Even when you’re feeling down, it is often better for your mental wellness to be a part of a group. A supportive group of friends or a group of loving family members can lift your spirits and make you feel like you are not alone. Knowing you have other people around you who care about you and support you is a great feeling.
Among groups of people, there is often a sense of camaraderie. This feeling of connection can encourage you to discuss your problems and find solutions while benefiting from the experiences of others. Some people have faced similar problems, and their solutions may help you overcome yours. Additionally, the catharsis of opening up can simply make you feel good.
In substance abuse and mental health treatment, group therapy offers many benefits for mental wellness. It can feel good to open up to people who have similar experiences. No one understands the struggles of substance abuse and mental health quite like others who have also experienced it.
How Does Group Therapy Benefit Mental Wellness?
Group therapy is a powerful approach used in substance use and mental health treatment. This form of therapy typically involves a small group of people with similar backgrounds coming together for treatment with a facilitator. A trained therapist often acts as the facilitator and guides the group discussion with a healing emphasis. Group therapies have been shown to be a very effective form of treatment. The group format has a way of uniquely benefitting and complementing individual therapy.
One of the many mental wellness benefits of group therapy is the confidential yet open nature of the discussion. You can share your experiences with the group and your disclosures will stay within the group. Your peers in group therapy can offer opinions, advice, and their own experiences to counsel you. The group provides a collective sense of empathy that benefits everyone.
Meanwhile, the therapist facilitates the discussions, offers guidance when necessary, and keeps the environment feeling safe. Even though a therapist may be present, you will still experience open communication and mutual support. The therapist is simply a guide.
Inpatient Programs Improve Mental Wellness
Inpatient mental health programs are an essential part of treatment for mental wellness. These types of programs can give you the structure you need to find lasting healing. Often, inpatient facilities offer longer stays, up to 12 weeks for example. During these stays, you can attend group and individual therapies as you work through your treatment.
Addiction is very much a disease, no different than any other mental health condition. Like other mental health conditions, people can rarely beat addiction on their own. Mental wellness care is about getting the right treatment. This often includes seeing a counselor and finding the right medications. Group therapy is also a big component of the treatment needed to experience true and lasting healing.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a 2019 study showed that up to 93% of treatment facilities for substance abuse employ group therapy. That statistic alone demonstrates the incredible efficacy of this treatment modality. Treatment centers use group therapy because it works.
How Sharing With Others Reduces Our Burdens
When you open up to a group of people about your struggles, you feel better. Knowing that you are not alone, that others empathize with you, and that they receive you without judgment is liberating. Sharing with others can reduce your struggles by helping you face your fears and validating your emotions about your circumstances.
We all need safe spaces in which to grow. Group therapy creates a safe container for expressing oneself without fear of judgment or reprisal. This format gives you the empathy and compassionate validation you need to face difficult circumstances. That is where the true power of group therapy lies.
Group therapy can also help you to feel less isolated. Often, when you face struggles alone, you can feel that no one else shares your struggles. However, the world is a big place with a lot of people in it. Others have experienced the same circumstances you’re facing and have overcome them. Group therapy helps you to figure out how they did that and apply it to your own life.
Improving Mental Wellness Through Alumni Networks
One of the best ways to find comfort in a group is by getting involved in alumni programs. At First Steps Recovery, we understand the importance of camaraderie. Through our alumni program, you can be introduced to one of your peers in recovery. These peers act as mentors, helping you to get where they are now, one step at a time.
Peer networks like our alumni program provide our clients with the ongoing connections they need. Connection is a part of the human experience. This connection is what we strive for. We all want to feel connected to the world and to other people. Connecting with your peers strengthens recovery and creates a sense of community that promotes your mental wellness.
Finding Your Community in the Group Therapy Experience
You are likely at least somewhat familiar with the concept of group therapy, even if you do not know it. You have probably heard of support groups in your community. Grief counseling groups are a form of support group. Cancer support groups have been around for years. Groups of all kinds provide the positivity everyone needs to move forward and overcome obstacles.
Whatever your current needs are, First Steps Recovery is there for you. Inside our doors, you will find a trustworthy and caring community that is passionate about your mental wellness and healing journey.
In both inpatient and outpatient recovery programs, group therapy is one of the most effective methods of treatment. If you struggle with mental health challenges or substance abuse, group therapy offers you a group of peers who know exactly what you are going through. Moderated by a licensed therapist who guides the discussion, group therapy enables peers to mentor each other and discuss their problems openly. Some people might even explain how they overcame problems that are similar to yours. Opening up in a safe environment is often what people need to help them release their burdens and find relief. If you need to get your mental wellness back, call First Steps Recovery today at (844) 489-0836.
