My Primary Impression of the Group (Coursework Sample)

In March of 2022, toward the end of summer, I attended a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting hosted by the Morning Miracles Group at a community house in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The reason for choosing this group is that it was located at an easily accessible place and was open to all – not just addicts. The gathering comprises a series of rehab coaches who facilitate the meetings individually and on a rotational basis, with the primary goal of enhancing community wellbeing through tending to the recovery needs of narcotics addicts. In the particular session I attended, I noticed that the group fostered diversity as it accommodated people of varying races, religions, genders, and age groups. They did not ask for fee payments, and prospective members could join on the sole condition that they would be willing to take an accountable and open-minded approach to conquering their addiction.
My primary impression of the group was its welcoming and non-judgmental nature. These were apparent from how successfully they incorporated the therapeutic factors of group cohesion and altruism. Group cohesion entails the sense of belonging, identification, and mutual support that thrives within a group setting among members (Bryde Christensen et al., 2021, p. 1). This cohesion facilitates higher esteem levels and empowers a sense of acceptance. By listening to some of the members as they shared their experiences, I could deduce how unified they felt in their struggle to fight addiction. Altruism is the willingness of group members to support and help each other (Hauber et al., 2019, p. 4). Altruistic gestures were evident from the supportive responses, quotes, as well as genuine concern and feedback that members offered one another.