So I've been contemplating going to this support group for a number of weeks, and recently my job site shut down for the week, so I'm free to attend one today. So here I am sweating trying to work up the nerve to even call for information. Maybe I'm not even to the point where I can talk to other real life people. I keep on making excuses not to call, or go down. Even this is a stalling attempt; it feels like.
Just started in my first support group last week. It wasn't nearly as nerve wracking or scary as I thought it would be. Just keep in mind you don't have to talk much if you don't want to. Heck even if you just say, "Hi my name is (blank), and it took all my courage to just come here today." they are going to respect that. The only thing that surprised me was how in many ways we were all just average guys. If you do go, be sure to reach out to the lead facilitator to talk over what to expect. They will be able to allay your fears. I made sure to give myself a few moments in the car to do some deep breathing before going in to the group. That helped a lot.
My experience with what little real world support I had--2 PFLAG meetings--was that it was scary going in the first time, but once there, I felt a lot better.
Thanks SimpleMan and BMC77, I did manage to work up the nerve to call the center for information. (After the third of fourth cigaret)That was incredibly awkward. Loads of "Umms" and "Uhhs" Now I gotta get my butt into the car and actually drive down there. Should I show up early? Or just walk in at the time? Ugggh
Let us know what you ended up deciding to do. Show up early worked well for me, but I can see the advantage of not really giving yourself time to change your mind too. Even just the act of making that call required you to confront some of your fears. Definitely a step forward today you should be proud of!
I went to an lgbt support group and actually made a few friends from it. I was the same way at first and one day I just looked on their website to get the info and meeting times and I showed up. The first visit was pretty overwhelming, I ended up going again a few months later and I loved it, unfortunately with my work schedule I can't go anymore
For those of you who went, were the groups specialized in any way (age or preference or...) or were they just a mishmash of all sorts? Did you do any private sessions before joining the group?
I think it depends on the group. Groups vary wildly as for policies. The PFLAG chapter I went to, for example, is open to anyone who wanders in. It's mostly support for people who have LGBT family/friends, but had no problem with me being there. On the other hand, I know of a support group in Seattle (which is apparently quite good) that is restricted to men who've been married/partnered, and they are, I gather, biased towards (but don't demand) that the men be fathers.
