The massive problems of modern living, such as social upheaval, economic instability, and increased drug use among youths, have uncovered the indispensable function of counseling in fostering mental health and supporting individuals through challenges. The increased importance of emotional resilience has expanded counseling, with self-help groups increasingly gaining popularity. There are various self-help groups designed to address a broad range of issues. This paper explores the different types of Self-help groups.
Addiction recovery groups: These groups help members recover from any form of addiction, such as drug abuse, sex, and gambling, facilitating personal growth through peer support. They provide an opportunity and forum for people in the recovery process to connect with others facing similar experiences and have the same goal, enabling them to establish relationships within a sober or drug and gambling-free support network (Humphreys et al., 2014). The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a perfect example of these recovery groups. It is a twelve-step program helping individuals struggling with alcohol achieve and maintain sobriety through peer support. Other examples of twelve-step recovery programs include, Dual Recovery Anonymous, Nicotine Anonymous, and Gambler’s Anonymous.
Mental health self-help groups: These groups consist of people sharing the mutual desire to overcome mental illness or enhance their emotional well-being. According to Markowitz (2015), mental health self-help groups are the most widespread forms of self-help, with over 2 million adults utilizing them in the United States annually. The increased prevalence of self-help groups for mental health is particularly because of increased mental health issues globally and their cost-effectiveness compared to therapies. Examples of self-help groups for depressed patients includes Mental Health America, NAMI Connection, and 7 Cup of Tea. Other such as Schizophrenia Anonymous support individuals struggling with Schizophrenia as the name suggest.
Parenting self-help groups: These are confidential and anonymous groups providing caregivers and parents with a safe platform to share their parenting journeys or experiences, learn new parenting skills, and receive emotional support. They are usually online and traditional or in-person support groups and do not follow the twelve steps like the addiction recovery groups. Examples include the Single Moms and Single Dads Support Groups, Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), and Parents of Children with Special Needs.
Grief and loss self-support groups: They consist of individuals coping with the death of close members of their families and friends. They aim to offer companionship during the grieving periods. While some are more general, other groups target specific groups, such as grieving individuals who have lost their loved ones through suicide and parents who have lost a child, among others (Massimi, 2013). most of these groups are online platforms providing an outlet around the clock. However, some grief and bereavement self-help groups exist as traditional or in-person support groups. Some examples include Compassionate Friends, MISS Foundation, and First Candle, all for parents coping with child loss.
In conclusion, self-help groups play an important role in counseling. These self-help groups exist in several types depending on the situation or issue they are designed to address. Some are designed to address addictions such as AA, others mental problems such as SA, others parenting issues such as MOPS, and others are designed to help individuals cope with grief, such as Compassionate Friend. Self-groups can be either twelve-step programs like the AA, SA, NA, and GA, online programs, or traditional support programs.
References
Humphreys, K., Wing, S., McCarty, D., Chappel, J., Gallant, L., Haberle, B., … & Weiss, R. (2014). Self-help organizations for alcohol and drug problems: Toward evidence-based practice and policy. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 26(3), 151-158.
Markowitz, F. E. (2015). Involvement in mental health self-help groups and recovery. Health Sociology Review, 24(2), 199–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2015.1015149
Massimi, M. (2013, February). Exploring remembrance and social support behavior in an online bereavement support group. In Proceedings of the 2013 conference on Computer supported cooperative work (pp. 1169-1180).
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