Support groups are a great resource that can help individuals through difficult situations. Support groups help us see we are not struggling alone. Stories, experiences are shared and helps prevent feelings of isolation or being alone. While support groups are open to anyone, many times they are topic specific and finding the right one may be a challenge. Do not get discouraged if a support group doesn’t feel right, looking at multiple can provide a person with great options and better support.
Finding a support group:
Mental Health America http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/find-support-groups Is a great source for many specific topics where support groups can be found and located. Some fo these include:
- Alcohol Anonymous https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US
- Alzheimers Association https://www.alz.org/local_resources/find_your_local_chapter
- Families for Depression Awareness http://www.familyaware.org
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Many more support groups can be found. Some of the topics selected are online groups that stories can be shared and read over the internet or even meetings held to provide opportunities to make new friends and receive support in person. Alcohol Anonymous is a group that meets in person for example and provides guidelines and a safe judgment free area to explain and work through difficulties. While the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides a service online to support those that are struggling with suicidal thoughts and may need some guidance through thought process. Alzheimers Association and Families for Depression Awareness are to provide support groups to longterm problems that do or may exist. Providing suggestions, or someone to just listen to concerns.
Reference
Find support groups. (n.d.) Mental health America. Retrived from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/find-support-groups
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