Group Therapy for Substance Addiction
Group therapy is a type of psychotherapy treatment which is typified by some clients and therapists (one or more) who meet together with the aim of sharing personal experiences, ameliorating interpersonal coping approaches, and attaining personal insight (Daniels, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). The efficacy of group therapy in substance abuse treatment may be ascribed to its capacity to enhance the attachment of the patient to the treatment program. Three primary goals typify this form of counseling. These goals include to aid in the identification of maladaptive behavior, to provide a supportive environment for patients, and to help with various emotional difficulties through feedback approaches. Group counseling is restricted to groupings that are characterized by trained leaders and whose intentions are aimed at producing some form of recovery from substance abuse.
There are three major stages involved in group therapy; they include the early phase, the middle phase, and the late-phase treatment (Daniels, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). In the early phase treatment, patients may be in the preparation, contemplation, pre-contemplation, or the early phases of change; this is dependent upon the nature of the grouping. During the early stage of recovery, patients tend to be uncertain about concluding substance use. Patients who also purpose to remain abstinent may exhibit an insubstantial commitment to recovery. Additionally, cognitive incapacitation from substances is usually extremely severe during the early recovery stages and therefore, patients are inclined to be inflexible in their thinking and incapable of solving problems (Daniels, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). Therapeutic approaches in early treatment include universality, the inculcation of hope, altruism, the development of socializing techniques, catharsis, the conveyance of information regarding the nature of addiction, interpersonal learning, imitative behavior, existential factors, group cohesiveness, and the corrective recapitulation of the family group. During the early phase of treatment, an active leader often seeks to engage patients in the treatment procedure. The leader ought to focus the sessions on the immediate, key concerns which include the prevention of relapse, gaining abstinence, and the adoption of ways that aid in managing cravings.
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During the middle phase of treatment, patients remain vulnerable for an extended period and continue with their dependency struggles. These patients usually require vigorous assistance in maintaining behavioral modifications during this stage. The patient’s cognitive ability often begin to normalize during the action treatment phase. Therapeutic aspects such as altruism, self-knowledge, cohesion, the inculcation of hope, and universality ought to be incorporated in the middle treatment phase. The therapist’s treatment strategies should correspond with the patient’s motivation for change to effectively perceive the existing relationship amid the abuse of substances and the patient’s current issues in life. The therapeutic approaches should also incorporate the significant role the abuse of substances has played in the patient’s life (Daniels, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). Cognitive behavioral interventions may also provide patients with the required features that aid in modulating their feelings and in building their confidence. During the late or maintenance treatment stage, patients often attempt to maintain their achievements from the previous stages. Patients also learn to expect and evade tempting triggers and circumstances that may ignite the use of abusive substances. The late-phase treatment often focuses mainly on the psychology of relational interactions. During this particular stage, patients begin to learn how to interconnect with life through effectively managing and channeling their cognitive processes and emotional states. A process-oriented grouping may be recommended for patients who are finally capable of confronting their unbearable realities. Various therapeutic factors may also be incorporated in this treatment stage in instances where an individual needs to various explore existential issues.
Relapse Prevention Plan
Group therapy incorporates the cognitive-behavioral and the psycho-educational model as its primary relapse prevention strategies. Other relapse prevention approaches involved in group therapy include skill development, support groupings, and interpersonal process grouping psychotherapy. Relapse prevention is a self-management approach aimed to help an individual maintain various adjustments such as alcohol abstinence. The cognitive-behavioral strategy often engages the patient as a co-therapist, granting him the principal duty for the change. The model is based on various assumptions regarding the change in behavior. The initial assumption is that clear principles guide the primary triggers of addictive behavior and the behavioral change procedures (Daniels, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). The second assumption is based on the idea that terminating the addictive consumption of alcohol or any other drug incorporates three major stages which include the establishment of a commitment and the motivation for change, the implementation of change, and the long-run maintenance of change. Three major cognitive features interact during the relapse process; they include causality attribution, outcome expectancy, and self-efficacy.
The psycho-educational model’s goals include to educate patients about relapse concepts, to help them adjust to and learn various coping approaches involved in the management of relapse warning signs and risk factors, and to help them understand the tactics involved in interrupting an actual relapse in case of its occurrence. The model perceives addiction as a bio-psychosocial disorder with numerous manifestations, adverse effects, and different etiologies. The model considers recovery as a long-term procedure that incorporates change and abstinence which may be painful and difficult in the early states (Daniel, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). Recovery is dependent upon the severity and extent of addiction, gender, ethnicity, age, and the extent of damage due to addiction. Examples of psycho-educational themes include anger management, the management of boredom, the domains and process of recovery, the development of a recovery support system, maintaining recovery, and the establishment of a balanced lifestyle. Skill development group sessions are often centered on skills that foster the member’s capacity to abstain from substance abuse. Support groups are aimed at providing understanding and care to all group members: this support may be derived from the group leader or various group members. Interpersonal process groupings often attempt to promote an individual’s recovery through understanding an individual’s psychodynamics.
