The saying "it takes a village" is common in many cultures, especially when addressing issues such as raising children. In most regions around the globe, individuals work in communities which helps them be part of the society setting. Since the community is larger than an individual, it plays a significant role in a person's life by cultivating feelings of inclusion, belonging, and sense of purpose (Clancy, 2020). Consequently, when it comes to recovering from a drug, the community is pivotal in providing a lifeline. It may be challenging for addicts and alcoholics to rely only on their willpower. Individuals suffering from addiction require their community's support to break the bondage chains. It is vital to seek out the help of a person who has been in a similar situation. This shows that communal support is a vital support system that addicts need to reduce the chances of isolating themselves or even cases of relapse.
I attended such a meeting prepared by Odomtology 12-Step Recovery. The meeting took place on 4 th March 2020 at a Conference room in Canada, North America. The meeting started at 12 noon and ended at 4 pm on the same day. The paper explores my experience in Odomtology 12-Step recovery meeting, the content that I received, and later assesses the meeting details and my experience at the meeting. The study will also offer critical experience about the meeting which will play crucial a role in determining effectiveness of the Odomtology 12-Step Recovery.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Recovery Group Description
My experience at the Odomtology 12-Step Recovery was educational and had some fair share of challenges. In her moving speech which she titled “We have Today, and Today is a Gift” Doreen P. confessed what she had gone through by narrating her story which revealed the struggles that many addicts go through before they manage to break away from the addiction. Doreen explained that she looked good on the outside but she was wrecked in the inside. She had what most young women would dream of such as a nice car and a comfortable lifestyle with children. However, within her, she was messed and hopeless. Looming calamity, acute self-consciousness, shame, self-hatred, and fear were the issues that always tormented her mind.
After some time, she could not handle the baggage any longer and she thought a drink would be a perfect get-away from her troubles. Doreen confessed that it was the worst mistake she made as the drinking became extreme to make her forget her worries. This to me revealed how helpless she was as alcohol had become her close companion. However, as with most addictions, it reached a point where no amount of alcohol was stimulating her enough and the magic it had on making the troubles disappear was no longer there. It was not until she acknowledged the problem, and admitted that she was headed in the wrong direction that she started transforming towards a new and hopeful path.
The group employed behavioral therapy, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to help people with addictions. The behavioral therapy helped people in the meeting have a good understanding of the risk factors of most addictions and also arm them with experience to avoid or cope with high-risk situations (AAC, 2020). The focus of cognitive behavioral therapy is usually on how to learn methods of reducing problematic behavior linked with alcoholism and other drugs. The method emphasizes on expecting risky situations and being able to apply defensive tactics such as preventing a relapse, self-control, and avoidance (Elkins, 2020). During the meeting, members learned how to use various skills to help them recognize and manipulate risky behaviors that may lead to substance abuse. Various members who had recovered helped the present addicts to recognize triggers and cravings and come up with effective methods of controlling such situations. The group met thrice a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. All people were encouraged to attend regularly to minimize chances of losing morale in the journey due to isolation and loneliness. Meeting with other members regularly helped in promoting the feeling of belonging.
The major purpose of the group was to help the many people struggling with substance abuse to stop the addiction while encouraging non-addicts not to involve themselves in behaviors that may lead into addictions such as heavy alcoholism. The Odomtology 12-Step Recovery meeting I attended was full of potential to transform addicts to fully recovered people. The meeting guided addicts by helping them strengthen their sobriety using set of principles referred to as the 12 steps. According to the meeting, the 12 steps started with an addict accepting that indeed alcohol had messed his or her life and something had to be done. After admitting that there was a problem, an addict had to have the will and hope that their lives would change. Self-disclosure and personal inventory were key when looking for a solution to the problem. The process also required the individuals to seek a higher power, to interject on their addiction.
Reactions to the Meeting
The meeting venue was not easy to trace because the facility was located in a relatively remote area. Also due to the high number of people, the room was hot as some of the air conditioners had broken down or were overwhelmed by the huge number of attendees. Another issue was the parking as many members could not find a parking space which delayed meeting start time. Last, the audio system had some issues and people at the back struggled to hear what the speaker was saying. I was received warmly and was provided with the program of the day as well as escorted to the vacant seats. Although there were no records showing diversity of the attendees, I was able to determine through observation that majority of the attendees were African-Americans, Asians, and Whites.
