Group Therapy Activities For Addiction

Group Therapy Activities For Adults

Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy Activities

Group activities are not just for kids. Group therapy activities for adults can be just as useful and even fun. There are many ways to make each session interactive, and each one can provide tools to help you with your recovery process:

Letter Writing: This letter is usually written for the person writing it. You can be creative with who it is from and for your past, present, or future self. This is a great way to think about how other people perceive you and write something positive about yourself. You can share a line, quote, or paragraph with the group for inspiration.

Emotions as Objects: This group therapy game requires you to think of different emotions and how they make you feel. On a piece of paper, draw an object or place that makes you think of each emotion. An example could be comparing happiness to the sun or anger to fire. The group can then compare and contrast how different objects make them feel.

Motivation Board: Use a poster board or a piece of paper, draw pictures, or write words or quotes inspiring you. Each person can add things that motivate them, things that make them happy, and goals they want to achieve. This is a good way to encourage each other to work towards their goals.

Two Truths and a Lie: This is an easy way to help the group learn about and connect. Each person thinks of two truths, and one lie about themselves, and the others have to figure out which is the lie.

Stream Of Consciousness Exercise

A stream of consciousness exercise involves having each group member journal whatever thoughts are in their head. Even if all the member writes is I dont know what to write, the important part of this exercise is for them to get the pen to paper. As they write their thoughts, they can begin to open up in ways that they may otherwise not have verbally. Group members are then asked to share what they have written up to the point that they are comfortable sharing.

Enroll In An Iop Program Today

By and large, IOP group therapy can provide many benefits for people in recovery. At Eudaimonia Recovery Homes, we provide safe, sober housing for men, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals in recovery. Our homes are located in Austin, Houston, and Colorado Springs and some of them provide additional recovery support services, like:

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List Of Group Therapy Activities For Substance Abuse

Substance abuse group therapy can facilitate healthy discussions about relatable topics in recovery. Group therapy activities for substance abuse can be related to a variety of topics including education, shame, guilt, triggers, cravings, boundaries, health, mental health, and sober support. Additionally, you can use substance abuse group therapy activities for teens if you are working with a younger population. This gives the Counselor leading the group an opportunity to tailor the group activities to the current concerns of the group members.

Here is a list of 50 Substance Abuse Group Therapy Activities to use in your sessions:

Have the group members write a letter to their addiction and share the letter with the group. Spend time processing emotions and reactions that they experience during the activity.

Have group members write a letter they never intend to send, and share it with the group. They can write to whomever they feel they have unresolved emotions for. This can lead to a discussion about forgiving themselves and others.

Establishing group rules and norms. This allows the group to identify behaviors and actions that are expected while in the group session, as well as identifying consequences if the rules and norms are broken. This can help develop a sense of accountability.

View a documentary or other media form that relates to addiction and process with a group.

Play two truths and a lie, this can help group members learn more about each other.

Suggested Hobbies And Activities

Looking for something fun, safe, and sober to do in your recovery? Give these activities a chance:

Creative Writing

Research reveals that creative writing is beneficial for recovery and healing, for promoting overall well-being, for reducing stress, and for expressing thoughts and feelings about significant life challenges, trauma, and mental health issues.

Focus on what you hope to gain from staying clean. Visualize the life you want, write it down, and keep it close. It will help remind you of why you are choosing to abstain from drugs while at the same time rewire your brain from an anxious state to a more grounded and peaceful serenity.

Some of the ways that creative writing has helped people in recovery include:

Organizing seemingly chaotic thoughts

Listening to Music, Singing, or Playing Instruments

Music is widely used to enhance well-being, reduce stress, and distract patients from unpleasant symptoms. Although there are wide variations in individual preferences, music appears to exert direct physiologic effects through the autonomic nervous system.

Researchers have also recently discovered that music improves the bodys immune system function, increases the amount of dopamine that is produced in the brain and reduces stress by decreasing the amount of cortisol your body produces

Gardening

You can divide tasks into manageable goals that you can work with.

Outdoor Activities

Some of our favorite physical hobbies include

Volunteering

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A New Beginning Recovery Card Game

A New Beginning Recovery Card Game includes a stack of cards that ask questions relating to the 12-steps of sobriety. By mixing inner feelings and thoughts with outside issues and situations, this card game helps the players learn new skills to facilitate their recovery. Some of the questions that a player may have to ponder include:

If you see an old friend who is using drugs, how will you handle it?
Do you have multiple addictions?
List the names of three people who may be positively impacted by your changes.

