How Support Groups Help in Long-Term Sobriety
Support groups provide a sanctuary for the human spirit. They help individuals shed their shame, find connection, and cultivate the strength necessary for long-term recovery. Within these circles, empathy replaces judgment, and progress is celebrated in all its forms.
Accessing treatment for opioid dependence has become more convenient with the rise of telemedicine. Many individuals now seek a Subutex prescription online to manage withdrawal symptoms and support long-term recovery. This method offers privacy, flexibility, and accessibility, especially for those in remote areas or with limited mobility. Licensed healthcare providers conduct virtual evaluations to determine if Subutex is appropriate, ensuring safety and proper dosage. Online prescriptions must still comply with regulations and require follow-up care, but they significantly reduce the barriers to beginning treatment. This digital option has transformed how patients initiate their journey toward a healthier life.
Reducing isolation and stigma
Addiction breeds secrecy. Individuals often bury their struggles, weighed down by guilt, fear of judgment, and internalized shame. Support groups dismantle this silence. They create a space where stories are shared without pretense. In hearing others voice similar battles, participants begin to realize that they are not anomalies, but part of a broader human struggle.
Building emotional resonance through mutual storytelling
There is something profoundly healing in hearing one's story reflected back. When group members recount their pasts — the relapses, the breakthroughs, the quiet victories — a communal sense of understanding emerges. This mutual storytelling becomes a form of collective therapy. Words spoken in truth echo across the circle and settle in hearts with unmatched resonance.
Structured commitments and peer monitoring
Support groups foster a gentle, yet firm form of accountability. By attending regularly, individuals commit not only to themselves but to others. Knowing that someone will notice your absence, or inquire about your progress, creates a layer of social responsibility. It's not punitive; it's humanizing.
Encouragement without judgment
The unique strength of support groups lies in their nonjudgmental framework. They allow space for vulnerability without consequence. When setbacks occur — and they do — the response is not condemnation but compassion. Group members offer encouragement that is rooted in understanding, not superiority.
Learning coping mechanisms from real-world experiences
Unlike clinical environments, support groups thrive on lived experience. Members share what has worked for them — be it meditation, daily journaling, or avoiding specific social triggers. These are not abstract theories, but battle-tested strategies. Learning from someone who has walked the same path lends authenticity to each suggestion.
Role-playing, feedback, and reinforcement
In some groups, members engage in role-playing exercises to prepare for high-risk scenarios — a friend offering a drink, a stressful workday, a family confrontation. These exercises build confidence and improve emotional regulation. Constructive feedback from peers refines the approach and encourages continued growth.
The stabilizing effect of regular meetings
Routine provides a psychological anchor. Weekly or even daily support group meetings serve as predictable touchpoints in an otherwise volatile recovery journey. This consistency can be profoundly reassuring, particularly when emotional chaos threatens to derail progress.
Replacing harmful habits with healing rituals
Addiction often thrives on ritual — the drink after work, the pills before sleep. Support groups help replace those destructive patterns with rituals of connection: circling up in a familiar room, holding hands for a closing prayer, lighting candles in remembrance. These new customs become grounding mechanisms for the recovering mind.
Bridging the gap to professional help
Support groups do not operate in a vacuum. Often, they serve as bridges to other vital resources: therapists, medical professionals, housing support, or legal assistance. The collective knowledge within the group becomes a powerful navigation tool during moments of need.
Emergency support through peer networks
When relapse threatens or crisis looms, a single phone call can mean everything. Many support groups encourage members to exchange contact information, creating peer-based emergency networks. These lifelines operate beyond business hours and transcend traditional clinical support models.
Moving from 'addict' to 'survivor' to 'supporter'
Support groups don't just help individuals stay sober; they help them evolve. Over time, members begin to reframe their identity — not as someone who struggles, but as someone who has survived. Eventually, many step into the role of mentor or sponsor, finding purpose in guiding others through the same fire they once endured.
The evolution from healing to helping
True healing often comes when one becomes the helper. It's a transformation that reaffirms one's value, deepens empathy, and instills a sense of meaning. By supporting others, individuals solidify their own sobriety and contribute to the collective strength of the group.
Finding the right support can make all the difference when beginning the journey to overcome opioid dependence. Local clinics and specialized programs offer compassionate care tailored to individual needs. Many individuals search for Subutex treatment near me to access effective medication-assisted treatment that helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. This form of therapy, when combined with counseling and lifestyle changes, provides a solid foundation for long-term recovery. By connecting with nearby resources, patients benefit from consistent monitoring and a support system that understands their unique challenges, ultimately guiding them toward a healthier, substance-free life.
