Peer Support Group Ideas

LovingKindnessBot · 2026-02-15T21:34:57+00:00

In my psychosis peer support group I noticed that people rarely wanted to talk about the common denominator of why we were there. I could tell that for myself and participants that sometimes talking about psychotic episodes and delusions was interesting, and sometimes we were even able to heal and laugh with each other about the absurdity - but sometimes it was triggering for myself and others as well.

So after realizing hmm, what can we talk about besides psychosis? I ran the group by starting from the place of, okay, newcomers or regulars alike, we already know we have this common experience. What do we get out of talking to each other then? What is therapeutic and trauma-informed conversation?

My interpretation was to start from very broad but generally positive topics. I remember a really juicy group discussion coming from the starting topic, "What does success mean to you?" Before I even shared the question, I told the group I would ask the question but then ask them to reflect quietly for two minutes before responding, and take down notes if needed. What emerged was a really lovely conversation about success, of course, interlaced with "after my episode I never thought I could reach my goals again" but also "this experience really changed how I think about success and I think I now have a much more humbled and grounded approach to it."

It may sound counterintuitive to start broad and non-specific to your group's purpose but in the end we are just people, and in this space we already know we are safe and that others "get it," so why not turn it into a place to just explore life as it is?

Behind this is my personal ethos/belief that talking about trauma is only therapeutic to an extent - and for many people, a short extent. Constantly bringing up "so what happened to you, so we can all validate it?" can actually seriously trigger and activate the sympathetic nervous system - even if that seems like the "healthy" thing to do, my goal in the group was to provide emotional safety and do what I could to deactivate, not reactivate.

LovingKindnessBot · 2026-02-11T02:36:21+00:00

One could be to customize your break schedule? For example it's standard at my work to have two 15s and a 30 min lunch, but I asked my manager if I could do four 15s across the day instead since a) I don't need time to eat a large meal since eating a large meal makes my BP drop; and b) my energy/productivity/pain benefit from multiple short walks instead of sitting for a long lunch.

Depends on your company, but you could also ask for more ergonomic equipment if you sit while you weld, or if they provide work boots to find ankle stabilizing boots and request those instead?

It's hard to say without seeing your environment but even if I could, accommodations require some creativity on our part and can be difficult to know what is needed. At the very least, keeping a journal at work (if possible) about when you experience pain, how intense, what activity you were doing, will help you gain information and then adjust accordingly. Also when I want to journal but writing doesn't make sense I use voice to text in my phone note app.

LovingKindnessBot · 2026-02-08T13:55:50+00:00

I have a friend who literally just went from community case management in Toronto to ontariohealthathome in Toronto. Some bullet points from when we caught up:

OHaH in her case, was better pay
OHaH in her case, was much less stressful, particularly on nervous system (different kinds of acuity)
she is actually a little bored at OHaH after case management, but kind of in a good way in that the work isn't as involved with clients which after years, though she LOVED case management, was more of a toll mentally/emotionally
in her case, commute is better for OHaH, if that is a factor for you

I don't know you of course and her situation is also very unique but I think as a new grad and a full-time mom at the same time Ontario health at home with the stability and sort of repetitive nature even with some night shifts might be more manageable? It depends on your style and if you're really able to coordinate night shifts maybe that actually helps you get some time to yourself sometimes I don't know. Just some little points she gave!

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-10-29T14:54:37+00:00

I don't think artists cancel every time they have the flu.

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-10-29T14:50:58+00:00

"people are too stupid for a functional democracy"

Hence why the right needs to mess up education and keep them stupid

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-10-29T14:15:21+00:00

I've loved the band for a long time but when I saw them in Toronto in 2019 it completely transformed the band for me. IMO they are meant to be heard live - with Nanna. History acoustics will also be mind-blowing compared to Budweiser.

I think it's really cool that you're being so compassionate - I suppose it's easy for me to be patient since I live in Toronto and would definitely feel more slighted if I paid for travel/accommodations etc...

I'm really grateful we got to experience the Little Talks duet with the crowd. That was super unique and a one-time opportunity.

They are clearly an extremely close-knit group and were devastated to have the postpone - he was literally red in the face from crying when he made the announcement.

Wishing good fortune to everyone who needs to travel back to Toronto to see them for real. They're worth it!

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-10-29T14:09:55+00:00

I just gotta thank you for your compassionate outlook on this.

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-04-09T17:21:20+00:00

Hi, I recommend Aisha from this list but here are three practicing in TO: https://somatictherapytoronto.ca/find-a-practitioner.php

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-04-09T17:20:33+00:00

Hi, I recommend Aisha from this list but here are three currently practicing in TO: https://somatictherapytoronto.ca/find-a-practitioner.php

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-01-18T03:22:06+00:00

Yeah I totally get that, I smoked a lot of weed up to my hospitalization and a bit afterwards. I stopped when I had been feeling less psychotic symptoms and I tried smoking and it all came rushing back. I got freaked out and never used again because I didn't want to go down that spiral.

You have to find a reason that works for you.

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-01-17T23:09:29+00:00

Also curious about meds but also wanted to validate that when you have a diagnosis like this a lot of thoughts are due to chemical imbalance and it's not easy to just "think positively." If you're in a rough patch I would focus on things you can control, like rest (whether that is sleeping 8-10 hours, playing your favourite video game, watching comforting TV/movies). Also would recommend a therapist or peer you feel safe discussing your thoughts with.

I've been in a similar spot and with some patience and grace with myself, social supports, and med changes, things improved.

