I am starting group therapy. Since I am still a dependent, my parents pay for it. For whatever reason, they’re claiming they can only afford it once or twice a month. I know, it sounds bratty, but my parents don’t hide from me how much money they make so I know they can afford weekly. My mother texted me to “omg grow up” when I said once a month won’t help at all. To which I said, "Grow up? You do not experience what I experience. You do not live though the things I do. You do not feel the things I feel. You don’t understand what I am going through. You have no place to tell me to grow up because I am doing the best I can and you know what? That is pretty fcking grown up." And I guess she felt bad and she apologized. But, you know, still hurt she would pull that. She sometimes isn’t as understanding or accepting about this whole thing as other people, which is why I’ve been avoiding going home. She knows I’m struggling and they chose to update the house and that is why we are “tight on money”, even though they knew I’d be going weekly. But whatever. I’m sorry. I know that sounds btchy and stupid and I feel stupid for being upset over it but they approved me and encouraged me to go every week.
But point is, is group therapy twice a month beneficial? Is it really worth it?
I’ve been in several groups. I honestly can’t tell if they helped me. I guess I could say simply that they were an “experience” that I can look back on as taking the right steps and doing what was suggested to me. A step in the right direction. Actually I can only remember one group that helped me and that was because it was small and a few people seemed to like me in it. But I’ve been in vocational programs or mental health housing or day programs that required informal group therapy. I tend to clam up in groups and I always feel like I’m the lowest one there which inhibits me.
Before I got into the swing of things, I couldn’t go every week. That would have been too intense. Every other week was just about right as far as recovering and processing the information I got, recharging the batteries and getting the personal deflector shields up.
I’m not the new guy anymore, I’ve been fighting this for almost 13 years now, and I’m more comfortable with myself… and I still don’t go every week. I’d say, try it as twice a month and see how that feels. It might be a blessing in disguise. If it doesn’t feel like enough… then bring it up with your parents.
But then you can say… hey, I’ve been going and based on what is happening, this is why I feel I need more help. Just my humble opinion, but I’d say, check it out at twice a months.
The key is participation as 77nick77 said. If you are only going once a month to get the full benefit of it you need to participate somehow. Whether this is by opening up and sharing your experience or by helping someone else in the group with their problem.