nemorensisCasual Contributor
Group Support
Hi there!
Hope you're as well as can be expected.
I'm writing as a person with a living experience of mental distress. That is to say that sometimes they make me go to the hospital for bipolar. I don't usually want to go. That creates some tension.
Anyway, I'm happy to say that I've pivoted from being a consumer to being a carer for people experiencing mental distress in the context of an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit.
We run a number of groups for folk on the ward, Art Therapy, Coffee Club, Games, Coping Strategies, Post-Discharge Support and so on. There's a whole raft of groups. But I'm trying to figure out where I fit in. I haven't engaged much with groups when I've been in hospital. I have the opportunity to run groups for consumers on the ward, and maybe make their time here a little bit more palatable. Most of the creative fields are covered, with music groups and dance groups and art groups and drama in abundance. I'm not sure what I can bring to the mix that adds something unique.
So I'm wondering.
What group/social spaces have helped you throughout your journey?
Not just in hospital, as I don't expect you've all been there for mental distress, but rather out in the community or whatever.
What group context has helped you?
Ideas I've had:
Role Playing Group (where I facilitate something like Dungeons and Dragons but way more rules light and improvisational for a group of folk).
Ward Life (where we discuss coping strategies for being in hospital)
Living Experience Discussion Group (where we discuss mental adversity and its role in our life) - [This one might be a bit above my paygrade as people are experiencing really difficult and traumatic events when they're in hospital and it might require a defter hand to navigate. Not that I think I couldn't, but it actually might just make me a bit uncomfortable. In a 1:1 conversation, I don't mind if people bring up potentially triggering topics, but if in a group setting they happen to trigger others, I would feel responsible for that.]
Any input into what you have found helpful would be amazing!
Thanks.
