The iconic American author Herman Melville famously said, “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.” This is especially true when it comes to recovery and a peer support group. We must remember that recovery is always about the “We” and never the “Me.” We don’t do this alone. It takes a village.
When to Consider a Peer Support Group
So, what exactly is a peer support group? Well, in recovery, it is an established group of people who are able to share their experience, strength, and hope with each other. This ensures that the group stays sober, and not just the individual.
Peer support groups go back a long way. According to the peer-reviewed journal JMIR Mental Health, “Peer support services (PSSs) are novel interventions recently adopted in mental health systems worldwide. It is believed, however, that PSSs date back to more than three centuries to the moral treatment era, albeit on an informal basis. Diverse definitions and classifications for PSSs have been provided in the literature, and numerous reports have praised and supported the service provided by peer support workers (PSWs).”
So, when should you consider connecting to a peer support group? The answer is that there is no bad time to consider a peer support group. However, there are some more ideal times to join one. For example, in very early recovery (like during the detox process), one often needs to focus solely on oneself. However, joining a peer support group should never be far behind.
Reconnecting With Peers
One of the most daunting undertakings that we often face in recovery is overcoming our fears of reconnecting with others. This is often because we have caused harm to those we love most. After all, addiction is a “family disease,” and it can act like a tornado that destroys everyone and everything in its path. This includes close friends.
However, we must get over these fears if we are to grow in our recovery. Working the Twelve Steps can help with this, but more on that later. Reconnecting with peers is not the only way to get support, either. It is also important to create new relationships in recovery. This is where establishing a new peer support group comes in.
Establishing a Peer Support Group
First of all, peer support groups offer many benefits. According to the peer-reviewed journal Family Practice, “Peer support programmes offer informational and psychosocial support, reduce social isolation, and connect patients and caregivers to others with similar health issues. These programmes provide a supportive community of persons who have personal experience with the same health condition and who can provide practical information about self-care and guidance in navigating the health system. Peer support is viewed as different from and complementary to professional healthcare services.”
This last component is critical to remember because it reminds us that peer support groups should always complement evidence-based treatment modalities and never replace them. Establishing a peer support group can also begin within one of these evidence-based modalities. For example, a group therapist may find it beneficial to continue the process by connecting the clients into a peer support group.
This group can extend long after the therapy sessions have concluded. They can also lead to other types of community recovery, such as 12-Step recovery.
12-Step Recovery and a Peer Support Group
12-Step recovery is often looked at as a type of peer support group. This is because it is such a community-based program. After all, one of its credos is “Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help another person who is sick and suffering from addiction.”
The peer support that comes from 12-Step recovery also often takes the more intimate form of the sponsor and sponsee relationship. Here, one person who has more time in recovery shows a “newcomer” how to get and stay sober in a healthy (and often spiritual) way. This relationship also often extends to “grandsponsors” and “great-grandsponsors.” It is a long and strong chain of recovery.
It has also been proven that working with others in recovery can greatly reduce the chances of a relapse. This is so critical that the primary text of 12-Step recovery even named a chapter in its primary text, “Working With Others.” The chapter states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail…. You can help when no one else can.”
A Focus on Long-Term Success at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our plans are individualized and comprehensive, with a focus on peer support.
If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, the time to recover is now. You can do this! We can help.
There are many effective peer support groups for addiction and mental health issues. The benefits of engaging them are increased positivity, reduced anxiety and depression, greater recovery success, and reduced relapse rates. The good news is that there is a peer support group out there for everyone from every walk of life. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about peer support groups in recovery, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
