Al-Anon Observation

Alcoholics Anonymous is a support group established to help, support, encourage men and women suffering from alcohol addiction. This group is anonymous and volunteer based where people from different race, gender, and socioeconomic status share their stories of substance addictions. Based on the dynamics, this addiction has no prejudice. Many people are unaware that alcohol is a depressant in which slows down one's motor skills and the ability to think rational. This inability can lead to the person harming themselves and others. Many alcoholics used this drug as a way of coping with depression, stress, or loses. This support group will enable the attendees to become open with their addiction, explore other option, and eventually cease this

AL-Anon is a group that was formed to help the families effected by alcoholism (Van Wormer, K. & Davis, D.R. 2013). In Ohio, there are groups that meet on a daily basis from 6am until midnight. You can find an Al-Anon meeting in many neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati. For the purpose of this reflection, the group was observed twice on a Monday night and a Wednesday night at the same location on October 3rd and October 5th. There were roughly 20-30 participants in the group on both nights and the facilitator was different each night observed. The theme of the meetings on those nights was covering steps 10 and 12 of the 12 step program.

After I attended the Al-Anon meeting I was able to sit down with one of the sponsors Martha. Martha is a Caucasian woman in her mid-sixties. Martha’s daughter Kim was twenty-six when she started drinking, Kim drank for almost ten years. Martha said it was very stressful for her, Kim was going through a divorce, then lost her job, her drinking spiraled out of control. Kim lost everything and I was the one who had to pick up the pieces. Kim moved back home, was always borrowing money, her drinking was so out of control she ruined a few family gatherings Kim would go as far as stealing from us, and all the lies, Kim would tell Martha stated.

Studies have shown, children with alcoholic parent (s) experience physical, emotional and mental issues. Not limited to alcohol, therefore including other addictions of parent (s), “children show higher rates of externalizing and internalizing problems such as antisocial behavior, emotional problems, attention deficits, and/or social isolation” (Broning, et al., 2012). Moreover, children dealing with addiction within their family are at risk of developing substance addiction during their teenage years or later in life. The Al-Anon program is associated with a program for teenagers who a struggling to cope with alcohol and/or substance abuse within their homes. Alateen helps teenagers that are vulnerable to the stresses and challenges of living

“Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals’ unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community’s strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas, and on learning, living, and working harmoniously (Saint Leo University Core Values, Respect).

In the United States, there are many support groups and programs available to individuals seeking recovery from hardships, addictions, or struggles. Members with similar experiences meet together to encourage, advise, and provide support for one another in order to promote recovery. One well-known support group, Alcoholics Anonymous, is a 12-step program – a support group that applies a series of 12 steps in order to achieve recovery. 12-step programs and support groups can be spotted almost anywhere, including at churches, medical facilities, as well as in schools. AA’s 12-step program and 12Stone Care’s non-12-step grief group are examples of groups that provide services to individuals and offer support for those who are taking steps towards

The group is considered a support group because it consists of women who share the same experience and seek comfort with one another. “Support groups bring

Now that I have explained the purpose, the requirements for membership and what to expect from the Al-Anon recovery process I hope you can see the benefits of this free, 100% guaranteed life changing program and how it can supply you with the tools to survive the effects of someone else’s drinking. For anyone that is interested I will be happy to talk to you further about the program and please feel free to take the complimentary brochures I have brought for you today.

Programs like 12 step can be very beneficial and provide new perspective. According to the US National Library of Medicine, “12-Step mutual support programs represent readily available, no cost community-based resources for such individuals” (Donovan, Ingalsbe, Benbow, & Daley, 2013). In addition, group theory allows the client to interact with individuals going through similar scenarios and may even develop meaningful relationships that could assist them through

Self- help groups or support groups, are groups of people who provide mutual support for each other. In a self-help group, the members share a common problem, often a common disease or addiction. Their mutual goal is to help each other to deal with, if possible to heal or to recover from, this problem. In the reading, it talked about how the Alcohol Anonymous group help a man deal with his issues. This man use to be a drunk and that was because he felt lonely and many other things. This man seeks help from the AA group because the feeling of loneness has come upon him again. His wife was put into the nursing home after getting an operation. These people were very helpful, kind, and supportive of this man. I believe that when you have people

A mutual aid group is a group of people with similar challenges, helping one another to overcome the obstacles they each face and become a system of support for one another. This mutual aid group is composed of five female members of a Social Work 420 course at St. Augustine College in Chicago. The topic of the group is self identity. This group analysis and reflection paper provide a review of the mutual aid process as it relates to a mutual aid group and examines and reflect on a group session led by the author.

A Family support group. Support groups for family members who have a child or a love one that is experiencing a mental health issue

Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help founded on key principles of respect, shared responsibility and mutual agreement of what is helpful. Peer support is not based on psychiatric models and diagnostic criteria. It is about understanding another’s situation empathetically through the shared experience of emotional and psychological pain. When people find affiliation with others whom they feel are “like” them, they feel a connection. This connection, or affiliation, is a deep, holistic understanding based on mutual experience where people are able to “be” with each other without the constraints of traditional (expert/patient) relationships. Further, as trust in the relationship builds, both people are able to respectfully challenge

Support groups have an overlapping element that includes a therapeutic effect (Wayne & Cohen 2001). For example, participants may help each other understand why an event

When developing a Support group that are a number of considerations needed when. One factor to consider would be if the group was open or closed to new members. Open and closed groups have their advantages and disadvantages, but in this particular group I would have a closed group because, “The regularity of membership tends to promote trust as the team works on change together” (Walters, et al, 2002).