I loved the group’s organization and the model they used to help addicts. I would also feel comfortable seeking the group’s services in case need arose. Doreen encouraged members through her life experiences that even after signs of improvement, it was beneficial to keep attending recovery meetings to learn new things and overcome temptations which would trigger potential relapse to drug abuse. The non-addicts like me who were in the Odomtology 12-Step Recovery learned a lot about alcohol and addiction. The Non-addicts were able to understand the negative side of alcohol and the situations that excessive alcohol can put a person into; we learned from the life experiences of the interactions and from Doreen's speech. The meeting allowed all those who attended to learn from addicts who had recovered and possibly get inspiration from them
The organization of the meeting was effective and aimed at ensuring that all those attended got the most out of it. The first speech "We have today, and today is a gift" was delivered by Doreen P., the main speaker of the event. After this, there was a brief break where people were given refreshments as they prepared to get into various groups which were led and coordinated by a member who was a former addict. Therefore, the group had a leader, and other carders also had their figureheads. These groups were assigned a leader who coordinated the group through interactions coupled with a session of “question and answers.” The groups were arranged in a way that constituted both genders, non-addicts, and addicts. This allowed members to ask any questions that bothered them; all contributed to answering of those questions. The meeting encouraged the virtue of honesty as a key to admitting that the problem needed a swift action. The platform accorded to those who attended was essential in fighting addictions among people who inspired each other and learned from those who had recovered. Last, people were encouraged to seek spiritual nourishment which would help them change their past and adopt a new beginning.
The meeting integrated faith in its model. The group holds to a belief that an evil power had made them dive into uncontrollable substance abuse, and that seeking divine power would help them in their struggle to becoming non-addicts. Almost all the attendees who were recovering addicts pointed out to something else that helped them in controlling their addiction. Many agreed that their alcoholism was beyond their control and that there must have been some evil forces purposing to destroy their lives. With time, the addicts realized that even though they could forget their troubles for some time after taking alcohol, it would most certainly lead to destruction. It was observable that most people who had recovered from the addiction acknowledged another power that could assist them in shunning alcoholism and lead to restoration of their wellbeing. Since Doreen was a fully recovered addict, her life story acted as a guideline for those individuals who were still struggling in the recovery journey. Doreen's confession on how she pursued God on her journey encouraged others to seek God in the fight against the addiction. During the interaction, members were able to describe how they thought God had helped them cope with the challenges such as relapsing and feelings of isolation.
The key lessons were that one had to admit to him or herself, admit to God, and to another human being, such as a therapist that indeed there was a problem that needed to be solved swiftly. This would mark the beginning of the recovery journey. However, denial is the major factor why many addicts are unable to stop the behavior because they find it hard to admit that their drinking is a problem that needs a solution. Doreen's speech urged people to start the journey right away. If one wanted to change, it had to be 'today', however, procrastination would compromise chances of recovery. Confessing to God would help an individual seek divine power that would help in the restoration of the weakened well-being.
Suggestions and Conclusion
To improve the experience of members, the group should consider having their meetings at strategic places where attendees do not experience difficulties locating. Also, the planners should consider factors such as air conditioning and improvement of the audio system as the equipment hugely affect how the message is delivered and received by the audience. Nevertheless, their potential in helping addicted individuals is satisfying. I would recommend the group to any person struggling with the disorder. The meeting had a higher potential in helping addicts recover from the problem because Odomtology 12-Step Recovery promoted the sense of belonging. Members who were struggling to stop alcoholism and other behaviors were inspired by several speakers. The group interactions helped them understand various setbacks that one may face as well as how to deal with such challenges. The meeting helped non-addicts who had attended by exposing them to the dark side of various addictions and the importance of avoiding triggers that may catalyze the behavior.
References
American Addiction Centers, (AAC) (2020). Substance Abuse Treatment Therapy Models. Treatment Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.treatmentsolutions.com/therapies/
Clancy, C., (2020). The Importance of Community In Recovery. Journey Pure at the river, addiction articles. Retrieved from https://journeypureriver.com/importance-community-recovery/
Elkins, C., (2020). Substance Abuse Counseling Techniques. Drug Rehab. Retrieved from https://www.drugrehab.com/treatment/types-of-therapy/
