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When someone is facing an illness, a stressful life event, or struggling to maintain sobriety, reaching out to others for support can make a critical difference in their recovery. Support groups help struggling individuals realize they are not alone. There are support groups for almost any concern or health problem. Some of the most common types of support groups in Santa Barbara and Southern California are for drug and alcohol addiction, grief, and mental health conditions. These groups are designed to help the individuals going through the struggle directly, and there are also separate groups available for family and friends.
Support groups are often recommended for people dealing with mental health issues or drug addiction as part of their medications and traditional therapy. For people with these struggles, it’s crucial that they are given a strong foundation for their recovery. In a support group, people can share their experiences and any coping strategies that they have learned. Support groups offer people a way to fill in any gaps between their medical care and other therapies, functioning as an extra support bridge between their emotional and medical needs.
Why are support groups a crucial part of treatment?
Recent findings support the notion that social support offers protective health benefits. People who have high-quality social and emotional support networks have a decreased risk of mortality than those who do not have these benefits. Also, social isolation is identified as a significant risk factor for reduced life expectancy and positive health outcomes.
Not everyone is blessed with a strong, supportive family or social network. Support groups aim to bridge this gap and give people access to emotional support that they would otherwise not have access to in their personal life.
What is a support group and how is it structured?
Hospitals, nonprofit organizations, clinics, and community organizations are the most common entities that offer support groups. Some support groups are run by group members and operate independently of any particular organization.
It is important to note that a support group is not the same as group therapy. Group therapy is administered for a specific type of mental health condition and treatment. Group therapy sessions are conducted under the guidance of a licensed mental health counselor.
Support group sessions will usually include a combination of online communication, face-to-face meetings, and teleconferences. A professional, or someone who has shared the group’s common experience will lead the support group. Some support groups may be conducted by a nurse, a therapist, or a social worker. Professional guests may attend the support group to speak about a topic that is related to the group members’ needs, such as a guest doctor or a psychiatrist.
What are the benefits of attending a support group?
Since support groups center around a common topic, group members share similar experiences, feelings, and worries about that particular concern. Sharing these experiences in an emotionally supportive environment gives members the support they need to get through their struggles. Participating in a support group means that members have access to people who know first-hand what they are going through.
When it comes to painful life experiences like grief, loss, mental health disorders, and drug addiction, isolation is a common problem. Social isolation makes it much more difficult for people to recover, and can also increase the risk of relapse if someone is struggling with addiction. Support groups seek to mitigate these risks. Some of the most common benefits of participating in a support group include:
- Reduction of loneliness or isolation
- Reduction in feelings of sadness and anxiety
- The ability to talk openly about difficult topics with people who understand
- Increased motivation to manage illnesses or stick with treatment plans
- A heightened sense of empowerment and hope
- Improved understanding of a disease and how to manage it
- Opportunity to receive feedback on treatment options and plans
- Opportunity to learn more about health and social resources
Are there any downsides to joining a support group?
Treatment plans for mental health conditions and substance use disorders will vary significantly for each person. Stressful life experiences such as grief and loss are also going to be different for every person. How someone is able to manage their health condition or stressful event will be dependent on various factors. For people who haven’t ever participated in a support group before, it’s important to try different support groups and experiment until they can find the right fit for them. It can take a few sessions before someone is comfortable and relaxed enough to share their experiences, participate in the group, and benefit from joining the support group.
The ability of the group to function as it is intended depends on how well the facilitator can manage the group. For the group to be effective and beneficial for members, the facilitator will need to keep the group from running into these types of problems:
- A disruptive, combative group member
- Conversations that are dominated by complaining and negativity
- Lack of confidentiality
- Interpersonal conflicts and tension between members
- Unsound medical advice
- Competition among group members
Other red flags that people should steer clear of when looking for a support group include:
- If the group offers a guaranteed cure
- If the group requires members to purchase products and services
- If members are required to pay a high fee to join the group
When someone first joins a support group, they may be nervous about sharing any personal issues or feelings with strangers. New support group members can benefit from listening to other participants’ experiences. As a new member becomes more familiar with the way the group works, sharing their own ideas and feelings with the group will help them to get valuable insight and emotional support from trustworthy people who are in a similar life journey. It’s a good idea to try a new support group for a few weeks to see if it is a good fit.
It’s important to note that support groups are not substitutes for routine medical care and other types of crucial therapy sessions. People who do not think a support group is going to work for them should talk to their doctor about one-on-one counseling or other therapy methods. If you or someone you love is struggling with drug addiction or a mental health condition, reach out to a qualified counselor today to see what treatment options and support groups are available to you.