Should You Get Sober in Your Hometown?

Historically speaking, society is reluctant to discuss addiction because of the stigma that surrounds it. As time goes on and information is easily accessible, people are starting to understand addiction is in fact a disease and should be treated as such. 

When someone is seeking treatment, it feels comfortable to find a program close to home. Although that is a common mindset, it’s actually a better idea to leave home to assess addiction treatment options. 

Why Getting Sober Close to Home Is Not the Best Idea

There are a few reasons why getting addiction treatment close to home is not the best idea. While an inpatient treatment facility close to home may help someone get sober temporarily, the second the person leaves they step back into the same environment that initially drove their addiction. This is one of the biggest reasons why relapse is such a significant issue for someone once they leave an addiction treatment center.

If someone stays close to home, they are going to be spending time around the same friends who drove and enabled their addiction in the first place post-treatment. This is only going to lead to relapse, more heartbreak, and an endless cycle between an inpatient treatment center and relapse. It’s important for a person in recovery to meet new people who are going to support them and help maintain their sobriety. 

Why Traveling for Addiction Treatment is a Good Idea

By deciding to leave home for addiction treatment, you’re allowing yourself to choose from many different options of treatment programs. While your hometown may have a treatment program that specializes in substance abuse, you may require a treatment program that involves treating mental health and substance abuse.  The personal circumstances of everyone who struggles with drug abuse or alcoholism are different and need to be treated as such. The best way to find the right treatment for yourself is by keeping your options open and look outside of your hometown.

Traveling for addiction treatment gives you the ability to start fresh. You’ll be able to distance yourself from the toxic environment that drove you into the arms of addiction in the first place. You’ll be able to leave your old friends behind and make new friends who are like-minded individuals. A new town or city will help reduce distractions in your life and enable you to enjoy new experiences. One of the best parts about recovery is discovering a new life. A change of scenery will help you forget your old life and getting high.

Commit to the Recovery Process

It can be hard leaving home to seek addiction treatment but removing yourself from your current environment is one of the best things to do to commit to the recovery process. It’s impossible to have a fresh start if you don’t change your surroundings. It’s normal to dwell on the possibility of no longer being able to hang out with your friend group but in recovery, you’ll have endless opportunities to meet new people and form sober relationships. 

Let Us Help You!

At Grace Recovery, we are a brand new, state-of-the-art addiction treatment program located in the heart of Hollywood, CA. We provide luxurious amenities and the latest treatment options substance abuse programming at our detoxification and residential inpatient program. If you are looking for addiction recovery services in the Los Angeles area, contact us today!

 

Going to Rehab with Legal Problems: Will it Help?

It’s unquestionable that the use of drugs and alcohol often plays a role in many people committing a crime. Drug abuse may compel you to act out of character, which leads you to dealings with the legal system. For instance, you may have an upcoming court date because your addiction leads you to drive while intoxicated, which resulted in being pulled over and arrested for a DUI. One of the most common thoughts among people who have legal issues resulting from their addiction is if they can go to rehab instead of jail. If the crime you committed is relatively minor, going to rehab instead of jail may be an option; however, the courts want to be satisfied that your motives for seeking treatment aren’t simply a motivation to stay out of jail. This means you’ll need to show a desire to want to change your life for the better by eliminating your drug addiction.

How to Go to Rehab Instead of Jail

In most situations, there are two ways you can go to rehab instead of serving a court-appointed jail sentence. The options are through drug court and court-ordered rehab:

Drug Court

Drug court is a special court that is designed for non-violent substance-related crimes and/or criminal cases. Drug court is only an option for those who need addiction treatment. The courts will determine if you’re qualified for this option through mandatory, supervised testing for substance use. If so you will then be assigned treatment and rehab based incarceration instead of serving jail time. The process for drug court is much different from a regular court. The process includes:

  • Waiving your due process rights and signing a preemptive confession
  • Commitment to attending drug treatment and rehabilitation
  • Committing to mandatory testing for drugs and alcohol
  • Consenting to be monitored to confirm program effectiveness
  • Committing to the attendance at a court-appointed or approved treatment facility

