and that being in recovery is not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it’s something to feel proud of.
As time progresses and clients move from residential rehab to day treatment and intensive outpatient treatment, support group meetings evolve from being a necessary component of the program to becoming one of its most important parts. Clients travel from their homes to the center several days a week at first, and then as they progress they attend fewer and fewer days, drawing strength and energy from the successes of those around them.
Some people who have been through inpatient rehab for drug or alcohol addiction attend support group meetings for the rest of their lives. That does mean you have to. It means you can. Some people derive great strength from these meetings and look forward to attending. Some even quit their day jobs to become alcohol and drug counselors, so they can help others achieve the same kind of success they did. What’s important to know is that support groups are there for you, like a warm blanket on a cold night. There’s no prize for toughing out the cold without the blanket. In fact, your odds of staying alive are much higher if you attend meetings regularly, at least in the beginning, when you’re still developing your new coping skills and building your resistance to temptation and relapse.
If you’re struggling with an alcohol or drug use problem, contact us here at Alpine Recovery Center and learn more about what we do to help people regain health, vitality and a reason for living again.
Alpine Recovery Lodge
