Has anyone participated in Group Therapy? What was your experience?

Question:

I am interested in hearing from people who have actively participated in group therapy. Whether it was DBT, CBT, etc. Did you find it helpful? What did you like about it? What did you dislike about it? Is there anything you would have wished to know ahead of time, but did not? How often did you attend, and for what duration? Were there any issues in particular it was effective for? Any issues in particular you found it to be ineffective for?

Answers:
I participate in group thereapy at a private practice that specializes in CBT. There are 8 participants, where we all attend one-on-one sessions, based on a structured therapy plan.
The group, combined with my one-on-one session provide the fundamental support I need to build knowledge and strength in dealing with problems that I previously refused to deal with or just didn't know how to.

Did you find it helpful?
Saying it's helpful is not doing it justice, it's life changing.

What did you like about it?
The group provides 4 benefits for me personally;

1. The group provides a safe forum for me to verbalize my problems. For me, letting it out if very relieving, where the pain I experience mentally isn't tangible, verbalizing it is the closing thing I can do to identify it and start dealing with it.

2. Once I put my problems out there, I get feedback from the Dr's and participents. I may or may not get information that is beneficial, but getting different information from different people with different perspective acts in opening your options in dealing with your problems. The feelings I dread the most are ones of desperation, when there seems like there are no options. This leads into number 3.

3. Identifying your pains with experiences from other people is also cleansing. When other partisipents share their experience, I feel bonded and identify with my issues on a human level. Having bonded with someone whose experiencing similar issues validates the issues are not necesarrily my fault and effect others, not just me. This helps me take some of the blame off of myself, where punishing yourself is very harmful to your well being.

4. Providing feedback to others in similar situation. There's an altruistic feeling I get from lending advice or sharing an experience that may help somone else. It feels great and elevates my moods.

These are all fundamental items in building understanding and tact in dealing with the issues at hand.

What did you dislike about it?
The only thing I dislike about the group is when a participant doesn't take it seriously or doesn't want to be there, but is forced to be there. This becomes a huge distraction and deteriorates the theraputic value a group can give.

What did you dislike about it? Is there anything you would have wished to know ahead of time, but did not?
There's really nothing you can learn or do ahead of time, as opening up about your problems to a group of strangers is not very easy for most people. It will seem a bit edgy in the begining, but over a few sessions, you get comfortable, build repore and recognize the structure of the group and find a way to fit in.

How often did you attend, and for what duration?
I attend twice a week, where each session is 90 minutes.

Were there any issues in particular it was effective for? Any issues in particular you found it to be ineffective for?
This group targeted substance abuse for young professionals in their 20's. I found it to be very effective in helping me develop strength to live my life in a healthy way, without letting substances interfere or cause negative consequences. Since I came for substance abuse only; there's nothing I can say was inefective about the program.

I went to group therapy of a very limited kind- for weight loss- both thru weight watchers, and nutrisystem. The leaders were "trained" but were hardly health care professionals. The meetings were once a week, and I found them to be useless- and did the Nutri-System plan longer- for about 6 mos. I did lose weight under both plans, but due to the food programs, not the group meetings.

that's a very involved question. maybe you should send me a msg via yahoo! answers we can IM.

i can tell you that i've done CBT and other stuff. I don't know what DBT is, but that's probably part of the "other" stuff i've done.

yes, it was helpful. things I wished i knew ahead of time: ages of other members, how big the group was, & their functioning levels. i've been to a very diverse productive group and one with very low level functioning people. i didn't fit in with the SMI group (the low functioning level people) as I don't require assistance in transportation, basic hygiene, & my personal accounting, etc. they were difficult to relate to.

i went for several months. six hours per week. two times per week, three hour sessions. i liked knowing that there were people who cared about me. people that would not judge me. people that i could identify with. sometimes someone would have a small epiphany based on something being taught or discussed and it may have been something i've had introduced to me a hundred times, but the way they understood it and could re-explain it to other members of the group would sometimes make a light go off in yourself. different perspectives were very helpful.

not as effective for me: fighting addiction. but many people were helped in this area. it's very personal, i'm sure.
effective for me: learning coping skills for situations that gave me a high anxiety level.

It was very nice, you get help you will find no where else and feeling better with others and sharing experiences sometimes is one of the best treatments! Some were rude, some were sweet, some hopeless, some ones you might like to meet. It really does depend because there is so many different people and that is whom you are doing Group therapy with so of course each Group Therapy group and session will be very different. In all I would recommend giving it a try! :)

I was in group therapy for a long time and I did not like it. I felt like I was sitting in a room with a bunch of other people with the same problems, sometimes worse, who were trying to solve my problems! Maybe it was the group but it felt like judgement day. It was like the blind leading the blind. Because they had issues too, they were cruel and insensitive at times. All groups are not like that but depending on your atate of mind, you may want one-on-one therapy.

Has anyone participated in Group Therapy? What was your experience?

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