Support/Self-Help Group Meetings: Support Group Observation (Term Paper Sample)

Support Group Observation
Name
Institution
Abstract
Seeking abstinence from alcohol abuse is often challenging, as such, support groups such as the Alcoholic Anonymous has become fundamentally imperative in providing the necessary support for those who are serious to attain sobriety. My focus in this paper is to analyze my recent experience with an AA meeting group, by examining the group structure and dynamic. The paper firs explore the importance of AA meeting and the help they provide to alcoholics. I attended and open group meeting, where I had a chance to focus on different people, various interactions, and all process events that happened within the meeting and more importantly examined the leader's behaviour in fostering the group objective.
Support Group Observation
Introduction
In social psychology, the term group refers to a collection of individuals who are connected with each other and with social relation network(Garvin et al., 2017). Members of a group will work together to reach a common goal and may be aware of other individual belonging to that particular group. Based on this assertion, group members are connected to each other with communication and interaction, whether they are regulated formal or informally. In addition to this, individual in a group will acknowledge the members and the social relationships within the group are meant to benefit the group members.
One of the most popular groups that fit the above description is the Support group commonly known as AA (Alcoholic anonymous) meetings. AA group meeting is specifically designed to help people with alcohol drinking problems to reach sobriety. AA was founded in 1935, by two alcohol abusers who were determined to change their lives and achieve lasting sobriety (Mendola & Gibson, 2016). They felt compelled to helping each other, and through this, they established a self-supporting movement open to people from a diverse background without considering the age, culture, race or ethnicity. The therapy that such groups provide has been known to help with numerous psychiatric disorders. The number of these groups have grown in numbers and have proven to be vital in helping alcoholics talk about their fear, relieve the feeling of isolation, while at the same time receiving comfort or advice from others going through similar experiences.
Content and Process
I attended an AA meeting on 28th on Friday at a centre for free-living drug building. I arrived before the meeting started at 8 PM, and it seemed that most of the members were punctual. Fortunately, refreshments were provided, and most of the members were open for a chat. I believed that conducting the meeting on a Friday evening is particularly beneficial for members. The location seems to be strategically located because city buses are readily available; therefore, there was no rush for any of the members. The group meeting was an open discussion and is all about sharing one experience since the last meeting and new member’s introduction. Attendance at the meeting is not compulsory, but it is recommended that the group try as much as they could to attend the group meeting. The meeting was comprised of 22 people from all age groups, but more particularly from people in their middle age years. The place was cozy on the inside, with a little uncomfortable chair lined in a circle. The site had natural lights from small windows and decorated with religious artwork. I had to introduce myself at the meeting since some members were beginning to stare at me intensely. Essentially, perhaps this is because I looked too young trying to recover from alcoholism or any other addiction, so I had to explain that I was attending to observe for a class assignment.
I was not sure what to expect at first since I thought most of the member would be socially deprived, because in my opinion I never thought alcoholism as a disorder but a choice. However, on attendance, my perception about alcoholism changed. It is no surprise that the National Institute of alcohol Abuse refers Alcohol abuse as an alcohol use disorder, a chronic degenerating brain disease that can be characterized with the encounter of negative emotions, and obsessive and uncontrollable alcohol use (Sacks et al., 2015). The meeting began with a recitation of a serenity player. The group leader then asked one of the members to read 12 steps and tradition. The 12 steps and 12 traditions are particularly emphasized since they are posters on the wall. I also noticed a poster stressing the importance of anonymity. At that point, the leader enquired whether anyone would like to introduce him or herself, and given the intense stare I received; I introduced myself as a student. The group leader asked whether anyone had a specific topic that he or she wanted to be discussed.
One member proposed a discussion from Big Book that contains thousands of stories of men who have recovered from alcoholism since the start of AA meeting (Kelly, 2017). The member proposed to the member to discuss a page in the book by Bill Wilson, the founder of AA meeting groups. Bill narrates his story on how he almost failed his law course because of alcoholism. In one of his finals exams, he was too drunk to write or think. Drinking damaged Bill marriage, and even after trial after trial to quit drinking, he found himself in a serious proportion of drinking. He at one point wanted to commit suicide but somehow managed to avoid the temptation. One particular theme that the member proposed was the page where Bill discusses how spirituality allowed him to overcome specific incident of temptation to drink. Spirituality and drinking took almost the more significant part of the remaining meeting.
The discussion leader asked whether anyone had an opinion on this topic and how they think that spirituality can help eliminate a drinking disorder. Almost everyone was eager to share their experience, with a majority of them claiming that spirituality partially contributes to a reduction of drinking habits. Most of the members spoke for only a few minutes, with one particular member spoke about how he was able to quit alcohol consumption and smoking ten years ago because he was associated with a religious group. He did not believe in religion at the moment, but he seemed to have a good opinion on the topic. I was particularly surprised that a majority of the group member had difficulties making the connection of spiritual aspect of maintaining sobriety. The processing of connection between the two seemed slow at initial stages. In fact, most of the members spoke negative about themselves and religion, but within the discussion, most claimed that religion offers the same help and support that AA group provides.
The information seemed relevant because it showed the importance of seeking support from others and the need to maintain regular attendance at the AA meetings. The leader asked whether anyone had an experience of how the AA or religion has helped remain sober for the entire week. I was surprised to find out that weekend is the moment that relapse occurs. One member had remained sober for the whole of the week until the same day of the meeting. He seemed to exhibit anxiety and kept rubbing the back of his neck and mostly fiddling throughout the session. When he spoke, he did so with a depressed tone of how he has made an incredible effort but only fails to remains sober when it mattes the most. I felt sorry for him, but one of the members commented that he should not focus on his one day failure but on the six days that he has managed to remain sober. In particular, this experience demonstrates the importance of supporting groups such as the AA. The therapy that the groups arguably provides help and support for people with numerous psychiatric disorders (Kelly, 2017).
Group Dynamics and Participants
Group’s dynamic essentially deal with the way the group is structured. According to Jacobs and colleagues (2016), group dynamic often vary from one group to another and to the absence of the group members to resolve conflict, some groups may and other may not be effective. Additionally, dynamic forces like attracting members and low levels of cohesion could coldshoulder members, but in in this particular meeting, I did not experience any destructive factors in this specific observation. Essentially, the sessions were open where everyone could attend and not membership was to be required. At the session, there were 22 attendees including me. The participants seemed to know each other, mostly greeting each other by names and making comments on group members. The participants were men and women mostly from all ethnic groups, white, Caucasian, and African American. Most were trying to recover from alcoholism the first time, whereas other had a relapse after years of abstinence. When sharing, an individual would have to mention the name and briefly state why they are there, for instance” Hi, my name is Christine, and I am an alcoholic”, the group responds according and wait for the member to share his or her experience. Most groups’ participants were in their early thirties or late thirties, but two members talked about being retired.
As a group develops over time, the dynamic process evolves. Numerous scholars have attempted to conceptualize stages of development. The most well-known model was developed by Tuckman in 1963, and includes stages such as forming, storming, norming, and performing (Garvin et al., 2017). Essentially, the beginning stages of group development include a formation of the group dynamic. In this stage, member’s way of interactive is tentative and cautious and there may seem to be conflict most of the time. As members become more comfortable with one another, conflict and resistance to be open often occur, and member will want to maintain their autonomous but may want to be stil...