The importance of groups can be rooted in our need to belong. Belongingness together with love is our third hierarchy of needs according to Maslow. We always been and we always will be a member of a group. Being in them makes groups one of the most important factors in our lives. Oftentimes, our membership in a group relates to our identity. It is how we introduce ourselves with a lot of people.
The impact of groups in our society is also just as important. According to David and Frank Johnson, as the effectiveness of our group goes, so does the quality of life. I have great concern to strengthen the support group for TS, which is to just increase productivity in the advocacy that I’m making and in the long run increase productivity from the activities that the support group will be having in the future. Another is the knowledge of group dynamics which makes formation of group predominant not only to the quality of life, but also to effective businesses, education, maintaining a doable family and long term maintenance of psychological health.
The knowledge for group dynamics is an excellent tool in order to understand a little bit more how group works. But of course, as we all know our world is always engaged in reforms so fast that groups are also considered to be more and more complex and difficult to understand. The complexity of group dynamics in TS goes beyond understanding and application. We might just ask ourselves, if forming a support group for TS can be helpful in performing a task, how come others can perform well if they are alone? Do these people seek relationship with other people? Or do they avoid it? Do they really want to be a part of a support group? Or do they enjoy being atypical from others? Well, even if you still want to add to those questions that make groups even more complex it is still very vital to one’s own function as an individual.
The essence of group dynamics in the formation of support group for TS is for one thing about interpersonal relationships. I have talked in my other articles about how a person with TS can improve by working on himself first above all others. Now, reaching out to others also contributes to the development of one’s own function not only as an individual but an individual in groups. A group is never a group if nobody’s interacting after all. This premise is based on the fact that people are just social beings. Actions of each member actually determine the structure of the group.
Next is interdependence. Now if we have a support such as Tourette Syndrome support group, we can exercise interdependence on a much positive level. I’m saying this because some people might negate the fundamental aspect of interdependence. One thing that we can all think of is if one event in the group affects one person then the event affects all. The disadvantage is we might get too dependent in our group that we might not function well without it. I’m reiterating that interdependence can be exercised on a positive level by sharing and believing in what others are willing to offer and be able to use this for our own advantage. We all just have to know that pertaining to a group as dynamic in its entirety is including the definition of interdependence among members.
The development of support group for TS is also based on the fact that we must have a reason for it. Each member’s existence is based on a common goal. Sometimes, even if we don’t admit to ourselves, we all have goals that are arduous to achieve unless we join a group— taking for example the advocacy that I just started. In my hopes to form a support group for TS, it will be very hard to be successful if I am the only one working on it. My goals will not be concrete if I don’t have members who have the same aspiration as mine. These goals can only be effective if it is meaningful to its members.
Motivation is also an important consideration. The support group should be satisfying to each member through their association with each other. Each member should have a personal impetus to be a part of the group.
The support group has to be structured. The structure means that each member should interact within a definite set of norms and values and that each member has an explicit role within the group. Finally is the idea of interpersonal influence. Again, I would like to point out this should be used in a positive level as in healthy mutual influence.
The concepts I mentioned are just part and parcel to the development of the support group for Tourette Sndrome. The most important thing is everything and everyone should relate in a healthy way in order to provide help, understanding, and change in the most comfortable way. All these can de dealt in theory, research and finally practice.
I hope that this will be of help to parents and other people who would like to be a part of the support group for the rest of their lives. This is one way to tell you that we’re not only making the subject on Tourette Syndrome an awareness but more on giving the people behind it a much valued consideration.
For that I would like to leave you a quote from John D. Rockefeller to add up to my numerous reasons why I would like to offer my services:
“ I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any other ability under the sun.”
-----------------------------
Original article Posted on March 3, 2007
0 comments:
Post a Comment