Mutual Aid/Self-Help Flashcards
what are self help groups
- An informal method of social support providing informational, effective, and instrumental support
- Give their members an anchorage, a reference point, companionship, and even a sense of belonging
- non-professional practice
- Based on the principle of reciprocity: giving and taking (the more one helps others, the more the person is helped)
three major ingredients of social learning in self help groups
- Instruction
- Reinforcers
- Models
Common Characteristics of self-help groups
- free membership
- voluntary nature of all activities
- not-for-profit approach
- lack of financial support from external sources
- membership based upon individual §
circumstances and situations - equality of status and power within the group
- shared leadership and cooperation in decision making
Typologies/Classifications of self-help groups
a) self-fulfilment or personal growth (Recovery Inc.)
b) social advocacy (#MeToo)
c) alternative patterns of living or solidarity (women’s groups)
d) outcast havens (X-Kalay)
a) groups conforming to society’s norms/self-reforming (AA)
b) groups wishing to reform society (LGBTQ2IA+ groups)
a) inner-focused (Parents Without Partners)
b) outer-focused (wishing to change public policies: Fortune
Society)
a) anonymous groups (Alcoholics, Gamblers, Overeaters) b) living with groups (Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy)
c) life transition groups (widows’ support groups)
a) rehabilitative (Stroke Club, United Ostomy Association)
b) behaviour change (Narcotics Anonymous)
c) primary care (disease where there is no cure, but care is required: Arthritis Association, Diabetes Association)
Fundamental Principles to be Assessed
- The social support it provides members
- Education and information sharing it offers participants
- New identity formation
- Affiliation and development of a sense of community
- Personal growth and transformation
- Advocacy and collective empowerment
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA
- Initial and most prominent form of mutual/self-help
- Consists of individuals recovering from alcohol misuse who provide
help to other active users as a step to maintaining their own sobriety - Non-political, non-sectarian, non-reformist
Other 12 step groups
► Narcotics Anonymous ► Cocaine Anonymous ► Al-Anon
► Al-Ateen
► Gamblers Anonymous
► Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
alternatives to 12 step groups
- Women for sobriety
- SMART recovery: Self Management and Recovery Training
- Secular Organization for Sobriety (SOS) AKA Save Our Selves
- rational recovery (RR)
- moderation management (MM)
- ## Refuse Recovery
women for sobriety
- no drinking
- positive thinking
- believing one is competent
- growing spiritually & emotionally
- Instead of moving towards God for help(AA),WFS asks women to discover why they initially became dependent
- No emphasis on reducing ego or being humble
- affirmations
SMART Recovery: self management and recovery training
- Facilitator-led, structures peer discussions premised on CBT counselling techniques
- Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy(REBT) as foundation
- Four-pointprogram:
- Building and maintaining motivation
- Coping with urges
- Managing thoughts, feelings, behaviours
- Living a balanced life
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)
- Behavioural form of counselling to assist service user in identifying self-defeating thoughts and feelings, challenge the rationality of those feelings, and replace them with more productive beliefs
- Present-focused approach to understand how unhealthy/negative thoughts and beliefs create emotional distress and unhealthy actions
- I can’t fall asleep without smoking weed
- I’m not strong enough to quit
- If I am a drunk I am worthless, etc.
Secular Organization for Sobriety (SOS) AKA Save Our Selves
- For those uncomfortable with spiritual aspects of AA
- Maintains sobriety is distinct issue from spirituality and religion
- Credit for recovery belongs to individual
- Encourages members to admit they are dependent and work towards total abstinence
- To break the cycle of denial and achieve sobriety, we first acknowledge that we are alcoholics or addicts.
- We affirm this truth daily and accept without reservation—one day at a time—that as clean and sober individuals, we cannot and do not drink or use, no matter what.
- Since drinking or using is not an option for us, we take whatever steps are necessary to continue our Sobriety Priority lifelong.
- A quality of life, “the good life,” can be achieved. However, life is also filled with uncertainties. Therefore, we do not drink or use regardless of feelings, circumstances, or conflicts.
- Sobriety is our Priority, and we are each responsible for our lives and our sobriety.
Rational recovery (RR)
- Self-empowered recovery
- Views addiction as behavioural problem
- Drug use is an irrational choice
- Self-mastery over self-surrender
- To be successful is to be powerful
moderation management (MM)
- For those wishing to reduce intake and make positive lifestyle changes
- 30 days of abstinence followed by assessment to choose abstinence or harm reduction
- Nine-step program with goal to find balance
- Not intended for those with significant physical or psychological dependency
Nine Steps Towards Moderation and Balance
- Attend meetings and learn about the program of Moderation Management. For those who do not want to go to a support group, the program can be followed without attending meetings.
- Abstain from alcoholic beverages for 30 days and complete steps three through six during this time.
- Examine how drinking has affected your life.
- Write down your priorities.
- Take a look at how much, how often, and under what circumstances you used to drink.
- Learn the MM guidelines and limits for moderate drinking. This information is provided at meetings and in MM literature.
- Set moderate drinking limits and start weekly small steps toward positive lifestyle changes.
- Review your progress and update your goals.
- Continue to make positive lifestyle changes, attend meetings for ongoing encouragement and support, and help newcomers to the group.