Court Ordered Rehab

If you have numerous DUI’s or have a history of committing substance-related crimes, the judge may recommend you participate in a rehabilitation program instead of going to jail/prison. The judge will typically only recommend this if you are a multiple offender, have several DUI’s, or otherwise have a proven track record of committing substance-related crimes, your judge may recommend you to a rehabilitation In this situation, you will be given the option of either going to jail or rehab, so you can choose which one you want to do. You may be able to initiate this option by discussing it with your attorney and asking them to recommend court-appointed rehabilitation.

Who Qualifies for Rehab Instead of Jail?

There are many people in the legal system that qualifies for rehab instead of jail, but it’s important that you discuss this option with your attorney. For instance, if you don’t have a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol, refuse to answer the questions about your drug abuse or addiction or do not appear to have a problem that can be corrected with rehab, rehabilitation will not be an option. Also, if you have a history of violent crimes, rehabilitation instead of jail or prison isn’t typically recommended, even if your current situation with the legal system isn’t for a violent crime.

The court will be particularly responsive to your request for rehab if your crime is directly related to your addiction. It is important to keep in mind that if your crime was premeditated, it suggests you would have committed the crime even if you weren’t suffering from addiction. There are a number of reasons why rehab is better than jail, but the most important reason is that it will help you kick your addiction. Research has shown that treatment in a guided rehabilitation facility does a better job of helping you get clean than being locked up in jail, but it must be something you want and not something you are doing simply to avoid incarceration. It is essential to keep in mind that going to rehab with legal problems will only help if you truly want to get clean and sober.

Get Help Today

If you or a loved one are suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction, don’t be afraid to reach out to us. Contact us today to speak to an addiction professional and see in what ways we can help! At Grace Recovery, we’re all about getting you back on the right track.

Interventions: When and How Should I Intervene On A Loved One

According to the Addiction Center, approximately 21 million Americans have at least one addiction.  More shocking than the total number of American’s ensnared in the clutches of addiction is the fact, that only 10% of addicts seek addiction treatment.  In order to bridge the gap, people struggling with addiction need loved ones to bridge the gap towards addiction treatment.

Drug addiction has impacted the lives of millions of Americans. There is new hope though, as we are able to destigmatize addiction and identify it as a treatable disease.  State-of-the-art addiction treatment programs like Grace Recovery in Hollywood, California are filled with people eager to help you or your loved one combat drug addiction with compassion, care, and expertise.

One of the questions asked most frequently by people who have a loved one who is struggling with drug addiction is this:  When do I stage an Intervention?

Timing Is Key

There is no simple answer to that question.  However, as loved ones, we can develop a plan by being informed and knowing that early intervention with an effective plan and a committed support group can save a life.  Remember, only 10% of addicts seek addiction treatment, largely due to the fact that most addicts don’t know they are in crisis.  They need your help.  So here are some sobering signings that it is time for an intervention.

Signs To Look For

People can change in healthy ways, however, a person struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism may exhibit many alarming behavioral changes.  Some of these changes may be mild, such as changing eating routines, eating less, arriving excessively and profusely late or lying.  Most of these behaviors will exacerbate over time as the addiction worsens.  An addict also is likely to build a tolerance for certain drugs or alcohol and require more to achieve the same high.

Other alarming behaviors include refusals to eat, a haggard appearance due to a lack of care for their own self-image.  Drug addiction and alcoholism affect the brain to be focused on the next high which can make people more prone to volatility where they lash out and lose control.  The grip of addiction can rip your loved one away from reality leading to mental fatigue and memory loss which snowballs into financial trouble.

When you see these behaviors taking their toll, you know it is time to stage an intervention.  However, your chances of success will increase if you are able to form a support group focused on getting your loved one into addiction treatment safely and effectively.

