There are many types of approaches that can be taken to addiction recovery – and the effectiveness of these approaches truly relies on what works for each person individually. Personalized, holistic treatment is about assessing an individual’s needs and getting an understanding of who they are, including their medical history, their family and relationship history, major life stressors, mental health status reports and more. Put simply, recovery should consider a person’s mental, physical and spiritual wellness – and in some cases, didactic group therapy could greatly help a person find more stability in their recovery journey.
Upon entering recovery, clients will learn more about what addiction is and how it’s affected their lives. Didactic group therapy is facilitated by a therapist or doctor who directs conversations on a number of topics, such as exploring the adverse effects that can become associated with addiction on a short or long-term basis, relapse prevention, common beliefs surrounding addiction and so much more.
The idea behind this type of therapy is that by educating people in recovery, they will become more informed and more able to stay committed to their recovery goals – because they’ll understand the ins and outs of addiction and how it all works. In addition to this, those in recovery will gain valuable tools to apply directly to their lives.
There are many definitions that can be found for addiction, but generally it’s a brain disease that involves the compulsive use of drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors despite harmful consequences occurring in a person’s personal and/or professional life. By looking at it this way, it’s much easier to understand just how strong addiction can be – for many people around the world, addiction is not something that can easily be “stopped”, and “quitting” takes much longer than a day because recovery is an ongoing process.
There tend to be a lot of misconceptions about addiction and recovery, and even those who are seeking help may misunderstand the truth about these processes; that’s where didactic group therapy can come in. Common misbeliefs about addiction and recovery may involve believing that a person is too weak to seek help, that recovery and treatment programs are a “quick fix”, that addiction is the only thing that matters without regard to a person’s mind, body and spirit, that addiction is the only thing that’s treated in recovery, and the broad idea that nobody can understand what a person is going through truly. This misconceptions may seem convincing, but they’re not true – and they’re all ways to alienate people from feeling that they can truly recover and seek help.
Education is power, and those who learn more about the biological processes of addiction as well as the psychology behind that and relapse have better chances of succeeding in recovery.
Social support is a major component of healing, and didactic group therapy can foster this support by providing an environment in which individuals can share their ideas and grow together. This type of therapy is focused on education, which may be structured similarly to a classroom setting where those in recovery work together to identify problems in life that could lead to addictive behaviors later on – as an example.
There are several skills that can be developed in didactic group therapy, especially when it comes to problem solving and decision making:
For example, the first step a person may want to take is to identify the problem at hand. It’s important to get a clear picture of what’s happening. Speaking with others could be helpful. Once a problem has been identified, those in recovery must decide whether or not they truly want to do anything about the current problem at hand. This could be an argument with a friend or family member, a situation with past individuals whom a person used to abuse substances with, or something else. If a clear decision has been made to move forward and take a specific course of action, it’s time to consider the timing of everything. Is now a good time to take this action? Is the person actually ready to make the change? For instance, an individual in recovery may consider having a serious discussion with a loved one about an argument they’d previously had. Brainstorm solutions by exploring every possible action that could be taken without judging which ones are best/worst. Once a decision has been made to implement a particular plan, it’s time to act on it.
Skills like this may seem simple and straightforward, but they require skills that take organization, time, critical thinking, patience and more. Those in recovery can greatly benefit from adapting tools such as this in didactic group therapy; if you or a loved one are ready to seek help for addiction, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today. It’s never too late to turn your life around.
Avalon Malibu is a world-renowned, California state-licensed mental health and substance abuse recovery center. If you are ready to seek treatment to develop the tools you need to overcome life’s obstacles and be on the road towards happiness, health, and well-being, call us today at 844-857-5992 for a consultation. It’s never too late, and there are people here ready to help you – it’s never too late to begin taking steps towards a happier, healthier life.
