Novice Counselor's blog

In the Novice Counselor’s opinion, the purpose of self-help groups is for people with similar issues or problems to get together and discuss their experiences, share successes and setbacks, and learn from each other. These groups provide support and a feeling that one is not alone. They provide opportunity to vent or to pick up tips on how to overcome the problem. Individuals successful in overcoming the problem or issue, such as addictions, can serve as role models. A self-help group can foster a sense of community and support.

A self help program does not hinder the professional counseling process for the client in any way but rather helps and supplements it. The self-help program provides the client with an opportunity to meet with ordinary people like himself or herself who had been through the same situation and therefore the client may feel more at home with them. This is in contrast to the client therapist relationship in which the therapist may never had been in the same situation as the client.

The Novice Counselor attended an open AA meeting at ParkRidge Hospital Chemical Dependency unit in Rochester NY. The hospital is located in a suburban area not too far from the city. The group was comprised of racially diverse mix of men and women of various ages, but most of them were in the younger age group, 35 and below. The meeting lasted one hour. The group leader was a woman in her thirties who described herself as ten years sober. She stated that she had been drinking since the age of eleven and entered several rehabs in her teens. Drinking for her was a way to deal with the world and she remembered that she could not understand why people were trying to get her to give up alcohol because she found it such a release from all her pressures and problems. When she drank, she could forget all about her problems and everything was alright with the world. She had been a very rebellious teen.

Throughout the meeting various people spoke about their experiences with alcohol abuse. One man stated that he was always able to find a reason to drink, whether it was because he was sad, or happy, or bored, or whatever. The Novice Counselor found herself being able to relate to that with her smoking addiction. Back when she smoked, she could always find a reason to have a cigarette, whether it was because something bad happened or whether it was to celebrate. It made her realize that all addictions are similar. Her drug of choice happened to be nicotine, theirs was alcohol. Both are ways to deal with emotions. Several other people mentioned that when they drank, all their problems seem to disappear or seemed not as bad. If alcohol made this learner feel that way, she could have been an alcoholic as well. Fortunately, alcohol never had that effect on the Novice Counselor, but cigarettes did.

One woman spoke of a friend who recently had a relapse. He was not answering his phone or coming out of his house and she really missed him and was worried about him. The power of addiction can be devastating.

The one thing that the Novice Counselor noticed was how self-confident and upbeat most of the speakers were, especially the host. Maybe they were all happy that they overcame their addictions or maybe they were faking it. They also seemed to have fun with each other. It was an opportunity to socialize.

One other thing that made the Novice Counselor think was the AA reliance on a higher power. This learner is familiar with the twelve steps and the significance of a higher power in this but it leaves a question what happens to those who have no belief in a higher power. Will they feel left out or will they have to acquire this belief in order to participate in the twelve steps?

The meeting ended with everyone joining hands and saying the Lord’s Prayer.

Check out my Carnival of Addictions.