Group Therapy

Group therapy is a session led by a therapist with a number of individuals at varying stages of addiction recovery. Some groups have more than 12 members, but most are smaller. This enables all clients to participate during the sessions and fosters a closer bond between those attending. Group therapy sessions are held several times a week depending on the location and usually last for about an hour. While inpatient clients are working through their specific drug treatment program, group therapy can be a major part of recovery. The number of sessions varies while an inpatient, but many rehab centers hold daily group meetings. While group therapy is used for the treatment of heroin addiction and meth abuse, it can also be used to deal with certain psychological disorders.

Many people benefit from inpatient and outpatient group therapy. It appears that a small therapy group is more beneficial than one-on-one therapy. While some of the reasons for this are not yet understood, clients who attend group therapy regularly seem to have greater success sort and long-term. Anxiety can be helped significantly as individuals share and discover that they are not alone in their recovery journey. Group therapy also seems to help clients dealing with mental health issues such as depression. The reason may be that talk therapy is an established treatment for depression, and when incorporated into an inpatient rehab program in Huntington Beach can help significantly. It is important for all recovering alcoholics and meth addicts to continue to attend some sort of group meeting on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Group therapy for addiction can be held in a medical setting, such as a hospital, and many support groups take advantage of this type of setting as it enables many patients and walk-in clients to participate. Another common location for therapy would be a local community center in Huntington Beach. These facilities are often located in the heart of the town, making them easily accessible to the local population. Churches are also another setting that many Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) hold meetings. Quality rehab centers offer all clients access to group therapy on a regular basis, a benefit to everyone.

There are several key benefits of group therapy participation. For many recovering addicts, group therapy sessions are the first time they are encouraged to share their feelings and history of addiction with others in a non-judgmental environment. Individuals may be surprised that their addiction story has similarities to so many others, and can help them feel less alone and set apart. Trusting other addicts with personal information opens the door to deeper friendships and bonds with others. It also allows individuals to experience the privilege of being trusted with other’s shared testimonies. For a great number of clients dealing with past addiction issues, the ability to share without feeling exposed can be a new experience. The therapist leading the group has a big impact on the vibe of the group and can open discussions that lead to deeper understandings of addiction.

While in group therapy, members will relearn social skills and life skills through shared experiences. They will also learn how to appropriately deal with drug-seeking behaviors and self-destructive urges. Learning new, healthier ways to deal with addiction triggers can be key to lasting sobriety. There are many drug addictions that are treated through group therapy sessions. These common addictions are the following

There are several stages that individuals go through when participating in group therapy sessions. The length of time that is taken for an individual to progress through these stages can vary wildly.

Pre-Contemplation is the first stage and is the period when addicts are not motivated to deal with their drug or alcohol addiction. Every client in this stage believes they do not need treatment and their drug use is not a problem for them. They are attending meetings because they are required to or they have agreed to it to avoid further confrontation with family.

Contemplation is the second stage and occurs when repeated meeting attendance and therapist lead discussions cause the individual to begin to think about the level of drug abuse. Many will begin to plan a strategy for decreasing alcohol abuse, although they will often not share these plans.

Preparation is the third stage and takes place when the individual makes plans to stop using drugs because of the harm they see when they look at their minds and bodies. Awareness of the negative side effects of chronic drug abuse begins to push an addict to stop altogether.

Action happens when the drug addict begins to act on their plans to decrease or stop drug use. This often marks the beginning of inpatient rehab or drug detox in Huntington Beach. At this point, they have shared their plan with others including their therapist.

Maintenance is the stage where the individual is striving to remain clean and sober. The push towards long-term recovery from drug addiction becomes a main focus for the client.