Drug Rehab programs involve various kinds of treatment sessions. This includes drug detox, behavioral therapies, experiential therapies, peer group support sessions, aftercare programs, and various others.
The group therapy is one of the most important elements of a drug treatment program. In this, a group of abusers learns how to deal with different aspects of the treatment as well as recovery. It shouldn’t be confused with peer support groups, as both of these involve different activities.
This article shall be discussing the importance of group therapy session in a drug rehab program.
Group Therapy Session in Addiction Treatment
A group therapy session allows a group of people (generally 10-15) who are suffering from drug addiction to talk through their issues. During the session, they learn the ways to deal with them and also gain confidence in their recovery. When in a group, the individuals share their experience with one another under the guidance and support of professionals.
Benefits of Group Therapy Session
- Knowing about each other’s experiences of recovery and learning from them.
- Mutual commitment to completing the treatment.
- The feelings of facing the experiences and effects of drug abuse alone reduce.
- Get motivation from seeing the recovery of others.
- The members of a group develop a family like atmosphere providing support and feedback among the members.
The Goals of Group Therapy Session
In a group therapy session, each individual in the small group experience a strong tool helping him/her achieve different goals. Generally, group therapy session includes five different group approaches. These are:
- Psychoeducational: In this, the individuals of the group get educated about drug addiction and the behavioral changes during the abuse.
- Skills Development: In this session, the group members learn to cope up with triggers and other aspects of recovery.
- Cognitive Behavioral: In this session, the group learns to change their ways of thinking and then also their behavior.
- Support: In this, the group members learn from each other and also support each other throughout the treatment.
- Interpersonal Process: In this, each member of the group explore, process, and learn the ways to handle the elements that lead them to do drugs.
What to expect?
As said earlier, a group usually includes 10-15 members and offers a rich and encouraging environment for the participants. Before the session begins each member agrees to maintain confidentiality, ground rules, and different other aspects of participating in the group. With this, a great level of trust and respect can be established, helping every member to feel comfortable in the group. The group members are asked to focus on a particular topic, which then is talked about among the group participants.
Depending on the schedule of group therapy session, the members may meet daily or twice a week. A sense of trust and reliability develops among the group members and they build a strong social bond among each other. This helps them to stay motivated throughout the process of drug treatment.
