support groups - professionally facilitated or peer-led?
on 9/6/11 1:57 pm
There is a monthly newsletter, addressing one topic, which is then the topic for the support group meetings. Recent months the topics have been getting enough protein, weight regain, getting back on track, transfer addictions, depression, self-image, surviving the holidays, eating with the family. A lot of the meetings don't end up sticking too closely to the topic, but it's a good starting point.
It's not uncommon for one of the surgeons or a nutritionist to attend, but they take questions, rather than lecture.
Before surgery, I would have said I never would be a support group person. I only attended pre-surgery because it was an insurance requirement, but I'm 15 months out now, and I have no plans to stop attending.
5'10"
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
on 9/7/11 1:42 am
5'10"
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
When one person (or just a couple people) really take over the conversation and the facilitator doesn't address it, to me that is a big indication that the facilitator doesn't know how to facilitate a group. I think it's very common to have one or two people that talk a lot more than others in a group, and sometimes it might be that person just being inconsiderate of others but I think it's more likely that other group members are more quiet or shy so they don't speak up so the one that's not quiet or shy ends up talking a lot more or they just don't realize someone else might have something to say. When the facilitator just likes to hear herself talk is a whole other problem.
I think we can still get things out of a group even if it's not perfect. As long as the problems don't outweight the benefits, I would keep going too.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I attend 2 support groups per month. One is with the nurse that runs the bariatric program at the hospital. It is an ok support group. There are times, that a few people do high jack the meeting. I have learned some great things from the vets of the group. It was great to see people still coming to the support group 6 and 7 years out, and to hear about life that far out.
The second one, is a small group of about 6-8 people, we meet once a month with the psychotherapist on the bariatric team. I really like this group. We have been meeting for 2 years now. We talk about anything and everything. If you want to talk you can and if you don't its ok too. I like the second group better, mostly because it is smaller and I really like the therapist, who I also see on my own. Therapy I feel at least for myself, is such an important part of my success.
Eileen
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
