Past Relationships And Forming New Relationships

The members in the group were very inviting and open with their mission. The programs presentation was very interesting and helpful to each person in attendant. Although the meeting lasted one hour and thirty minutes it seems to help each individual deal with their addiction at little better. The leader of the meeting was Kathy; the meeting had about 15 attendants. The members where very active in following the guidelines and standards of the meeting, these guidelines and standards help the members accept their addictions and the process of healing. The 12 steps to recovery and sobriety include honesty, faith, surrender, soul searching, integrity, acceptance, humility, willingness, forgiveness, maintenance, making contact and service. These steps are a part of the healing and recovery process with any addiction behavior. Honesty, integrity and faith are three of the most important factor in the 12 step program. When a person has an addiction it requires them to truly assess where they are with the addition and to seek a higher power for strength (Medical News Today,

I chose to visit an Alcoholics Anonymous group for my Understanding Group Dynamics project. I went on March 20th 2016, to an open discussion group titled Pass it On Group for Beginners that are Living Sober. It was held at the First Congregational Church at 14 Brookside Road in Darien, CT 06854 at 6:15 p.m.. I chose to go to this group as I felt it was a group that I could most strongly connect to, as I am a recovering alcoholic. I have been cold turkey for two years now. I choose to live a sober life as the hangovers, pain that myself and loved ones endured and the constant need to escape from reality was taking over my existence. Going to this group reminded me that I am not alone in this journey of recovery and in the journey of figuring out how to live life sober with my friends, family and strangers drinking around me. The group was friendly and one that when you first enter, they make sure that you are there for the right reasons as confidentiality is important. Then right after, they welcome you with open arms and if you choose to just sit and listen that is fine, but I am a vocal person and I spoke and applauded. I am glad that we got to do this assignment, for I think without I would have never gone to an AA group meeting. I would have kept on my journey by myself and just praying when times got hard, now I have people I can reach out to.

The members found tremendous strength in the group. I could feel the importance of the community, the no-judgment zone, and sharing their story with peers. The meeting promoted empathy and allowed people to feel supported and understood in their struggle with alcoholism. More importantly, the meetings show them that they are not alone. They could talk about their actions under the influence to others that truly understood

Celebrate Recovery is a self-help recovery program that contains a heavy emphasis on Christ and seeking healing through Him. There is a strong religious focus so individuals feel like they have help that is unconditional and they are surrounded by a body of individuals who are struggling with similar situations as well. Although these individuals cannot provide the answers or healing for one another, they are the support, a body, a family, and create a safe environment for fellow participants. Moreover, with this focus on Christs healing powers in their lives, the program emphasizes the eight recovery principles in the Beatitudes as well as the twelve-steps (similar to those used in Alcoholics Anonymous). I, therefore, attended a Celebrate Recovery meeting at the fellowship church in Rogers, AR on October seventh, two thousand sixteen.

At the beginning of my training, I was hesitant to work with people struggling with addiction. However, at this point, I am excited to begin working with this population. The raw honesty presented in the group setting along with the anger at the possibility of losing a safe place created a dynamic I wanted to further explore. Research supports that individuals attending group therapy in a 12 step program format succeed if they have the proper support and motivation (Cite). The group dynamic demonstrated that recovery takes time and self-discovery, similar to other situations dealt with in therapy. Subsequently, by using my sense of self and humor with clients struggling with addiction, I can help them in their journey. Furthermore, the client needs to identify accountability at their own pace in the process and not when others dictate. This knowledge and the personalization of addiction will aid me in the future support of my

The program is conducted around shared experiences, strength and hope, through individuals who are recovering from their addictions.

The experience is humbling, and I appreciate community groups that provide this type of support for members with substance use issues, as I see this as strength-based. I felt a strong sense of bonding and great empathy towards one another. A Counter transference existed when the facilitators emotional and relapse experiences influenced an assertive reaction to strongly encourage NA attendance on members that decide to quit. The facilitator reported that quitting NA group, because he "felt better," led him to relapse, therefore, he wants to prevent others from making the same mistake.

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

There were also some similarities between the AA and OA support groups. Both groups gave members the opportunity to share whatever they needed to share. This writer feels giving the members this opportunity helps them feel connected with their group and that they are not in this journey to recovery alone. The sharing of experiences helps the person telling the story and the people listening. Alcoholics Anonymous emphasizes that helping one another can help with recovery (Polcin & Zemore, 2004). This writer also feels by sharing, members give each other hope and

For example a member of the group mention how the group meeting helps her to be open and honest about a day by day struggle with temptation and addiction because the group members can relate to her bawl while she has to be silent about her emotions with her coworkers because of the stigma and the lack of understanding on the disease as well as the taboo of talking about it. Another example that aid me to understand the role of the group meeting is the fact that each member identified himself or herself as an addict by the time they mention their name which from my point of view relate to the fact of acceptance instead of denial about who they are, that even when years passed from the last time they used they are aware that they are still vulnerable to the drugs and that the support the group therapy provide is essential to stay clean as a member also mentioned that he was born an addict and stay an addict for many years but incompletely denial of it because he thought he could stop using drugs whenever he wanted to but failed each time until he finally join the group and follow the discipline and stipulations of the group

Deborah F. is a 53-year-old female who had been admitted to the Chemical Dependency Rehabilitation Program at Sharp Mesa Vista for the treatment of alcohol dependence and pain disorder. Her history includes several disorders that are a cause of her pain including lupus, fibromyalgia, spinal arthritis, interstitial cystitis, shoulder pain, and multiple foot surgeries. According to her chart, she had been drinking two bottles of wine daily for almost two weeks in attempt to forget about her increasing pain. She is currently on voluntary detoxification and is considered a high fall risk. Her plan of care includes a series of medications that are prescribed for her pain and medical problems. Along with her treatment, Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital implements a treatment plan for all patients in the CDRP, which is referred to the 12-step treatment. One of the main activities that are included in this treatment is regular participation at group meetings that are conducted each day. The concern with Deborah is that she has been continuously refusing to attend the groups during her three-day stay at the hospital. She believed that attendance would not help her with her drinking issues and believed that even groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous would not benefit her. Based on the nurses ' report, it seems that she will not be discharged in the near future. One way that she will be able to progress in her recovery

Group activity was focused on learning skills necessary to cope with high risk situations. Group members were to discuss how to plan ahead to avoid/prevent relapse.

Abby actively participated in group lectures and discussions. Abby completed all assignments required for Women’s Group which included Steps 1,2, and 3, letters to her parents, two children, and significant other, and a recovery plan. Abby did not have to complete two assignments since she had previously completed them before treatment. Abby has gained education regarding addiction, acknowledged the consequences of her using both on her and her children, and built a sober support network.

The role of relatives and friends is important in the lives of residents. Sometimes just knowing that there is someone to talk to and confide in can help people overcomes their problems just as much as any treatment. The participation

Met with PO for an individual session to discuss treatment progress and concerns. PO was on time with a delightful attitude. PO has a positive response to treatment, and is in compliance with treatment expectations. Reported no alcohol or substance use, clean and sober date as 11-03-2015. Indicated that he "got a driver license", the first driver license in his life, and plans to buy a car and insurance next week. PO stated that he keeps himself busy as boredom is one of his major relapse triggers. New ISP was established in Dim. 5 to develop a balanced life style without substance use.