Group Therapy

With substance use disorders (SUD) at an all-time high, mental health services that include addiction rehab are a necessity. While challenging and often overwhelming, addictions are treatable, and many approaches contribute to overcoming this problem and achieving a better quality of life. Group therapy for substance use disorders plays an especially important part, as it provides you with a sense of belonging and inspiration to continue fighting for your life. Lake Point Recovery & Wellness in Arkansas integrates peer support in substance use recovery and strives to ensure that everybody experiences its benefits. Call us and schedule your first group counseling for addiction recovery.

What Is Group Therapy for Substance Use?

Group therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that takes advantage of group dynamics to trigger changes in each individual within the group. There are various group therapy models, each serving distinct purposes:

• Psychoeducational groups aim to educate members of the group on specific topics.
• Skills development groups help all the members of the group acquire certain skills.
• Cognitive behavioral or problem-solving groups focus on problem analysis and solution finding, similar to CBT for substance use.
• Support groups have the creation of a support network as their main goal.
• Interpersonal process groups use interactions between group members to help them understand their relationship patterns.

When it comes to group therapy and substance use, we can say that it’s predominantly a support group, but it also has elements from other group therapy models. It promotes social support, reduces isolation and stigma, develops effective communication and interpersonal skills, and allows for the practice of recovery-oriented coping strategies with group members. Due to its numerous benefits, substance use disorder treatments commonly utilize this practice. 

What Is the Most Common Support Group for Addicts?

When asked what is the support group for drug addiction, most people think of well-known community support groups, like Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Similar to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is also a well-known community support group rather than a clinical one. 

The difference between community support groups and psychotherapeutic groups, like the ones provided by Lake Point Recovery & Wellness, is the knowledge and expertise brought into the group. In both cases, peers play a significant role, but typically, there is no professional guidance with community groups. On the contrary, when a facility organizes group therapy for substance use, professional psychotherapists facilitate the group’s activities through various programs, like in IOP addiction treatment.

While both community and clinical support groups contribute to overall recovery, professional input is especially important in the action stage of recovery. On the other hand, community support groups become more important in the sobriety maintenance stage of recovery.

How Does Group Therapy Help with Substance Use Disorders?

Psychotherapeutic groups can be emotionally challenging, as they can make you feel more exposed and more vulnerable than usual. However, the process is an important and highly beneficial experience for your recovery journey.

Here are a few ways group therapy supports substance use recovery

• The dynamics of groups will help you develop various skills
• Sharing your thoughts and feelings can result in emotional validation
• You will experience positive peer pressure and will be held accountable for your actions
• Other people will inspire and spark hope about your future
• As you are surrounded by people in similar situations, you can reduce autostigma

The therapist’s empathy and positive regard, group acceptance, identification with other group members, self-disclosure, caring of group members, and task-oriented group members are considered significant in the action and maintenance stages of recovery.

Ready to experience the power of group therapy in your recovery? Contact us today to learn more about how group therapy can be a key part of your journey at Lake Point Recovery & Wellness.

What to Expect in Group Therapy for Addiction

Group therapy experience is quite different from individual therapy experience. Even if you have participated in various friend groups, work groups, or community clubs, nothing compares to the experience of group therapy in rehab.

So, to help you feel more at ease, we would like to share some information on what to expect from group sessions.

• Group psychotherapy is conducted in groups of 6 to 12 people, typically sitting in a circle to see each other and feel equal in the process.
• Depending on the group size, there might be one or two trained psychotherapists whose objective is to facilitate conversation between group members. They are not an outside factor but rather part of the group.
• The psychotherapist determines the frequency of meetings based on the clients’ needs. Group sessions must happen regularly to create a certain dynamic.
• Every therapy group has its rules, and typical ones relate to mutual respect, active listening, non-judgmental attitude, and absolute confidentiality.

Can Group Therapy Help Prevent Relapse?

One of the major benefits of group therapy is network building. You will have a network of people who can support you long-term, even after your rehab. Group therapy will help you build a community that can be there for you in a crisis.

This is especially important for relapse prevention. Your support group will hold you accountable, acting as positive peer pressure and contributing to a higher awareness of your actions and their consequences. You can also contact your support network for help in a crisis. They can remind you of your accomplishments and inner strength to resist temptation.

