Essay Sample on Group Therapy: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to Treating Addiction

Introduction

A psychotherapeutic approach refers to the treatment that is related to the psychology of the behavior of human beings, their emotions, and their disorders. The approach utilizes communication as a means of treatment between the patients and the therapists. Here, therapists make use of theoretically based methods. Psychotherapy forms the most suitable approach that is used by therapists in treating addiction for group therapy.

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The groups that are utilized in the approach are composed of individuals between three to twelve people. these people are brought together to share the problems that they experience in common with the therapist in charge of them (Garcia et al, 2016). As such, they also extend support and pieces of advice between them. However, the most suitable number of individuals that is used by many therapists' ranges from seven to twelve individuals. However, they can be more than that.

By coming together, many individuals can realize their similarities experienced in the addiction and how it affects others. they are triggered to acknowledge the problems and hence forced to come up with the most appropriate solutions to remedy the addiction. Another reason for group therapy is because, in the current times, many people find it convenient and find it more efficient as compared to engaging in individual therapy. In the group meeting, members usually hold conversations within one or two hours for a given number of days in a week. Some of the models that are used include:

Psychoeducational Groups

In the treatment of the affected victims, a psychoeducational group can be used. It is usually a specific type of group treatment that is focused on educating the affected individuals concerning their disorders and what to practice concerning coping up with the conditions. The therapy is also related to cognitive-behavioral group therapy (Roth, 2016). The psychoeducational group is composed of members that are connected through the sharing of the same problems and a similar diagnosis. The psychoeducation model is assumed to be human-centered and contributes to the changing of human behavior, their patterns, their values, their interpretation of the events that they go through, and the outlook of the general life of the individuals who have problems adjusting to their environment in places such as schools, their homes or workplaces.

Skills Development Groups

In dealing with the emotional and personal problems of victims, therapists can go ahead to utilize the development of skills of the victims that target their remedy. Because the development of skills form of psychotherapy often involves recalling painful past events, this sort of therapy can be disorganizing and itself traumatic to fragile recovering persons, and to diagnosed patients with psychotic or other severe symptoms, it is not recommended. However, skills development group therapy and particularly that concerned with forming a known exposure is useful in treating many anxieties and trauma-based disorders, and should not be ruled out as an option for recovering persons with stable sobriety under their belts.

Cognitive-Behavioral Groups

Cognitive-behavioral therapy takes into account the help advanced to individuals with mental conditions to enable them to establish and change perceptions and points of view that are inaccurate concerning the general perception of the world around them. Cognitive-behavioral therapy looks at modes learning to minimize problems that have become normal behaviors and are associated with substance abuse and addiction (Torres et al, 2018). Here, the expected risky situations are treated through the application of coping strategies like avoiding a certain situation, practicing self-control in a bid to prevent relapse. The approach is popular in the treatment of addiction medicine and counselors use it to treat a variety of addictions. During cognitive-behavioral therapy, patients learn to recognize and modify risky behavior by using a variety of skills. They learn the underlying causes of problematic behavior so they can fix the problems at their source.

Support Groups

This type of therapy targets to offer patients a forum that can be trusted and safe since the patients are encouraged to share various aspects of life where they find troubled. Therapists go-ahead to listen to the patients as they encourage them to emotionally share their stories. The therapist intervenes when the moment is right and highlights the things that should be done and those that should be avoided. However, the support group therapy does not intrude in the past lives and histories of the patients. The therapist only uses this method for emotionally fragile patients and those with trauma.

Interpersonal Process Groups

It is a type of therapy that educates the victims on how they can become socially and emotionally mature in the course of dealing with others. As such, the approach targets to deal with the poor interpersonal skills possessed by addicts for various reasons. Having no interpersonal skills makes the victims solve their emotional problems in a self-destructive way such as abusing drugs (Teeters et al, 2017). Therefore, the therapist must inculcate social and interpersonal skills in the victim such as helping the patients to learn healthy ways of communicating with others in society. The victims start the process by practicing sessions between themselves in groups.

References

Garcia, F. D., Assumpcao, A. A., Malloy-diniz, L., De Freitas, A. A. C., Delavenne, H., & Thibaut, F. (2016). A comprehensive review of psychotherapeutic treatment of sexual addiction. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 11(1), 59-71.

Roth, J. D. (2016). Group psychotherapy and recovery from addiction: Carrying the message. Routledge.

Teeters, J. B., Lancaster, C. L., Brown, D. G., & Back, S. E. (2017). Substance use disorders in military veterans: prevalence and treatment challenges. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 8, 69.

Torres-Rodriguez, A., Griffiths, M. D., Carbonell, X., & Oberst, U. (2018). Treatment efficacy of a specialized psychotherapy program for Internet Gaming Disorder. Journal of behavioral addictions, 7(4), 939-952.