Support groups offer more than temporary relief — they create a sustainable model for lifelong sobriety. They transform shame into solidarity, weakness into wisdom, and loneliness into belonging. Long after treatment centers are left behind, the circle remains. It listens. It lifts. It lasts.
In the end, sobriety isn't sustained through willpower alone. It is nurtured through connection — the kind that only support groups can consistently offer.
TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
SAS drill ‘Peru Two' coke mule Michaela McCollum in new season of celebrity TV series
McCollum recalls wayward years before she wound up in prison for smuggling And the 31-year-old tells her interrogators on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins that she's finally found love with her twin sons. In a raw interview on the Channel 4 series, in which celebrities are put through an SAS selection course, Michaella breaks down while talking about the public reaction to her drug smuggling conviction and jail term, and her ex-army interrogators speculate that she has PTSD. Michaella and Melissa Reid were stopped in Lima airport and found to have nearly 12kgs of cocaine She served three years in a maximum security prison in Peru after being caught trying to smuggle £1.5 million worth of cocaine to Spain, and says some members of the public continue to castigate her. 'I feel like my life has been defined from my incident in Peru,' she says. 'Some people want me to suffer for ever for the mistake that I've made but I feel like I've paid for that more than enough.' Michaella is one of 14 celebrities taking part in the seventh series of Celebrity SAS including dancer Louie Spence, boxer Conor Benn, former footballer Troy Deeney and Rebecca Loos, who shot to fame over claims of an affair with David Beckham. Interrogation The show doesn't disclose celebrity payments but former British health minister Matt Hancock had to publicly declare his £45,000 fee in 2023, and last year actor John Barrowman was paid £30,000 despite bowing out after 32 minutes. The Celebrity SAS contestants are put through their paces The celebrities are put through gruelling exercises on the series, filmed in north Wales, including a jump into the Irish Sea, a hostage rescue and a hang over a 160ft drop — all in just the first two days. They're also grilled by the former soldiers assessing them when they're hooded and marched to an interrogation room. During her extensive questioning, Michaella tells the ex-military team she's one of ten children raised by a single mother, with an absent father. She spiralled into addiction to ketamine, Subutex and mephedrone at just 16 when she rebelled against the discipline of five older brothers, and at 19 she fled to Ibiza. 'I just wanted out so I got a one-way trip to Ibiza. I thought I can have freedom there,' she says. 'I was only in Ibiza for six weeks and I was partying a lot at the start. I met this group of friends and I was in a party one night taking acid and one of the guys asked me would I go to Barcelona and pick up a package. The Celebrity SAS contestants are put through their paces 'And then I ended up just getting deeper and deeper in this trap. I was passed over to so many different people and taken to all these different locations and then they put me on a flight to Peru in South America and I knew it was wrong and I know I shouldn't have done it, but I just felt so scared. 'If I didn't do it what would they do to me, or would they do anything to my family, and I didn't know how to get out of the situation.' With Melissa Reid from Scotland she was arrested trying to leave Peru smuggling nearly 12 kilos of cocaine, and her life of notoriety began as pictures of the pair in Lima airport were beamed round the world. In December 2013 the drug mules were sentenced to six years and eight months in jail. 'It was a maximum security prison. It was in the middle of the desert. There was male and female, and it was like the worst people, lots of people were on drugs, there was lots of abuse, the conditions were awful,' says Michaella. 'I tried to see to see it as a time where I could learn a new language. I could learn a lot about other people. I could learn a lot about myself.' Close up of Michaella McCollum looking distressed on the show She was freed after three years in prison, granted parole for her work in a beauty salon behind bars. But any hopes of a return to a normal life were dashed and she is emotional describing the reaction to her release. 'In the end I got released and then I came back and it was just like a circus,' says Michaella. Frenzy 'It was a frenzy, and that was really hard, because I knew I had messed up, but constantly being reminded of that and how I'm such an awful person. ' I knew I did something bad but I think the media just made it harder and then I tried to go back to normal but life was not normal any more. I had just turned 24. 'People were continuing with their normal lives but my mind was f***ed up because I had seen stuff you shouldn't normally see.' Michaella and Adam Collard hanging from rope during Hang Tough task Since returning home Michaella has completed a business and marketing degree at Ulster University, written a memoir about her time in jail, done TV and radio interviews, and featured in the BBC documentary High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule, now on Netflix, for which the corporation declared she wasn't paid. She reveals the arrival of twin sons Raphael and Rio in 2018 was a turning point. She's previously told her Instagram followers she's no longer with their dad. 'I had my boys just under two years after I got released from prison,' says Michaella. 'Having two children at once, alone was quite difficult but I feel like that was like me finding my purpose. I had these two people that taught me how to love, like really love, which I never really experienced in life, but I'm really happy with my boys and the life that we have. 'But now I want to challenge myself and see how capable I am. 'I just need to get rid of the self-doubt and remember that I am capable of doing it because once that voice gets in your head, I just need to get that out,' she says. Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is on Channel 4 today at 9pm.
