PURPOSE OF THE SELF-HELP GROUP

The purpose of the self-help group is to support and to empower each other in our recovery from addiction. Also to learn ways to overcome barriers that could prevent us from recovering, from awakening our spiritual consciousness and from creating a better life. For many of us these barriers may be psychological and or cultural. These barriers may be associated with fear, anger, lack of motivation, hopelessness, low confidence, low self esteem, guilt, anxiety, depression, isolation, lack of social skills, social pressures, internalised racism, oppression, discrimination, feeling excluded, issue’s with cultural identity, spiritual crisis, shame, cultural displacement and family conflicts and relationship problems. We also address other cross addictions.

The Bac-in self-help group creates an environment of safety and trust for its members to talk about and explore sensitive cultural issues. In this environment the members are supported in re-connecting with those cultural aspects many of them would deny, suppress or feel unsafe to talk about with friends, with family, in other groups, in other self help meetings and with staff from non African/Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds.

The active principles of Bac-in encourages its members to take personal responsibility for their personal path to sobriety and to self-empowerment.

Many African/Caribbean, South Asian and Dual Heritage people are not accessing resources or completing treatment. The reasons commonly expressed are:

• The absence of cultural empathy
  
• Lack of cultural identification
  
• Distrust
  
• Under representation of culturally appropriate services
  
• Insufficient understanding of cultural stresses and cultural issues in relation to the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction
  
• Lack of psychological and cultural counselling for ‘deep rooted’ problems
  
• Lack of African/Caribbean and South Asian Counsellors/Therapists within the drug and alcohol services
  
• Lack of psychological/cultural after-care support in the community, e.g. insufficient emotional support, support with overcoming institutionalisation, low self worth, low confidence and lack of help with developing the necessary skills to rebuild broken relationships with family members, spouses and oneself.