#GroupTherapy
#RecoveryJourney
#PRCRecovery
At PRC, we firmly believe in the transformative power of group therapy as a cornerstone of addiction treatment. Our comprehensive program is meticulously crafted to offer individuals the vital support necessary for overcoming addiction and fostering enduring recovery through group therapy sessions. By integrating evidence-based therapies and treatment modalities, we address the multifaceted aspects of addiction, encompassing physical, emotional, and psychological dimensions. Our overarching objective is to empower individuals to reclaim agency over their lives and attain sustained sobriety.
Group therapy sessions at our rehabilitation centre are thoughtfully curated to encompass a broad spectrum of topics pertinent to the complexities of addiction. These sessions serve as therapeutic platforms, educational forums, and sources of mutual support.
How Group Therapy Works
1
Supportive Environment
Group therapy provides a supportive and empathetic environment where individuals can share their experiences, challenges, and successes with others who can relate to their struggles. This sense of camaraderie and shared understanding fosters a feeling of belonging and reduces feelings of isolation.
2
Peer Feedback & Perspective
Group members offer valuable feedback, insights, and perspectives that individuals may not have considered on their own. Hearing from others who have faced similar challenges can provide validation, encouragement, and alternative viewpoints that can enhance personal growth and problem-solving skills.
3
Social Learning
Group therapy offers opportunities for social learning, where individuals can observe and model healthy behaviours, coping strategies, and communication skills demonstrated by other group members. This modelling effect can inspire positive changes and facilitate skill acquisition through observation and imitation.
4
Inclusivity
Group therapy helps individuals recognize that they are not alone in their struggles and that others share similar experiences and emotions. This normalization of experiences reduces feelings of shame, guilt, and stigma, promoting self-acceptance and self-compassion.
5
Accountability & Motivation
Group therapy provides a supportive accountability structure where individuals are encouraged to set and work towards personal goals. The encouragement, validation, and feedback received from group members can enhance motivation and commitment to change.
6
Diversity of Perspectives
Group therapy brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. This diversity enriches discussions and problem-solving processes by offering different perspectives, insights, and solutions to common challenges.
Main Focus Areas
01.
Self-Regulation
Distress Tolerance
Defense Mechanisms
Grief
Honesty
Assertiveness
Grattitude
Guilt
Forgiveness
02.
Self-Motivation
Procrastination
Life Purpose
Motivation for Change
03.
Social Skills
Boundaries
People Pleasing
Communication Skills
Conflict Management
Support Systems
Relationships
04.
Relapse Prevention
Stages of Relapse
Cross Addiction
Triggers
Social Pressures
Consequences
Balance in Recovery
Relapse Prevention
Group Focus
Self-Regulation
Distress Tolerance - We often talk about emotional discomfort or distress. Emotions we do not like, but experiencing uncomfortable emotions is a natural part of life. However, there is a difference between disliking unpleasant emotions, and accepting that they are an inevitable part of life and hence riding through them, versus experiencing unpleasant emotions as unbearable and needing to get rid of them.
Defence Mechanisms - We use defence mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise because we feel threatened, or because our id or superego becomes too demanding. Defence mechanisms operate at an unconscious level and help ward off unpleasant feelings (i.e., anxiety) or make good things feel better for the individual. Ego-defence mechanisms are natural and normal. When they get out of proportion (i.e., used with frequency), neuroses develop, such as anxiety states, phobias, obsessions, or hysteria.
Grief - At some point in life, we will all experience the loss of someone or something we dearly love and care about. Overwhelming feelings follow, and the unprecedented feelings of loss can lead to substance abuse, or even trigger a return to past, addictive behaviour. Individuals are guided through the stages of grief, which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Honesty - Dishonesty or lying is more often than not, a habit developed by an individual out of fear of the consequences of their actions, used as a means to conceal their addiction, as well as a coping mechanism. It is also a prerequisite to finance substance abuse and is defined as a learned behaviour, not a moral failing. Dishonesty is an unproductive coping tactic, although it is normal for an individual to own up to dishonesty. It leads to amplified feelings of guilt and toxic shame. Dishonesty traps people in addiction and can make them feel trapped in recovery. Rigorous honesty is what prevents mistakes from turning into failures, and is one of the fundamental spiritual principles of the NA Program globally. Honesty cultivates acceptance of one’s self and reality.
Assertiveness - Assertiveness is being able to express your feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and opinions in an open manner that doesn’t violate the rights of others. The main effect of not being assertive is that it can lead to low self-esteem. This is a learned behaviour and thinking style.
