To Create Your Own Bipolar Support Groups Support groups allow those who share a common diagnosis or interest to come together. This is besides the everyday medication that must be taken by a bipolar disorder victim, to offer emotional support. These people come together to share ideas and offer ideas on how to cope. While most support groups are usually led by someone who has experience in these kinds of meeting, it is not an important factor. What is important here is to just SHARE IDEAS, because mothers, parents or patients can form a bipolar support group and help those that are interested.
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Besides the everyday medication that must be taken by a bipolar disorder victim, bipolar support groups allow those who share a common diagnosis or interest to come together. They come together to share ideas on how to cope, but most importantly, to offer emotional support. Most support groups are usually run by someone who has experience in these kinds of meetings. But this is not an important factor, because you as a mother or a patient can form a bipolar support group and help those that are interested to come together to just SHARE IDEAS.
Suitable Meeting Place
Every group must have a place to meet and it can be in your garage, a hall or even inside your house. One important factor here is that it must be comfortable and available when you as a group need it. And your ideal sitting set up would be to sit in a circle rather than a church style setup.
Having Rules to be followed
There are some important points that must be emphasized every time you meet, beside the ones you as a group will make later on:
Confidentiality: everything shared inside MUST stay inside.
No other sources: There should be no quoting from the bible or famous people, everything shared must be from personal experience.
No preaching: words such as “don’t do that”. “don’t do this,”must not be allowed.
Offer suggestions: Use non threatening suggestion. All suggestions must be from personal experience like; “my child had that same thing and I did this” or “ I went through the same experience and I did this.”
No gossip: you must not allow anybody to drag somebody’s name down in these meetings.
JUST LISTEN: Most would come to a meeting not to have their problem solved but to have an opportunity to share all their frustrations in their everyday life with bipolar victims.
First Goal
The primary goal of most bipolar support groups is to ensure that no one living with bipolar disease or this mental condition feel alone again, while at the same time providing important emotional support. Improving the physical health and well being of those taking part, support groups are more than just a safety net for patients or caregivers.
Other Functions
A critical foundation for those trying to cope with the disorder, in some places support groups are also called special interest groups (SIG), who form an important part for many health organizations. Support groups help in the daily everyday struggles and fill the emptiness of having medication. Informing about the new advancements in bipolar treatment or therapies available, support groups generally helps patients to cope and serve as educators.
Support Groups Online
With modern technologies at our doorsteps, many have found this type of support network ideal for those living in rural areas or those who are scared of leaving their homes. Many use online support as a backup to the existing bipolar support groups in their area.
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July 5th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
There are also some local non-profit “self-help group clearinghouses” worldwide, that provide free help to those wanting to join together with others to start a needed new group in their area. For a listing, see:
http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=859