Example Of Term Paper On Group Therapy On Drug And Alcohol Abuse

[Institute]

Abstract

A number of people fall victim of drug and alcohol abuse every year. Several treatment programs are initiated at different levels to help these victims to get the physical treatment and mental balance. Along with other techniques, the group therapies are one effective way of treating these victims. These are not only important in understanding the case or the subject and his history better but in providing multiple opportunities for the fast and effective recovery as well. For instance, the victims derive motivation and encouragement from these groups and leaders. Then, discussing problems with one another and getting insight into the stories of other peers help them understand the issues at a deeper level and highlight different ways of solving them. People have been found to be recovering through these group therapies more quickly as compared to the personal one-to-one counselling. A number of such programs like Narcotics Anonymous, SMART recovery, Dual Recovery Anonymous and Secular Organizations for Sobriety have been initiated in the US and all over the world to help and guide the victims in regaining their normal state of mind and physical conditions.

Victimization to Drug Abuse:

A number of people fall victim of drug and alcohol abuse every year in various regions of the world. This is particularly called abuse, and not an addiction, because once a person falls for it, it is almost impossible to recover again. But today, we have institutions and medical centers that offer recovery techniques from this addiction. The fermentation of yeast and starches by which alcohol is produced attacks the central nervous system of the victim and numbs it so to speak. It damages different organs in human body including intestine and stomach being majorly affected. Intoxication causes different cancers of liver and damages motor and sensory skills of a person. In addition to this physical damage, the psychological condition of the victims affects their interpersonal relations, family lives and mental capabilities as well. Statistics show the almost 87 percent of the drug and alcohol addicts fall in the age brackets of 20 to 30 years

Objectives of the Treatment:

The treatment of drug addiction, due to its intense effects, is not simple. It is most of the times a long term process and definitely requires the will and effort of the victim himself to be recovered. Treatment programs usually involve several different dimensions each targeting to a separate aspect of the consequences. Such treatments are not only meant to curtail the use of drugs but to improve the overall physical and mental health of the person, help him/her recover psychologically and guide the victim in developing an altogether improved citizen behavior and in developing a societal role and a better lifestyle. Treatments take place in the form of therapy groups, counselling or educational and training programs to help victim get out of the strands of substance addiction. These programs are meant to solve your dependence programs and guide you how to overcome the urge for the re-take of drugs. They solve the problems of the victims to the most basic level, so that the causes behind these addictions can be uprooted. One cannot just cut down the use on his own. Once this addiction takes the roots firmly, you do need to get it seriously treated with support programs and doctors.
Since the addiction is so devastating and the impacts are so damaging, it is not possible to just simply cut down the use at once and be happy and normal again like nothing ever happened. It is a complete process, a technique, a gradual therapy to bring the victim back to normal life. It is not just the physical or the psychological treatment, but involves family counselling, professional counselling, relationship management, social class therapies and much more. Some major components of a comprehensive drug treatment program includes child care services, vocational services, mental health services, mental health care services, mental services, educational services, legal services, financial services, family services and likewise. A general flow of the treatment process includes intake process or an assessment of the case/subject, monitoring the use of substance, planning the treatment accordingly, starting off with behavioral therapy and general counselling most of the times, gradually starting the clinical treatment also called pharmacotherapy, exposure to the peers and support groups and then providing care on continued basis to monitor the post treatment behavior patterns and mental and physical stability of the subject.

Significance of Group Therapies

The group therapies for drug abuse take place in different ways like family therapies, couple therapies or simply a treatment of multiple victims together. It is important to conduct group level therapies in order to dive deeper into the causes of being victimized or the factors that contributed to the addiction and further aggravation of the problem. For instance, in some cases, medical experts have found out that the victim had born with the addictive genes in his/her chromosomes. This means that a prevailing addiction in one of the parents is likely to transfer to the offspring which can show its presence with a full swing at any stage of the life. Then, a number of psychological and emotional problems lead to drug addiction and solving those relationship matters or family problems are more of a challenge than actually curing the physical ailment. A number of cases have been reported to have developed the addiction due to the environmental impacts, like addiction among the friends, fellows or at workplace. Smoking happens to be the most obvious example of such addiction. In such scenarios, it is not just the victim alone who needs the treatment, but the experts say that they have to manipulate the complete social setting for the victim to help him. The environment needs to be changes, the social interactions need to be checked, the relationship patterns need to be amended and the family orientations are needed to be balanced to make it all work and see effective results of the therapies and treatments.

Benefits of Group Therapies:

Initially, a patient may seem to be more inclined towards self-help or personal counselling with one-to-one interaction with his/her counsellor and therapists. People are not usually comfortable in discussing their issues in front of others and feel more vulnerable in group settings and hence prefer a more private setting to properly communicate their problems. But the experts are of the opinion that group therapies have been found to be much more effective and helpful in treating the patients of drug abuse. These group therapies provide a number of opportunities and options to improve and excel in treatments. Once a person has been able to develop the flexibility and confidence to talk openly about their issues, physical and mental conditions and their feelings in these groups without any hesitation or reluctance, they are in a better position to juxtapose their condition with those of their peers and understand the problems at a deeper level. Just as said earlier, this treatment requires an equal contribution from the victim himself along with the therapist. People in groups get an opportunity to know multiple cases and hence derive strength from each other. They get hope when they see their peers getting back to their normal lives after the successful completion of their treatment. The victims tend to develop understanding and a level of comfort with each other and hence each one of them, in a way, becomes a therapist for other. There are ample opportunities of motivation and leadership in these group therapies. Those who recover serve as the leaders in these support groups and motivate people in the light of their own stories and experience towards getting back to their normal healthy lives.

Some of the famous self-help group programs for the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse are:

Narcotics Anonymous
It is a self-help group for the treatment of all kinds of substance use. These fellowship programs follow are pre-defined 12 step process for the treatment of group members. The key to this process is identification and realization of powerlessness to the control of abuse. Then, there is a sponsor in this process, a person who has successfully experienced leaving the use of substance, and that sponsor is supposed to help the victims in their urge for re-use.

Dual-Recovery Anonymous

These programs target the co-occurring disorders i.e. the actual drug addiction problem and the underlying mental or psychological reasons.

Secular Organizations for Sobriety

These organizations use a self-empowerment approach on the basis of scientific research and methods.
SMART (Self-Management And Recovery Training) Recovery
It motivates the victims towards self-directed change using different cognitive therapies.

References

Center, Substance Abuse and Addiction Health. (2015). Substance Abuse and Addiction: Treatment Overview. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from webmd.com: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/alcohol-abuse-and-dependence-treatment-overview?page=3
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013). The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from drugabuse.gov: http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/alcohol
Smith, M., Saisan, J., & Segal, J. (2015, February). Self Help Groups for Drug Addiction. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from helpguide.org: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/self-help-groups-for-drug-addiction.htm
Summit Behavioral Health. (2014, March 24). Benefits of Group Therapy for Alcohol Use. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from summithelps.com: http://www.summithelps.com/blog/benefits-group-therapy-alcohol-abuse/
Volkow, N. D. (2009). Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment. National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute of Health.