Support Groups and Drug Treatment
Some drug addicts probably scoff at being in a treatment or support group. They don’t want to share their feelings or talk about anything. It’s embarassing, and what would it do anyway? Support groups can be very helpful for a person in drug addiction recovery, especially after finishing drug treatment. Here are three reasons to think again about the value of addiction support groups.
Keeps You Honest And Accountable
Anyone can lie to themselves, and who else would know the difference? Only you, which is why keeping things bottled inside can be a real problem with addiciton. A person’s mind can be overcome by addiction thinking, keeping reality and personal responsibility at bay.
When someone makes statements aloud, they allow for others to help keep them honest. Not every detail of a person’s life is appropriate for sharing in a group. But many excuses and forms of denial can be countered when others hear a recovering addict’s words outloud. People in the group can gently point out when something doesn’t match up or seem right. Also, the addict may gain enough sense of mutual respect that they catch themselves before they minimize or excuse anything.
Gives You Another Perspective On Your Addiction
One of the worst parts of drug addiction is the social isolation. Even if you used drugs with friends or as a part of a group, each person’s drug use experience is their own. And drugs alter a person’s perceptions so much that they naturally isolate and disconnect a person from others. They are using drugs to change their personal perspective on life, which means their inner experience (either dulled or exaggerated) is amplified.
The joy and positivity normally felt from warm relationships is replaced by the chemical reactions of the drugs. When the body learns to react from the drugs instead of the body’s neurotransmitters, the warm fuzzy feelings aren’t created anymore with relationships. Being in a sober group can help a recovering addict recreate those relationships and retrain the body to react positively to them.
Gives You Somewhere To Go And Something To Do
Everyone feels a little better about themselves when they feel they have a purpose in life. Relaxing “bum out” days are nice for a while, like with a vacation. But after some time, most people get an itch to do really do something, have something on the calendar, create a goal for their day.
Addicts often fill their time with drug related activities. When they get sober, they need to develop other more purposeful use of their time. Going to meetings is obviously not going to fill a whole day for most addicts. But it does give a small segment of the day some regularity, boundaries, expectations, and purpose. They have a reason to rise to the occasion for a while.
Support Groups Valuable With Drug Rehab
Support groups aren’t all about spilling your guts to the world. Many people watch and listen for some time before they share anything. It’s OK to feel a little guarded at first, especially if you are trying to determine if a group is a good fit for you. Being in drug treatment first can give you some familiarity with the group process and benefits of participating. Some drug rehab centers even use twelve step processes to make this transition easier. Talk to a drug addiction professional today to get more answers.
photo credit: KaiChanVong
Tags: Drug Rehag, drug treatment, Support Groups and Drug Treatment