Remember, your decision to stage an intervention can directly save your loved one’s life.  In 2018 the Los Angeles Times reported, “the death toll from drugs has doubled every eight years” from 1979 to 2016.  Your intervention and the path to addiction treatment can help change that number.

Staging The Intervention

Once you have made the commitment toward staging an intervention to help your loved one battle drug addiction, the next step is forming your team and your plan.  This is going to be an emotional experience.  Different people view drug addiction from a different lens.  Some people still view addiction as a choice.  People in your group may be personally outraged or hurt due to the choices an addict has made.  Your intervention will have the highest odds of being successful if you are able to create a support group who acknowledge addiction is a medical disorder, are committed to helping and have a plan of action to get your loved one to receive addiction treatment.

You will also need to assign someone to be a leader and mediate while your group navigates through their own emotions.  Remember your loved one with an alcohol or drug addiction may have committed acts that are hard to forgive.  Healing the group can lead to forgiveness.  Forgiveness can lead to belief in a common goal: To help a sick loved one receive addiction treatment.

It is also okay and necessary to share what the consequences will be at home and with relationships if your loved one struggling with alcohol or drug addiction doesn’t seek treatment.

Seek Professional Help

You are not in this alone.  There are people who have dedicated their lives to helping people receive the support they need to confront their alcohol or drug addiction.  An intervention specialist can be the perfect person to utilize in order to give your loved one the best chance at receiving the addiction treatment they need.  It’s okay to have questions and to feel like you need help.  Luckily, people like Greg Holden and Joelene Knight the co-founders of Grace Recovery in Hollywood CA have people ready to help regardless of where you live.  Just pick up the phone and dial 1-866-330-0049 or visit gracerecovery.com and they will be happy to guide you.

 

How to Choose the Best Program for You

First, thinking about choosing a program for yourself proves that you are taking steps to improve your life. Congratulations for taking the time to learn about the addiction treatment and rehab program options available at Grace Recovery in Los Angeles. From residential and outpatient programs to medication-assisted options, we are confident that we can help you find the help that you need to be free from your addiction. With all the different choices, how can you choose the right program for you? Read below to learn more about our programs, and which one would best suit your life.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

At Grace Recovery, there are a couple of options for medication-assisted addiction treatment. The first is Suboxone. This works as a replacement for the opioids you may have used. This substitute is only used during detox and can help reduce cravings and withdrawal. You will gradually taper off of the medication until you no longer crave the substance. Another medication used here is Vivitrol. This is more of a long-term option, which is a monthly injection that blocks the effects of opioids and reduces cravings. This drug cannot be started until a period of sobriety.

The professionals at Grace Recovery can best determine what option will work for your situation.

Drug & Alcohol Detox Program

This is a multi-step program. Starting with evaluation, a professional at Grace Recovery can do a thorough examination of your needs. They will gather a lot of background information and determine the proper treatment plan. This plan often starts with stabilization, medication-assisted treatment to remove the traces of opioids or alcohol from your body. The next step is preparing you for recovery and other treatments. This can include a residential inpatient drug rehab, a support group, an intensive outpatient program, or all of the above. It all depends on your needs.

Residential Inpatient Drug Rehab

This type of program offers an environment with the highest level of support. By living at the facility, you will have 24-hour access to treatment and therapy options. You can take the time away from your daily life to focus only on recovery. This is best for people with moderate to severe cases of addiction, or those who may have less support at home. It provides fewer distractions and takes you away from your vices.

From 30-day programs to 90-day programs, Grace Recovery has the residential inpatient drug rehab program for you.

Intensive Outpatient Program

An intensive outpatient program is great for people who need to stick to their work or school schedules while getting treatment. You have the same treatment options as you would in a residential program, without having to live at the facility. This could be a follow-up treatment to a residential program, or it can work by itself. Again, it all depends on your needs.

This type of program is especially good for those who have a support system at home who can be involved in the recovery process. From having people to take you to and from therapy or people who can attend group therapy with you, an intensive outpatient rehab program can be beneficial to both you and your friends and family.