Family Therapy for Substance Addiction
Family therapy relates to a group of therapeutic strategies that share a common perspective in family-level assessment. Therapy associated with this perspective involves the use of family efforts to initiate change in an array different problem areas and this includes substance abuse. In substance abuse, family therapy has three major objectives; these objectives include to foster awareness regarding the families’ needs and to provide an enduring and genuine healing process for patients, to improve communication within the family by directing authority towards the family’s parental figures, and to prevent the subsequent inheritance of substance abuse. Many therapeutic factors are responsible for the efficacy of family therapy. These therapeutic factors include improved communication, harmonizing the structure of the family, fostering impetus for change, and determining accountability (Connors et al ., 2013). These therapeutic factors increase the motivation of the family for the change, its interaction patterns, and it fosters change within the family. Family therapy also perceives substance abuse as an aspect within its context other than an isolated issue, and it shares some aspects with 12-Step approaches that evoke smooth re-entry into the society, awareness, self-confession, self-esteem, solidarity, and support. Family therapy provides an impartial forum that allows the family to meet and resolve its issues. To attain the goal of abstinence, family therapies often foster changes in maladaptive interactions in the family framework. The therapy often identifies the existence of unhealthy relational systems and faulty communication patterns. Families are usually deeply involved in the effected changes. Changes often occur within the family framework; this consequently generates change in the individual typified by substance abuse.
Relapse Prevention Plan
There are four primary family therapy models used in the interventions and treatment of substance abuse: Family disease approach, family systems approaches, cognitive-behavioral model, and multidimensional family therapy (Connors et al ., 2013). The family disease approach perceives substance abuse as a disorder that impacts the whole family. An individual’s family members are likely to develop codependence which in turn, provokes them to initiate the abuse of substances by an IP. The family systems approach is found on the notion that families often become structured through their substance abuse interactions. Through the use of systems approach, a therapist is likely to identify and implement effective changes to the maladaptive communication patterns or family role systems that need substance abuse for their stability. Cognitive-behavioral strategies are usually based on the belief that family interactions often reinforce maladaptive behaviors. Behavioral-oriented treatments often attempt to modify interactions and identify behaviors that provoke the abuse of substances, to reinforce coping skills, and to foster the problem-solving and communication approaches. MDFT integrates various approaches with the emphasis on cognition relations, environmental input, and behaviors that prompt substance abuse.
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy addresses the causes and symptoms of substance abuse, and it acts as an effective monitor of the process of recovery. Individual therapy evaluates an individual’s past drug addictions, his current recovery efforts, and the individual’s future. During an ongoing individual therapy session, a recovering patient may anticipate the incorporation of the following approaches by a therapist: acceptance, cravings management, motivation, and commitment Connors et al ., 2013). Individual therapy is a dynamic procedure because the client in recovery is consistently evolving. Individual therapy ought to be a clear procedure; follow a set schedule, a set duration, and involve a trustworthy and reliable therapist. A therapist may incorporate the following aspects in every session; the urine analysis results, bring up themes discussed in the previous sessions, and the discussions of relevant to a patient’s recovery.
Relapse Prevention Plan
The relapse prevention approach of individual therapy incorporates the use of a cognitive-behavioral approach. The cognitive-behavioral strategy often engages the patient as a co-therapist, granting him the principal duty for the change. The model is based on various assumptions regarding a certain behavioral change. The initial assumption is that distinct principles guide the primary triggers of addictive behavior and the behavioral change procedures (Daniels, Holdsworth & Tramontano, 2017). The second assumption is based on the idea that terminating the addictive consumption of alcohol or any other drug incorporates three major stages which include the establishment of a commitment and the motivation for change, the implementation of change, and the long-run maintenance of change. Three major cognitive features interact during the relapse process; they include causality attribution, outcome expectancy, and self-efficacy.
References
Daniels, R. A., Holdsworth, E., & Tramontano, C. (2017). Relating Therapist Characteristics to Client Engagement and the Therapeutic Alliance in an Adolescent Custodial Group Substance Misuse Treatment Program. Substance Use & Misuse , 52(9), 1139-1150.
Connors , G. J., DiClemente , C. C., Velasquez , M. M., Donovan , D . M. (2013). Substance abuse treatment and the stages of change: Selecting and planning interventions . Guilford Press.
