Essay Example on Tolliver Anderson Recovery and Support Groups

Tolliver Anderson Recovery and Support Groups Paper Grand Canyon University PCN 501 January 10 2018 Introduction In today's society self help groups are a popular from of group therapy Alcoholics Anonymous AA and Narcotics Anonymous NA are among the most commonly visited by individuals These groups assist individuals in recovering from substance use disorders using the twelve steps traditions and give them the ability to live alcohol and drug free lives Attending the Meeting The AA group meeting took place at Journey Christian Church 3828 Leila Place Jefferson LA 70121 for noon There were roughly thirty people in attendance male and female with an age range of thirty five to sixty five and different ethnicities Journey Christian Church holds AA meetings seven days a week on Monday Friday from noon to 1 00 p m and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 00 p m to 2 00 p m The individuals in attendance were normal looking employed people that appeared to be on his or her lunch break No one appeared to be dysfunctional or under the influence of alcohol they were friendly and welcomed me into the meeting with hugs and directed me into the direction of the coffee station The meeting started promptly at noon with the Lead AA member asking if anyone was new to AA The environment was clam and was conducted in an orderly fashion No one was put on the spot if an attendee did not want to say anything it was not mandatory for him or her to do so Followed by a sobriety call out asking how long participants have been sober Ranging from one week to twenty years or longer 

Acceptance was the topic for discussion members who wanted to share spoke about how they accepted the face that alcoholism had taken over their lives and how they knew it was time to seek help Closed meeting are typically for AA members only who have problems with drinking and no outsiders can attend The meeting in attendance was open to any who wanted to attend without any stipulations Open meetings also welcomes non alcoholics to join in as observers Steps meeting are meeting where the twelve traditions and twelve steps are read and discussed in the group Home groups are considered the members home where they belong to one group were services are provided and developed friendships remain Sponsors help members in times of difficulty they are an experienced mentor that have been sober for minimum of two years The AA Group 2018 Individual Recovery Methods This individual I will call Joe expressed how he did not want to get out of bed to shower or brush his teeth he only looked forward to his next drink The impact alcoholism has had on Joe life has caused him harm to families and friends In his discussion Joe explained how he accepted alcohol as being an addiction for him and how his drinking was uncontrollable It got so bad for him that his battery went out on his truck and he took his friends battery without him knowing so he can make his way to the next bar Participants in the group found it hard for them during the Christmas and New Year s holidays in order to refrain from drinking most of them confessed they stayed inside or stayed close around family It is important for members to separate themselves from friends places and activities that promotes the use of alcohol or drugs Counselor s Manual for Relapse prevention 2018 

Another member expressed how she went to AA meetings continually during the holidays and kept in contact with her sponsor to keep her sobriety A counselor can help an individual with a substance use disorder be successful by encouraging their client to accept change Once this is done the client can begin to deal with his or her emotions in a more effective manner Counselors can also get clients to develop attainable goals having goals will assist the client in becoming successful The successfulness of recovery depends on the individual One must find a support group that includes like a friend doctor or peer group This support system will provide individuals with support when they need it most Admitting there is a problem will lead individual to a successful recovery Once the problem has been detected then the recovery process will begin The counselor and individual can then create a plan and work toward recovery Examples of how a counselor can help someone with a substance use disorder address self defeating behaviors is to use coping self statements clients by verbalizing the facilitative self talk through all behaviors 

The client will them practice these statements coping statements by distressing the situation with self enhancing self statements The counselor can also give homework assignments to clients for them to practice coping self statements for the real world Baker C C 2009 Conclusion Recovery and support groups are vital to individuals who are seeking to recovery from substance use disorders These support groups have been known to help individuals from far and near Attending my first AA meeting was a good experience I and learned that individuals in recovery need continual support from family and friends I left the meeting wishing I could have done more The key is identifying you have a problem and seeking help is the road to recovery Reference Baker C C 2009 The ACA encyclopedia of counseling Alexandria VA American Counseling Association Gorski T T Kelley J M a n d Relapse Prevention Treatment Counselor s Manual for Relapse Prevention With Chemically Dependent Criminal Offenders Technical Assistance Publication TAP Series 19 19th ser doi 10 1037 e482302006 001 How a group functions How to get started n d Retrieved January 8 2018 from https www aa org assets en_US p 16_theaagroup pdf