That group you're attending sounds quite forced. I'm attending encounter groups which are fluid and closer to the reality of social interactions. Anyone is free to talk whenever the person wants to. If someone "abuses group resources/time", or is "silencing" someone else, the group or the facilitator can intervene.

Each encounter group is very different though, it largely depends on the people who attend. A friend of mine attends support groups for addicts. They work on a similar basis. Everyone gets to talk, everyone gets to update, everyone gets to be involved. A difference between these support groups and encounter groups is that in encounter groups you can chose to stay quiet. Where it helped me the most is to recognize the responsibilities I can take for myself and act upon them. It was a big proponent of my personal development, because I used to "cut corners" way too much when it came to myself.