[silentandscared]

l went to my group therapy session yesterday and two members of the group started shouting and screaming at each other and one was verbally abusive. Don't feel that l can carry on going as no longer feel safe there. can' t get it out of my mind don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be great

[sunrise]

silentandscared, was there any norm setting done at the beginning of group therapy with the whole group? This would involve the participants, with guidance from the facilitator, setting standards of behavior for the whole group. If a norm was set that group members would not shout and scream at each other, then violation of this norm should be pointed out.

That said, experiencing what you describe, as an onlooker, would probably be very good for me in group therapy. I wilt at the sound of a raised voice or at hostile intent, and yes I guess you would say I don't feel safe. I just retreat. It might be useful to me to be exposed to strangers yelling at each other. This would be less threatening to me than if people I know or love were yelling at me. So I might become desensitized to this behavior in an impersonal environment. So I might like to take on the challenge of learning to tolerate this sort of behavior, of learning that it is not necessarily unsafe to be present when people yell.

[MissCharlotte]

Silent,

Can you discuss this with T? Is your individual T the moderator of the group as well? I think you need to discuss your reaction with either your T or the group facilitator or both.

T and I have discussed group therapy and together we decided I am not ready yet for group talk therapy. He doesn't want me to get over stimulated. I know that if that happened and I was in the group I wouldn't be able to handle it at all--not only in the moment, but it would continue to bother me afterward.

Good luck Silent. And place a phone call to T!

[Mouse_]

When in after care 6 odd yrs ago, I was the client that had the emotional outburst. The counsellor had triggered me by explaining how we should trust our peers in the support group.

SOme of the other clients were upset by my outbursts, proberbly it played into their own latent feelings of anger and rage which we all have.

The counsellor spoke to the group and said how they should use the experience, some of the group were ok, but the majority wouldnt even talk to be me afterwards (oh my bad LOL), none of them had the depth to see the pain I was in and found it easier to point the finger.

I see everything as a learning curve.