How do psychoeducational groups impact addiction rehab and recovery? In fact, these groups are a great way to learn more about addiction disorders. A training of sort, this type of therapy will help you cope with problems that relate to your addiction.
What Are Psychoeducational Groups?
Specifically, psychoeducation groups are a type of group therapy that educates clients on specific substance abuse disorders they are struggling with. Moreover, these groups focus on practical life skills.
One major difference in psychoeducation groups is that all members of each specific group will share the same diagnosis. This helps clients relate to others in similar situations where they can share their experiences.
Why Groups Work in Recovery
Support groups are excellent vehicles for receiving help from peers. They encourage personal accountability. However, they don’t necessarily educate you about addiction in the first place. Psychoeducational groups, on the other hand, give you insight and understanding that will guide you through the recovery process.
Furthermore, you learn coping techniques. Through peer interactions, you can try them out in group examples and situations.
This process flows organically because of the group’s design. Clients feel comfortable about openly discussing addiction-related problems in these groups. Since everyone else in the room has the same problem, there’s no fear of judgment. Sometimes, this leads to blunt sharing of emotional pain.
The facilitator will help draw out each participant to allow for introspection. More importantly, you learn to look at your addiction from a new angle.
Psychoeducational Therapy as a Tool for Addiction Education
The group setting is also ideal for drug education. In fact, some rehab program participants don’t realize how drugs affect them. Others have not connected some physical or emotional troubles to their drug abuse. However, these underlying causes of addiction will be a primary concern of the group activities.
By helping clients understand the disease, they can actively participate in their recovery. Of course, there are also the unintended (positive) consequences of group therapy attendance. For starters, clients will break out of self-imposed isolation. This trait affects people who’ve been using drugs or alcohol for a long time.
How Groups Fit into Rehab
No matter how useful and positive group sessions are, they can’t stand alone. Other modalities support the personal growth you need during rehab. For example, treatments include:
- One-on-one talk therapy
- Family therapy
- Trauma treatment
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Fitness therapy
- Gender specific paths
As clients attend these sessions, they undergo personal growth. Moreover, they share what they learn. Together, clients work on learning more about the way that drugs lured them into using them.
Many groups are part of gender specific paths, which further helps program participants to feel comfortable in the setting. If you can envision yourself getting better in this environment, reach out to our supportive staff today. The caring therapists at Ashley Addiction Treatment are here to help you achieve your goals in sobriety. Call 866-313-6310 today to connect with an addiction counselor.