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 does the meeting itself compare to the theoretical concepts discussed in class? How does this resource fit into the continuum of care? How effective is an intervention mechanism?Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the 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 years. I originally planned to go there. with one of my classmates simply because it was my first meeting and I was afraid of the unknown. The meeting was held at the 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 if I was a student. We chatted and she asked if I would like to go downstairs and wait. I immediately said no and told him I would do it. Instead, wait for my colleague outside. While I was waiting for Connie, my heart started racing when I saw some members entering the building. I was nervous and uncomfortable walking into the meeting. The gym was huge and clean. We were seated in a large cycle with a table between two chairs where the presenter sat. Looking around the room, I began to judge the people present. In addition to judgment, I was looking for a root of escape in the event of a fight or disagreement. Even before I came to this group, I had concluded in my mind that the group members were up to no good, that they had wasted years of their lives on drugs, and that they were the worst group. more violent. of people. I wanted to leave immediately but I couldn't think that my grade was related to this assignment. I had to stay. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. The members of the group actively participated in the proceedings of the meeting. Different members performed different tasks. One member opened the meeting with the “serenity prayer.” Meanwhile, the facilitator welcomed everyone and reminded the ground rules of the group meeting. He emphasized the importance of confidentiality over anything shared within the group. Additionally, he explained the process of anonymous sharing, which means that each guest must respect the anonymity of all members and that people who attend meetings do not talk about who the members are or what they are sharing during meetings. The leader announced that we should all turn off or silence cell phones and other electronic devices during meetings. He shared his own personal experience with the different methods he had used to deal with his addiction in the past. Another member read the general announcements. Then the members went around the room taking the risk of reading the twelve steps. Since I was not asked to introduce myself, I became a discreet observer. The meeting took place in the form of an open discussion where members were allowed to take turns sharing their experiences with their recovery. Members were encouraged to share their stories by selecting a topic from a pot. I found this method useful because it preventedone person to monopolize the meeting. At least everyone had time to talk. That said, there were others who could do it. I didn't use the method because they had a burning concern they wanted to share with the group. The atmosphere was friendly and supportive. Many members expressed a desperate need for this meeting, while some members did not. For example, we had two men in the group who expressed feelings of dissatisfaction with the group, but the majority of members were satisfied. Additionally, different stories were shared illustrating some successes and some failures. I noticed that success stories were applauded and failure stories encouraged. Additionally, some stories were uplifting and hopeful, while others made me sad, compassionate, and tearful. I noticed that the common theme of the meeting was more related to guilt. Although the majority of members had stopped using substances, they still struggled with the guilt of failing their families and the effects of their addiction on 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 then revealed that his three-day visit to his parents was a moment of realization about how "a fish" he was to his family. Adding to his stress, most of his family, 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 began to cry. going through this stress, he considered starting to use drugs again. He couldn't because he felt his determination not to use was much stronger than his feelings to use. The desperation was so evident in his tone that it pierced through me. I can only imagine how painful this was for him and I wish I could have helped him in some way. Having noticed all these dynamics, I felt like I had misjudged these people. They were victims of a circumstance that could happen to anyone, regardless of your family. background. lives. My perception changed and I admired their perseverance. I felt like life was unfair. Why do some people have to struggle every day of their lives while others just get 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 is a personal matter. However, many in the group believed that they could heal through the grace of “God” or a higher power. If that 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. This was very convenient for most members because it did not separate new members from those who had recovered over the years. It creates this atmosphere of acceptance that I believe the majority of members liked. Even though it is an open meeting, trust is still important to maintain the effectiveness of the procedure. Simple things like presentinga new person or community quest will help ease members' concerns. In addition to convenience and acceptance, meeting Narcotic Anonymous created a greater sense of belonging and community for its members. Since many of the issues that cause people to join Narcotics Anonymous meetings are issues that make them feel isolated and alone, this sense of community can go a long way in helping these people find freedom and recovery. This camaraderie and peer support from others who are struggling and succeeding in their addiction process would provide support to new recovering addicts. More importantly, recent research has determined that similar groups would be very helpful to immigrants as well as minority clientele. 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 for helping his group members. Even if life experience does not make people better, it is a valuable input that will guide the leader in understanding and respecting the customer. Although the group meets for the purpose of recovery from addiction, it also helps members develop certain 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 minutes of the meeting. She also announced a community event and selected members to carry Narcotics Anonymous' message of recovery and ensure coffee and tea were available. Additionally, the group had a treasurer who, at one point in the meeting, announced that the pot of money is going around the circle and members are encouraged to contribute. She then explained that the money would be used to operate the group. I was very impressed by the diversity of roles played by each member within the group. Another important strength I found in this group was their sense of commitment and group purpose. As the meeting was going on, a basket was passed around and each member donated what they had and 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 the majority of members seemed to follow through. process, but there was a guy who refused to select a message from the container. Even though he did so, he respected the process and requested that he wish to speak 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 good tip for organizing Narcotics Anonymous meetings is that Narcotics Anonymous members who have been there longer can share their experience, giving advice on what strategies have worked best. This gives strength and hope to members who are still struggling to achieve sobriety. Despite the growing research and personal accounts of the value of Narcotics Anonymous, criticism remains regarding its effectiveness (Rick Csiernik and William Rowe). A major area of ​​criticism of this group. sereport to Narcotics Anonymous adhering to the medical model of illness rather than a strengths-based perspective of wellness. Members tend to focus more on the narratives of their addiction, making the concept “addiction is a disease” the dominant story of their lives. Although some people feel comfortable viewing their addiction as an illness, the effects of this negative view are particularly tragic and unfair to the individual. It ignores the rest of the person's problems and blames them all on addiction. It also attacks people's sense of personal control over their lives. This disease model was widely accepted within this group. I can understand the compassion and help many members would receive by being called sick. However, accepting addiction as an illness means addicts would have to deal with the guilt that often accompanies a lifetime of mistakes. Additionally, this concept renders addicts powerless instead of empowering them to change. For many, one of the biggest obstacles to success in 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 although that higher power is not necessarily God in the traditional sense, some members still have problems. with this accent of spirituality in the group. It has been determined through research that some people will not benefit from a program that requires a faith that is not truly felt or believed. Despite this, some research has also proven the effectiveness of spirituality in the program. For example, some members of the NA meeting I attended gave more credence to principle #3. These people, in their sharing, placed more value on spirituality as well as the positive role that God placed in their recovery. for the constant repetition of "I am a very degrading addict. Especially when members have spent two to five years of their lives in recovery. I understand when new members say they call themselves an addict. I believe in first admitting that you have a problem with drugs before progress can be made toward recovery Another important area of ​​criticism was that members described themselves as "I am an addict." great implication on both new members and those who have been in addiction recovery for a longer period of time This is language that will benefit new members in recovery, because admitting you have a problem is the start. of the helping process There is nothing shameful about it If members can relate to it or accept it If you have a problem, they may 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 members who have been in recovery for over five years continue to use this label. For me, I consider it degrading and disempowering. Additionally, 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 start using again. With all these revelations, the leader did not initiate any discussion on how the members would deal with these stressors after the meeting. Ultimately, there was a big difference in the..