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Inappropriate Group Discussions?

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purple

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If you are upset by or sensitive to discussions of homosexual topics; this could be triggering to you. Just be forewarned. Thank-you.

I was participating in a PTSD Women's group recently at the VAMC. The focus of the group was supposed to be trauma issues. During one group mtg a group member mentioned that she was/is homosexual. No big deal. Another group member made mention of the same...again, no big deal. However, they kept talking about their lifestyles and preferences throughout the group. I found it odd as I thought the group was about trauma. The tdoc said nothing.

The following week, one of these members made a very disturbing comment about having fantasies of a particular young girl she used to watch on TV and described what she was wearing, etc. Again, the tdoc said nothing.

I've never returned to the group. In my last appt with this tdoc I told her that I found this extremely disturbing and why didn't she do anything about it during group? Her comment was that there was nothing wrong with this other vets comments and that I should be prepared for diverse conversation during groups.

Really?

Am I way off base here or is my tdoc off her rocker????

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At my first and only (to date) ptsd group I introduced myself and the reasons I had ptsd in the first place. It involved viewing casualties. One of the older vets, one who like a previous poster said "controlled" the group, said "I thought we werent' going to talk about death for a while". So I left no better than I showed up.

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I was going to my PTSD group for a few yrs till out facilitator left(Psych Dr with PTSD specialization) and the VA replaced her with a social worker who had no knowledge of PTSD...well needless to say nothing was to be gained having a social hour session of visiting...I didn't drive 130 miles one way to have a "What's new group!" A chit chat of how's it going.

I did attend it for 6 months to give her a chance but with only 5 or 6 people in the gp she didn't even know my name. What a waste of my time. I see a new psych dr who is more atuned to the needs and issues I have. Only prob with the new dr is her VA only has PTSD gp for Iraq and Afgan women vets...I too don't care about ones sexuality or preference but when the goal is how to deal with the trauma's experienced that's what should be addressed.

If people want to visit and talk about other things going on in their lives not pertaining to the subject matter do it on their time, not mine. I am down at least for 2 days after having to drive their for any of my appointments with my chronic back pain and disc herniations and fibro, my time needs to be focal time on quality issues. So purple I too feel as you. :D

If you are upset by or sensitive to discussions of homosexual topics; this could be triggering to you. Just be forewarned. Thank-you.

I was participating in a PTSD Women's group recently at the VAMC. The focus of the group was supposed to be trauma issues. During one group mtg a group member mentioned that she was/is homosexual. No big deal. Another group member made mention of the same...again, no big deal. However, they kept talking about their lifestyles and preferences throughout the group. I found it odd as I thought the group was about trauma. The tdoc said nothing.

The following week, one of these members made a very disturbing comment about having fantasies of a particular young girl she used to watch on TV and described what she was wearing, etc. Again, the tdoc said nothing.

I've never returned to the group. In my last appt with this tdoc I told her that I found this extremely disturbing and why didn't she do anything about it during group? Her comment was that there was nothing wrong with this other vets comments and that I should be prepared for diverse conversation during groups.

Really?

Am I way off base here or is my tdoc off her rocker????

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I was going to my PTSD group for a few yrs till out facilitator left(Psych Dr with PTSD specialization) and the VA replaced her with a social worker who had no knowledge of PTSD...well needless to say nothing was to be gained having a social hour session of visiting...I didn't drive 130 miles one way to have a "What's new group!" A chit chat of how's it going.

I did attend it for 6 months to give her a chance but with only 5 or 6 people in the gp she didn't even know my name. What a waste of my time. I see a new psych dr who is more atuned to the needs and issues I have. Only prob with the new dr is her VA only has PTSD gp for Iraq and Afgan women vets...I too don't care about ones sexuality or preference but when the goal is how to deal with the trauma's experienced that's what should be addressed.

If people want to visit and talk about other things going on in their lives not pertaining to the subject matter do it on their time, not mine. I am down at least for 2 days after having to drive their for any of my appointments with my chronic back pain and disc herniations and fibro, my time needs to be focal time on quality issues. So purple I too feel as you. :D

I guess I'm in a unique situation in that there are not any group therapy sessions for PTSD within 2-3 hundred miles. I don't thing group would work for me anyway as I am very anti-social, I stay in my little world void of strangers. Like I said before, There are a few of us vets here who occasionally get together. Sometimes weekly and sometimes it will be a month or so. We seem to almost alway resolve our anguish and get sh.t off our shoulders. But, I don't think it would be an approved therapy session by VA or any medical facility. It works for me.

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I didn't want to further the conversation or hurt ppl's feelings.

Plus I didn't want to say something that I would most likely regret later as I was fuming mad!

Question...is there a patient advocate at your VAMC for you to report this incident/tdoc to?

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Yes...I plan to address it in my ltr to the director as one of the many reasons why I should be granted approval for fee-based care.

I may or may not talk to the pt advocate about it as I've been down that road too many times and it's a dead end road.

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