Has failed. hmmm.

[SHYGIRLAJB]

Hi

Well a few weeks ago my therapy lady sort of set a task for me to do. I have failed miserably. I was supposed to go into this charity shop , not far from where I live everyday. So I could get used to the shop and then eventually speak with the person and perhaps ask if I could do some voluntary work.

I went into the shop, looking around, they didn't have any clothes to fit me and it was packed out. There also seemed to be a lot of people behind the counter. Which sort of put me off a bit. I then looked on line about applying and things. Well the minimum commitment is 6 months seem to scare me off.

Why didn't I carry on going into the shop, hmmm good question. I think it would be weird going into the same shop when they don't have your size clothes in, etc etc. I was thinking they might be thinking im a bit weird, etc etc. I was thinking they might not want me to help, as there were lots of people.

I am really anxious as, I have failed this simple task and what do I say to my therapy lady on Wednesday. :weep::weep::weep:

I don't know, I know I have been very busy in my head, worrying about various things and so anxious about things. Oh I don't know.

Anita.

[macc noodle]

Anita

God how I sympathise with you - I would find this hard to do - if I was going to do it I would have had to ask first time in there not keep going in! I do understand why your therapist suggested you go in repeatedly so that you became familiar with the shop and de-sensitised to the environment but you know what they are not always right in their approaches.

Maybe for you it would have been best to ask first time because you are clearly concerned that it would have looked weird to keep going in (I agree with you completely).

Don't stress about your therapist - just calmly and coolly tell her what happened and why you felt unable to continue going into the shop and also about the commitment level expected from volunteers of the shop you were in - you have expressed it well enough in this post for it to make perfect sense to me and she should be able to understand too.

Don't see it as a fail - see it as a success - you went in the shop, you chose not to return for valid reasons and you did not want to be seen to be wasting their time offering to volunteer when you were concerned about the minimum period of 6 months.

Good luck

Jan
x

[snowgoose]

hi Anita :)

agree totally with MaccNoodle ...................I would feel exactly the same as you did. You certainly did not fail . your reasons are very valid indeed .
take care x

[Tyke]

Hi Anita

Maybe you could find something where you could help out on a more informal basis. Shop work is a bit more complicated as they will have staffing rotas etc and can be very busy, but there must be places around that would be happy to have an extra pair of hands around occasionally when possible. Have you enquired at your nearest local volunteer bureau?

A friend of mine who was into politics volunteered to help their chosen political party. It was just a case of putting things in envelopes at election time - it was all very relaxed and unpressured. Maybe there would be something at the local hospital? Another friend of mine went down to our hospital once to help out informally, though I guess you'd have to have complicated clearance for that now. I'm sure there must be something though.

Tyke

[SHYGIRLAJB]

Hi, Everyone

Many thanks for replying to my post. Hmm today is the day I see my therapy lady, don't really want to go as im so anxious that I have let her down. she will just say you probably have let yourself down or something. hmmm. I don't know.

I was thinking the charity shops near me, because its very close by and things. I was hoping to do like an hour or a couple at a push, eventually. hmm. My mum and sort of mentioned about going round house to house collecting money and that, but I am not so sure on that one. hmmm. The volunteering thing is just thoughts I guess. hmm.

Anita.

[Dahlia]

Hi Anita - remember that you have faced one challenge this week head on (literally!), you went to the hairdressers. Every bit counts - that was an achievement. I can see why you would have felt odd going into the charity shop day after day. Maybe there's something else you could do on a more casual basis.