What is a Process Group in Addiction Recovery?

Although many aspects of addiction recovery focus on individual therapy and one-on-one sessions, group therapy also plays a critical role in treatment. Most patients in an addiction recovery program will go to a process group as part of their healing. This is a type of group therapy that relies on the interactions between patients and therapists to be effective.

In a process group patients will be able to talk about their struggles and receive feedback, encouragement, support and different perspectives from other people in the group. These group meetings are usually unstructured but they may focus on a certain theme or be catered toward specific people. Members of the group can bring up any topic that they feel is important to them and pertinent to the process group.

In the early meetings of the group, patients will need to start establishing trust with each other so they feel comfortable sharing personal stories. Everyone in the group needs to be able to communicate openly and honestly with each other in order for the process to work effectively. When people feel comfortable sharing they can start to open up and care about each other.

Process groups can be healing but also confrontive as those in the group may start to exhibit some of the interpersonal problems that led to their addiction. The therapist may be able to point out these issues and help guide the members of the group to improve their relationships skills through the format of the group. Through the feedback people receive in group discussions they will begin to grow and adapt in ways that can improve their lives.

For people with addictions, their connection and relationship to others can help determine whether they are able to stay sober. Process groups help prepare them to connect and relate well to others in order to help them in their future.

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Is Recovery Losing Its Religion?

When people are looking for recovery options, one of the things that can deter them from twelve step and other types of recovery communities is the involvement of religion. Alcoholics anonymous does not ask its members to have any specific religion but it does have some religious undertones and requires you to surrender to a higher power. For people who fundamentally disagree with any aspect of religion, the mention of God can be problematic in their recovery experience.

Fortunately for those in search of a recovery community, there are also secular options that may be preferable to those who disagree with some of the tenets of twelve step groups. Secular support groups may have slightly different principles than twelve step groups but they follow essentially the same concepts that help people become sober. The important thing is that you have a community where you feel comfortable and you can share your experiences with a support system you trust.

Even though religion may not be necessary for people who are in recovery, it can be helpful to develop some kind of spiritual practice. Being religious and spiritual are different things as any one can create their own concept of their spiritual life without following a specific organization. Spirituality can simply mean spending time in nature, meditating, practicing gratitude or anything that makes you feel connected and peaceful.

Although many recovery groups are likely to remain religious, there are more options than ever to focus on addiction recovery in a secular environment. Recovery and religion don’t necessarily have to go hand in hand. Secular programs can be just as effective in helping people adjust to their life of sobriety without having to deny their own personal beliefs.

If you are interested in a secular recovery group, search for local support meetings in your area.

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source https://www.serenitymaliburehab.com/is-recovery-losing-its-religion/