What are the pros and cons to support groups??? Have you ever been to one and what was it like??

Question

I went to one and it was horrible....Are they all horrible??? The one I went to wanted me to say my name and wanted me to tell my story and they kept bugging me about my name and my story and I didn't want to give it to them and it was just bad. If you did go to a support group what did you go for? I went for AA last week and it was horrible. I should go to a sexual abuse one but the AA one really flippin scared me. If you could just answer a few of these that would be great. Thanks

Answer 1

AA has helped thousands of people stop drinking. You will not be successful in your efforts unless you are willing to face the fact that you have a problem and let others help you. My husband and I belong to a support group for infant/child loss. We lost a baby girl last year late in my pregnancy and it helped a lot to talk to others that have been through what we were going through.

Answer 2

Not all support groups are 12step based.

AA, NA, and all the other _A programs offer nothing more than faith healing. You might meet some people in the group that you hit it off with and get some support that way, but I never did. All I found were people ready to denounce me because I wouldn't or couldn't buy into their religious program.

The idea that a person NEEDS a group in order to quit drinking (or more accurately, to stay stopped) is an AA premise. To hear members talk of it, no one could have been able to stop prior to AA and they all must have died horribly.

"There is a high rate of recovery among alcoholics and addicts, treated and untreated. According to one estimate, heroin addicts break the habit in an average of 11 years. Another estimate is that at least 50% of alcoholics eventually free themselves although only 10% are ever treated. One recent study found that 80% of all alcoholics who recover for a year or more do so on their own, some after being unsuccessfully treated. When a group of these self-treated alcoholics was interviewed, 57% said they simply decided that alcohol was bad for them. Twenty-nine percent said health problems, frightening experiences, accidents, or blackouts persuaded them to quit. Others used such phrases as "Things were building up" or "I was sick and tired of it." Support from a husband or wife was important in sustaining the resolution. "
Treatment of Drug Abuse and Addiction -- Part III, The Harvard Mental Health Letter, Volume 12, October 1995.

If you've been exposed to AA and/or believe you need a group, try:

SOS:
http://www.sossobriety.org/

SMART:
http://www.smartrecovery.org/

LifeRing:
http://www.unhooked.com/index.htm...

WFS:
http://www.womenforsobriety.org/...

All have decent websites and online support.
I was able to maintain my sobriety for the past 6+ years using online support after almost twenty years of floundering in AA, never managing more than a few months.

Answer 3

Support groups do not work for everyone.

They do help people to realise that they are not alone. This helps people to discuss things which you would never have been able to discuss with anyone else.

If people are going through the same issues as you, you can share on an equal footing.

Some people are just overwhelmed by the numbers in a group and need smaller groups or 1:1 support.

Answer 4

Groups can be very helpful in allowing you to connect with people who have gone through the same things or similar things to you. Most groups will not be as aggressive as AA in trying to get your information from you. I think the other group you're considering is probably worthwhile.

Good luck to you,

Dana