When I started attending group at Renew I felt so alone in this world of an eating disorder....but at Renew in my group I have found a wonderful group of women that are supportive, understanding and a group with which I can completely engage. I have found refuge in my Monday morning group and find that it is a stabilizing force in my fight against my eating disorder. LS-41
My group at Renew is a true gift of wonderful women learning to live a life without eating disorders. Group is a place to go and truly feel people understand and can relate. Group has helped me separate facts from the lies that Ed speaks. Group, for me, is a lifelong relationship with great people, a super therapist, and a wonderful tool in retaining my recovery.
I would recommend group for anyone who is in need of an extension to the treatment they received in the hospital. It is a great tool that can reinforce the same ideas they have been taught and give the support of others. I would also whole heartedly recommend group to anyone struggling with thoughts of ED in any capacity. Everyone is so accepting and understanding. It may feel like a daunting task, but once you make that step you won't regret it. JA- 41
Group is a place where I can be my true self, where I am surrounded by others who understand my experiences, and when I leave I don't feel alone. I am no longer alone. AK 41
I thought I didn't need group until I started going. I can release the truth about myself and my fears. No one judges me or criticizes me. I am heard, supported, and given feedback by others like myself. They understand me. AK 41
Being a part of group made me feel accepted for who I am; it is the first place I've found where I can take off my mask. Group has helped bring hope for recovery back into my life. – MC- 23
When I heard the benefits of what group therapy could do for me I wanted to be a part of one. However, the reality of being real and open with other people left me feeling scared and exposed. I was so nervous on the first meeting day; in fact I think we all were feeling vulnerable. After sitting in that room for about an hour I thought that this group thing was turning out like I thought it would. I'm sitting here with a small group of women about my age with eating disorders and we can talk openly identifying with each other problems. Okay, maybe this can help...and then it happened.
It took over an hour when one brave woman had the guts to let down her mask and express the bloody raw condition of her heart. Her simple words pierced me like a red hot sword until my insides were warm and my eyes were stinging to hold back the tears that I had refused too many times. "Me too, me too, me too, ME TOO!!!!!" She gave me the words to finally identify what I could not see or accept in myself.
I had survived by being numb and having a "form" of confidence. Living a life of logic with little emotion has made my journey of recovery a little more difficult. How Group has been so vital for me is it has let me hear the hearts (the good, the bad, and the ugly) of others that feel so similar to me. Because of my protective numbness, time after time things that have been said have broke through the walls and brought healing. Things will be said in a way that you may not have thought of before and something will finally click.
Group is a place to belong. You are truly cared for. As we all walk our paths there are things that we learn together. You will feel support without judgment. You will be listened to with validation. Group is worth the risk of being vulnerable. – TS 42 |