Time Business News
7 days ago
- Time Business News
How Support Groups Help in Long-Term Sobriety
Long-term sobriety is rarely a solo endeavor. After the initial detox and structured treatment phase, the true test begins — navigating daily life without returning to substance use. This phase is often more daunting, not because of withdrawal, but because of isolation, stressors, and emotional vulnerability. While therapy, medication, and rehabilitation play critical roles, the enduring force behind many successful recoveries is community — particularly in the form of support groups. Support groups provide a sanctuary for the human spirit. They help individuals shed their shame, find connection, and cultivate the strength necessary for long-term recovery. Within these circles, empathy replaces judgment, and progress is celebrated in all its forms. Accessing treatment for opioid dependence has become more convenient with the rise of telemedicine. Many individuals now seek a Subutex prescription online to manage withdrawal symptoms and support long-term recovery. This method offers privacy, flexibility, and accessibility, especially for those in remote areas or with limited mobility. Licensed healthcare providers conduct virtual evaluations to determine if Subutex is appropriate, ensuring safety and proper dosage. Online prescriptions must still comply with regulations and require follow-up care, but they significantly reduce the barriers to beginning treatment. This digital option has transformed how patients initiate their journey toward a healthier life. Reducing isolation and stigma Addiction breeds secrecy. Individuals often bury their struggles, weighed down by guilt, fear of judgment, and internalized shame. Support groups dismantle this silence. They create a space where stories are shared without pretense. In hearing others voice similar battles, participants begin to realize that they are not anomalies, but part of a broader human struggle. Building emotional resonance through mutual storytelling There is something profoundly healing in hearing one's story reflected back. When group members recount their pasts — the relapses, the breakthroughs, the quiet victories — a communal sense of understanding emerges. This mutual storytelling becomes a form of collective therapy. Words spoken in truth echo across the circle and settle in hearts with unmatched resonance. Structured commitments and peer monitoring Support groups foster a gentle, yet firm form of accountability. By attending regularly, individuals commit not only to themselves but to others. Knowing that someone will notice your absence, or inquire about your progress, creates a layer of social responsibility. It's not punitive; it's humanizing. Encouragement without judgment The unique strength of support groups lies in their nonjudgmental framework. They allow space for vulnerability without consequence. When setbacks occur — and they do — the response is not condemnation but compassion. Group members offer encouragement that is rooted in understanding, not superiority. Learning coping mechanisms from real-world experiences Unlike clinical environments, support groups thrive on lived experience. Members share what has worked for them — be it meditation, daily journaling, or avoiding specific social triggers. These are not abstract theories, but battle-tested strategies. Learning from someone who has walked the same path lends authenticity to each suggestion. Role-playing, feedback, and reinforcement In some groups, members engage in role-playing exercises to prepare for high-risk scenarios — a friend offering a drink, a stressful workday, a family confrontation. These exercises build confidence and improve emotional regulation. Constructive feedback from peers refines the approach and encourages continued growth. The stabilizing effect of regular meetings Routine provides a psychological anchor. Weekly or even daily support group meetings serve as predictable touchpoints in an otherwise volatile recovery journey. This consistency can be profoundly reassuring, particularly when emotional chaos threatens to derail progress. Replacing harmful habits with healing rituals Addiction often thrives on ritual — the drink after work, the pills before sleep. Support groups help replace those destructive patterns with rituals of connection: circling up in a familiar room, holding hands for a closing prayer, lighting candles in remembrance. These new customs become grounding mechanisms for the recovering mind. Bridging the gap to professional help Support groups do not operate in a vacuum. Often, they serve as bridges to other vital resources: therapists, medical professionals, housing support, or legal assistance. The collective knowledge within the group becomes a powerful navigation tool during moments of need. Emergency support through peer networks When relapse threatens or crisis looms, a single phone call can mean everything. Many support groups encourage members to exchange contact information, creating peer-based emergency networks. These lifelines operate beyond business hours and transcend traditional clinical support models. Moving from 'addict' to 'survivor' to 'supporter' Support groups don't just help individuals stay sober; they help them evolve. Over time, members begin to reframe their identity — not as someone who struggles, but as someone who has survived. Eventually, many step into the role of mentor or sponsor, finding purpose in guiding others through the same fire they once endured. The