Group Sessions

[Wagon]

My group unfortunately is in the ditch. I think the only military guy there may be an Iraqi or Iranian man. Abt half the group changed the second time around. "Professional Groupies" have now appeared, people that seem to know the drill way too well.....it is supposed to be the same group every time..all at the same level.

It has been good for comedic value. During one exercise we went around the room and everyone showed their favorite relaxation technique. When the Iranian guy had his turn he grabs his chest (like he's grabbing his tits) and then starts to rub them slowly in circles.............Everyone is supposed to then do the same thing. Half the group is female.......very interesting. Being the squid I am I thought about jerking off.......but was uncertain about the groups participation as many refused to rub their tits. I just don't have time for non team players.

I think I'm going to give this a miss and just start going to Yoga and cut to the chase. I can very much see where this is good...but the group dynamic has to be correct and comfortable. Mine is a bit of a joke. Typical Norwegian shit. So very careful of everyone's feelings, they just miss the point completely.

Good luck with group Dustin. Hopefully it is veteran based. Demand quality. If it ain't working....NEXT!!!

 

[JarHed]

So, today will be my first group session. Wish me luck.

Hey Dustin

Best of luck and as Wagon says; Demand Quality. If it ain't working.......NEXT!!!

Jar

 

[Zipperhead]

Wow, 've never heard of an Arab with a sense of humour before. Wish I had seen that Wagon.

 

[Squaddiedave]

Should try living in Germany, the whole nation seems to be lacking in Humour!!!

 

[Sarg]

Give it a shot, Dustin. My first group, I went to two sessions and quit. Too many things coming from too many directions. My Vet Center therapist got me to go back. Once I learned to say, "hey, I want to talk now", I started to really get in to the swing of it. Turned out be some of the best brothers I've had the pleasure.

Group I'm in now was just blah! Then, yesterday, it took off. We had a new guy come in that didn't know shit about the VA claims system and everybody was chiming in on who, where what, ect. It was great. Started to watch each other's six.

Try it. If it doesn't work, down the road. But remember, that groups are as different as the people that make it up. Also, a good moderator really sets the stage. Beats the hell out of the first one I had up here. Told we could no longer talk about suicide because it was too depressing!!!! She should have stuck to rocket science.

Sarg

 

[Dustin]

Group wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'll keep going as long as it seems to be productive.

 

[JarHed]

Group wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'll keep going as long as it seems to be productive.

Hey Dustin

Glad to hear that group went well for ya'. You also get out it what you put in as well.I had mine yesterday. It's always good, great bunch of guys and the doctor that's our therapist and moderator is terrific. It does give me a lot to think about afterwards. Sometimes it things that I hadn't considered so it like peeling off another layer of the onion.

Jar

 

[Anglesachse]

Great news Dustin, Like Jar has said, you get back what you put in.

Manly Pat on the back! I`ll leave the Cyber hugs to the Navy guys LOL

 

[Wagon]

Nice work Dustin. And you are correct. As long as it's productive.

 

[Sarg]

Another thing about groups I've been in, is they don't start really going good until everybody takes ownership of their group. I don't mean everybody jump up and start talking, I mean like really listen to what one of the guys is saying and get behind him. Identify with him. Some guys don't like talking about what's bothering them, so you really have to listen.

And them talk about your experiences in that area. Once everybody understands that the group was in the shit the same as them, you start to bond.

I remember once, we were in some slam damn hurry for some reason and one of the guys started talking about how close he had come to committing suicide, then it got passed over and when it came my turn to talk, and I said whoa! Hold up here, this guy is talking suicide, we better listen to this guy and help. And we did. And when the meeting was over, we gathered around this guy and said " Hey, we got your six, what do you need, what can we do".

THAT'S when the healing starts. Some groups never achieve this. It's work. It's caring. You cared about your battle buddy when the shit was hitting the fan...how is group different?

Sorry about the rant, but group is a tremendous tool of healing, if you put the work in.

Sarg

 

[Tim Cake]

Sarg: From one old fart to another -- fuk'n "A"

 

[Anglesachse]

That was one of the biggest problems in the group I was in.

Too many people all wound up in their own unfair worlds to care about others. I kid you not, 2 civvy lasses in the clinic group started a ull blown fight because one of them had been in the shower when the other wanted to go to the toilet. That was there impossible world. And I got the bollocking from the therapist for laughing out loud at there problem.

There was just no reason to speak up and talk because these 2 would allways start. Twice a week for 4 weeks untill one left. "You can`t block the bathroom like that" not like evey room had one, and one huge bathroom at the end of the ward for all to use. Something like 9 toilets on the whole ward FFS. "Go use another you dumb bitch!"

Was one of the things that convinced me I was Sane and doing OK, because I wasn`t that far f*cked up that the sharing of the toilet had become my biggest problem.

Maybe at the time I should have looked at it more seriously, Maybe some people just never realise how good they have it, that that is there biggest problem. Maybe a civvy clinic was just the wrong place for a Vet.

Either way, I survived and am doing good most of the time. So it must of helped one way or another. And days like that in the Clinic put a smile on my face these days instead of winding me up. All peachy on the Western front.