Another perk of an intensive outpatient program is that it is much less expensive than a residential rehab program. This type of addiction treatment may or may not be covered by insurance, so it is important to have options.

So what program should you choose?

Overall, you will have to weigh your options. Can you take time away from work or school to complete your recovery? Then maybe a residential rehab program will work for you. Do you have friends or family who can help you juggle treatment and your daily responsibilities? An intensive outpatient program could be a great addiction treatment option for your needs. Medication-assisted treatment and detox options can work into either of your choices. For further information, give us a call or visit at Grace Recovery. Your new beginning is waiting.

The Benefits of Holistic Treatment for Addiction

Anyone who has studied health even tangentially quickly gets an understanding that the body and mind don’t work separately. They function as an integrated system that requires multiple inputs to be in balance to reach a state of being “healthy” as we define it today. When things are imbalanced, the body goes into arrest and the mind begins to issue instructions to compensate. While it addresses the issue in the short-term, long-term continuation of the compensation eventually becomes detrimental to the system as a whole. This is why people suffer more injuries after an initial injury and as their body compensates for the first problem. Eventually, a cascading effect occurs, and the whole system begins to falter without some kind of significant change being applied.

An Addiction Takes Down More Than Just Physical Defenses

In the world of rehabilitation and recovery, the mind and body again are intertwined in a problem that has overwhelmed the person. Typically, the addiction starts as some kind of a release to an original problem. Work, family, stress, social issues, other health issues, the list goes on. But the addiction develops because the body and mind no longer can offset the effects, and instead they try to incorporate the problem as a cure for the original concern. That addiction, as many know, can wreck a life, overwhelming the common sense of the mind and the correct function of the body simultaneously.

Holistic Application

A holistic approach to recovery involves far more than just applying a medical treatment or a withdrawal. Those simply deal with the body’s reaction to breaking the addiction. Instead, holistic addiction treatment focuses on a wider scale, trying to restore the necessary health balance to the mind and body together. This is done through:

  • Personal Acknowledgement – helping the patient and motivating him or her to want a well-balanced life that proactively works to protect itself from harm and instead seek out personal improvement.
  • General Health – Improving one’s diet, exercise, stress management, and relaxation via techniques helps the patient restore the physical functions of the body to protect itself from biological harm.
  • Environmental Training – Patients are impacted by their external environments just as much as by what they take into their bodies. Counseling and training on environmental change where possible has a significant influence on indirect triggers that can weaken a patient in the recovery phase. This is why so many serious programs include in-patient treatment to remove a patient from surrounding triggers, at least until recovery can stabilize. But at some point patients have to live in the real world again and understand how to control what’s around them to complete healing.
  • Commitment – Education involves engaging with the patient to realign wants and desires into a long-term commitment for sticking with therapy, sobriety and life management through training and confidence-building strategies. This can include a variety of tools from breathing and meditation to pain and anxiety management.
  • Natural Aids and Supplemental Resources – Teaching patients what resources exist for natural assistance as well as how to use these resources in relaxation, stress-management, travel, pressure situations, diet, and sleep.

Finding Local Help With Active Holistic Application

Grace Recovery has long been a major proponent of and integrator of holistic treatment in its addiction recovery programs. Located in Hollywood, CA, Grace Recovery combines medical treatment in detoxification and residential inpatient response with holistic behavioral training, stress, and pain management education, confident and commitment enhancement and life stability training. Because of this combined approach versus just treating medical symptoms only, addiction rehabilitation at Grace Recovery produces far greater results in patients preparing for long-term, life sobriety versus just addressing symptoms.

The myths of in-patient addiction treatment and recovery are just that, stories. Grace Recovery puts an active approach in your hands as an effective tool towards stopping addiction, either for you or a loved one. Take advantage of the valuable benefit and recover your life the way it should be instead of feeling out of control.