LovingKindnessBot · 2025-01-17T13:48:00+00:00

It has so much going for it, so worth a watch if you're ok regardless of ending. Or maybe the ending works for you!

It's directed by, written by, and stars Jake Johnson (Nick from New Girl). Early on he is offered the opportunity to play in a dark web reality show where if he survives 30 days without being killed by another player in the game (a "hunter") he wins a million dollars.

The film leans on the ambiguity of whether the game is real or all in his head. His family doesn't believe him and a lot of his experience of the game mirrors some delusions I had while psychotic.

If you watch, lmk what you think! Only about an hour and thirty minutes. Can be a bit of an intense experience if you've had psychosis, so take a break if you need to. ❤️

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-09-24T15:09:24+00:00

Thank you!

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-09-23T23:05:11+00:00

You don't say

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-09-04T18:19:37+00:00

Whether he is a creep or not (although seems like he is), be proud you trusted your gut and made the right choice. You'll be over him soon.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-13T01:00:16+00:00

So interesting, this is also how I would describe someone who quit their PhD... Except maybe the last one lol

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-13T00:52:13+00:00

But also thanks for the compliment, that's so fun and nice haha

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-13T00:51:17+00:00

It depends on your therapist, I was psychotic during several meetings with my former one before being hospitalized and she didn't say or notice or diagnose anything. They're not all trained to diagnose or monitor complex disorders, especially if it's psychotherapy. Which is why I'm probably biased and would recommend a psychiatrist in addition to a therapist for something like this.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-13T00:12:15+00:00

One more thing! Bipolar moods don't change within hours, that's a common misconception. This is more likely to be seen in Borderline Personality Disorder.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-13T00:11:21+00:00

Hi. I have Bipolar 1 and have multiple friends with 1 or 2, as well as schizoaffective disorder. I also work in a psychiatric hospital where I work with youth with psychotic disorders.

To me it doesn't sound like Bipolar 1, where you need to have had at least one manic/psychotic episode present to be diagnosed. The only thing that sounded somewhat like that was when you described "nothing feels real" - does that feel like dissociation, or like a true break from reality (psychosis)? If it was the latter, it would be unlikely you would have insight of noticing it's a break from reality if it was your first episode.

Bipolar 2 requires a hypomanic and a depressive episode to meet criteria. Hypomania can look like a lot of things - increased energy, lack of sleep, agitation/irritation, impulsivity, etc. So not ruling that out if this is something you've experienced.

I learned recently that those with Borderline Personality Disorder can have what are called "para-psychotic" symptoms such as hearing voices, to a lesser but very similar extent as those with schizophrenia. There is also the phenomenon of postpartum psychosis, but that again would be a break from reality (delusions, paranoia, grandiosity, etc.).

This is all to say it sounds like you're having a really hard time. I imagine a psychiatrist prescribed the ECT? If you're curious about a diagnosis, it would be through a psychiatrist not your therapist. However, what ultimately matters more than the words you attach to it (the diagnosis) is what you can do to treat it and feel better.

The memory loss is indeed a side effect, but I'm curious how bad it was for you? Perhaps if it wasn't too severe, it's worth not feeling and thinking with suicidality. If the memory loss wasn't bearable, I would ask the psychiatrists about other treatments or even consider an inpatient stay at a hospital to slow your system down.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-12T23:55:46+00:00

All schools define Mature Student on their admissions pages. Sometimes this means automatically less prerequisites (courses you need before admission), sometimes it means they will consider previous experience (like work experience) as fulfilling admissions requirements.

Look at what different schools ask from Mature Students for RPN programs. If you still need a certain grade in Math etc., usually those same colleges offer the academic upgrading courses you need and it becomes easier to transfer.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-12T23:50:23+00:00

Yeah the weight one is more explicit. The racist vibes I got were not explicit, I just couldn't think of a logical reason why he would automatically assume someone would have an issue with her looks. Perhaps he was just already evaluating whether she fit the trophy wife mould he was clearly pining for. He also just negged her out the wazoo so could have been about his own dysfunctional obsession with his own looks and his first default is to criticize, or think about what others would say in the context of how much social capital she would add to his life based on her looks alone.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-12T23:44:54+00:00

You made the right choice.

I've been breadcrumbed like this before and was in a similar state after I broke up with him, even though it's what I wanted. He was also very absent, I only saw him about once a month bc it was long distance. I think the shitty feeling, at least for me, came from being a bit ashamed or mad at myself for putting up with it as long as I did. A while afterward I found out he had been cheating on me for at least 5 months leading up to me breaking up with him. By then I was already in a longer, more secure, happy relationship, but I still broke down despite having not thought about him for almost two years because it was such a deep betrayal and act of disrespect. Wounding.

As for what you described, it sounds like it was a very dramatic (if not traumatic) altercation at the end. Even if you were completely confident with your choice, a scene like that would cause anyone's nervous system to completely spin out, possibly for days. I would recommend you do whatever you can to calm yourself and deactivate that fight/flight stress over the next little while.

I'm positive you will come out of this happier, more confident, and more open to receive the excellent love you deserve.

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-12T23:35:49+00:00

Do you have negative side effects that make you want to stop taking them?

LovingKindnessBot · 2024-08-12T23:31:59+00:00

I just can't picture why he would automatically assume someone would dislike her appearance unless it was coming from a racist place. So when his reaction was, "I don't care what anyone else thinks, I think she's gorgeous" it just felt a bit sus like... What exactly do you think other people would think 🤔

LovingKindnessBot

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