Everyone encounters problems in their lives. It could be something trivial, such as a bad grade on a test. Or something major, possibly a death in the family. We all have our own ways of coping with these minor and (hopefully not) major problems. But what happens when you are too overwhelmed and the amount of problems are building up in your life? Some research suggests that becoming involved in group therapy sessions could benefit you.
I chose to look a little more deeply into the workings of group therapy sessions and the positive and negative benefits given from them. The popularity of group therapy has lead to an increase in demand for psychological services in the general population. They are efficient, less costly, and possibly more effective than some other individual treatments. But what exactly do these treatments work best for? After finding out more about it, i discovered that group sessions work best for situations in which the problem is somewhat embarrassing for the "patient". With anything that is embarrassing, it is extremely reassuring that there are people out there that struggle with a similar problem.
Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the most widely known and successful "group therapy"
sessions in the world with about 1.7 million members. They use a twelve step program along with an extremely valuable support system. There are some critics of this particular group therapy. Those in opposition raise the fact that approximately 68% of participants drop out within the first 3 months. This is a number that Alcoholics Anonymous is dramatically trying to reduce. On top of this, some argue that Alcoholics Anonymous destroys the social lives of those involved in the program. What is your opinion on Alcoholics Anonymous and the benefits/consequences that it provides to participants?
I found a youtube video from a talk showing one side of the debate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n86JKqA8o4w
My father was an alcoholic and from what hes told me of AA, it seems that along with the support from other members, it was the dramatic situations and stories of the more severe alcoholics int he group. I still remember him telling me stories about a pastor who was so dependent on alcohol he lost his house, his wife and family, and his church. AA may not work for 68% of the people that do it, but for the 32% that make it through the first 3 months it means the world.