Glad to have reached the 10 week mark, I attended my drop-in smoking cessation group which forms every Friday morning for an hour or so. Two local health workers presided and it all got off to a good start where people were offloading, discussing fears, concerns, relapses etc. However, there is one bloke who has been stopped for over a year now and was still drunk from last night and had a hair of the dog this morning. Every time someone started to share with the group, this guy persisted in interrupting, believing himself to be the best comedian on the planet and both health sector employees tolerated this throughout. I looked around and saw some folk were struggling with all this and left the group prematurely before my vocal opinions got the better of me. This is a group I have attended for a couple of months now and I always had reservations about this character which were reinforced today on a grand scale. I am seriously considering avoiding this group in future because of one disruptive influence. I am normally a strong character who puts people like this firmly in their place but even officialdom seem to be tip-toeing around him and I get the feeling I would be the bad guy if I did. I welcome all your opinions on this because this is the most uptight I've felt in 10 weeks............Phew!!! End of rant.
10 weeks, but who's counting?: Glad to have... - No Smoking Day
10 weeks, but who's counting?
1st off well done bud, 10 weeks is no mean feat!
Speak to the guys leading the group, if someone is making others feel uncomfortable it is the people leading the group who should deal with it. If nobody mentions this character they will either feel that nobody is bothered (or maybe think nobody is bothered enough for us to have to do something) the group leaders should be focused on the greater good!
Best of luck
Nic
Agree with Nic - A quiet word with the group leaders would seem to be in order.
Very well done on 10 weeks though - a great acheivement.
Well done Manic - keep on going. I agree with above ^ have a word with the leaders.
May be a silly question but whats the guy doing there if hes been quit over 1 year?
Medic, as others have stated speak to those who run the group and hopefully they will tell this disruptive git to get his coat and leave.
Such a shame that something you rely on can be ruined by one person/a-hole.
Ten weeks is brill and you can keep doing it with or without the support group. Use and abuse this forum - trust me it helps!
Big thanks to you all for your supportive comments. I had already decided to contact the advisors but decided to wait until I'd cooled off a bit. But guess what?? One of the ladies phoned me just before I left for work and I made my feelings known, no holds barred. She took my comments on board and agreed with me to a certain extent but explained that this group was set up for the people to be run by the people and this guy has been attending from day one. We then both agreed this was not the most appropriate group for me and she asked if I was interested in becoming further involved in the smoking cessation programme. I listened intently as she said she could put me forward for a 2 day training course followed by a 3 month mentorship while learning to deliver the programme. She explained that with my healthcare background, my desire for structured support sessions, my robust opinions and the fact I'm an ex-smoker too, have prompted her to make this offer to me. This is an offer I can't refuse and provides a new focus only making me stronger against smoking, it is university accredited and further modules can be accessed at later dates. What a turnaround don't you think!!
Big thanks to you all for your supportive comments. I had already decided to contact the advisors but decided to wait until I'd cooled off a bit. But guess what?? One of the ladies phoned me just before I left for work and I made my feelings known, no holds barred. She took my comments on board and agreed with me to a certain extent but explained that this group was set up for the people to be run by the people and this guy has been attending from day one. We then both agreed this was not the most appropriate group for me and she asked if I was interested in becoming further involved in the smoking cessation programme. I listened intently as she said she could put me forward for a 2 day training course followed by a 3 month mentorship while learning to deliver the programme. She explained that with my healthcare background, my desire for structured support sessions, my robust opinions and the fact I'm an ex-smoker too, have prompted her to make this offer to me. This is an offer I can't refuse and provides a new focus only making me stronger against smoking, it is university accredited and further modules can be accessed at later dates. What a turnaround don't you think!!
Superb - that will help you and help others. Congrats and good luck with it!
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