 

Why To Travel To Southern California For Addiction Treatment

There is a lot to consider when choosing where to go to treatment. You want to find a place that has the right supports, including licensed therapists, a safe environment, and individualized treatment that focuses on you. Once you know what you’re looking for in general, you can narrow down what you’re looking for as far as what place looks like it will be comfortable and suit your individual needs. There are some very good reasons you would do well if you sought treatment in Southern California.

Getting away from your home environment and its triggers

Even though you will miss them and you may view them as your biggest supports, your friends and relatives will keep reminding you of how you were thinking during the roughest part of your addiction. Without meaning to, the people closest to you will bring you into their drama. Getting away from other problem places is good too, such as bars you used to frequent or other places that remind you too much of your old habits. You may have “triggers” that can bring you right back into your old way of thinking.

A simple change of scenery

When you are in a different place, you can get more of a feeling that you are starting your life over. Everything is new again, and the possibilities are endless. Being in a different place can help you achieve longer term sobriety by helping you off to a good start. You don’t want to look too far into the future, because you are going to start living one day at a time, but you can find a place that helps you see everything in a new way.

Privacy

Even if your family and friends support your recovery, you will feel more comfortable, especially in early recovery, if you feel as though you have some privacy. Even if you don’t want to hide anything, you will feel less self-conscious if you know that your loved ones can’t just drop in any time without warning. When you staying in Southern California and attending therapy, going to meetings, and learning how to meditate, you can focus on yourself and what you need to accomplish.

You can enjoy the weather

Southern California isn’t just far from home — it offers the most amazing weather all year round. That means that when you are in recovery you can enjoy the outdoors, meditate outside, see the sights, and take advantage of everything the area has to offer no matter when you go. The constant sunshine has a psychological effect too, helping fight depression and combat other conditions that go along with darkness and bad weather, like obesity.

The natural life

As part of your recovery, you can enjoy all the natural wonders Southern California has to offer. You can visit beaches, swim, hike, or just enjoy the scenery. Because of the area, there are also adventure sports you can take part in. For those who enjoy a feeling of excitement, adventure sports can provide that feeling of excitement in a safe setting. You can try cave diving, bodyboarding, hang gliding, kite surfing, or a multitude of other fun sports. You will get multiple advantages from finding sports you enjoy:

  • The exercise will help you regain your health
  • When you are having fun, you avoid boredom, which is dangerous in sobriety
  • You challenge yourself and succeed, increasing your self-confidence
  • When you are exercising and having fun, you aren’t having negative thoughts

Is addiction treatment in California right for you?

Grace Recovery has multiple levels of care that are tailored to suit the individual needs of each client. We offer compassionate, holistic care, and we use both traditional and evidence-based methods. You can take advantage of everything from acupuncture to support groups to psychoeducation to trauma-informed yoga.

We recognize that everyone is on a different path, and our job is to help you find your own way. If you think you could benefit from our program in Los Angeles, California, please don’t hesitate to call today.

How to Make the Most of Your Stay in Rehab

Any recovering addict agrees on one thing; there is life after quitting the habit. You have accepted that you were once vulnerable to either alcohol or substance abuse. Congratulations! You have passed the first step towards recovery. So, what is your next step? Of course, you will check yourself into the nearest rehabilitation center for treatment and counseling sessions. However, you need to accept the fact that your life is about to change completely. Here are some tips to make your stay comfortable.

Develop a positive attitude towards the process

The rehabilitation process sounds like a tedious process that involves medications and therapies. It is perfectly normal to fear the unknown. Always remember that the people who offer these services have your best interest at heart. It is not the time to reflect on the mistakes you made in the past. Trusting the rehab process not only helps you to develop a positive attitude in your journey, but it also allows you to accept unhealthy habits you had in the past. How do you go about this?

You have the power to shape your future. Accept the challenges that come with ditching your addiction. Therapists and counselors are trained to handle each individual differently. So each time you feel discouraged, don’t hesitate to communicate your feelings.

Embrace a healthy lifestyle

During your drug addiction, you may have avoided healthy living standards such as a balanced diet, exercising, meditation, or taking part in developmental projects. Consequently, you have compromised the wellness of your body. Well, it isn’t too late to start over. You see, change comes from within you.

