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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on July 27, 2003, at 14:15:18
I've contacted all the usual avenues, and the only support groups are for bipolar I and schizophrenia. There is only one support group for diabetes, and that one is during the day far away from where I live and work, and meets like once a month. Doesn't seem worth it.
While I think a DBT skills training group would be valuable to me (even though I may flunk on homework), there are no outpatient DBT groups either.
I think I may be ready to tentatively try a real life group situation. But I know I haven't the psychic armor necessary to tolerate a standard psychotherapy group.
They do have Reality Inc and some 12 step programs, but I have tried those and found the groupspeak so amusing that I know that I would not be able to make a positive contribution in that environment. I don't think it's required to use the specialized language in the 12 step programs, but Reality Inc requires you to use their language if you wish to speak.
On the other hand, maybe I'm fooling myself. Maybe the real life emotions of a real life group would overwhelm my too-sensitive reception systems, leading to flaming amygdala attacks. At the debtors anonymous meeting I attended, I was flooded by the emotions of those around me and found it next to impossible to remain to the end of the meeting.
Yet... I dunno.... I am having this odd desire to interact with real people, and in an arena where my natural feelings of social inferiority will be understood and tolerated until I can work through them (and I'm a slow worker).
Posted by Tabitha on July 27, 2003, at 16:11:01
In reply to There are no support groups in my area, posted by Dinah on July 27, 2003, at 14:15:18
How discouraging. I've never heard of Reality Inc. I was lucky with 12 step groups and found some that barely paid attention to the offical program. It did get to be draining though. Since the groups were open, there were a lot of newcomers, usually in crisis and perhaps not likely to return more than once or twice, and I found that disruptive. I felt better with a bunch of regulars, and when there was a good balance of people in trouble and people doing OK.
Maybe unconventional avenues would work? I'm still researching churches, hoping for some kind of mixed social/church thing, and I found some that have study groups.
Is there any particular self-help book you like? Some of them have suggestions for starting a support group in the end. Would you ever consider putting an ad and trying to start your own group? Seems like your online moderating skills could transfer to real-world groups too.
How about a meditation group? You'd be around people, but there wouldn't be much talking, so not much to react to.
Posted by Dinah on July 27, 2003, at 17:01:16
In reply to Re: There are no support groups in my area, posted by Tabitha on July 27, 2003, at 16:11:01
I'm afraid that's where my cyclothymia becomes a big stumbling block. There are any number of things I'd like to commit to, but my mood shifts are such that there are big chunks of time when keeping up with my work and being a decent mom takes more energy than I have. I finally had to come right out and tell my minister that, because the offers to belong to this or that committee kept coming.
It did occur to me once or twice when I found that there weren't any depression support groups in our area. I found that almost impossible to believe.
Posted by judy1 on July 27, 2003, at 20:02:45
In reply to There are no support groups in my area, posted by Dinah on July 27, 2003, at 14:15:18
Did you try calling a psych hospital with a day program? They usually have groups that don't advertise. I did well with that type of structure since we were all pretty much in the same boat, but I've never succeeded in 12 steppers or bipolar groups, etc. I was just too scared. A transition that helped (and has nothing to do with support groups) was volunteering at an abused children's home. It helped me understand I wasn't alone and it made me feel good to finally be the one helping. just an idea. best of luck- judy
Posted by fallsfall on July 27, 2003, at 20:14:14
In reply to Re: There are no support groups in my area » Tabitha, posted by Dinah on July 27, 2003, at 17:01:16
Dinah,
I'm sure that you would be welcomed at the Bipolar I group, particularly if you explain that there aren't any more appropriate groups nearby.
I am in 2 support groups - one is for depression, but we have bipolar I & II, Anxiety, Borderline, etc, and all are welcome.
I'm not sure that you would find the content all that different from Babble. But it might take a different emotional meaning since the people are real.
My old therapist started the depression group a little over a year ago. She attended only the first meeting. She assigned a moderator for the group - her job is to connect with the hospital and make sure we have a room to meet in, keep the information in the newspaper current, start and end the meeting and make sure everyone has a chance to speak. I have moderated 6 times or so, in her absence. There has only been one person who didn't quite understand the rules - he kept interrupting people and talking about his own stuff. The next meeting I moderated and I made the rules crystal clear. We haven't had any trouble from him since.
The group really does support each other. Some pairs or trios see each other outside of the group. Once we "convinced" one girl to go to the hospital. There is a lot of information shared (about meds, about skills, about things that work and things that don't, opinions etc.) It really is helpful.
Most of the group members come from the Therapy Professional Association that my old therapist belongs to. I think that the therapists there send people to the group. We do get others from the newspaper.
I think it isn't that hard to start a group. I can ask our moderator if you want (I wasn't there in the beginning). The hard part is getting a moderator, sounds like you don't want to do it. You could ask your therapist if one of his other patients would be able to do it, or if he has a collegue who might have a patient who could do it. I can get other information for you, if you want.
But I'd start with the Bipolar I group and see what happens.
This is the end of the thread.
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