CPTSD workbook

[NeuroBeautiful]

Hey,

Has anyone worked on the CPTSD workbook by Arielle Schwartz and found it helpful? I am having a difficult time doing it because it makes me feel alone after and craving connection. And it is also hard for me to keep doing it when I know that opening up makes it harder to close so that I can function and go to work.

I would be interested in a doing it alongside a small group with opportunity to support one another. We can have intention and reflection questions to try to start and end on a positive note like something you're grateful for or a goal you have or 1 self care commitment for the week you set for yourself. I also have a book of affirmations we can use to help us close out the session.

I haven't found any support groups that say in its description that it focuses on this. And right now attending a support group is out of my budget/time based on the ones I looked into. So I decided to try and make my own that is free/peer based and at a time that works better with my schedule (like maybe 1x a month instead of every week. This is something we can definitely discuss)

I do happen to work long hours but if anyone is interested, I would make a small group and we can perhaps arrange a virtual time to go to the chat. I would say no more than 5 people including myself but it isn't a hard time because I'm still experimenting.

If you are interested, please PM me.

I do have a couple questions to ask before I can go ahead and answer anything myself.

- This support group, will it be within the TeenHelp community?
- Where will this support group take place? On TeenHelp or elsewhere?
- Will whatever we share in the group be kept confidential?

I think it might be a good idea that if you do plan to involve just the TeenHelp community, to reach out to Robin and ask her for permission first. I feel like this would fall under the realm of "research and study" but not quite.

In one way, I like this idea of having a CPTSD group only for TeenHelp users; at the same time, it might be too upsetting for some of us. I won't say much, but I've had to stop reading a few blogs because they were too triggering for me. It's nothing against them; everyone's experiences are valid to them and their trauma are their own, but some people may not be able to stomach it.

[Celyn]

I've not worked through that CPTSD workbook but I do like your idea of a support group. It can be difficult when you want to talk to someone and yet feel alone to do so. I do agree with maybe checking in with Robin though as I understand it can sometimes be difficult when discussing traumas and ensuring the safety of all members.

I'd be curious about the group if it went ahead, however, I cannot guarantee that I would take part as I am not sure whether it would suit my needs.

[NeuroBeautiful]

Originally Posted by Celyn

I've not worked through that CPTSD workbook but I do like your idea of a support group. It can be difficult when you want to talk to someone and yet feel alone to do so. I do agree with maybe checking in with Robin though as I understand it can sometimes be difficult when discussing traumas and ensuring the safety of all members.

I'd be curious about the group if it went ahead, however, I cannot guarantee that I would take part as I am not sure whether it would suit my needs.

Originally Posted by Melancholia.

I do have a couple questions to ask before I can go ahead and answer anything myself.

- This support group, will it be within the TeenHelp community?

- Where will this support group take place? On TeenHelp or elsewhere?
- Will whatever we share in the group be kept confidential?

I think it might be a good idea that if you do plan to involve just the TeenHelp community, to reach out to Robin and ask her for permission first. I feel like this would fall under the realm of "research and study" but not quite.

In one way, I like this idea of having a CPTSD group only for TeenHelp users; at the same time, it might be too upsetting for some of us. I won't say much, but I've had to stop reading a few blogs because they were too triggering for me. It's nothing against them; everyone's experiences are valid to them and their trauma are their own, but some people may not be able to stomach it.

Thank you Meloncholia and Celyn. I am realizing now how complicated it is. I am not sure I want to continue with it. I wouldnt want to trigger anyone or even myself into a crisis.

A memtor of mine who is also a licensed mental health counselor skimmed the workbook and told me that the workbook is the kind of thing that can be done on your own. This was a few months ago. So i thought everyone agreed and that i was one of few who had a harder time doing it on my own and that's why I wasn't thinking how heavy it can potentially get so heavy. To be honest, it does have a very worbook-y tone and I can limit graphic details. The point of the workbook isn't to share as intimately as one might to a therapist. Also my goal would be to work side by side peers without necessarily sharing what one wrote. We can share experiences on how a certain exercise felt or we can share what parts of the reading sections resonated most. That kind of thing. I am not a licensed professional and I'm not expecting anyone to try to process trauma in the clinical sense.

It was a nice idea in theory; but I think it'd be complex and too much work in practice.

[MsNobleEleanor]

A lot of workbooks can be done within a peer-to-peer support environment. The one thing that is very important in the group is setting group boundaries and what is off limits to discuss/sharing as the group. Meaning, it's a peer-to-peer group and not meant for professional support.

A group can successfully do a workbook as a peer-to-peer group, discussing the workbook and it's material, while supporting one another during the lessons. Some lessons have questions and/or reflections which may not require you to share with the other group. In this workbook I am thinking, those questions are reflections are best to do alone. Any questions on the content could be discussed, anything that is heavy or off topic about someone's life it should be left to their own individual counselor/therapist.

It's no different if someone wanted a peer-to-peer group in a workbook on how to meditate or build positive self-esteem or exercising.

With limited resources which are already being stretched during the pandemic, most things are being done virtually, more creative ways to getting help for ourselves is being done. It's really amazing. I wouldn't say it's complicated. It has been done in a peer-to-peer setting successfully.

[NeuroBeautiful]

Originally Posted by Melancholia.

It was a nice idea in theory; but I think it'd be complex and too much work in practice.

I am not afraid of hard work. I will speak to Robin.