How Group Therapy Can Help You Recover

Guided by the experience of a seasoned psychologist, group therapy can be extremely beneficial. Group therapy helps thousands of individuals find direction and support every day, and it is an effective way to improve your progress and wellbeing.

If you have unique circumstances or underlying medical health conditions such as anxiety and depression, you can benefit greatly from group therapy. Understanding how group therapy can help you is important because it can make a massive difference in your recovery journey.

Group Therapy During Treatment

As you go through recovery, you become familiar with your treatment plans and how much of a difference they can make. If group therapy is not already part of your treatment plan, consider making it an addition.

You can attend the group therapy meetings guided by a professional who has done extensive research and has the skills to lead groups in different types of settings. A professional's experience working with evidence-based psychology will enable them to provide immense value to you. They will be able to guide you while in the group toward a deeper understanding of yourself and your journey. Some may even have experience going through recovery themselves.

One goal of the group therapy leader should be to help you better understand yourself, what you have been through, what you are going through, and how you can prepare yourself to handle different challenges in your future. They also help you identify triggers, increase your self-awareness, and establish new skillsets alongside your peers in the group who are undertaking the same journey toward better, healthier lives.

Group Therapy in Sober Living

If you are already through treatment and beginning your aftercare plans, consider staying in a sober living environment. Group therapy is a vital element of many sober living programs because of the benefits. By meeting others in similar situations and having a support network of people who understand the ups and downs of the recovery journey, you can find lasting recovery.

Additionally, the group therapy meetings will include various dynamics that allow you to practice your communication and coping skills. If the group becomes too unbalanced, the group therapy leader will step in to identify and repair the ruptures that have occurred. Observing their mediation will help you learn how to repair relationships outside of the group therapy setting. This skill is vital for you to be prepared for success in long-term recovery.

If a sober living stay will not fit with your aftercare plans, you can ask your therapists or support system to connect you with other opportunities for group therapy.

Lifting the Isolation

When you go to group therapy, you can start developing quality and long-lasting peer relationships as well as a relationship with your group leader. In addition, you will learn from your peers' experiences and have someone to relate to as you continue your commitment.

Connecting With Yourself and Others

While in recovery, you may still be trying to figure out who you are and where are going, and group therapy allows you to connect with others and see how you fit in and find acceptance. You might feel isolated or indifferent because you were a part of broken or toxic relationships that led you into a substance use disorder. 

In group therapy, the need to hide is lifted, and you can develop an idea of who you are and who you want to be. You will be free from the negative influence of people who do not understand your desire for self-improvement.

Group therapy allows you to feel empowered and connect with yourself and others around you. It will put you in contact with people who can relate to you, which will also help you identify the unique elements of your own recovery journey. Group therapy can be one of the most practical elements of long-term recovery because it will give you a safe, secure place to communicate your fears, struggles, aspirations, and goals around people who are compassionate and supportive.

Developing Relationships

Sometimes in group therapy, you can develop connections that will extend past your time in treatment. You can meet people from various backgrounds, thus promoting your influence on the community, which you can continue to grow once you leave treatment.

Your goal of living a sober lifestyle may seem very difficult in the beginning, but group therapy helps you develop your coping skills and identify the potential triggers that might cause you to relapse. It also connects you with others who are going through a similar journey of self-discovery and self-improvement.

Group therapy is encouraged if you want a safe place to be open, share your stories, be listened to, and practice real-time techniques before heading out into society. The group dynamics will help you learn how to develop healthier attachments with others as well as with yourself. 

Get A Jump Start To A Happier Life With The Forge Recovery Center

Recovery is a tremendous jump-start in your progression toward living a healthier life, and group therapy can be a powerful tool to help you execute purpose-driven change. Group therapy can help you learn and practice healthier ways of relating to and behaving toward yourself and others after leaving treatment.

In addition, group therapy can help you deepen your commitment to building a happy, healthy life free of substance use because it will surround you with people who share and support your commitment as they are working toward it themselves. It can also help you identify your triggers and struggles and help you clarify your goals and the means by which you can achieve them.

For more information on how group therapy can help you and what type of connections you can develop so that you can live a healthier lifestyle, contact The Forge Recovery Center today.

Written by

Brian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

May 12, 2022