Gratitude - Gratitude is an attitude, a positive outlook towards life. Both rich and poor can be grateful, it is humbling and allows us to see the truth of our situations. Gratitude allows for constructive and unselfish behaviour. It can influence the behaviours of an individual, which can aid in leading a sustainable recovery-oriented life. Addiction is defined by self-centeredness, victimization, and depression. In early recovery, individuals are reminded of how much there is to be grateful for, and ultimately how much they still stand to lose through continued substance abuse. It promotes introspection and acknowledges how far the individual has come, as opposed to how far they still have to go. “It is impossible to be grateful and depressed in the same moment” – Naomi Williams
Guilt - Neurobiology categorizes guilt as a corrective emotion. An individual makes a mistake, guilt is experienced and corrective action or behaviour modification is affected. Addiction as a disease is progressive, and it breaks down an individual’s moral core value system to be able to justify and rationalize the abuse of substances. Individuals do things in active addiction that they will never even contemplate whilst being of sober mind. As a result, they are left with an acute sense of guilt, shame and loathing of self.
Forgiveness - In the context of addiction, forgiveness is an integral part of recovery, and being able to set aside past hurts is an important aspect of long-term treatment. The person holding a grudge is the person most affected by it, and the inability to let go/forgive may inevitably lead to continued substance abuse or relapse. Addiction is fuelled by past abuse, trauma and hurtful actions by others. The majority of individuals struggle to forgive themselves for past bad decisions and actions. Self-loathing is addressed during the process of forgiveness, as the individual who is devoid of the power of love of self, is devoid of the power to forgive.
As part of our individualised approach, specialised groups are brought in for individuals who might face challenges with specific areas. These may include perfectionism, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bipolar, etc.
Self-Motivation
Procrastination - Everyone puts things off sometimes, but procrastinators chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions. Procrastination in large part reflects perennial struggles with self-control as well as the general human inability to accurately predict how we'll feel tomorrow, or the day after. "I don't feel like it" takes precedence over goals; however, it then begets a downward spiral of negative emotions that deter future effort.
Life Purpose - Addiction and recovery can be linked to two fundamental human concerns, meaning and life purpose. Meaning is a psychological experience, and a lack of opens a person up to the pain of meaninglessness, and a craving to find one or more meaningful substitutes – substances or mind-altering experiences to fill the void. Substance abuse is all-consuming, robbing the individual of ambition, drive, purpose and even the most basic life skills. Addiction is fuelled by too few psychological experiences of meaning; recovery is supported by the active creation of such experiences. Purpose provides drive and direction, which translates to the individual who has a “why” to live, will inherently find the “how” to live a clean and sober life.
Motivation for Change - Denial is the first barrier to breaking through on a therapeutic level, with an individual in the grip of addiction. Bringing them to the realization that it is necessary to walk away from their most habitual patterns, possibly detach from a lifestyle that sustained them for a long time and that their lives had become unmanageable, as a result of their substance abuse. Everyone has a different motivation for entering treatment that stems from different places depending on their circumstances. The main objective is to make the individual understand that it is a progressive disease, and the inevitable results are always the same; jails, institutions and death. They can create futures filled with meaningful relationships, whilst living productive lives, free from the suffering of addiction.
Social Skills
Boundaries - Personal boundaries are the imaginary lines we draw around ourselves to maintain balance and protect our bodies, minds, emotions, and time from the behaviour or demands of others. Personal boundaries allow us to be in the driver’s seat of our own lives. Without healthy boundaries or with very weak boundaries, you simply cannot have healthy relationships. You give up a part of yourself to be available or accommodating. Or you become so entangled with another person and their needs (co-dependent behaviour) that you lose your own identity.
People Pleasing - It is a difficult habit to eradicate if being compliant was a means of avoiding conflict during formative years. Social pressure and a history of abuse subconsciously program individuals to navigate conflict, and is a learned behaviour in future interpersonal relationships. The addictive personality also uses it as a manipulation tool to avoid consequences and feed his/her addiction. In early recovery, a lack of boundaries, assertiveness skills, guilt and low self-esteem continuously lead to some form of people pleasing as individuals feel the need to over-compensate for past mistakes and actions.
Communication Skills - Communication is, on its most basic level, a way to create and make changes in relationships in our lives. It is also an important factor in helping build confidence. Good communication skills, whether it be verbal or non-verbal, allow people to effectively work with others in relationships, education, and work. The ability to interact effectively with others can go a long way in building this much-needed level of confidence. If a recovering addict is still feeling intimidated by the presence of others, they are more likely to isolate and revert to using, or relapsing.
