Self-Help Group Meeting: Attend a self-help group meeting and provide a brief summary of events. Critique the strengths and weaknesses of the process. How did the actual meeting compare to the theoretical concepts discussed in class? How does this resource fit into the care continuum? How effective is an intervention mechanism? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Narcotics Anonymous meeting I attended consisted of about twenty-two people. It was a mixed group in terms of gender, race and age. Most members were men between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five, and their "Clean Time" birthdays ranged from two months to seventeen. I originally planned to go with a classmate of mine just because it was my first meeting and I was afraid of the unknown. The meeting took place at Knollwood Baptist Church. The meeting took place in the basement gym. I was half an hour early for the meeting without my colleague. When I got to the door I met a lady who introduced herself to me and asked me if I was a student. We started talking and she asked me if I wanted to go downstairs and wait. I immediately said no and told her that I would rather wait for my colleague outside. While waiting for Connie, my heart started pounding when I saw some members enter the building. I was nervous and uncomfortable walking into the meeting. The gym was huge and clean. We sat on a large bicycle with a table between two chairs where the facilitator sat. As I looked around the room I began to judge the people in the room. In addition to judgment, I was looking for an escape route in case of arguments or disagreements. Even before joining this group, I had concluded in my mind that the members of the group were up to no good, had wasted years of their lives using drugs and are the most violent group of people. I wanted to leave immediately but I couldn't think that my grade was linked to this assignment. I had to stay. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Group members were actively involved in the running of the meeting. Different members performed different tasks. One member opened the meeting with the “serenity prayer.” Afterwards, the facilitator welcomed everyone and explained the basic rules of the group meeting. He emphasized the importance of confidentiality regarding everything shared within the group. Furthermore, he explained the anonymous sharing process, which means that each host should respect the anonymity of all members and that people attending meetings do not talk about who the members are or what they share during the meetings. The leader announced that we should all turn off or silence our cell phones and other electronic devices during meetings. He shared his personal experience about the different method he used to deal with his addiction in the past. Another member read the general announcements. Then the members went around the room, risking reading the twelve steps. Since I wasn't asked to introduce myself, I became a silent observer. The meeting took place in the form of an open discussion where members could take turns sharing their experience in dealing with their recovery. members were encouraged to share their stories by selecting a topic from a jar. I found this method helpful because it prevented one person from monopolizing the meeting. At least everyone had time to talk. That said, there were others who couldn't" They didn'tused the method because they had a burning concern that they wanted to share with the group. The atmosphere was friendly and supportive. A large number of members expressed a desperate need for the meeting while some members did not. For example, we had two men in the group who expressed feelings of discontent with the group, but the majority of members were happy. Furthermore, several stories were shared exemplifying some success stories and some failure stories. I noticed that success stories were applauded and failure stories were encouraged. Additionally, some stories were uplifting and hopeful, while others made me feel sad, compassionate, and tearful. I noticed that the common theme in the meeting was related more to guilt. Although most members stopped using substances, they were still struggling with guilt over disappointing their families, over how their addiction affected their children, and many others. I was deeply touched by the story of one of the members. This person shared a story about how he has been in and out of prison over the past 10 years. He lost control of his life and decided to seek help by going to rehab. He went on to reveal that his three-day visit to his parents was a moment of realization of how "selfish" he has been towards his family. Adding to the stress, most of his family members, except his mother and father, did not believe in him and never wanted to associate with him. He shared, “I felt like a stranger in my own home” and started crying. going through that stress, he thought about going back to using drugs. He couldn't because he felt that his determination not to use them was much stronger than his feelings to use them. The desperation was so evident in his tone that it pierced me. I can only imagine how painful this was for him and I wish I could have helped in some way. Having noticed all these dynamics, I felt like I had judged these people wrongly. They were victims of a circumstance that could happen to anyone involving your family background. screw. My perception changed and I admired their perseverance. I was left with the feeling that life was unfair. Why did some people have to struggle every day of their lives while others just got by? I also noticed that spirituality was the main focus of this group. However, these were people who were not spiritual. Although I am a spiritual person, I respect the beliefs of others. I believe the recovery process should be objective. The environment in which people can find strength and inspiration as a personal matter. However, many members of the group believed they could heal through the grace of “God” or a higher power. If this spirituality helps them succeed, that's what matters. The following analysis describes some of the strength I noticed in the group. The meeting was an open group that welcomed members from different backgrounds and social spheres. It has been very convenient for most members because it does not create segregation between new members and those who have returned over the years. It creates that atmosphere of acceptance that I think most members enjoyed. Although this is an open meeting, trust is still important to maintain the effectiveness of the procedure. Simple things like introducing a new person or research from the community will help allay member concerns. In addition to comfort and acceptance, the Narcotic Anonymous meeting has created a greater sense of belonging and community for its members. Because many of the problems that lead people to attend Narcotics meetingsAnonymous are issues that make them feel isolated and