Practice makes perfect

Well it's Thursday again so that makes it group therapy day.  This is week 4 I believe.  The forecast is calling for freezing rain and I am so tempted to use it as a reason not to go.  Don't get me wrong, I have learned allot from the group.  It would just be so much easier to put my cozy jammies back on and not have to interact with the outside world today.  For me, its the steps that it takes to get to the group.  I have to drive down the highway for about an hour.  It causes me to have to drive by the place where someone very dear to me was killed last year.  Then when I get to Kingston I have to deal with all the drivers swerving in as the streets turn to one way death traps.  I then have the privilege of driving into that dark, cramped parking garage, hoping that no one will drive into me in my attempt to make it to the top floor where there is actual fresh air. Oh and then there is the elevator. They are crammed cheek to cheek like we are some type of cattle.  Last week I had the privilege of having a gentleman pointing me out saying "Wow, look someone's really nervous today." Yah, that helped.  So why do I fight it.  Why don't I go recover my fuzzy slippers and winnie the pooh housecoat. Well, because I want to get better.  I want to learn how to control my flight impulse. I want to master not caring if people are looking at my shaking funny.  I want a life. I know the days of carefree social interactions are not coming back.  I just want to make sure that I fight as hard as I can to keep my world as big as possible. So I am going to get ready, drive down the highway, traverse the city traffic, endure the parking garage and even the funny looks and proximity of people in the elevator. Why? Because practice makes perfect and I am not giving up yet.

Set a goal for yourself to go somewhere, anywhere even if it is just for a walk in a nearby park.  If you can't get that far then set a goal of going out in your yard.  You can do it! Reward your tenacity with a small treat. Then set another goal to take one step further tomorrow.


This is a link to a handy weekly activity handout.
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACFA26C.pdf