Conflict Management - It is safe to say that individuals with addictive personalities experience conflict on a much deeper level, because of their obsessive and compulsive nature. Conflict is an inevitable part of life, and the resolution thereof is a crucial life skill to master. Conflict can be damaging, if handled ineffectively it leads to breakdown of relationships, resentments, emotional bullying, the use of force, or threats to abuse and aggressively dominate another individual. The benefits of effective conflict management are increased productivity and accomplishment of goals in the workplace, strengthen interpersonal relationships, a greater sense of self-worth, and emotional well-being.
Support Systems - Part of the last stage of Rehabilitation Treatment is focusing on support systems. In early recovery, individuals have acquired the knowledge and coping skill sets to rebuild their lives. For the transition of reintegrating into life at large successfully, a strong support system is essential. A strong and pro-recovery support system offers the individual accountability, a lifeline during temptation, an opportunity and freedom to voice frustration, resources and advice and socialization to avoid isolation. Sober family and friends, like-minded individuals in recovery, therapists and sponsors all have a role to play in an individual’s support system. It prevents the individual from falling back into old habits, but also assists the individual in identifying and avoiding troublesome patterns and behaviour.
Relationships - During the first twelve months of sobriety, individuals may struggle to effectively grasp identify, own and process their emotions and feelings, which directly affects the quality of newly forming relationships. Developing healthy relationships in recovery is desirable, and can be achieved successfully. This process helps build self-awareness, enables the forming of a sober support system, and cultivates the emotional capacity to survive in a world that can pose challenges for an individual in early recovery. The focus in early recovery should include understanding one’s own needs, expectations, and feelings before embarking on forming new relationships.
Relapse Prevention
Stages of Relapse - There is a common misconception that relapse is a single moment when someone with a substance use disorder returns to their drug of choice after a period of complete abstinence. Relapse is a process, and there are three classified stages, which are emotional, mental and physical relapse. Understanding the stages and identifying the warning signs is essential in preventing relapses.
Cross-Addiction - The addictive personality can shift from a mind-altering substance to a mind-altering experience, defined as cross-addiction or substitute addiction. It is consistent with many strict disease models of addiction where individuals are unable to make rational choices based on neurobiological research on the Brain Reward System and dopamine levels. It reinforces the notion that individuals with a history of substance abuse are more vulnerable to developing cross-addictive habitual behaviours such as gambling, virtual, shopping and sex addictions to name but a few.
Triggers - Internal and external cues that cause an individual in recovery to crave his/her drug of choice, and the desire to revert to using. Triggers are generally classified under emotional, mental, environmental, people, places and things. Individuals become more aware of their triggers as they progress during treatment, and are asked to identify them whilst doing a relapse prevention plan.
Social Pressures - Social acceptance and peer pressure are powerful forces in the world of alcohol and drug abuse, as we derive our identity in part from our belonging and acceptance in and to social groups. The refusal of these mechanisms may result in isolation and a lack of identity as such. As the use of substances increases, and the addiction process advances, the amount of interactions with non-addicted individuals decreases. Social anxiety, fear of rejection and judgement are issues that individuals in early recovery have to deal with.
Consequences - As humans, we have the freedom of choice, but we are not free from the consequences of those choices and decisions. Addiction is a family disease, and the addict’s decisions affect everyone close to help full measure of the addiction, which are the consequences, unmanageable life, broken relationships and collateral damage. Individuals become aware of the importance of not acting on impulse, and to consider not only all the options before making a decision but also the possible outcome and consequence of every decision they make in the future.
Balance in Recovery - In active addiction, the substance or drug consumes the individual’s entire existence, and in severe cases, it leads to loss of employment, financial ruin, marital problems, poor health and hygiene. In early recovery, balance is avoiding extreme highs and lows. It also means paying attention to tendencies of focusing and obsessing too much on one specific activity. Balance is simply enjoying living without the need to over-intensify all our experiences, honouring everyday responsibilities, and channelling the newly found energy towards healthy and productive activities.
Relapse Prevention - Self-awareness and mindfulness are key to relapse prevention, combined with being aware of one’s triggers. Real-life stress, as well as psychological stress, are major contributing factors to relapses, but a balanced lifestyle and solid support system minimize the risks involved. Individuals are introduced to the NA 12-Step program and fellowship whilst in treatment. The 5 pillars of sponsor, step work, meetings, service and a loving higher power have and are keeping people clean and sober right across the globe.
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