The Pros And Cons Of Shgs

Many participants engaged the group with stories of overcoming addiction or being sexually molested by family members as reasons behind their addiction. However all of their stories were compelling and empowering to the group of individuals who have seemed to endure some of the same sentiments as their fellow group mate. It appeared as if the individuals in the group even though that were court ordered appeared to be extremely engaged and very involved during the meetings. It seemed as though most who attended found peace and solice from the group during the NA meetings. As it stated by Krentzman, Robinson, Moore, et.al (2010), client’s state that their top two reasons for attending NA meetings were to promote recovery/ sobriety and to find support acceptance and friendships. One thing that I learned from the NA group that just as in AA, family support deems to be an important function on the perseverance of an addict and that the participation and involvement of family is detrimental in the treatment process for the addicts. In several of our readings many of the passages discussed the effects of family systems support as it pertains to substance abusers chemical addiction. The passages described the family system as being a detrimental part of the treatment process as well as for the treatment of the family as well. According to past studies, family involvement has aided clients in

Understanding the Impact of Trauma by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that “survivors may readily rely on family members, friends, or other social supports—or they may avoid support, either because they believe that no one

The purpose of this research paper was to attend two support group meetings and share my experiences. The meetings that were to be attended were an Alcoholics Anonymous

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

Psychoeducational groups relating to additions or substance abuse are designed to assist participants in their stages of change, learn about recovery, provide information to families to understand behaviors, and to assist participants with resources and skills (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, n.d). Psychoeducational groups will support participants and encourage them to take responsibility for their actions. These groups will utilize different methods to replace addictive behavior and practice mindfulness to work on any cognitive impairment that their addiction has produced (U.S Department of Health and Human Service, n.d). In addition, substance abuse or addiction psychoeducational groups provide participants support and peer confrontation. Other members are able to support the group by offering education about what has worked well for them, or what has not work well. The group processes also provides emotional support for members to assist in personal recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous can help individuals struggling with substance abuse. Low self-esteem in a person has been implicated in the development of alcohol use disorder, and relapse (Donovan, Ingalsbe, Benbow, & Daley, 2013). In this report, I will discuss her experience of visiting an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting at Buckeye Easy Does It (BEDI). I will also present the topic of the meeting, her reaction to the topic, how 12-step can help. The barriers one might experience at the meeting, psychological and emotional impact, and how low self-esteem can affect an individual attending their first AA meeting.

The participants were looking for help, which it created some confusing thoughts; I thought AA meetings were mandatory for all participants. It also made me realize with all the brief stories how alcohol is an enormous concern in our society, however our society has normalized those concern and convert the negative impact of alcohol into something positive. It drive me to think that 12 steps program work, and it should be part of a treatment. After, the meetings that I attended; I feel the 12-step program will work if professionals in the Human Services area introduce the program on a positive manner. It may be challenging because of the religious portion for some cases, however this may introduce the participant’s new ways to cope with the struggle of alcoholism. At the same time, the main benefits for the client will be abstinence and support. The abstinence is a continuous process and through the meetings clients will be able to keep the abstinence from alcohol or other drugs. Conclusively, there was an environment of hope in the meeting. During, the meeting one of the participants was a new member. He described how alcohol destroyed his family and he is trying to get his family back, however his wife does not want to come back with him and a divorce petition was completed. This particular participant found in the 12 step meeting comfort and support from his peers. Besides, the comfort the participant

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

Ms. Hoagis, like many facilitators of CoDA meetings, has no formal education aside from obtaining her GED. Ms. Hoagis is thirty-three years of age and has lifelong exposure to codependency as she was raised by a codependent. In response, she began her battle with drug and alcohol addiction at the age of sixteen. Ms. Hoagis said, “To be honest I never identified as a codependent prior to attending the meeting. I thought drugs and alcohol were my problem. When I went to the meeting and found out what codependency was, then I was able to identify myself as a codependent”. She has been a member of twelve step groups for eight years, CoDA for six and a half years, and the facilitator of CoDA meetings for approximately six years. According to Maguire (2002), it is normative that self help groups are facilitated by non-professional leaders. These leaders either empower themselves to assume the role or appoint someone within the group to assume the

The United States is a country that is often referred to as a melting pot because it has a mixture of people of all different ages, religions, and cultures. With such a wide variety of people from different backgrounds, it seems essential that cultural awareness and sensitivity is incorporated

1. The steps that I have begun to take and will continue to pursue is seeking knowledge, mentorship and guidance within the field and educational pathway. I will continue to meet with and interview facility managers of group homes and facilities targeting a diverse population to gain a well-rounded perspective. I will pursue a membership with Minnesota Association of Sober homes (MASH), NuWay, and Minnesota Recovery Connection to name a few. In addition, I will continue my steps of having a presence and becoming known entity within the field.

The program manual called “How to Build Your Own Peer-To-Peer Recovery Center From The Ground Up!” is founded by the Recover Project which is a recovery support program located in Franklin County, Massachusetts. They are a part of the SAMHSA’s Recovery Community Support Program, which currently funds 30 sites across the United States (Grasmere 5). This manual is a step-by-step guide to developing a recovery support program. First they suggest you develop a vision by assessing your community’s needs and delicately crafting your programs. After you design your work plan, you need to consider your location and

The mission of The Hope House is to provide individuals that suffer from substance abuse and dependency a safe local recovery home that provides support and guidance in obtaining and maintaining sobriety, which will require the program to access and implement several assets. “According to the field of community psychology, many of the most complex and intransigent social and community problems can be transformed by the recognition, appreciation, and utilization of the assets and inner resources that already exist within those social settings” (Jason, Ferrari, & Davis, 2006, p. 4). The Hope House program will require several assets including time, skills, staff, physical assets, and funding to be obtained during all phases of the

Peer supporters in the substance abuse field offer social support, peer mentoring, and recovering resources. When offering peer support in this field, past personal experiences and stories are often shared. Social support involves offering numerous different types of support. Those types of support are emotional, instrumental, and informational. (What Are Peer Recovery Support Services?, 2009). Emotional support is described as showing empathy or concern to boost person’s confidence and self-esteem (What Are Peer Recovery Support Services?, 2009). An example of instrumental support is peer-led support groups. Informational support is described as providing assistance to help achieve important tasks (What Are Peer Recovery Support Services?, 2009). An example of informational support is helping access community social and health

In today’s session, the group learned the roles that friends play in their recovery. Group members were to identify old friends who are supportive/not supportive of their recovery, and brainstorm and discuss ways to develop healthy relationships.