In rehab, you will meet nutritional experts and life coaches who will walk you through healthy habits. You will learn the importance of adopting healthy eating habits rather than letting you perceive of it as a chore. The healthier you are, the easier it is for you to recover fully.

Decide whether you need to detox

Did you know that detox is the first step towards early addiction treatment? The process helps to remove the toxic substances you have consumed during your addiction. You need to bear in mind all the challenges that come with it. You may experience withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, nausea, anxiety, and hallucinations among others. Remember, it is part of the healing process that takes between three and seven days.

Before checking into rehab, decide whether you are willing to go through the detox process. The specialists will determine the severity of your current condition to decide whether or not you are fit to undergo the procedure. After that, they will let you decide if you agree to the process.

Be mentally prepared for the therapy

You may be a first-time or a returning patient, but that doesn’t mean you are mentally prepared for what awaits you. Once you have checked into the facility, you will be given a timetable that determines your appointments. These appointments are tailored to allow you to discuss essential topics. Feel free to write down some of the topics you want to discuss. Don’t forget to inform them about your experiences. They may not be as bad as you may think.

Prepare for Life After Rehab

A rehab facility can be likened to a cooking recipe that guides you on how to prepare specific meals. It will highlight the ingredients and procedures to ensure you cook even if you aren’t a professional chef. After that, it is up to you to light the fire.

You are getting prepared for life after rehab is one of the essential things you need to consider. Of course, the drugs have already been eliminated from your system, making you less vulnerable to withdrawal symptoms. However, the cravings for the drugs may not wear off completely.

During your stay, it is essential to determine a hobby that will prevent you from going back to your old habits. Take this time to discover what you are good at. Is it painting, watching movies, or reading novels? As long as you develop the right attitude towards this process, you will still discover that there is more to life away from alcohol or drugs.

Conclusion

Using drugs in the past isn’t the end of life. You can still be a productive person after accepting your past misfortunes by checking into a rehab facility. Here, you will go through detox and therapeutic sessions to help you recover physically and mentally. Once you have adjusted to the program, you will realize that you can still reconnect with your loved ones and lead a healthier lifestyle. It is not the time to feel sorry for yourself. Instead, it is the perfect moment to unravel your potential as a valuable asset to the community. Remember, many people made it despite losing hope in life.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, contact us today. Grace Recovery is always here to help and we will be there for you every step of the way.

 

Why Aftercare is Essential to Your Success

What is Aftercare?

Aftercare is a system of support that continues even after your recovery program is complete. Consider a teenager first getting his permit. He studies and takes a test that then gives him the ability to drive. Before then, he could not legally get behind a wheel and drive. Therefore, the government requires that he then wait a set amount of time to get his license to drive by himself. That time frame gives the teen time to practice driving with an adult. Instead of the teen being thrown out to learn how to drive by himself, he gets secondary training.

Aftercare follows the same basic idea. The treatment program is the primary program. Aftercare is the second program that prevents the newly addiction-free person from having to immediately learn to fend for himself. It provides time to acclimate.

The aftercare plan is designed specifically for the individual receiving it. You and your support team will design a plan for how you can continue to remain addiction-free long after treatment is over. It may include additional counseling, access, and information to support groups, and much more.

Reasons Aftercare is Important

Once you step out of your addiction treatment program, it is like stepping into a whole new world- one that you do not yet know how to navigate. One minute you are surrounded by people and activities that are intended to help you. Next thing you know, it feels like you have been thrown to the wolves with no weapon in sight. It is one thing to fight an addiction when you are surrounded by positive things, a support system, and a lack of temptation. It is a completely different battle to return to the life that was once ruled by addiction and try to stay clean.

Facing this new world alone and too quickly can easily lead to relapse. This is why aftercare is essential because of it:

-It eases you back into the world with full freedom.

