Addiction Recovery Services Blog Post Says Group Therapy A Great Tool in Fighting Opioid Misuse

Addiction Recovery Services (ARS), a New Hampshire-based treatment center, recently released a blog post that explains why group therapy could be the key to helping those with an opioid use disorder. The opioid crisis is a huge issue in New Hampshire, which has some of the highest opioid use rates in the country. In 2018, 412 New Hampshirites lost their lives to opioid use. The 2018 rate of death from opioid use was the second-highest in the country, behind only West Virginia.

The blog post, titled "How Group Therapy Can Save Lives from the Opioid Crisis in New Hampshire," says New Hampshire’s opioid addiction crisis is fueled by drugs coming into the state from manufacturers in Massachusetts, and the drugs coming across state lines are much cheaper than most would expect. Due to the cheap prices, New Hampshirites are able to get their hands on fentanyl — and a lot of it — no matter how their financial situation looks. Financial strain is often a cause for opioid use throughout the state, according to a study cited in the post.

Rural areas like Coos County in the northern part of the state and Sullivan County on the southwest side of the state have the lowest per capita income. These two counties also see some of the highest rates of use in the state.

The post also reports it’s estimated that some 80% of people who are struggling with opioid addiction never seek treatment.

The first must-have step in recovery is for an addiction sufferer to admit they have a problem. It helps if those suffering from opioid addiction put aside any preconceived notions of what their treatment will entail.

The post states that group therapy has proven to be an effective intervention method for several different types of problems. John Iudice, Addiction Recovery Services program director, sees the opioid epidemic firsthand daily and how group therapy offers great benefits to many people struggling with addiction.

“Group therapy is an effective intervention for many different problems,” Iudice said. “It is an interactive process where people are accomplishing two things: connecting with other human beings and learning new skills. Connection creates acceptance and understanding of self and others, which is necessary for change to happen. Simultaneously, the group gives people the opportunity to gain or improve skills like communication, emotional regulation, healthy routines, and changing negative beliefs.”

The post also describes how those struggling with opioid addiction can begin group therapy, and how to contact Addiction Recovery Services to start the process.

Addiction Recovery Services specializes in providing evidence-based treatment services for those affected by substance use and the mental health issues that often accompany this. Its treatments are based on the center’s core principles of respect; choice; treat the person, not the problem; and preventing and managing resumed use (relapse). They do this by offering intensive outpatient services from their two locations, which are in Salem and Portsmouth. Their treatments are led by compassionate, licensed professionals who use group therapy, family education, and medication management for treating addiction and related mental health disorders. Addiction Recovery Services also strives to make keep their admission process as simple as possible, and to provide therapies for all those struggling with addiction despite their current financial status.

For more information, refer to the Contact Us page on the Addiction Recovery Services website for the Salem and Portsmouth office phone numbers. Addiction Recovery Services serves those in Southern New Hampshire, Maine, and Northern Massachusetts. They're also an easy commute from Manchester, Nashua, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Newburyport, and York County, Maine.