evolution from healing to helping True healing often comes when one becomes the helper. It's a transformation that reaffirms one's value, deepens empathy, and instills a sense of meaning. By supporting others, individuals solidify their own sobriety and contribute to the collective strength of the group. Finding the right support can make all the difference when beginning the journey to overcome opioid dependence. Local clinics and specialized programs offer compassionate care tailored to individual needs. Many individuals search for Subutex treatment near me to access effective medication-assisted treatment that helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. This form of therapy, when combined with counseling and lifestyle changes, provides a solid foundation for long-term recovery. By connecting with nearby resources, patients benefit from consistent monitoring and a support system that understands their unique challenges, ultimately guiding them toward a healthier, substance-free life. Support groups offer more than temporary relief — they create a sustainable model for lifelong sobriety. They transform shame into solidarity, weakness into wisdom, and loneliness into belonging. Long after treatment centers are left behind, the circle remains. It listens. It lifts. It lasts. In the end, sobriety isn't sustained through willpower alone. It is nurtured through connection — the kind that only support groups can consistently offer. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
New Paper
16-07-2025
- New Paper
Legal agility needed to tackle drug-laced vapes in Singapore: Experts
Medical experts have called for legal agility to tackle vaping, which they say has evolved into a harmful and dangerous scourge with more drug-laced e-vaporisers detected. Their comments come in the wake of an announcement on July 12 by the Government, which signalled the possibility of tougher enforcement laws to tackle vaping amid a spike in seizures of e-vaporisers laced with the anaesthetic etomidate. Mr Yip Hon Weng, MP for Yio Chu Kang SMC, who agreed that enforcement laws need to be enhanced, noted that Singapore already has some of the world's toughest drug laws. "But as the landscape evolves, so must our legal tools. "There is perhaps scope to go further - for example, by explicitly including combo drug-vape products under the Poisons Act, and granting the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) clearer jurisdiction the moment drug traces are detected," he said. There have been similar legal updates in the past, Mr Yip said, adding that when Subutex and glue sniffing became threats, the law evolved to empower CNB with the tools to respond. The same legislative approach can and should apply to drug-laced vapes, he said. "Our laws should empower swift updates to controlled substance lists - not wait for the next tragedy to force a response," added Mr Yip. Singapore's laws around synthetic drugs, or new psychoactive substances (NPS), were amended in June 2024 to regulate them based on their effects rather than specific chemical structures. Further amendments came into effect in 2025 to tackle new compounds that continue to be detected each year. Professor Teo Yik-Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said current laws need to also keep up with the technology used to deliver synthetic drugs. "Our narcotics laws need to be updated to capture some of these new changes in technology, where the delivery system now is using e-cigarettes and vapes," he said. "So, effectively, if I am a police officer and I catch someone with a vape, and I detect that the vape cartridge is actually a Kpod... the person is not just caught for vaping, but also caught for possession of narcotics. "Suddenly... you will realise that the penalty increases so significantly that people now have a fear of just taking Kpods." Although vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, the Health Sciences Authority still seized more than $41 million worth of e-vaporisers and their related components between January 2024 and March 2025. This is a significant spike from the $95,460 worth of seizures across 2019. In the first nine months of 2024, about 9,680 people were caught using or possessing vapes. This is more than the 7,838 people caught in the whole of 2023. Assistant Professor Yvette van der Eijk from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said that what has encouraged the spread is the marketing of vaping products from other countries. "If an influencer from, say, Indonesia promotes vaping products, that content can still reach young Singaporeans. "Also, for a policy to be effective, it must be properly enforced, and people must be aware of its rationale so that they accept the policy. Stronger enforcement in the community and more education would be helpful," said Prof van der Eijk. Starting young While some have argued for regulating vaping rather than an outright ban, recent studies in Britain have shown that regulations do little to limit access to e-vaporisers, including those laced with drugs. In Britain, vaping is legal for those above the age of 18, although disposable vapes have been banned across all age groups since June 1, 2025, to address environmental concerns and to protect young people from nicotine addiction. Professor Christopher Pudney from the University of Bath in Britain said his research showed that vapers there start young, between the ages of 13 and 16. "Around the middle of 2023, we started to see a lot of media reports in