The Role of Group Meetings in Addiction Treatment
Abstract
This document contains observation of a group meeting for addicts. There were two meetings for people with different addictions – alcohol and caffeine addicts. The observations are quite emotional because the problem, the group members have faced, is very serious and requires hard work and self-motivation to be solved. The first meeting was attended by people who have once decided to drink a glass of wine at a party and could not stop ever since. Unfortunately, this example is familiar to many young people nowadays which make the audience at these meetings very young. But of course the problem is up-to-date for many people of different age and this helps group members coordinate more productively, exchange life experience and help each other. The situation with caffeine addicts is even more complicated in spite the fact that this kind of disease is less harmful for organism. Most of people do not even know that caffeine misuse is possible but this problem can happen with successful, hardworking people. Even good career, success or money cannot sometimes protect from such sickness.
The Role of Group Meetings in Addiction Treatment
The supporting group meetings that help addicts are often described in different films and books. Everybody knows about such kind of a problem and this kind of its treatment. But you cannot even imagine how serious the problem can be until you face it. And you cannot realize how important these meetings are. After visiting one of them I can surely say that sometimes it is the only way to help people recover and stay clean.
I have visited a twelve-step meeting for alcohol addict. People often say that it is quite simple to come and sit for a while but it is not so if you realize that you’ve got the problem. That is why the first step is to admit that you are sick. Each of twelve steps is to be done in a proper way with a total understanding its importance. This meeting can be helpful only if a person wants to recover and stay sober because otherlike it is useless. They are often called self-motivating group meetings. And this name is more suitable because you are the one who can help yourself.
Of course there are people ready to participate in your recovering. They are called partners or sponsors. These are people who has been addicts before and managed to stay clean for a while. They are ready to help you twenty-four hours a day. They were also present at a meeting and supported participants a lot. Most of meeting members cannot imagine their lives without partners. Another important thing about this meeting is that it can be visited by people who are sober now and their staying clean requires further help and great efforts. That is why self-motivating group meetings are of a great importance for ex-members to remain health. The atmosphere was simple …
