The Effectiveness of Group Therapy in Drug Rehab Centers
Group therapy is a great part of different drug rehab centers.
Most rehab centers use a combination of individual and group therapy to provide an effective approach to addiction treatment. With group therapy being the foundation for most recovery models, one may wonder what it is that makes this type of therapy so important in all types of addiction treatment. While therapy can be helpful for just about anyone facing addiction to drugs or alcohol, group therapy provides a safe place for patients to come together and find ways to cope with the addiction and heal. Group therapy is most effective when it is paired with adequate individual counseling and therapy because this offers the addict a time of reflection where they can openly discuss what they have learned or thought during group therapy.
Group Therapy – What is it?
Group therapy is a type of counselling that brings together patients who are suffering from addiction or mental health conditions that are similar to each other. In most cases, group therapy will consist of multiple patients who all suffer from the same condition whether it’s alcohol addiction, heroin addiction, or depression. In some cases, the group will consist of various patients who are addicted to different substances but whose level of addiction is similar in strength or manner.
Group therapy is moderated by a professional therapist or counselor and all participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences with the group openly. Participants are also asked to share their knowledge and insight into the healing process of those in the group. Group therapy is a safe place for individuals to come together and work on recovery in an environment where they are not criticized for their addiction.
This type of therapy is typically offered on a time limit basis which means that the group meets at a certain time and closes the session at a certain time, typically about an hour later. Sometimes, drug rehab centers provide group therapy that lasts all day and members of the group will come and go as they complete their therapy each day. Regardless of the time frame or time span that group therapy takes place in, this type of therapy has been proven very effective for individuals suffering from a range of addictions and co-occurring mental illness.
The Effectiveness of Group Therapy
What makes group therapy so effective? For some, the initial experience of group therapy may feel awkward or uncomfortable because it can be difficult to open up to a group of people that you don’t know. However, over time, this awkwardness and discomfort will become less noticeable and the group therapy sessions will prove to be a very therapeutic part of the recovery journey. Members learn quickly that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about in group therapy because all participants of the group have suffered some of the same experiences and they have all struggled equally with addiction.
Group therapy sessions provide patients with a sense of community and a safe place where they can share their insight and hopefully help other members of the group to overcome the psychological issues and struggles that they have had as a result of drug or alcohol addiction. Group therapy can also help individuals who are used to only being social when they are using drugs or alcohol, to learn how to be social and react in social settings without the substances.
Finally, group therapy is also effective because it provides patients who are recovering from addiction with a safe place where they can learn how to trust others once again. Too often, people who suffer from addiction to drugs or alcohol find themselves unable to trust people for a variety of reasons. They have been shunned, discriminated and often frowned upon as a result of their addiction and this causes them to have a lack of trust on the world. Group therapy can help recovering addicts to rebuild this trust in people, the community and the world.