If you step out into the world with complete freedom immediately, you might not know how to stay away from your old life. When you were in your treatment program, it was easier to fight the addiction because your substance of choice was not readily available to you. That is no longer the case once you leave your program. Suddenly, you are back where you were when addiction controlled your life, and the freedom to do what you choose.

With aftercare, you have access to a community of people fighting the same battle and others who are there to help that understand what you are dealing with. Loved ones are great, but if they have never experienced addiction, it is hard for them to understand your battle. With this community of support, you no longer have to feel like you were thrown to the wolves.

-You have an accountability system.

Without someone to be accountable to, it is too easy to think that you can go back to your old life and no one will know or care. Being accountable means that you have someone to answer to, and most people do not want to admit that they relapsed.

-Your support is around while you learn how to live without the addiction.

Living without addiction when you have lived with it so long can be extraordinarily different. You basically have to learn how to live again- how to function in your daily life without the thing that once helped you cope. With aftercare, your support stays with you while you learn how to live life as a new, addiction-free person.

Conclusion

Your treatment program is important, but aftercare is just as important to your success. To prevent relapse, it is vital to have an aftercare plan. Here at Grace Recovery, we will design and help you implement an aftercare strategy that can keep you on your addiction-free path. Contact us today!

The Benefits of Group Therapy

Recovery can be difficult. This is a well-known truth. However, having the benefit of others around you that understand your struggle can be a lifesaver. Instead of feeling alienated am misunderstood, you’re surrounded by people who’ve been through the same things. Group therapy has the ability to create a sense of community among people on the same journey. The process embraces the individual and acts as a catalyst for greater bonding and understanding. Regardless of the addiction, group therapy creates a safe haven for people struggling with many of the same adversities. However, it does many other things too.

Communication

The goal of group therapy is to create a warm, understanding, and safe environment. Placing the chairs in a circular pattern makes it easy to see everyone in the group and invites open and honest conversation. The small close-knit group builds a sense of community. This is beneficial as members transition into society and meets people. Patients are able to rebuild their confidence and start all over again. In essence, group therapy helps members express themselves, and find their authentic voice.

Companionship

It helps to have someone with you on your recovery journey. Group therapy brings members together as a support system for one another. Often, the addiction process isolates members from friends and family. It can leave members feeling isolated and rejected. Group members often come together to fill that void building bonds that will last throughout the recovery process and beyond. This companionship is also an important part of the recovery process. It brings members together and helps form strong friendships with others that may have been through the same thing.

 Insight

Group therapy also cultivates reflective insights. Other members often bring a fresh perspective to the table which allows you to look at the situation differently. Often times, a member may be too close to his or her situation, making it difficult to truly see the situation holistically. Sharing your experiences with other members brings a fresh new perspective that a member may not have been able to see or understand on his or her own. Members are able to gain powerful insight which is also part of the powerful healing process.

Affordable Help

Group therapy is often free or very low cost. Members have access to counseling and support without having to worry about affordability. This type of support is vital to the recovery process because members can focus on getting well without worrying about money. Members can take advantage of all the advice, insight, and support of other members. Rehab is designed to benefit every member involved.

Putting It All Together

Group therapy can be an important part of your recovery process if you let it. Take advantage of the camaraderie and support that other members offer. It’s also a good idea to be as open and honest as possible. This also invites help and support. There are many things that you can do to get the most out of group therapy. Be open and honest with other members during therapy sessions. It may also help to keep a recovery journal and write your feelings and thoughts. You can even offer ideas if they come to mind during therapy. Hold yourself and others accountable. This will help yourself and other members stay on track or get back on track if they fall off. Consistency and participation are key.

An addiction problem isn’t the end of the world. With the right support system along with consistency, recovery is possible. Stay the course and use all the resources available. This is not a journey you have to take along. Your support system is there to help you if you stumble or when times get hard. Even if you fell, all you have to do is get back up and start again. Perfection isn’t the goal. Instead, sincere consistent effort is the goal. Consistency leads to better choices and habits that will continue to serve you well beyond your recovery.