The customary introductory round continued.
"Hi, I'm Pansy."
"Hi Pansy." chorused back.
"&§%"%§*," went though her head as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.
10 weeks later and she's still there. In fact, she hasn't missed a week. She had a choice between asphyxiation by sorrow, anxiety and anger- or getting help. "Friggin" is no more.
So why does she go? And why does she keep going back? I posed the question to Petal.
"Well, it's kinda like eating vegetables. I do it coz I know it's good for me even though I don't particularly like it."
"Why else?"
"Coz it works, it really does."
"Why do you need to go to the meetings? Can't you just read the books and pamphlets? And maybe have individual counselling?"
"There is something very powerful about being with people that are going through to the same thing as you. I cope better because I know that I'm not alone. A little bit like going to a gym class versus training on your own at home. You will probably do a better workout if you go to a class."
Being in a group brings with it a group conscience - a positive kind of peer pressure. There have been times where Pansy wanted to do and say really bad things to her drug using friend because she was so angry. But by some miracle she didn't because she knew that it went against the spirit of the group. At times she didn't care about the group and wanted to say and do the bad things anyway. But then she would say one of the group's slogans to herself over, and over, and over again until the need to send the bad sms or write the angry e-mail passed.
It's just as well, because there would have been a need for some serious damage control if she had done some of the things she was thinking of doing.
Enlightened brainwashing? Who knows, who cares. It works! (and it's free!).
And some people who don't particularly like veges have been known to become vegetarian.
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