Support group

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The first step in a journey through a twelve-step program is to admit you have a problem. It takes a lot of courage it takes to admit you have a problem. Upon my attendance at Gamblers Anonymous I was able to observe seven very courageous people.
As McDonagh says in her article “Shared Benefits,” The benefit of group therapy is “ ..discovering the group as a safe environment where you can say whet you think without fear.” McDonagh presents and discusses descriptions of group therapy clearly and in a way that you do not have to be a therapist or researcher to understand her findings. This article explains how to find a group by giving tips on what you should look for when looking for a support group and suggests you do not nix a group you do not like until you give it 3 months.
The overall purpose of “Gambler’s Anonymous” is to support people that have a serious gambling issue. Most of these people have gambled away their life savings and destroyed their families. At Gamblers Anonymous, the goal is to not gamble anymore. It may sound simple to someone who does not have a gambling addiction, however according to the people at the meeting, it is a conscious decision they have to make on a daily basis. The gambling that they supposed to avoid is not only casino venues, but is also placing petty wagers. For example, “I bet you $5 that the Broncos will win the Super Bowl,” is frowned upon in the twelve-step program.
They do not accept donations from outside sources. It is self-supported by contributions from the members of Gambler’s Anonymous. Another philosophy that Gamblers Anonymous has is that it is hard to fight addiction on your own. They highly recommend that you attend meetings more than once a week until you can get your add...

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...that after someone has shared their story, no one can comment on what they said. In a way this is good because no one can belittle their feelings by saying something wrong. However, this can also be a bad thing because sometimes people at support groups as for advice and no one is allowed to reply directly.
In applying this to my own nursing practice I realize that everyone goes through phases in their life where they might need group therapy. It is important as a nurse to know where to be able to find resources to get patients connected with support groups in their area. Trying to find a support group, and pick which group I wanted to attend really opened my eyes to the addiction problems in the greater Oklahoma City area that I was unaware of and Gamblers Anonymous did just that.

Works Cited

McDonagh, P. (1997). Shared benefits. Chatelaine, 70(6), 136.

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