By definition, the main aim of a support group run by and for ex-users, is that of helping its members maintain the changes they have made in their lives. Membership of such a group can therefore be of great benefit but, at the same time, be a significant challenge. On top of an ex-user adapting to life in the ‘straight’ world come the possible anxieties of being part of a group that will include different personalities, wants and needs.

The group itself, although first and foremost there to provide support, will also find itself with decisions to make. These may range from the mundane to the crucial. Where and when to meet? Who and how many members to admit? Whether to seek input from an agency or whether to campaign and for what? Because these sorts of choices will need to be made between a number of people, members will need to either develop or rediscover existing social skills, including listening and assertiveness, in order to make their participation meaningful.

There is however, at least one more decision that members of a fledgling support group must make. This may be your most important judgment – how should the group actually go about its business and make its decisions? You might, like a lot of us, find yourself with a leader who makes the decisions. Occasionally you might even get to vote on something. But if you are interested in running your group democratically then read on, because there is more to democracy than sticking your hand up to vote. We should start by seeing democracy in small groups as an ideal and therefore something to aim for. In practice, this means that any group striving to be democratic will often fall short of its goal. This shouldn’t however put you off. What is important is the fact that you are trying – it is the process that is important. By setting out to run a group democratically you are also rejecting discrimination and prejudice. Problems well known to users and ex-users alike. This commitment will set you apart from many other organisations that claim to be democratic.

There are a number of features that a group should attend to in its efforts to act democratically. Firstly, what influence over its own affairs does the group hold? The group must be self-governing. Whilst you may be sponsored by a treatment agency, you must be able to draw up your own rules, with each member contributing. If the group doesn’t hold this power its efforts at democracy will be in vain. A good starting point here would be the formation of a mission statement or purpose, thrashed out amongst members, not inherited from elsewhere.

To become democratic the group also needs its members to respect the need for discussion. Talk, involving everyone affected, is essential to produce good decisions, ones that will be respected. Whilst all members will from time to time not agree with a decision reached by the group, this dissent must eventually be put to one side for the greater good. Register your dissent but then respect the decision. This will help to ensure that members don’t pick and choose what they abide with. Enshrine this commitment in a written constitution, again a group task.
The quality of your discussions is crucial. Every member must have adequate opportunities to speak. When involved in discussions members need to check themselves; am I disclosing all the relevant information I have? Am I avoiding using jargon or appealing to authority too much, usually signs of a dishonest argument? A balance also needs to be struck between respect for other members individuality and everyone’s responsibility to the group. So proceed assuming that everyone is his or her own best judge but challenge things which need to be challenged. Start with agenda setting- this should involve everyone and should continue to do so.

Most of these suggestions assume the ability to listen to others but this task should not be taken lightly. Real listening takes energy and comes before talking. When both complement each other there is a much better opportunity to reach decisions that all can own. It is surprising how much agreement can be reached when we listen to the concerns of others and then compare our own. Watch how opinions are shaped and reshaped in a way that feels really quite comfortable. If your group opts to use a facilitator this would be one of their pivotal tasks - to sense emerging consensus (In the early days of a support group it may be sensible to seek outside help with facilitation as way of developing the group’s democratic skills).

Of course, not all discussions will end in consensus and some sort of voting system will be necessary. You can explore different methods of voting keeping in mind the intention of making proceedings as democratic as possible. The group might decide to differentiate between different types of decisions and their relative importance by requiring either simple or qualified majorities in voting. Secret or open ballots can be employed. But whatever systems you use, remember it is the quality and inclusiveness of the discussions before the vote that is most important.

The group and its members will face many more difficulties. Everyone has varying communication skills, affording those more able more opportunities to speak and possibly to dominate meetings. Damaging personal conflicts may arise endangering friendship and respect, both important ingredients in the democratic recipe. Meetings may become long winded and test people’s patience and commitment. And members may drop out because of relapse not only affecting the group’s collective ability but also shaking the resolve of others.

These, and other problems could make any group think twice about the need to do things democratically. Can we be bothered? Can I be bothered? This last decision is one you can make on your own. If you do decide that democracy in your group is something worth the effort remember that all you need is a few allies and you can make a start. Do that and you will provide a quality of support to ex-users that is in short supply. You will also be sending a message to drug workers, treatment agencies, the Government and everyone else – we are trying to act democratically, are you?

Ian Merrill

A manual called ‘staying clean: setting up an ex-user support group’ is available for anyone wishing to set up such a group. although aimed at treatment agencies, we think ex-users without agency support could find some useful information in it. for a free copy write to monkey po box.