I’ve been thinking about trying a DBSA support group, but I keep talking myself out of it. The idea of walking into a room and having to explain what’s going on feels pretty uncomfortable. I’m not sure how much I’d want to share right away, or whether I’d even know what to say.
At the same time, handling everything alone hasn’t been working that well. It might help to hear from people who understand the ups and downs without needing a long explanation. I could probably just listen at first and see how it feels.
For anyone who’s gone to a DBSA group for the first time, was it less intimidating once you got there?
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@Michael_Cox, listening at first is completely acceptable. At my first support meeting, I mostly said my name and that I was there to see how it worked. Nobody pressured me to give a full explanation.
The hardest part was getting through the door. After that, hearing people talk about familiar ups and downs made it feel less awkward. You can always leave early if it doesn’t feel right.
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@Adrian_Russell, saying you were there to see how it worked sounds like a pretty good way to handle the first meeting. It gives you something simple to say without having to open up before you’re ready.
The reminder that you can leave early helps too. I tend to treat new groups like I’m making some huge commitment, when really I can just show up, listen for a while, and decide afterward if it was useful.