Self-help groups: how useful are they?

Self-help groups, also known as mutual aid groups, are support networks that are formed to overcome a problem common to its members. Currently there are many types and they work in practically the entire world.

The first reference to self-help groups dates back to 1905. at the Massachusetts General Hospital, located in Boston (USA). Their creator, Dr. JH Pratt, called them Didactic Groups. Its objective was to inform tuberculosis patients in detail about the best way to deal with their disease.

Later, Alcoholics Anonymous appeared. perhaps the most famous self-help group in the world. In this, more than information, what was intended was to create a space of mutual support for those who were addicted to alcohol. In fact, it remains one of the most effective methods for that purpose.

The basic principles of self-help groups

As we have said, self-help groups are a support system for their members. They help their members face difficult, stressful or sick situations. They give rise to communities united by the same suffering or problem and the same desire to support and be supported.

The basic principles of these groups are:

Reciprocity.All members share a common experience.Each member has a purpose for change and is willing to support others to do the same. The self-help group is autonomously managed. It is the members who decide its management.The group exercises control social about its members to facilitate and promote change. Change must be reflected inside and outside of group sessions.They offer information, guide and guidance to address the common problem.

The aim of self-help groups is to build a space that welcomes, motivates and provides feedback to those who want to overcome a difficulty. This approach is complemented with individual therapies on many occasions..

What is the effectiveness of self-help groups?

Self-help groups incorporate a series of mechanisms that have proven to be very effective. The first of these is, of course, the essence of the group itself: mutual support. This factor is decisive in many cases. The person feels stronger when he has the support of an entire group. This makes it easier to change it.

Other elements that contribute to making these groups effective are:

Verbalization of discomfort. When talking about what ails or hurts, at least two effects are produced. The first is that the person has the opportunity to make their feelings and ideas more aware, since they must organize them to communicate them to others. The second, that you free yourself from a good part of the weight that comes with silencing what worries you. This is what is called catharsis.Identification effect. Identification allows us to create emotional bonds with other human beings. By recognizing the other as a fellow human being, a great step is taken in the recomposition of the emotional and social world. Self-help groups promote this identificationInterpersonal learning. Through self-help groups, some learn from the experience of others. They have the same problem in common. The way they have experienced it and approached it provides information and knowledge for others.

The group also becomes a control factor for its members.. This is very important, for example, in addictions. In this case, the community helps to understand the compulsive desire and channel it in another direction.

The benefits of these groups

Many difficulties such as addictions or certain emotional and psychological problems lead to segregation. This happens even within the same family. The problem is so unknown or so difficult to address for those around the person with difficulties, that they finally decide to leave it aside.

In principle, self-help groups provide an environment of acceptance and welcome. They serve as a transition between a state of distancing and the reintegration process.. Likewise, the experience of being with people who have similar problems can have a positive impact on self-esteem. In those spaces no one is “strange.” This strengthens identity.

In the same way, the achievements of others become a motivation to keep going. Many find people there who are in worse conditions than their own and yet they overcome their problems. You also find a frame of reference to know how to act and clear your doubts and fears. Self-help groups are highly effective for many people.