alone, this sense of community can do anything to help these people find freedom and recovery. This friendship and peer support from others struggling and succeeding in their addiction process would give new addicts support in recovery. More importantly, recent research has determined that such groups will be very helpful to immigrant and minority populations. These groups Another strength of the group was the life experience of the leader. In this group the leader revealed his story of the recovery process which I believe will help establish the truth and understanding of the recovery process. This will help him lead from a life experience perspective with a passion to assist his team members. Although vital experience does not make all people greater, it is a valuable contribution that will guide the leader in understanding and respecting the customer. While the group achieves the goal of recovering from their addiction, it also helps members develop some practical skills such as relationship building, communication and problem solving skills. I noticed that the group had a secretary who was responsible for opening and closing the meeting, as well as keeping the meeting record. He also announced a community event and selected members to carry Narcotics Anonymous's message of recovery and to make sure coffee and tea were available. Additionally the group had a treasurer who at one point in the meeting announced that Jar money is going around the circle and members are encouraged to contribute. He went on to explain that the money will be used for the management of the group. I was very impressed by the different roles each member played within the group. Another important strength I found in this group was the sense of commitment and purpose of the group. During the meeting a basket was passed around and each member donated what they had and it was placed in the basket. It was great that the majority donated money to help. Members were also encouraged to share their experiences and feelings by selecting a message from a red container. This method was very effective in stimulating group discussion as most members seemed to follow the process route, however there was one boy who refused to select a message from the container. Even if he did, he was respectful of the process and asked to talk about his judgment. To my surprise the group was very respectful of his request. In his speech, he acknowledged that he had wasted many years of his life hoping that drug use was the only solution to his problem. Another great tip for holding Narcotics Anonymous meetings is that Narcotics Anonymous members who have been there the longest can share their experience, give advice on strategies that have worked best. This gives strength and hope to members who are still struggling to achieve sobriety. Despite growing research and personal testimonies about the value of Narcotics Anonymous, criticism of its effectiveness remains (Rick Csiernik and William Rowe). One of the main areas of criticism of this group relates to Narcotics Anonymous adhering to the medical model of illness rather than a strengths-based perspective of wellness. Members tend to focus more on narratives of their addiction, making the concept of “addiction is a disease” the dominant story of their lives. While some people feel comfortable viewing their addiction as an illness, the effects of this negative view are particularly tragic and unfair to the individual. Ignore therest of the person's problems to attribute them all to addiction. It also attacks the feeling of personal control of one's life. This disease model has been widely accepted in this group. I can understand the compassion and care many members would receive if they were called sick. However, accepting addiction as a disease means that addicts would have to face the guilt that often accompanies a lifetime of mistakes. Furthermore, this concept actually makes addicts powerless rather than empowering them to change. For many, one of the biggest obstacles to success within the twelve-step program is the spiritual component of recovery. For the efficiency and effectiveness of the twelve-step process, the 12-step program and principles (3) require that recovering addicts subscribe to the guidance of a higher power, and while this higher power need not be God in traditional sense, some members still have problems with this focus on spirituality in the group. It has been determined by research that some people will not benefit from the program that requires a faith that they sincerely felt or believed. Despite this, some research has also demonstrated the effectiveness of Spirituality in the program. For example, some members of the NA meeting I attended gave more credence to this principle #1. 3. These individuals in their sharing attributed more value to spirituality and the positive role that God has placed in their recovery. This meeting also called for members forcing members. for the constant repetition of "I am a very degrading drug addict." Especially when members have spent two to five years of their lives in recovery. I understand when new members say they refer to themselves as drug addicts. I believe you must first admit that you have a drug problem before you can make any progress towards recovery. Another major area of ​​criticism was that members referred to themselves as "I'm a drug addict". Accepting this label as an addict has a great implication on both new members and those who have been in recovery for a longer period of time. It's language that will benefit new members in recovery because admitting you have a problem is the beginning of the helping process. There is nothing shameful in this. If members can identify with or accept that you have a problem, there is a chance that they will also identify with the solution. So identifying with drug use means that your life was or is controlled by drugs. With this knowledge in mind, why then do members who are in recovery continue to use this label for more than five years. For me I see it as degrading and disempowering. Additionally, the aspect of not discussing members' concerns after sharing was a big concern for me. The meeting was very tense and full of emotions. Members shared profound things about their lives and the temptation to return to using. With all these revelations, the leader did not initiate any discussion about how members would handle these stressors after the meeting. Finally, there was a big difference in the language of those who have been part of the group for more than a year and newcomers. I could see the use of profane language by those who were new as they spoke about their experience. There is not much difference between the theoretical concept we discussed in class and the actual meeting. The Narcotics Anonymous meeting I attended had a component of the five core principles for self-help groups, with the exception of advocacy. In this group the principle of social support was demonstrated when members.