The Benefits of Support Groups When Battling Addiction

Living with an addiction changes your entire life; you lose friends, family, and sometimes your job. Realizing you need to overcome your addiction is the first step to the rest of your life – but it's challenging to do alone.

Support groups are one of the many tools you should utilize while in recovery from addiction. They offer friendly faces and similar stories to help you every step of the way. Finding the right support group could be the difference between success and relapse.

At the Victory Treatment Program, Stacey Maltman, FNP-BC, and her team provide addiction services and support groups for those battling addiction.

Stacey is an addiction and recovery specialist, offering all the tools possible to help you finally beat addiction and start the rest of your life.  

Types of addiction support groups

Anyone struggling with addiction or who knows someone fighting an addiction should be familiar with support groups. These groups are vital to everyone involved with the addiction, from the person going through it to those living it with them.

Many types of support groups for addiction are crucial to your success. Finding the right one for your needs is an essential step in recovery. Some of the support groups you may come across include:

Mutual support

Your peers lead these groups, and they receive certain forms of training but aren't professional addiction recovery specialists. Mutual support groups are a great place to share your story and inspire others to beat addiction.

12 step groups

The twelve-step recovery program is from Alcoholics Anonymous, but it can be for anyone battling some form of addiction. During sessions, participants often work together to complete the 12 steps to recovery with the support of one another.

Online groups

An online support group is ideal for those with transportation issues, who live too far away, or whose schedules don't allow for in-person meetings. It is an excellent way to receive advice and support in the comfort of your own home.

Therapy based

Therapy support groups have a mental health professional leading the sessions to provide talk therapy for a variety of issues, including addiction. A therapy group helps you talk through your feelings and emotions during your battle with addiction.

How can a support group help?

Support groups are vital to recovery because they provide the structure you need to succeed. Fighting cravings and temptations is a lifelong problem with addiction. Still, a support group helps you by being there during every bump in the road.

There are many ups and downs during addiction, and going at them by yourself usually spells disaster. Having people you trust to talk to, call during a weak moment, and keep you accountable could be the only way to overcome drugs and alcohol.

A group is a way to discuss your feelings and emotions during treatment and recovery. Every day is a challenge, and having people to cheer you on is uplifting and inspiring.

They also provide a place for people living through similar situations to talk through issues related to addiction, treatment options, and worries or problems they’re facing.

Benefits of finding a support group

Support groups are a vital part of addiction recovery, and most people need them to get through. They are what gets you through a long night of temptation and feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Finding the best support group for your needs is the way to overcome the addiction you've been battling finally. A good support group offers so many life-long benefits, including:

• Help prevent relapse
• Offer a safe space to talk
• Foster life-long friendships
• Allow you to take charge of your life
• Give you strength to support others
• Help put things into perspective
• Give you inspiration and stability
• Allow you to accept yourself
• Teach you new skills for coping
• Keep your motivation going
• Provide compassion and emotional support

The most significant benefit of a support group is that it allows you to realize you're not alone in your fight against addiction. Whether it's your sponsor, a new sober friend, or others battling to get better, you always have someone who will be there and be on your side.

Most importantly, support groups are there for you whenever you need them, to support a triumph or to help you recover from a setback. They put things into perspective and provide a safe space to be yourself and learn how to live without addiction.

Call the Victory Treatment Program today to schedule an addiction consultation. You can also learn more about our support groups on our website.