Substance Abuse Therapy Activities Substance Abuse MA

Once your group feels comfortable with each other you can start digging deeper. Continue reading for a list of some of the best ideas for substance abuse group activities you can use at your facility. Try a few of these and see how they resonate with your group then figure out how you can proceed.

• Oftentimes, it can offer a person a sense of escape from other stressors or pressures in their life.
• A worksheet for describing problem areas, identifying goals, and exploring what has (and has not) been helpful in the past.
• Through the group dynamic, clients foster hope and examine core issues that exacerbate their addictive disorders.
• These games could involve sharing something about oneself based on a prompt, playing word association games related to recovery, or even engaging in light-hearted team challenges.
• This group activity can give participants a self-care tool belt that they can turn to whenever they need it.

You will get an idea of the atmosphere of a group therapy session with adolescents and a model of effective facilitation from the two therapists. In the video description, there is a link to the full video if you’re hungry for more. This activity can be particularly effective for group therapy that targets trauma or helps anxious people deal with stressful life events. Find out more about and download Dealing With Guilt Through Writing from our Positive Psychology Toolkit©. Many of those struggling with depression or anxiety will turn to unhealthy, unhelpful, or even harmful ways to cope.

Stream Of Consciousness Exercise

Theraplatform, an EHR, practice management and teletherapy software built for therapists can help you share and organize your materials. The initial moments of a substance abuse support group can be filled with apprehension and vulnerability. Introduction activities are crucial in breaking down barriers and creating a welcoming atmosphere. These substance abuse group activities often involve having each member share their name, a brief personal background, and their reasons for joining the group. This helps members get to know one another and sets the stage for open and honest communication from the outset.

Clients weigh in on the issues of others in order to offer suggestions or provide outside perspectives, broadening the individual’s understanding of the conflict. At New Method Wellness, we support clients in addiction recovery through outpatient substance abuse group activities and inpatient treatment models. Group therapy is one of the many treatment programs we use to treat a substance abuse disorder. If you are in residential treatment, you’re likely to attend more meetings than someone in outpatient treatment.

Substance Abuse Group Therapy Topics & Themes:

This activity will help group members reflect on why they began using substances. It can help them analyze their mental and emotional states at the time. And, it can allow them to offer a sense of support and understanding to their younger self. This activity requires participants to be vulnerable, dive into their past experiences, and share how they want to change their relationships with their loved ones.

This offers an opportunity for every member to collect themselves and calm down any anxieties they may have. Positive self-affirmations may also be a part of group therapy; the counselor may have each group member close their eyes and take slow deep breaths while the counselor reads positive https://ecosoberhouse.com/ affirmations. Many therapists and substance abuse counselors encourage people to engage in group activities as part of the recovery process. Group activities create a safe space for individuals to explore their current needs and goals alongside others who have had similar past experiences.

The Types of Group Therapy Exercises in Substance Abuse Treatment

Group therapy is an effective treatment for addiction, but it’s not without its potential drawbacks. Group therapy can be facilitated by a healthcare professional, or by peers, as is the case with popular self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. And, everyone has also said or done something that might have upset someone in their life at one point or another.

• Self-care is an important aspect of taking care of a person’s overall well-being.
• The more self-care activities they learn about and try, the more options they will have whenever they feel stressed or simply want to unwind.
• Explore what balance they need in being alone and not feeling isolated.