Posted by fallsfall on July 27, 2003, at 20:14:14
In reply to Re: There are no support groups in my area » Tabitha, posted by Dinah on July 27, 2003, at 17:01:16
Dinah,
I'm sure that you would be welcomed at the Bipolar I group, particularly if you explain that there aren't any more appropriate groups nearby.
I am in 2 support groups - one is for depression, but we have bipolar I & II, Anxiety, Borderline, etc, and all are welcome.
I'm not sure that you would find the content all that different from Babble. But it might take a different emotional meaning since the people are real.
My old therapist started the depression group a little over a year ago. She attended only the first meeting. She assigned a moderator for the group - her job is to connect with the hospital and make sure we have a room to meet in, keep the information in the newspaper current, start and end the meeting and make sure everyone has a chance to speak. I have moderated 6 times or so, in her absence. There has only been one person who didn't quite understand the rules - he kept interrupting people and talking about his own stuff. The next meeting I moderated and I made the rules crystal clear. We haven't had any trouble from him since.
The group really does support each other. Some pairs or trios see each other outside of the group. Once we "convinced" one girl to go to the hospital. There is a lot of information shared (about meds, about skills, about things that work and things that don't, opinions etc.) It really is helpful.
Most of the group members come from the Therapy Professional Association that my old therapist belongs to. I think that the therapists there send people to the group. We do get others from the newspaper.
I think it isn't that hard to start a group. I can ask our moderator if you want (I wasn't there in the beginning). The hard part is getting a moderator, sounds like you don't want to do it. You could ask your therapist if one of his other patients would be able to do it, or if he has a collegue who might have a patient who could do it. I can get other information for you, if you want.
But I'd start with the Bipolar I group and see what happens.
poster:fallsfall
thread:245854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030711/msgs/245945.html