The Benefits Of Support Groups For Mental Health
When someone is experiencing a mental health disorder or an addiction one of the best treatments they can get is through the help of mental health support groups. These are offered in many places including dual diagnosis treatment centers, community churches and other places too. Having these support groups available is important. It gives people a place to go where they won’t feel so alone. These groups give them structure, guidance, support and the help they need. If you have been suffering from a mental health disorder and/or an addiction, these support groups and other treatments are available for you.
Prevalence of Mental Health Issues in America
Unfortunately, there are far too many people with mental health issues in America that aren’t getting treated. There are many reasons for this. Some people with symptoms of a mental health issue don’t realize what is going on. Others don’t want to admit they have a mental health disorder. Some can’t afford to get the treatment they need. The prevalence of mental health issues in America is extensive. For example, 20% of those between the ages of 13 and 18 have a mental health disorder. In addition, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in those between the ages of 10 and 24. While these are not the only age groups that have mental health issues, it goes to show why treatment is essential. People do not need to lose their lives because of mental health issues. It is important for everyone to know treatment is possible.
Mental Health Support Groups Online
Some people can’t afford mental health treatment. While there are many ways to have this type of treatment paid for, there are some other options if you can’t afford or get to treatment for some reason or another. One of the options is to attend mental health support groups online. There are numerous options for these support groups. With one quick online search, you can probably find hundreds of online mental health support groups. Clicking one of the first ones you see and checking it out to see if it is a good fit for you may relieve your stress on which one to attend.
There are many benefits of online mental health support groups. One of the benefits is the exchange of information. You can share with others what you have learned by having your mental health disorder and they can share with you as well. Another benefit of these support groups is accessibility. You can log into the support groups any time and from anywhere. These support groups may be more anonymous too. You won’t have to share your name and you won’t see people from your community face-to-face. If are worried your mental health disorder will go public in your community if you attend face-to-face support groups, this could be a better option for you.
However, as with many who suffer from mental health disorders, you may also have an addiction. If that is the case, you may have better chances of recovery going to a holistic addiction treatment center.
Community Support Groups for Mental Health
There are also community support groups for mental health. These are anonymous and the information you share in these groups is meant to be kept private. The others who are attending the groups want the same respect of anonymity.
Attending community support groups could benefit you as well. If you attend these groups, it may help you to feel less alone. Many people who suffer from a mental health disorder often feel alone. These groups can help you to see you aren’t the only one suffering from a certain disorder. The community-based support groups can also help you to express your emotions and feelings as well as to get hope for your future.
PTSD Support Groups
If you are one of the millions who suffer from PTSD, it may be beneficial for you to attend PTSD support groups. Approximately, 70% of the adults throughout the United States have had some sort of traumatic experience in their life. If you are on of them, it may be helpful to see how PTSD support groups could improve your quality of life and ways of coping.
The PTSD support groups can give you a sense of community. It may constantly feel like you are alone with this disorder, but you aren’t. Others in your community are dealing with similar feelings and reactions. You can relate to others when attending these support groups. You can gain insight on how others handle their issues with PTSD and how you can as well.
Dealing with PTSD is difficult. However, you can still have a high-quality life if you learn how to manage it in healthier ways.
Anxiety Support Groups
If you suffer from anxiety like more than 21% of Americans, you are not alone. There are many things that can help you reduce your anxiety and anxiety support groups are one of those things.
Some of the benefits of these support groups include reducing your anxiety, feeling connected to others with the disorder, gaining a better understanding over your disorder, learning coping skills, making friends with those “who understand”, sharing your emotions, gaining lifestyle tools and much more.
If you have anxiety disorders of any kind, you may benefit greatly from attending the anxiety support groups, either online or in your community. You may even want to bring your family or friends to one or more of these group meetings to show them what you and others really go through. Hearing other people’s stories may help your friends and family to better understand you.
Depression Support Groups
Depression can drain a lot of your energy and make you seem like someone you aren’t. If you suffer from depression even once a year, like 16.2 million adults in the United States, depression support groups may benefit you.
Some of the benefits you can gain from attending these kinds of support groups include reduced depression, feeling greater joy in your life, coping skills, learning healthier lifestyle maintenance, learning distraction techniques, gaining understanding from others, feeling like you are a part of something greater than yourself, feeling heard, gaining purpose and much more.
If you have depression or even symptoms of depression (without any current diagnosis), you can benefit from these support groups. Attending the depression support groups can allow you to better express yourself to your loved ones and friends as well.
Bipolar Support Groups
Whether you have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or you feel symptoms of the disorder, but don’t have a diagnosis, the support groups for this disorder may benefit you.
Some of the benefits you may gain from attending bipolar support groups include feeling understood, feeling accepted, expressing yourself, getting some stability in your life, getting feedback from others, sharing your experience with bipolar, time for healing, creating bonds that will last and much more.
Spending time with others who live with bipolar can be very valuable to your own treatment and recovery. Others in your life may not quite get your symptoms or what you are going though. Attending these support groups may be one of the best ways for you to learn how to explain things to your friends and family.
OCD Support Groups
If you have OCD, attending support groups can help you to get you the support you need. Having a diagnosis or even symptoms of OCD can seem daunting. However, the support groups can give you benefits you may not get elsewhere.
Some of the benefits of attending OCD support groups include getting a sense of community, finding more meaning in your life, healing, feeling less alone, gaining coping skills, learning how to live with the disorder, sharing your story, gaining hope from other’s stories, getting education on the disorder and much more.
Dealing with OCD can be extremely tough. The others in your life may not understand. You may feel like they are never going to get who you truly are. It can be tough to explain to them what is going on in your mind. However, attending the support groups can give you people who do get it, who do understand.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Suffering from a mental health disorder isn’t something you need to do alone. There are millions of others out there who deal with the same thing. Find an online or community based mental health support group to help yourself handle your disorder better and learn the skills needed to live the best life possible. Or even better, look for mental health support groups that meet in person, you may be surprised how many people in your community are just like you.
