When it comes to drug addiction and support groups, there are a number of different national and local rehabs that are in place to help patients including rehabs in Indiana, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.
At these different recovery centers, they will use a number of different treatment methods. One type of treatment that has shown a lot of promise, and may prove to be one of the most helpful ways that patients can get the help that they need.
Before we look at the many benefits associated with support groups, let’s take a look at what support groups actually are.
What Are Support Groups?
Peer support can be defined as a number of things. For example, peer support can be defined as the process of giving and receiving nonprofessional, nonclinical help from individuals who are struggling with similar problems. This form of assistance can help patients achieve long-term recovery from substance abuse problems and, historically speaking, peer support has shown to be a “key component” of many approaches to addiction treatment and recovery.
While peer support groups can occur during inpatient drug or alcohol treatment, patients are also encouraged to participate in self-help groups after formal treatment to help with their continued care efforts.
One of the most common examples of peer support groups include both Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Both of these organizations are based on the 12-step approach model for addiction treatment.
What Is 12-Step?
12-Step substance abuse treatment was originally written in the late 1930s by the founders of early AA. In AA, sobriety is maintained by carefully applying this 12-step philosophy and by sharing experiences with others who have suffered from related problems. Some of the steps involved include admitting that one is powerless over alcohol, do an inventory of yourself, making amends to those you have harmed, and more.
Benefits of Support Groups
Now that we better understand what support groups are, let’s examine how effective is this form of therapy and what are the benefits associated with it.
For one, those in recovery are more likely to stay in treatment when it is provided in groups because of the rewarding and therapeutic associations attached to this form of treatment. This type of bonding of a patient to the treatment process is important because the amount, quality, and duration of treatment are all linked to better prognosis for the clients.
According to information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the effectiveness of group therapy in addiction treatment may be able to be attributed to the problems that are commonly associated with substance abuse including depression, isolation, anxiety, denial, shame, and more.
There is a long list of advantages to group treatment that does not necessarily apply to individual therapy. For example, groups can provide positive peer support and accountability to refrain from using substances, groups can provide useful information for those who are new to recovery, it allows people to witness the recovery of others, and more.
Evidence has been found that people struggling from these issues have found that they respond better to group treatment than individual therapy.
What Happens During Support Groups?
During support groups, it is essentially a forum-style of therapy in which members will talk with one another and let others monologue as they work to debunk each other’s excuses and support change in others.
Essentially, during these support groups, patients will go around the room and share stories, experiences, struggles, and more that they are facing and thinking about as it relates to their sobriety. From there, other people in these groups will talk and offer support, assistance, opinions, suggestions, and more to help give patients some perspective on their situation.
Family Therapy and Rehabs In Indiana
When discussing support groups, and group therapy in general, it is important to touch on the importance and benefits that family therapy can have on someone who is in a substance abuse treatment program.
Family therapy is one of the most important aspects of treatment and can provide numerous benefits for those who are looking to overcome addiction, during this process, families will be put in a therapeutically-guided approach that is used to assist and support families as they work to share how substance abuse has impacted every member of the family unit. Essentially, the goals are to improve communication and help restore proper family function.
Family therapy is especially important as many of those in recovery underestimate or don’t see the impact that their substance abuse has had on others. Many believe that their actions might not have affected many others. Family therapy is in place to help patients open their eyes to the effects of their addiction.
Support groups, family therapy, and individual therapy are all common for national and local treatment centers, like Indiana rehab. For example, Landmark Recovery is one rehab in Indiana that is dedicated to providing patients with the highest quality of care and help give them the tools and knowledge that they need to achieve and maintain long-term sobriety.
Landmark Recovery’s Indiana Rehab
Landmark Recovery is one treatment center in Indiana, as well as Kentucky and Oklahoma, that is in place to help as many patients as possible. Landmark has recognized that the opioid crisis and larger drug epidemic has had a major impact on the United States over the past two decades and Landmark is dedicated to being a part of that solution.
If you are interested in learning more about rehabs in Indiana and Landmark Recovery, please reach out to our admissions team to learn more about our individualized care programs and how we can help you or your loved one overcome substance abuse problems.
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