Red
I go to a live group of CBT (but most of us are dead at the time). What happens is we use a book that everyone reads, we read a chapter from it. Then three members give an example first the situation, then the symptoms they produced, then what tools we used to change our thinking. Then the remainder of the group comments on the example given using what we call spotting (alternative thinking) on the firsts persons example. Not to judge or to say what the person giving the example was wrong but to reinforce or own thinking patterns and give insight to the other persons example (something they may have mist). A new member came from another group where they sat around and gave examples of situations they had a hard time in and (as he said) the group tries to console the person and tries to help. Our new group member did not find this group particularly helpful. To each as our own.
Things that I get from the group are camaraderie with other people suffering from the same problems and a feeling that you are not alone. As we tend to do when we have a mental illness we feel isolated partly becuase of society stigma that does not allow one to talk about it and partly are own fault. Einstein said the moment you say I had a panic attack you are identifying your isolation becuase you are making it yours. If you can say my body is having an attack, tension, or anxiety you have taken the you out of the equation and become a member of society. I do not know if you are far enough along to know that our fear reaction of anxiety to situations we are confronted with is far in excess with the facts of the situation. For me going into a building where I have developed an association with attack. My response that is happening in my body far outweighs the threat. In fact I cannot think of a threat going in to the building other then I do not want the sensation of an attack. I think many people have said it's not the situation you fear it is the sensations.
One thing that also comes from the group as we recognize similar traits in or selves. Like perfectionism, imagination on fire when in a new situation, do not like change, we think that people are staring at us when we are panicky, when the majority of the time that do not know or could care less. You would be surprised how much people do not think about you, but we think about everyone else as if they think like us.
So if I were to give advise go for the group experience it helps you feel less isolated but if there are a few groups around then find the right one for you. That does not mean going once and deciding it is not for you, you have to give it a chance. You will also find that there is anxiety to going to a group becuase there are a lot of what if. The only thing I can say is everyone who went to the group for the first time had the same problem, you could use the challenge your thoughts sheet. Or face you fears and your fears will go away.
Dizzy
Dizzy
