I'm hoping to get a few experiences of group therapy. I've actually had some in the past when i was at a theraputic community but i was far too young, this was about 5 years ago. My therapist has brought up the idea of group therapy to help with my anxiety. I really want to, but from past experiences, I am left feeling pretrified! I get nervous even around my friends and I shake around strangers and I'm really scared about going to a group that is already established. I know they were all new comers at one stage.
How did you first talk in the group? How did others respond? Are/was there people you obviously found it a lot harder to communicate and if so, how are they helped to speak? Do you find group therapy equal to individual or does it help more to be in a group?
I was so nervous in the groups at the cassel that i just sat there literally the whole time dreading being asked to speak and as a result i didnt take in anything from them.
sticks and stones may break your bones but words can tear your heart out.
I have been in group therapy before and I found it really helped. I also suffer from anxiety and hardly spoke at first but once I got to know the others in the group, it got easier and they commented that I looked more at ease and was taking part in the conversation more. I found it really helped but I guess everyone's experience is different. Good luck!
I haven't had formal group therapy as such but I've been to a "recovery course" over a year ago (SW London NHS trust runs these recovery courses) which was based on working and talking as a group. It was extremely hard at first as I kept going mute but eventually I realised that everyone there had experienced IP before and they were actually very nice people. I am still in texting contact with one of the people in the course :)
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
Thanks Oly for sharing that. I know you find it difficult in group settings too so if you managed to talk then I should be able to.....I hope! I'm just scared I will sit there shaking or fidgeting and lol, erm I sort of have this fear that I will shake so violently that I will fall on the floor and it will turn into some sort of fit. it's never happened but I get scared it will.
sticks and stones may break your bones but words can tear your heart out.
I'm finding my group therapy quite tough at the moment. I'm not very conversational in general, especially with people I don't know, so don't always know how to relate or give feedback though I'm generally okay about talking about myself, which sounds awful!
Different people find it easier to start talking in different ways. I know some people find it quite hard to start talking about themselves and find it easier to link in with other people, so for example someone could say something you relate you and you could say something like "I feel like that too". People may ask then if you can say any more than that, and if you can, then great, if not, just say so. It can be really helpful for the other person to know that someone can relate to them.
It helped me to start talking to other people in groups by asking them a question or two to begin with as well, or to ask the whole group a question. Apparently intelligent people ask lots of questions, so it's okay!
I think individual therapy and group therapy are helpful in different ways. In individual, you get to talk more about yourself perhaps than in a group because there's a longer time to focus on you. But in groups, it's really helpful to talk to people who have had similar experiences and can understand, and even the group dynamics can bring up a lot of issues to work through which can feel difficult but also really helpful.
I haven't had group therapy, but I'm in a "Depression self-manegement" group I've only had 2 meetings so far, but I find it v tricky to get going I fidget constantly haha, but everyone is in the same boat, and you open up and become more comfortable eventually. Although I'm the quietest in the group, it's still nice to meet others who just understand!
Let the Force be with you
I'm not short, I'm space efficient
Thanks Oly for sharing that. I know you find it difficult in group settings too so if you managed to talk then I should be able to.....I hope! I'm just scared I will sit there shaking or fidgeting and lol, erm I sort of have this fear that I will shake so violently that I will fall on the floor and it will turn into some sort of fit. it's never happened but I get scared it will.
You're welcome. I think you will be able to do it. I found it easier if I got to the group really early, so that I wouldn't walk into the room with a large group of people, but people would filter in slowly and I could adapt to the situation slowly instead of being thrown into a scary situation too quickly.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
