Part I: About Chemical Dependency Self-Help Groups
Self-help groups are essential components of the informal idioms of caring for individuals with substance abuse disorders. They are, by far, the most consistently sought-after psychological and behavioral interventions in the mental health space. An estimated 9% of all adults in the US have gone to an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting at least once. This increased popularity and widespread utilization of self-help groups is a testament to its success (compared to other forms of addiction therapy) and is inherently tied to its connotations with ‘spiritual awakening,’ a nuanced evaluation and acceptance of self, while at the same time providing a peer-centered culture and structure that reinforces reciprocal support.
Nuances of the Self-Help Group
This nuanced peer-centered approach is pegged in the philosophy of the self-help group’s 12 steps, revolving around the admission of the problem, seeking help, a thorough examination of self, finding instances of guilt, wrongdoing & difficulty in forgiving that might cause the reinforcement of negative emotions that cause impulsive behavior, making amends, healing and helping others recover. Through this nuanced approach, the 12-step self-help group that began in the 1930s provides non-judgemental, supportive mechanisms that help to sustain recovery, filling the gap where many other interventions have failed. They provide safe spaces for expression because the weekly sessions and the conversations therein are free-flowing, albeit low-cost, and accessible to many people. They are founded on honesty, openness, and trust, which suggests group membership and engagement help minimize self-blame, isolation, and stigma associated with addiction recovery.
Spirituality and Religious Connotations
This unique mix of honesty, trust, and openness helps contribute to the positive emotional outcomes associated with self-help groups- enhanced confidence and hope that ultimately breeds treatment retention, abstinence, and sobriety. Self-help groups allow members to share stories and experiences and decrease their feelings of isolation, which goes a long way in emphasizing human connection. This vulnerability and openness are further enhanced by the belief in a higher power, which helps to encourage members to continue through their sobriety journey. This is because traumatic and extreme events that cause substance and chemical abuse in the first place question an individual’s perceived meaning of life. The restlessness, constant sadness, depression, or anxiety that prompts chemical use in most cases comes from life experiences many addicts cannot control. It is therefore affirming overall for people trying to heal and pursue a general state of well-being to lean on a higher power as a source of strength and meaning.
This aspect of spirituality, coupled with the openness, trust, and helper-therapy nuances of self-help groups, is the reason for the intervention’s success. The success of self-help groups has been proven by decades of research. Vederhus & Kristensen (2016), for example, evaluated 114 patients that started self-help groups as part of their long-term addiction treatment. The study revealed 38% of participants continued participating in the self-help group two years after the onset of their treatment, mostly helping newer participants. An impressive 81% of participants were sober six months after the program’s onset. Research-based affirmation of the effectiveness of self-help groups and AA is reiterated by (Bekkering et al., 2016; Moos, 2008; Tracy & Wallace, 2016).
Part II: Personal Experiences and Reflection
Description of the Meeting Attended
I attended a Celebrate Recovery program organized by the Saddleback Church. As a mother of three going through a very long and difficult period, I was overcome by pain and hurt. The program was suggested to me by a close friend, who promised the program would provide a safe space to work through my issues and struggles and ultimately find the balance in life that is craved so much. It was a Christianity-centered version of the 12-step self-help group located in my local church. After talking to one of the female pastors, I was enrolled in a step study program, which involved a year-long commitment (engagement in the group). Meetings of the female-only group would take place weekly, a total of 52 weeks, where we shared and were guided through the 12 steps. Each meeting lasted an hour and a half. We were eleven women in our group, excluding our guiding counselor.
Description of Levels of Involvement/Motivation for Members and Interactions Among Members
The levels of engagement, participation, and motivation developed gradually as the program progressed. There was an overt sense of difficulty in the first three weeks. Most of the participants (including myself) showed an overt sense of incoherence with the group, and its overall purpose, which I realized was because we were struggling with withdrawals. However, the more we shared our experiences (albeit encouraged by our guiding counselor) and the more we saw progress in sustained abstinence (however difficult it was), the more we became engrossed in the program. We eventually realized we had more in common than we initially thought; we all struggled with a single life problem weighing heavily on us, causing our behavior struggles. The real epiphany, the realization that we were in it together, came when one of us relapsed in the fifth week, and we all took responsibility and decided to follow up with her. It was a safe space where we talked about our feeling and encouraged each other. The sense of accountability was also an additional source of motivation.
Feelings of Being a First-Time Participant
My initial feelings as a first-time participant were mixed in many ways. I came from a place of feeling alone, sad, and struggling with compulsions I hated and a mental space where no one understood me- at first, it felt like just another church meeting. The progress, however, made a huge difference. The progress came in seeing many of my fellow participants reveal their struggles. I realized addictions, rather than the cycle of addiction, made us feel almost the same way. I felt more motivated to do better and grew to value the people I met in the group.
Description of Spiritual Issues Addressed
There were very deep spiritual issues discussed in the group. Our guiding counselor, also a pastor in the church, showed us how the extreme feelings of loneliness, sadness, depression, and anxiety were manifestations of wounds to our souls. Our souls are the seat of emotions. Inflicted pain in our souls, if not healed, would manifest in continued experiences of sadness, loneliness, and other negative emotions. The continuous desire to escape from negative feelings through substance abuse is nothing but a cry for help. It made a lot of sense to me because my compulsive behavior started with a very negative experience from the past, one that left me feeling wounded. Nothing made sense; nothing seemed to make it all better. This resonated with the pastor telling us Jesus came so that we would not only be saved from our sins, a direct consequence of our compulsive behavior, but so that we would be healed. The pastor used several Bible verses to show us this point.
The pastor used 1 Peter 2:24 and Isaiah 53:5 to describe how one of Christ’s purposes and intentions for our lives is to provide healing for what we are going through. The cross, His death, and many defining moments in Christianity were because He wanted us to be healed and have peace. The pastor also used verses like Psalms 34:17-18 to describe how God has always been close to us, despite the negative feelings. It was refreshing, enlightening, and peaceful in more ways than I can ever express.
Areas of Further Discussion and Exploration
Although the connection between our soul wounds & hurt and addiction was very enlightening, it may not have armed me with the tools I need to help other people close to me going through addiction. As a mother of three addicts, I find it difficult to get through to my children, mostly because the traumatic event affected all of us. I would like to help them the same way I was helped, but this is proving difficult. Although I resonated with many other members, it only helped us and not the people around us. I wish there was a way we could use that knowledge and induce the same feeling we got in the group to those we love; maybe that is why I am taking this class.
Self-Reflection
In conclusion, my overall experience in the self-help group was very enlightening. There is something about having a safe space to share your feelings with people that genuinely understand that feel very safe. We did not feel judged or looked down upon as in many other instances in the past. The fact that our struggles resonated with each other and we were given hope through faith in Jesus went a long way. I expected just another Church meeting, but I got an epiphany, an inflection point in my life.
