Substance Related Group

Therapy Group at Allegiance Addiction

Recovery Center
Ashley Mckay

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Substance Related Group

This week I was privileged to be able to attend a therapy group with inpatient clients at

Allegiance Addiction Recovery Center. There wasn’t a specific name for our group other than

therapeutic, but it was made known that it was “open” meaning that the clients got to talk about

what was important to them, what was on their minds and their goals for the future that day. The

group consisted of six men and one woman, and a group leader who was a therapist and a

woman as well. Then there was my fellow female nursing student and myself on either side of

the therapist. The group was from 10:00 am – 11:30 am, giving each person 10-15 minutes to

talk about what was on their mind. After this group was over, the same group of individuals

participated in a group from 11:00 am to 11:30 am called “Mindfulness” which I was also lucky

to be able to witness. During this group there was no talking, only calming waterfall-esque music

in the background and clients rested and eased their minds with quiet activities such as coloring,

word searches, sudoku and reading. The intent of this group was to relax, eliminate some stress

from the day to day and spend some time mindfully thinking.

The group membership included the men and woman who were at the center as inpatient

clients. What I thought was interesting is that there was a sense of comradery and respect

throughout the group even though they may have only known each other for a few days or less.

Nobody laughed at anyone for admitting their personal fears, and nobody seemed phased or like

they were secretly judging whenever the speaker admitted something they weren’t proud of from

their past. Many of the group members offered advice on each other’s situations and the group

leader didn’t step in much unless there was a behavior or statement she thought needed to be

addressed. One such statement was from one client to another: “Well if you need a place to stay

after this, I have an apartment you could crash in.” The therapist intervened and told the clients

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why she thought this wasn’t a good idea, which was because she thinks addicts who live with

other addicts have a higher chance of relapse. As well as intervening when she thought was

necessary, the group leader also elaborated on each individuals plans for after they left the

center, suggesting phone numbers and people who could be good resources for their next steps.

There were many common themes among group members such as abuse of cocaine, heroin,

meth and mostly, overwhelmingly alcohol. Every single person there had an issue with alcohol

addiction. Also, a big common theme was children. Many of them lost their children to the state

and they were all obviously heartbroken. Many of them used this for fuel to get clean so they

could get their children back. Confidentiality was not a big issue for the group. Everyone opened

up freely about why they were there, what kind of led up to them being there and what they

planned to do afterwards. Many of them planned to go to another inpatient program, where they

would be surrounded with people and support so they could stay clean. The Mindfulness group

afterwards was equally as interesting but in a slightly different way. I got to participate, doing a

word search puzzle while listening to calming music in the background and I could feel myself

just focus on the puzzle and relax, my anxieties and stress on the backburner for that half hour.

“Current evidence suggests that mindfulness-based interventions can reduce the consumption of

several substances including alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, cigarettes, and opiates

to a significantly greater extent than waitlist controls, non-specific educational support groups,

and some specific control groups. Some preliminary evidence also suggests that MBIs are

associated with a reduction in craving as well as increased mindfulness.” (Chiesa, A., & Serretti,

A. (2014, March 05).

I think the most significant thing I learned during this group was that my prior beliefs about

addicts were almost completely wrong. When I previously thought of addicts, I would imagine

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the stereotype. Homeless or living in unlivable circumstances, missing teeth, hair loss, scabs all

over and skinny. What I came to realize is this isn’t always the norm, and is an extreme of most

substance abuse addicts. These people were normal people. If you saw them in the grocery store

you would have no idea what demons they are facing. What I realized by observing and listening

to them talk is that they want to get clean, but this is a disease. A disease of the mind that causes

physical symptoms when abusing the chosen substance or withdrawing from it. No matter how

the addiction began or when it began, it develops into a disease that is hard to cure and can only

be dealt with when the individual is ready. Overall, I think the way the group went worked very

well to help build support within the inpatient recovery center and I am ultimately grateful I got

the opportunity to attend this group.

Reference

1. Alberto Chiesa & Alessandro Serretti (2014) Are Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Effective for Substance Use Disorders? A Systematic Review of the Evidence, Substance

Use & Misuse, 49:5, 492-512, DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2013.770027