5 Benefits of Having a Grief Recovery Support Group

Why being part of a recovery group is key to your journey

The grief that comes from losing someone, losing a well-cherished dream, or the loss of a better life due to substance use disorder in a loved one – is not just devastating but can create within us a myriad of emotions.

The emotions that come with our grief are life-changing causing us to act irrationally or act differently than how we normally do. While we don’t question the level of empathy someone has for us when we experience such loss, one cannot fully say that he or she understands how we might feel unless they already went through that same experience of loss.

Being a part of a grief recovery support group is important because the participants have chosen to work through their personal experiences of loss. While participants may have different types of losses, they are there to deal with the impact of loss in their lives. It helps to be surrounded with people to help us move on through the journey. Friends and family members are important figures who can support us, but unless they have gone through and are choosing to work through personal loss themselves, they most probably won’t “get it.” This is where support groups and coaches can be very helpful.

Grief recovery support provides understanding and companionship from those who have personally experienced loss. Being in a support group should make us feel safe and understood so you must find one that’s a good fit for you. There are things to look for when joining a support group, questions worth asking:

What is the attitude and culture of the group? Is it led by a peer or a SUD professional or experts?  Are the members constant or are they changing? How is attendance? Is it focused on general loss or a specific loss? Is it focused primarily on advocacy, on the experience of grief or both?

You might not be able to answer these questions from the get-go but only when you become a part of the group.

A grief recovery support can be a source of comfort for you and so many other things. Here are more of the benefits of having grief recovery support:

1. It instills hope.

Being in a grief recovery support can make people hopeful. In a support group, the ones who are still in a critical phase of grief will have a connection with those who are further down to their healing. Those who are already doing well can provide hope and reassurance to those who are new. Hope is instilled through companionship with people who have the first-hand understanding of what they are going through.

2. You don’t have to go through it alone.

Going through something that’s life-changing on your own can be lonely. Having people to hold your hand while you are on your journey to recovery and healing is comforting and makes the challenges more bearable.

3. Permission to grieve.

We can sometimes be so hard on ourselves. With grief recovery support, you are given permission to grieve and the permission to live a happier, more productive  life. You get support in both the emotional and physical aspects and you have someone or a group whom you can talk to about what you’re going through in a safe and non-judgmental way.

4. Deeper understanding.

You open yourself to understanding how other family members and children react to loss or with the challenges of having family members with SUD. Sometimes we can get so engrossed in our grief or suffering that we forget that we are not the only person who is grieving and that other people are grieving as well. In a grief recovery support, you will learn how to open  yourself up to other members of your family and talk about what you are all going through and how you can get  through the challenges as a family.

5. Enhance coping skills.

You learn coping skills to help you move through the most difficult and challenging days of your grief journey. We have different ways of coping, but trying out different coping mechanism can be helpful. A support system can help you with new ways on how you can cope with the challenges at hand.

Final Words…

Human beings are sociable by nature. We have an inherent desire to belong, to be listened to and to feel validated and accepted. So whether it is a grief recovery support group or a one-on-one connection with a coach or a therapist, the benefits of being in one is better than going through your grief alone. It’s about taking care of yourself. Grief is a journey that can last a lifetime. Get all the resources and help that you can have to live a healthy and happy life.

We at BALM have a Grief Recovery Support group. If you want to take you and your family’s healing to new levels, join us now. Click here for more information on the BALM Grief Recovery Support Group.

DISCOUNT: Get $50 Off the tuition upon checkout on the group starting this week. Use the code grief50off here.