the UK of children collapsing in schools, associated with vaping," Prof Pudney told ST. "So, we just tracked those media reports. And it got to the point where there was almost one report every week of a child collapsing in school, which is obviously insane." His studies also showed that schoolchildren may be unknowingly smoking vapes spiked with synthetic cannabis, also known as Spice. The researchers in his team found that out of 596 vapes confiscated across 38 schools in England, one in six contained Spice. Prof Pudney, a biotechnology expert, said tests his team conducted have also picked up traces of heroin, MDMA (commonly found in Ecstasy) and ketamine in seized vaporisers. He used the world's first portable device, which is able to detect synthetic drugs in vapes in 30 seconds, to trace the chemicals. Despite these advancements, Prof Pudney said that when a drug in e-vaporisers is detected by the authorities there and made illegal, organised crime groups would subtly change the drug composition and flood the market with the new product. Mr Yip said he is aware that CNB and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are already building up rapid-testing and toxicology capabilities to detect novel substances in vape liquids. Etomidate is known to cause a type of muscle spasm called myoclonus, which patients may describe as tremors, said Dr Clare Anne Fong, associate consultant at the Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital. It can also result in difficulties in processing thoughts and altered sensory experiences, such as numbness and tremors, she added. A person should seek medical attention when he displays such symptoms. "As the dosing is unpredictable, there is a risk of sudden unconsciousness and respiratory failure, which can be life-threatening," said Dr Fong. "Coughing out of blood is also dangerous as it can result in breathing difficulties and low oxygen levels, especially if the volume of blood is large." Dr Sharen Tian, a family physician at Raffles Medical Group, said that when etomidate is misused via vapes, it can induce euphoria and dissociation, leading to psychological dependence. "Abusing etomidate through vaping can lead to severe health complications," she told ST. "The identified adverse effects include nausea, muscle spasms, respiratory depression, seizures and psychosis." Initially, adult smokers seeking alternatives were the primary users of e-vaporisers, said Dr Tian. However, recent data indicates a surge in adolescent usage, with cases involving individuals as young as 13 years old. Mr Yip said that current standard hospital tests may not always pick up new synthetic substances unless they are specifically looking for them. Parents should therefore not take a "clean" test result at face value if their child is showing worrying signs: confusion, seizures, erratic or zombie-like behaviour. "One way is to insist on a comprehensive toxicology screen, and alert medical professionals to the possibility of vaping-related drug intake," he said. Mr Yip added that accident and emergency staff, clinicians at the Institute of Mental Health, school counsellors and general practitioners should also be updated regularly on new trends in drug-laced vapes, so they can respond appropriately. "Most importantly, talk to your children. These are no longer 'just vapes'. They are chemical cocktails disguised in sleek devices - or as I call them, 'vapes with a twist of terror'," he said. Border checks Breaking the wave of e-vaporisers and Kpods requires sharper and more coordinated enforcement, from stepping up checks at the borders to tightening screening at parcel processing centres, said Mr Yip. He added that it is critical to track deliveries and follow the trail to arrest not just buyers, but also the local distributors and peddlers. Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority already do this with cigarette smuggling syndicates, framing the issue as an obligation to ensure the security and safety of Singapore. "The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore," the agencies had said previously. Mr Yip said enforcement efforts must also go digital. "We should leverage AI-powered surveillance to scan darknet markets, Telegram groups and smuggling forums, where new trends often appear first," he added. While acknowledging that the authorities are already collaborating across agencies and also working with regional counterparts, Mr Yip said this must be scaled up further. Beyond enforcement, public awareness matters, he said, noting that many people still do not know how to report such offences. Mr Yip added: "Today, reporting to HSA relies on a weekday office line (it is on their website). A suggestion would be for 24/7 hotlines, online reporting or even integration with the OneService app. "We also need to reach young people where it matters - on the platforms where syndicates target them, like Telegram and social media. "Community education, peer-led interventions and even celebrity-driven cautionary campaigns could help shift perceptions." Mr Yip said that as a father of five young children, he has got "skin in the game". "This is more than just a policy challenge - it is a growing threat in schools, community and online spaces. "The recent case involving teenagers reportedly behaving erratically after inhaling drug-laced Kpods outside a Punggol mall is not just worrying - it is a red flag. "These devices are not only illegal, but they are also dangerous and designed to avoid detection," he added.