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Talk About Your Needs

It is also important to talk about what is happening with you throughout your treatment and recovery. Do you need support that you are not getting? Are you frustrated and overwhelmed with relationships at home? What are your goals for therapy, and what do you need to achieve those goals? Talk about your needs and express them with your recovery team so you can make any adjustments and give yourself the best chance of recovery.

As a client it was a very good experience. The therapist were top notch and extremely helpful. Wide variety of therapy and always had my best interest. Activities every weekend to show that we can have fun being sober and they showed me the way to live an alcohol and drug free happy life! If you are contemplating on treatment I would highly recommend going through Crestview it will change your life!!

Stephen

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Possible Group Therapy Activities

There are near endless options when it comes to group therapy activities. Here are 50 common activities that youll probably encounter during your recovery journey.

Practice meditation. Meditation is a positive coping strategy when faced with stressful situations.

Write whatever comes into your head and dont think about the content. Everyone reads their writing out afterwards.

Identify and discuss triggers. What are your triggers and how can you begin to master them?

Discuss gratitude. What are you grateful for and what is gratitude?

List the best and worst moments of your life.

List bad habits. Discuss how you can replace them with good habits.

Talk about the effects of drugs and alcohol.

Talk about where you are on your recovery journey.

Set a goal. Tangible targets give you something to reach for and encourage progress.

Discuss self-care. How do you treat yourself and when should you do it?

Learn and discuss the science behind addiction.

Practice anger management. What makes you angry and how can you better control it?

Write out a list of self-affirmation. To remain motivated, you must be positive about yourself.

Discuss relapse.

Icebreaker questions. Get to know fellow group members with easy questions that help everyone open up.

Write a letter to your younger self. What advice would you give them if any? What would you change?

Discuss good nutrition.

Role-playing exercises that examine the effect of your addiction on others in your life.

Play two truths and a lie.

There Are Games For Everyone

Interpersonal Group Therapy for Addiction Recovery Demonstration

Whether youre a counselor or a recovering addict, any of these games could significantly impact your life. If you know a friend who struggles with addiction and relapse, one of these would make a great gift. Some are even good for family game night with some educational benefits thrown in.

Games are great, but as everyone knows, addiction isnt a game, so if youre ready to reclaim your life, contact Steps Recovery Center and let us help you today.

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Substance Abuse Group Therapy Activities

No two substance abuse group therapy sessions are the same. They are often run by different addiction specialists and have varying participants. Its important to realize that the below list of substance abuse group therapy activities is just a sampling of those items that could be part of a therapy session.

These include the following:

1. New member introduction

As one of the most popular substance abuse group therapy activities, new member introductions are designed to help them acclimate into the group more readily. By sharing their name and the reasons why they are in the group, some common ground is bound to be found with at least a few other members of the group.

2. Requests and questions

Another common substance abuse group therapy activity occurs when participants bring specific needs, requests, or questions up as the group is getting underway. These can include relapse concerns, relationship issues, treatment frustrations, and more. Inviting the group to reflect, strategize, and discuss the issue can help with recovery.

3. Triggers discussion

Being able to identify the triggers that can lead to further substance abuse is a key factor in recovery. When discussed in the group therapy setting, participants can receive guidance on how to figure out their specific triggers. In other cases, individuals might want to talk about how to cope with those triggers so they do lead to relapse.

Dialectical behavior therapy

Types Of Group Therapy

Because everyone has different learning styles, its essential to have options for finding the right type of group therapy to attend. The four most common types of group therapy include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is talk therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns to positive ones. Doing so will lead to better decision-making and healthier behaviors.
Support groups allow peers to give and receive support through sharing personal stories. They follow a structured agenda. Examples of support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous and 12 Step facilitation groups.
Process groups are primarily unstructured, allowing members to share experiences and brainstorm solutions to problems as a group.
Psychoeducation groups exist to teach a group of people more about the issue they have in common. To heal from a disorder, you must understand how the disorder began. Learning the physiological and psychological components of the issue can help you avoid a relapse.
Skills development groups teach participants new skills that will help them succeed in recovery from a mental health disorder.

It is in CBT and skill groups that you will see group therapy activities for adults. Below are 10 examples of therapeutic activities.

