The group began as usual with a check in. Challenges and /or successes since the last week. And then a brief meditation to set the tone for the rest of the meeting. This week’s meditation was reflection on how we live between a light side of life and a dark side of life, and how we might move toward the light even if we are also pulled toward darkness. It spoke of feelings of grief and also of hope. The group shared some of their experiences with challenges of navigating their own lives. Then the peer-group leader introduced something new; a card game. And, well, we were curious.
The card game is called “Cards Against Humanity.” It is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and includes a deck of 25 wallet-size cards and a book explaining the cards in detail. Everyone was delt a card to start. Each card had a different label on top. For example, “Shoot the Parrot,” “Worry Date,” or “So What?” On the back were instructions that you could act on immediately. For example, ”Worry Date” advised us not to worry about what is bothering us right now by making a decision to worry about it at a specific time in the future. Once the worry date is moved into the future, we may be able to relax a bit in the present.
Everyone read their card to the group, and checked in with the book to see if we agreed where the instructions might be most helpful. This got us all talking. We already knew of many of the hints, but there were surprises too. The idea is to carry the card with you, and to pull it out (or think about it) when anxiety rises. We all know many ways that we might control our anxiety, but sometimes it is hard to choose which one is best to follow in the moment. Having a “trump card” in your pocket can make it quicker to begin acting on an anxiety calming idea. Unfortunately, after the group session the peer-group leader asked us to put the cards back into the deck … (but maybe, if we asked nicely, we could have kept one ??).
Source: Cards Against Anxiety: A Guidebook and Cards to Help You Stress Less. Pooky Knightsmith published the book in 2020. She kinda knows what she is talking about because she has a PhD and has lived experience with PTSD, autism, anxiety, ARFID, and a history of anorexia