Sufferers: If You Had A Ptsd Support Group In Your Community Would You Go?

[Thematrix]

If you had a PTSD support group for sufferers of any cause, not a therapy group, available in your community would you go?

What would you want from such a group? Do you think it would be helpful and in what ways?

I am thinking of pros and cons and looking for suggestions and feedback about how this could be achieved practically with few resources available.

Do you think such a group available would or would not be helpful ? If not, in what ways as well?

Is anyone doing this, if so, how is it going?

Any feedback is appreciated in advance!

 

[Lopezwhere'sthefire]

If you had a PTSD support group for sufferers of any cause, not a therapy group, available in your co...

Yes, I would go. I was considering that just before I found this site. I'll stay here for now due to that fact. I needed other points of view more than anything. What other have going on, how they deal, what they take for meds, etc etc. Been alone with this so long, I didnt know i had something that others had. Best wishes.

 

[Kintsugi]

I would totally go.

I think it would be especially helpful if it functioned a bit like a book club. You could split the year into quarters, assign a different major topic of PTSD to each quarter, and then you could do a book every month surrounding that topic (so three books to a quarter). If I were doing this, I would have a meeting every week, but I would also send an e-mail about the meeting in case other members were unable to come due to stress or other issues.

Something that wouldn't be helpful is if there was a majority of members with one trauma type who monopolized discussion upon their common ground (vets, rape survivors, child abuse victims). I think support works best within diversity with the common ground being PTSD. JMHO.

 

[kenziii]

If you had a PTSD support group for sufferers of any cause, not a therapy group, available in your co...

i would go because those people would be so understanding of what i am passing through ! they won't mock me or tell me just get over it ! they know how much i need empathy so they would listen to care not just to reply :)
my best wishes

 

[joeylittle]

I think it would be especially helpful if it functioned a bit like a book club.

This sounds really smart - especially if you don't have access to a trained peer facilitator. Getting into heavy processing of trauma without someone really comfortable in running the group - it will invariably go badly. But focusing on specific areas of potential recovery, information, even having guest speakers (trauma focused therapists, psychiatrists who can talk about advances in meds) - it could all be really cool.

 

[hodge]

I would definitely go. In fact, I looked for that around here before finding this forum. But I'm in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, and there's nothing like that here. There's not even a quit-smoking support group.

 

[The Albatross]

Yup, I'd go. Would I share my contact info? Eh, well maybe not at first.

 

[The Albatross]

P.S. If you're looking for pros and cons, then it doesn't matter what we think, they're your own ya know.

 

[Thematrix]

It is really hard to find a trained peer facilitator, seems to be a huge problem actually, I don't know if it can happen without it. Frustrating. The impression I keep getting is it is not being done and no one really wants to do it ( in that field ). I am not sure if this a monetary issue as they don't want to volunteer.

I wanted the focus to be PTSD itself and not the individual causes. I don't know how realistic that is or practically if that would be possible. If I could come up with or find guidelines and we stuck to them, that would have to help. The facilitator would also be keeping people on track but I really wanted the focus to be on peers who actually have PTSD

Great ideas and feedback everyone. I really appreciate it.

The book club idea sounds neat

Seems like there should be some kind of a PTSD support group guideline, readily available but there isn't. I am not sure why this isn't easily accessible to everybody and think it should be-you know?

There would also have to be safety guidelines of course

I also get the sense from the medical community at large that they don't understand the difference between support and a therapy group. Like its something 'new' or and also they don't want people to traumatize each other further .

That's why I wanted the focus to be on PTSD itself and somehow focus on positives ( not easy )

I also thought this might get people to come who might otherwise not go to a clinical setting

 

[The Albatross]

Ew... I would NOT be in a group with people who would not or have not been in a clinical setting. No how no way buddy.

 

[Thematrix]

P.S. If you're looking for pros and cons, then it doesn't matter what we think, they're your own...

I am looking for feedback cause the group isn't about me. I hope it would help people ( myself included yes ). I don't want anyone to be harmed because of it. Thought best place to ask for pros and cons and ideas would be here!

 

[The Albatross]

If your considering facilitating they have training.