[HealingTimes]

I have found out that there is a self-help group in my local area, and am considering going.
I have NEVER been to a self-help group before, and nobody in my RL knows i have any MH problems, so this would be a really big thing for me to do.
I have emailed the facilitator of the group, and he has given me some info about when and where the group is..but i am terrified of going!
I am not sure what to expect, as it's quite an established group.
Would i expected to introduce myself and say anything, or could i lurk at the back of the group?

What was/is your experience of a self-help group?

[HealingTimes]

EEk, i have made a spelling error in the title..how do i change that??

[shery53]

I went to a group thatwas great for 7 years really helped me just recenrly decided to go to a different group.but all in all the group did help. Everyone is warm and inviting everyone has the same problem. So I say go.

[shery53]

At The group I went to you did have ti introduce yourself but you don't have to speak other than that if you don't want to . sorry I missed that question

[HealingTimes]

Thanks Shery, thats really helpful

Oh i am so worried about it, and i dont even know why.
I live in quite a rural area, so i am worried about bumping into someone that i know, and i am worried that it'll be just a group of people sitting in a circle being depressed....i really dont know what to do.

[shery53]

Originally Posted by HealingTimes

Thanks Shery, thats really helpful

Oh i am so worried about it, and i dont even know why.
I live in quite a rural area, so i am worried about bumping into someone that i know, and i am worried that it'll be just a group of people sitting in a circle being depressed....i really dont know what to do.

It won.t be a groupof depressed people sitting in a circil.Most that are really depressed don't make it to a group. As for someone you know we say what happens in the group stays in the group and everyone seems to stick to that.

[Cocosurviving]

Originally Posted by shery53

At The group I went to you did have ti introduce yourself but you don't have to speak other than that if you don't want to . sorry I missed that question

My experience was the exact same.
We met once per month for 2 hrs.

[HealingTimes]

Thanks for the feedback.

Coco, this group is also 2 hours once a month. I have decided to try it out. If i dont like it, i dont have to go again, but i am going to see what its like.

[shortandcute]

I was going to a support group for depression through my mental health agency-I found it very helpful.

[HealingTimes]

Thanks shortandcute- do you mind me asking what kind of things happened in the group?

[shortandcute]

We met once a week. The one leading would kind of give a "class" and then we would just talk about whatever we felt like talking about.

[HealingTimes]

Thanks shortandcute, i hope mine is as relaxed

[dg1983]

Hey there Healingtimes,

I was in a depression support group at school. I had no idea what it would be like going in, but the first day we introduced ourselves, talked about our history and what we hoped to work on. It was the most emotional day I think, because it triggered a lot of emotions...

It was a 2 hour session, with some expressive arts therapy to loosen us up, then we would each talk about our week, then focus on just one issue that one person was dealing with that week and work together to support each other.

As the sessions went on, it was nice to know that a lot of us in the group had very similar experiences, despite our differences in age, gender, class, etc. It was a very humbling experience. I can't say that it helped me that much with my issues, because I was one of those people that let everyone else talk. I actually thought my issues were way too heavy and it was hard to bring up stuff especially in front of my peers. It would have been better knowing that I wouldn't run into some people on a daily basis.

But overall, I don't regret going. I was reminded of the things that I need to do on a daily basis, like more CBT techniques, mindfulness and positive self-talk. I am definitely going to need some therapy in the future, but the group was a nice addition to all the other coping mechanisms that I have in my bag...

I wish you the best on your first session!

[HealingTimes]

Thanks so much dg, that sounds like a positive experience It's made me feel more positive about going to my 1st group, thank you

[shery53]

I had to find a new group which I start this week. Old group was peer lead no leader. So things started to get out of hand. Hope new group has leader to keep order. I went to the old group for 7 years so will miss it. It did help me alot.

I went to a support group for people with depression AND bipolar disorder about a month ago. I was going through a crisis compounded by severe depression and needed to be around people who understood what I was going through. It helped me more than words can express to manage my way through my pain.

They asked each of us to state our first name, our diagnosis (if we had one), and we took turns each talking about events in our lives that we wanted to share. We all spoke for different lengths of time, some hardly at all. The meeting lasted 2 hours. Five of us had diagnosed mental health issues. Two were there because of loved ones whose presence I will address shortly.

No one seemed pressured to share if they did not want to. All were welcome. The moderator (person who was in charge) asked us before we started if any of us were students or otherwise not there for self-help. She explained that she found that, in general, someone from the group always asked people interested in studying support groups in action to leave. She said that to avoid the confrontation she always told such students that the meeting was "closed" for observation. I appreciated this gesture.

Some of the people at the meeting were there because they had loved ones with depression/bipolar disorder and were trying to find out more about the subject than they could find in books or the internet. Again, we had a brief discussion about whether we felt safe including these "outsiders" in the group. No one objected, so they were allowed to stay and participated as much as anyone who had a diagnosed mental health issue. If anyone was uncomfortable with them, I'm sure they would not have been judged if they asked the "outsiders" to leave.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of any support group. If you are afraid that someone may speak about you outside of the group, I suggest you express your concern as soon as you have your turn to address the group.

I was also very nervous, afraid, and anxious about attending the group. I have only been to one meeting, but find myself looking forward to the opportunity to attend my next one.

(PS: I LOVE England and have had the good fortune of visiting there 3 times many years ago. One thing that surprised me about your country was the negative attitude I thought I sensed about people seeking help for mental health through therapy and medications. I know that the United States has a stigma about people with psychological problems, but the English people I encountered were shockingly dismissive about such issues. I am very pleased to observe that you have a group you can attend despite being in a rural area. I guess what I am trying to say is that I admire your nation a great deal and that I hope that any social stigma does not prevent you from seeking help.)

[HealingTimes]

Thank you so much, gooseANDbear, what a lovely reply
When i sent my email to the group facilitator asking about the group, the first thing i was emailed back (with a 'Hello' and details about when/where the group is held) was a list of group ground rules and confidentiality. That made me feel better, as it was evident that it was taken seriously and was important to the group.

In regards to my country- yes, you are correct, there seems to be a lot of stigma attached to mental health problems, and not many people are willing to admit to them, and feel a great sense of shame. I think it must be that 'stiff upper lip' thing, as everyone walks around with a 'I'm fine' façade, yet all it is is a façade. Sad really.

Thanks for your input