Thursday group is going to be a no no

Venue for Thursday group is changing. Currently it’s at the local mind centre, 5 minutes away, but they are changing it because they think Mind haven’t welcomed them with open arms-especially the new manager there.
New venue is going to be Basildon, which is way out of my comfort zone. As i said it’s not so much the train journey but finding my way around after getting off the train. I have an abject fear of getting lost and being trapped. I think the anxiety getting there and home again will undo any benefit i get from attending.

The decision to move venue is very much to do with how the mental health professionals feel about how Mind are with them. Another issue is cost of hiring the room ,although it’s only been mentioned in the last couple of months. The service users weren’t consulted over it.

Ideally as the group is for those of us from Basildon and Southend there should be two groups but as things stand there’s only enough of us to make up one group. As things are there are three of us from the Southend area and one from Basildon. By switching to Basildon they’ll probably gain from there and lose from Southend which is just the reverse of the current situation. I think they thought numbers would increase over time but all that’s happened is one left and two joined for a net gain of one.

Have looked at Mind’s board but nothing suitable. Rethink do several groups both run by them and also independent peer lead groups which they check on from time to time. However i have been dumped by them twice for not doing groups directly run by them (The choice was limited and there was nothing that appealed). In any case the help from them including the groups directly run by them is time limited(in line with a general trend that pisses all over the chronically ill/those who aren’t going to make a quick recovery). What i did attend until it clashed with the group at Mind was a peer lead men’s group. Again-low on numbers ie on a good week 4 of us & on a bad week just me and a learning disabled bloke who hardly spoke if you spoke to him. The best that could really be said for it is it got me out of the house for about an hour. I could go back there.

Truth is i miss the drop ins but that went out with the crass obsession with time limited support/ recovery stars/mandatory living life to the full CBT/. and the idea that recovery was just a step away for all. Basically those of us with chronic mh problems got dumped on from a great height.

Feeling disillusioned and down.

I just wanted to say that I’m sorry to hear that. I was sad when my depression group ended, but the leader had to move (he was the sole caregiver for his aging bipolar wife) home to another state. Maybe if you find a buddy to go with you? Someone who knows where they are going?

I’m sorry this happened. It seems like stuff like transport and availability never seem to get taken into consideration when planning groups.

The group that comes and looks in on you and helps you, maybe they have an idea that can either get you another group or a different resource.

I hope something comes your way very soon.