Initiating a Quasi-Self-Help Group in North Ireland: A Case Study of New Groups for Tranquilizer Addicts

Jenny Sproule, Kerry O'Halloran, and Thomasina Borkman

---

DOI: 10.2190/KGW8-QR6F-3M1T-AH77

Abstract

An innovative format is used to describe the founding of a quasi-self-help group for tranquilizer addicts in Northern Ireland. The experiential perspective of a recovering tranquilizer addict named Kevin is used to tell his story of how and why he initiated the group as well as how the group has evolved over the past decade. A social science analysis then links Kevin s experiences in founding the group with the larger social, economic, and political context of Northern Ireland and situates the development of the group within the body of literature on self-help groups. Kevin controls the recruitment to and the dynamics of the group and uses professional knowledge acquired from training courses; these hallmarks of professionally-facilitated support groups in combination with its mutual aid features defines his group as a quasi-self- help group. The implications of this mixing of models for group functioning and expansion are discussed.

---

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.