Group Therapy for Drug Addiction Treatment

Getting treatment for substance use disorder often involves a variety of approaches, including group therapy. Group therapy can provide unique benefits and healing opportunities that a person may not gain through individual therapy or by quitting on their own.¹ Keep reading to explore the types, benefits, and efficacy of groups in addiction treatment therapy.

What Is Addiction Group Therapy?

Addiction group therapy is a type of therapy that typically involves multiple patients, therapists, and therapeutic techniques. Engaging with behavioral therapists alongside their peers allows patients to practice recovery strategies, build interpersonal skills, and grow or strengthen social support networks.¹

Groups may vary widely in terms of goals or overall purpose and can occur in a variety of locations. Group therapy is used in addiction recovery during medical detox, outpatient or intensive outpatient settings, residential treatment programs, halfway houses, continuing care programs, and other settings.¹

Potential group therapy topics may include:¹

• Early recovery and relapse prevention.
• The consequences of addiction, family impact, and using support systems.
• Managing co-occurring mental health disorders and other conditions.
• Anger management and coping with other substance-related issues.

Groups are often formed based on member commonalities. Some are gender- or age-specific, for example, while others are cultural, such as those that are LGBTQ+ affirming, geared toward Veterans, or ethnically focused.¹

Being grouped with people who have a substance use disorder and potentially other similar life experiences helps reduce patients’ feelings of isolation or stigma, allowing them to develop and practice new communication and relationship skills in a safe space.¹

Many evidence-based techniques used in individual therapy, such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more, can also be applied to group therapy.¹

Types of Group Therapy

There are several different types of group therapy. In general, groups may be structured based on 1 of the following 5 models:²

• Psychoeducational. These groups focus on educating patients about substance use and its related behaviors and consequences. They are typically very structured and may follow a preplanned curriculum.
• Skills development. The goal of these groups is to develop coping skills that help people to achieve and maintain abstinence. For example, someone may work to cultivate interpersonal skills to deal with relationship stressors healthily, rather than turning to substance use. Being in a group setting may naturally encourage this.
• Cognitive behavioral. Utilizing a well-studied therapeutic approach, cognitive-behavioral groups are centered around the theory that cognitive change (changing of thoughts) is the core of behavioral change. For example, a person may have damaging beliefs, such as “I’ll never be able to fully quit” or “I am a failure,” which prevent them from being able to move forward. Changing these beliefs can bring greater opportunity for sobriety and healthy living.
• Mutual support. These are often referred to as self-help groups because they require voluntary ongoing participation to be helpful. In early recovery, they may be more leader-directed and problem-focused groups, helping people to maintain abstinence and manage daily life. Later on, they may be more group-directed and relational. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are examples of mutual support groups.
• Interpersonal process. These groups are led by trained therapists who help patients change basic psychological dynamics that contribute to substance use, both within their own minds and in relationships with others. Patients can process thoughts and realizations with other group members as they unfold.

How Does Group Therapy for Drug Addiction Work?

Group therapy for drug addiction works by using the unique stories and strengths of each individual, allowing group members to learn from and be encouraged by each other. Sessions may be structured differently depending on the group’s purpose and focus, but generally involve the following components:²

• Introductions.
• Review of the agreements to be part of the group, such as acceptable or unacceptable behaviors or ways of speaking during the meeting.
• A central topic or goal for each meeting.
• A clearly defined end-time.
• Confidentiality.

Because there are many addiction recovery groups available, how each works may vary significantly. Group therapy within a substance use disorder program typically involves 6 to 12 patients with 1 or 2 therapists. However, community-based addiction recovery groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), might be more open.¹

There are typically 2 types of groups: closed member and revolving member. Closed-member or fixed groups are made up of a relatively small number of patients, who stay with the group through a set duration or goal. Some fixed groups may have people “graduate” at different times, and then fill the vacancies as they appear.²

Revolving-member groups can be larger, and participants may be involved for a set number of sessions or only until they accomplish their goals. These groups are common in an inpatient setting, because people start and stop at different times, and group sizes fluctuate.²

Is Group Therapy Effective?

Group therapy can be an effective type of treatment for addiction and is associated with improved treatment participation, abstinence rates, coping skills, and overall recovery support.¹

Other potential benefits of group therapy include:^1,2

• Improved communication and social skills.
• Reduced feelings of isolation and stigma.
• Coping skill and strategy development.
• Positive “peer pressure” to abstain.
• Gaining new tools and resources that support recovery.
• Getting useful feedback on negative thought patterns or behaviors.
• Enhanced support and community that provides a family-like experience.
• Added structure and discipline through group agreements and regular attendance.
• Increased hope by witnessing the recovery of others.

These aspects may fluctuate based on the skill and training of the group facilitator, as well as group size, format, focus, and cultural sensitivity.^1,2

Group therapy is also generally more cost effective than individual therapy, and research suggests that it can produce similar outcomes.¹

Drug Addiction Treatment in Riverview, FL

If you or someone you care about is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, help is available.

At River Oaks, we offer different types of rehab and personalized treatment plans designed to meet the individual needs of each patient. We also provide group therapy alongside other evidence-based treatment approaches.

Call or contact our inpatient rehab near Tampa online. Our caring admissions navigators are available around the clock to help you start the admissions process and begin the path to recovery today.