Therapy Groups for People with Substance Use Disorders

Therapy groups for people with substance use disorders are not formed simply based on struggling with addiction. Each addiction story is different, and individual experiences with substance use can vary significantly. Therefore, therapists form groups based on common factors.

Different psychotherapeutic groups are gathered around specific needs and stages in recovery people find themselves in. For instance, there are groups for early recovery, relapse prevention, those who have experienced repeated relapse, those struggling with dual diagnosis, or those belonging to marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, single mothers). Women’s addiction rehab​, for example, forms therapeutic groups consisting only of women to foster safety.

An often overlooked added value of group therapy is its impact on reducing stigma. Being exposed to others who struggle with similar issues and challenges can reduce self-stigma and transform you into an ambassador of change within your environment, helping reduce stigma in your immediate surroundings. 

Group Therapy at Lake Point

Therapy groups for people with substance use disorders are rarely a stand-alone practice. While group therapy is giving great results, it is more beneficial if it is a part of a well-rounded and holistic program. At Lake Point Recovery & Wellness, we provide programs that integrate group counseling but incorporate other treatment methods as well.

Here is a short overview of our group-based addiction treatment programs:

• Inpatient programs: As the name suggests, inpatient drug rehab in Arkansas is a program that requires staying within our facilities. This program ensures the safe detoxification of substances as well as many additional services, including psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic groups,  trauma focus groups, crisis intervention services, individual counseling, etc. Additionally, you can count on drug screens, biopsychological assessments, and mental health evaluation. 
• Outpatient programs: Unlike residential programs, outpatient rehab in Arkansas​ provides much flexibility. You can maintain your daily routine with outpatient programs while receiving intensive treatments. Intensive outpatient programs typically last for 90 days, and after that, you can switch to outpatient treatment to continue receiving support and maintaining sobriety. 
• Co-occurring disorders programs: Substance use disorders and mental health problems can co-occur, resulting in what we call dual diagnosis. This type of diagnosis requires co-occurring disorders treatment​, which Lake Point Recovery & Wellness provides. This is a more complex treatment as it requires the simultaneous addressing of both substance use problems and mental health issues.

Other Programs That Pair Well with Group Therapy for Substance Use​

In addition to the programs mentioned above, here are more options designed to support and enhance your recovery journey, providing a well-rounded approach to healing.

Why Choose Lake Point Recovery & Wellness?

Knowing all the benefits of group therapy for substance use and that we offer various group-based addiction treatment programs is already a strong argument for choosing Lake Point Recovery & Wellness as your partner for the healing journey. However, I’d like to highlight several more aspects of our Rehab Services for you to keep in mind:

• Our staff is knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate. They have much experience treating both mental health conditions and addiction problems, whether they co-occur or happen independently. Other than their expertise, you can also count on their acceptance, genuine care, and empathy.
• Our facility offers a safe space for anyone looking for mental health and rehab services in Arkansas. We understand the importance of safe surroundings and we strive to provide maximum comfort in a healing environment.
• We personalize all our programs. After assessing which substance use program is a good fit for you, we further customize it to meet your needs, circumstances, and preferences. We want to address your specific challenges and particular triggers so you will feel ready to reintegrate into society and maintain sobriety.
• We incorporate different approaches into our treatments. You can count on both individual and group counseling for addiction recovery, as well as complementary therapy, ensuring we treat you as a whole rather than a sum of symptoms. We want to resolve your acute issues but also empower you to take on any future challenge.

Below, you’ll find testimonials from individuals who have found healing and support through our programs.

Choose Group Therapy for Substance Use

Fighting substance use disorder is a challenging task, and you’ll need all the support you can get. While professional support is essential for long-term and sustainable recovery, support from those in a similar situation to yours is irreplaceable. Group therapy for substance use, therefore, plays an important role in your rehab, which is why we at Lake Point Recovery & Wellness in Arkansas integrate peer support in substance use recovery. Reap the benefits of well-rounded addiction recovery programs relying on group support. Call us and start your recovery feeling supported and well taken care of.