Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm being sent on 'Hope Therapy' at the hospice in a few weeks. It's designed to motivate terminally ill people to look at the bright side of their situation and motivate them off of the sofa.
I'm not sure if I should go. I have a huge extrovert personality, the engineer in me has already sorted my priorities and bucket list and it putting it all in action. I've dealt with all the trash of my life and I've sorted all the paperwork of my existence.
The program is very mindfulness / hope diary based - I'm not sure that's at all compatible with me - I can't imagine Mr Data taking part.. It seems aimed at people who are crushed by their diagnosis and situation. The research all seems from over 30 years ago - mainly in 3rd world countries - not sure how well that transfers to the UK.
Unfortunately, I'm the most positive, motivated, up-beat, energised, go-getting - depressed - person on the planet.
I'm actually concerned that I will damage or break the other people in the group when they are most vulnerable.
Has anyone else heard of this program and has it helped anyone you knew?
Plastic said:Unfortunately, I'm the most positive, motivated, up-beat, energised, go-getting - depressed - person on the planet. I'm actually concerned that I will damage or break the other people in the group when they are most vulnerable.
You may be the very sort of person to be a positive, motivated, up-beat, go getting ~ depressed ~ person on the planet to be shining example there, to boost or inspire confidence, perhaps? It is not like you have not done a lot of that here. :-)
And maybe as a bit of preparation even or just consideration: What is Hope in Psychology + & Exercises & Worksheets
Thanks - I've looked at the course content and it's very NT - I can't relate to the thought patterns they talk about - feelings and emotions are a bit mixed up in my head - I'm not really in touch or in control of them.
I can hope I appear inspirational - but I'm worried in case I make them all feel inadequate - "That bloke should be dead by now - what's your problem?" or "holy crap - I've wasted this last year of my life"
I don't want to come across as too bright or arrogant if they ask me what I'm doing - and I'm not good at hiding the truth. The engineer give concise answers that might offend.
I find it very difficult to filter - I'm a bit 'all or nothing' in social situations. I don't do secrets and holding back information is very hard for me - I really am an open book - heart on sleeve-type - stuff comes flooding out..
I realise I'm going into a very serious and sombre meeting with terminally ill people and I feel like CoCo The Clown.
Plastic said:Thanks - I've looked at the course content and it's very NT - I can't relate to the thought patterns they talk about - feelings and emotions are a bit mixed up in my head - I'm not really in touch or in control of them.
With feelings being present sensibilities and emotions previous integrations of which as habitual-instinctual drives to survive ~ and autism as a neurological state being in essence a life-long state of freeze, hide, fight or flight ~ the Rational, Sentimental, Communicational and Emotional (RSCE) sensibilities take on support roles to enhance the Imaginal, Reproductional and Sensational (IRS) ones.
Because the RSC and IRS networkings of the body-mind relationship easily become functionally integrated and fixed frameworks involving linguistic and behavioural patterns ~ and emotional feelings are socially camouflaged and personally masked to a large extent by the vast majority of people (regardless of their neurological typology with plenty of stiff upper lip and assaults and insults for any quivering of the lower lip), there is very little opportunity to compare and contrast emotional feelings with other people as most only experience and exhibit emotional reproductions of feelings to limited extent ~ due to birth trauma, parental separation anxiety trauma involved with infant schooling, and all the trauma of primary, secondary and tertiary education systems etcetera.
So you may find yourself on relatively equal terms when it comes to processing feelings and emotions, and should they prove particularly difficult to deal with ~ deep and gentle pelvic breathing is a generally recommended and effective way of coping with them, remembering specifically that that the diaphragm is not actually a muscle, but a fascia, which is band of connective tissue (primarily collagen), that 'fastens', stabilizes, encloses, and separates the muscles and internal organs of the upper and lower torso. Using the diaphragm to breath as if it were a muscle though, is more prone to distend it and or it's ligaments, and result in low oxygenation and progressive asphyxiation.
Plastic said:I can hope I appear inspirational - but I'm worried in case I make them all feel inadequate - "That bloke should be dead by now - what's your problem?" or "holy crap - I've wasted this last year of my life"
Maybe use the reserved 'Clark Kent' approach to being a superhero ~ rather than bit by bit ripping off your historical clothes and flesh to reveal your T-800 series hyperalloy capabilities! ;-)
Plastic said:I don't want to come across as too bright or arrogant if they ask me what I'm doing - and I'm not good at hiding the truth. The engineer give concise answers that might offend.
I would suggest mentioning one or two things that you are up to ~ rather than going through the checklist and all that, and as such testing how receptive people are or at least leaving them wanting more, possibly. At very minimum just let your brightness radiate through the group, maybe.
I think your idea of at least going for the first session is a very good idea though.