Why Group Therapy Matters in Addiction Rehab

Group Therapy in Rehab

People who go to rehab for addiction quickly realize how much of rehab is done in groups. There are different kinds of groups, though the main two kinds are group therapy—also known as processing groups— and psycho-educational groups.

Some people question the effectiveness of the group therapy setting and think clients might benefit from more one-on-one time with therapists. So why don’t they do this? What is the deal?

Believe it or not, there is a lot of clinical evidence and reasoning behind group therapy. So, let’s take a look at the facts.

Group Therapy & Community in Rehab

One of the most important factors that contribute to a person’s addiction recovery is their support system. Group therapy in rehab helps build communities of support between clients.

While family and friends can be supportive of those entering recovery, they may lack empathy. It’s not their fault, but they may not have ever been through addiction personally like their loved one. Others in recovery have this shared experience.

Talking to others who have been through the same situation as you can help you feel accepted and understood. It can show you that you are not alone in your struggles, that others face the same challenges. This helps clients get closer to accepting and forgiving themselves.

When you leave rehab, you will have a community of individuals who are also in recovery to be a part of. Since they are sober too, they are good people to do sober activities with—you don’t have to explain or disclose anything. They just get it.

It’s like having a new kind of family, made up of addicts in recovery:

Building Self-Image Through Group Therapy

Self-esteem falls to the wayside in active addiction. With the cycle of shame that goes along with such a stigmatized disease, addiction really cuts deep into self-image. People in early recovery need to rediscover how capable, insightful, intelligent, compassionate, helpful, and worthy of love that they are.

Believe in the force within:

In group therapy sessions, the clients discuss and work through issues and concerns that they all have together. They practice being vulnerable with their peers and supporting each other. In this way, group work also helps to create identity capital.

You build our understanding of who you are in a positive way by exercising positive and healthy interactions with others. Simultaneously, you feel accepted and part of something greater than yourself by becoming more integrated into the community of treatment and recovery.

Group Therapy for Addiction

Of course, a main goal of rehab is to prepare a newly sober person to re-enter society with the skills needed to maintain that sobriety. In group therapy, the skills of interacting in groups and collaboration are developed.

Re-enter society like the magical miracle you are:

Things that may seem easy to most can be a struggle for someone who is leaving behind years of active addiction. Navigating conversations in a respectful and compassionate way may be a challenge. Being vulnerable with others is especially difficult for those in early recovery.

Group work helps to normalize these things, preparing clients for success when they re-enter society in sobriety.

Find Recovery from Addiction

To speak with someone about rehab and addiction treatment option, call (877)670-8451. There are a lot of rehab programs and other resources available to help you along in your journey. Leave drugs and alcohol behind to start on a path of health and wellness.