Psychoeducational groups are group settings that focus on educating members about their conditions and introducing new coping strategies. Psychoeducational groups should work actively to engage participants in the group discussion and prompt them to relate what they are learning to their own substance abuse. Psychoeducational groups are highly structured and often follow a manual or a preplanned curriculum. Group sessions generally are limited to set times, but need not be strictly limited.

Skills development groups tend to tackle addiction treatment through cognitive-behavioral approaches after an assessment that takes into account individual characteristics, abilities, and background. Skills development group sessions integrate skills either related to substance use or broader problem-solving skills. Other group members can practice amongst each other during group sessions, which outweighs the benefits of individual therapy.

Interpersonal process groups’ primary focus is to use psychodynamics, or knowledge of the way people function psychologically, to promote change and healing. Drug and alcohol addiction can manifest from a variety of factors — the interpersonal process group raises and re-examines fundamental developmental issues such as early childhood. The interpersonal process group therapist will focus on the present, noticing signs of people recreating their past in what is going on between and among members of the group.

The foundational use of support groups in the substance abuse treatment field began in the self-help tradition in the field. Support groups improve members’ efforts to develop and strengthen the ability to manage their thinking and emotions and to develop better interpersonal skills as they recover from substance abuse. Drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs have typically offered support groups for over a decade. Self help groups mirror the tenets of support groups.

Within the early recovery phases of addiction treatment, cognitive-behavioral groups break down dependency. The learned behavior is subject to modification through various interventions, including identification of conditioned stimuli associated with specific addictive behaviors, avoidance of such stimuli, development of enhanced contingency management strategies, and response-desensitization. In fact, cognitive-based addiction treatment can be performed through individual therapy or a group setting.

If you are struggling with addiction, group therapy can be an effective treatment option. Talk to your therapist or doctor about finding a group that is right for you. Group therapy can offer many benefits for those struggling with substance use, including a sense of belonging, support from others who have gone through cognitive-behavioral therapies.