Is Moderated Group Therapy Better Than a 12 Step Program?

Anyone who believes they can successfully fight back against their addiction without help is simply kidding themselves. We all need the support of others in almost every aspect of our lives. The question is, “where do we got for the help we need when we need it most?”

Whether you realize it or not, there are people all around you who care about what you are going through. It might start with your family members and friends, but the support that’s out there goes much deeper than you can imagine.

In the sections below, we are going to discuss two kinds of support groups. You may or may not know these groups exist, but all of that is about to change.

Is Moderated Group Therapy Better Than a 12 Step Program?

Addiction is one of those things a person would have to live through to understand exactly what it’s like to have an addiction. In the addiction treatment community, people who don’t live with an addiction to drugs or alcohol are referred to as “normies.” That means normal people who live their day to day lives without the monkey of addiction on their backs.

Normies can have empathy and show sympathy for people who are battling addictions. What they can’t do is truly understand just how troubling an addiction can be.

There is a saying: “There is nothing more beautiful and meaningful that one addiction sufferer helping another.” It’s true. No one is more equipped to help an addict than another addict. That’s why outside support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) exist. That’s also the reason group therapy plays an important role in the treatment of rehab clients.

If you are wondering if one of these groups is better than the other, we can assure you they are both very effective support mechanisms. Below, We are going to describe both options so you can compare and contrast how they help addiction sufferers.

12 Step Programs

A gentleman named Bill Wilson and a doctor friend of his played a huge role in the creation of AA back in the late 1930s. Since that time, millions and millions of lives all over the world have been saved from the grips of alcoholism. Taking its cue from AA, NA was created in the 1950s.

The premise behind both groups is to create a safe place where people with similar addiction issues can go to commensurate about their illnesses. Membership to both groups is free. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking or using drugs. There are no leaders. Everyone has the opportunity to reach out and offer support to others.

Within the 12 Step concept is a therapeutic process. At some point, everyone in a 12 Step group is expected to go through the 12 Steps of Recovery. By doing so, each member gets the opportunity to resolve issues and create a sense of camaraderie. At the end of the day, relationships form that becomes the basis of support in the future.

Moderated Group Therapy

Most of the addiction treatment process revolves around the individual therapy process. That’s the part of treatment where rehab clients get the opportunity for self-reflection and to work on their coping issues. The problem is clients also need an opportunity to interact with other people. That’s where group therapy fits in and becomes relevant.

In a moderated group therapy session, a leader, usually a therapist, will prompt each group member to share information about their lives with addiction. Through this process, the group leaders hope that group members will come to understand they are not alone out in the world. There are people from all walks of life that face the very same pains and suffering they do. Through this sharing process, clients can begin to form bonds. If everything works as it should, these bonds will become support resources inside and outside of the treatment facility. People aren’t quite as afraid of the healing process when they know they can go through the process with other people who understand.

To answer the title question: Neither one of these options is better than the other. They both can play a part in the addiction treatment process.

You are not alone in your addiction. When you are ready to start healing, we will be there to help you start the healing process. If you pick up the phone and call us at 772-266-5320, we can help you start your journey down the road to recovery.

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