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Crestview Recovery Provides Group Therapy

At Crestview Recovery, we know the major role group therapy plays in rehab treatment. In fact, group therapy is a staple in our recovery program. Beyond that, we provide many other programs, including:

Individual therapy
Extended care with 90-day programs
Outpatient rehab
Partial hospitalization
Gender-specific rehab

Crestview Recovery also offers dual diagnosis treatment. This method of addiction care is critical in treating underlying mental health issues. Dealing with these problems is key in helping you achieve a full recovery and stay sober. Of course, the chances of relapse are much greater without our guidance in addressing these issues. Over 70,000 drug overdose deaths occur in the U.S. every year, but you dont need to be a statistic. Finding the right group of people to support you can make all the difference.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a complex disease that impacts a variety of elements of your health and wellbeing. It affects different people in a variety of different ways. Therefore, everyone needs a specialized treatment plan. Many people benefit from group therapy and holistic drug rehab therapy. At Crestview Recovery, it is one of the many different treatment options we offer. Our goal is to find a treatment plan that works for you to help you achieve lifelong recovery.

Stress Management And Relaxation

Group Therapy Games For Substance Abuse / Substance Abuse Worksheets ...

Stress is possibly the biggest trigger for an emotional or substance use relapse. Stress can come from many places, including peers, jobs, school, family, and yourself. Discuss with the group the dangers of stress physically and mentally. Then discuss stress-management techniques.

Practice these techniques in group therapy. Deep breathing, aromatherapy, and meditation can be practiced anywhere.

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Benefits Of Group Therapy

There are many benefits of group therapy. It can be very helpful, from group therapy games to meeting people in similar situations. Some positive things to consider when thinking about group therapy are:

Improving social skills
Improves communication skills
Provides support

Having a counselor and peers can help motivate you to reach your goals quicker and hold you accountable.

How Does Ocean Recovery Use Group Therapy

Ocean Recovery uses group therapy in a combination with individual therapy and other holistic therapies. With these therapies, alongside engaging in social activities, drug detox and alcohol detox, we provide a comprehensive approach to addiction treatment that is effective and provides the best chance of long-term recovery.

Beyond rehab we provide a free 12-month aftercare package that makes heavy use of group therapy and 12-step programs. We encourage you to attend support meetings so that you stay on the right path and achieve your sobriety goals.

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The Benefits Of Group Therapy Activities

A group therapy program has many benefits to those that participate actively in treatment. Group therapy activities are designed to facilitate discussion and promote a sense of belonging for those in the group. You will be encouraged to talk about your life and what led to your addiction. Support is important when you are in recovery, and group therapy gives you a way to meet others who are working on similar issues.

A List Of Possible Group Therapy Activities

Relapse Prevention Awareness and Activities for Addiction Recovery

The first time attending any group therapy session can be intimidating. We find that many of our clients are unsure of what to expect, and need time to feel out the group dynamic before speaking up.

This is completely natural, and you are not alone if you are uncomfortable sharing in front of a group. Going in with some idea of what to expect can help you focus on your recovery instead of on your nerves, so here are 60 substance abuse group therapy activities and topics you might encounter during your experience during a theme/support group:

Identify and discuss triggers for substance use. What kinds of coping strategies can you use to overcome your triggers? Can you identify any patterns?

Discuss gratitude. What is gratitude? What are you grateful for and why?

Discuss the impact of language. How do certain words influence our thoughts and actions? Why are some words considered bad and others good? Are there any words that you strongly associate with substance use? How can you use your word choices to harm or support others? How can you use your word choices to harm or support yourself?

Make a list of activities to do instead of using drugs. What can you do when youre faced with cravings? What can you do to prevent cravings in the first place?

Make a list of the best moments in your life. Make a list of the worst moments of your life. What made them good or bad? Can you identify any patterns or similarities between the events?

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Top 30 Substance Abuse Group Activities

One of the best approaches to group activities is to start slow. People will shut down if you ask them to share their most intimate thoughts from the moment they walk in the door. You need to start slow in order to ease your clients into sharing their deeper thoughts with the group. Once your group feels comfortable with each other you can start digging deeper.

A Sisters Honest Talk About Her Brothers Heroin Addiction

Alex didnt answer the phone. He missed their fathers birthday party and still wasnt answering. But Allison kept dialing. It didnt seem right, but then again, things hadnt seemed ârightâ for a long time. Alex had all but stopped showing up

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Individual Or Group Yoga

Exercises, dance classes, sports camps, group fitness, and workouts are gaining strength worldwide because of the positive effects it provides to individuals. Doing activities as a group, especially in yoga, have certain motivating factors due to the group atmosphere.

While individual yoga sessions may prove to be useful for some individuals, group sessions may also suit others better. It is because of its effectivity in helping you immerse yourself in the group. You can meet people and gain new friends in the process. Lets learn more about yoga and its benefits as one of the activities for recovering addicts.