LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Why Join a Support Group? |
by Peter Robinson |
The Community Center Project of CAMP Rehoboth is sponsoring two new support groups this season, Growing Up Gay and The Retreat. Growing Up Gay is targeted to 18 to 35 year old gay men and The Retreat is open to gay men of all ages. Many people believe that support groups are intended for individuals who are lonely, depressed, anxious or who suffer from some major dysfunction in their lives. While there are support and therapy groups that target these audiences, not all support groups require participants to be diagnosed or diagnosable with neuroses or psychoses as a prerequisite for joining a group. Some support groups are formed to help individuals confront life's issues and to foster growth. Such is the case with Growing Up Gay and The Retreat. In the case of Growing Up Gay, younger gay men will be able to freely discuss issues that normally arise in young adulthood and which are shared by many gay men. For instance, when individuals are forming new love relationships, often the subject of monogamy arises. In many cases, one partner may feel differently than the other when the subject of sexual fidelity is brought up. How do couples resolve this dilemma? Individuals who attend Growing Up Gay have the possibility of learning how others have come to grips with this same issue. Another example of the potential utility of this kind of group has to do with "coming out." Some gay men are conflicted about the appropriateness of coming out at work, to friends and/or to family. When is the right time? Is there a right time? What would I be risking? Other issues individuals coming to the group might expect to encounter include: sexual obsession and/or addiction, safe sex negotiation, and socialization in and out of bars. There is great potential for learning about oneself and others in this type of group. Growing Up Gay is a drop-in group that will run all summer and throughout the early Fall. The group meets every Monday night from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Community Center, 39 Baltimore Avenue. Think about dropping in one Monday night to give it a try. The other support group, The Retreat, has a very focused theme to it. This group is intended for men of all ages who are looking to pursue happiness and fulfillment in their lives but who find they run into roadblocks in realizing their goals. In this group, men will explore their goals and try to determine what gets in the way of achieving them. The process of self-discovery requires individuals to allow themselves to be vulnerable in order to receive meaningful feedback from others in the group. Vulnerability is rewarded with the development of intimacy and close bonds to other group members. The ultimate reward can be exceptional personal growth and greater direction to the achievement of one's life goals. The Retreat is a drop-in group that will become a closed group after 10 participants commit to it. Closing the group will probably become a reality within the next few weeks, so if you are interested, please come by soon to see if this is the right group for you. The group meets every Thursday night from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. also at the Community Center, 39 Baltimore Avenue. For those who are interested in my background, I hold a Masters degree in Social Work from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and have been facilitating groups since 1983 including groups run by The Gay Men's Counseling Collective in Washington, D.C., the Hyacinth Foundation in New Jersey, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Fort Lauderdale and the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Project. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 07, June 14, 2002. |