DBSA Support Groups: An Important Step on the Road to Wellness

Why attend a DBSA support group?

DBSA support groups provide the kind of caring and assistance that is important to lasting recovery. DBSA support group participants say that their DBSA groups:

• Provide a safe and welcoming forum for mutual acceptance, understanding and self-discovery.

• Give them the opportunity to reach out to others and benefit from the experience of those who have “been there.”

• Motivate them to follow their treatment plans.

• Help them understand that mood disorders do not define who they are.

• Help them rediscover strengths and humor they may have thought they had lost.

“The members of my DBSA support group reached out to me, and made me realize that I was not alone. If not for the support that I received from this organization, I probably wouldn’t be here…” —DBSA support group participant

What benefits do DBSA support groups offer*?

* DBSA support group survey of 2,049 people from 190 cities in 38 states and the District of Columbia .

You Are Not Alone
With more than 23 million people in the United States affected by depression or bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression), no one with these illnesses has to feel alone. DBSA support groups, a service of local DBSA chapters, are places where people with depression or bipolar disorder and those who care about them can share experiences, discuss coping skills and offer hope to one another.

“The first place I found ‘shelter from the storm’ was at my DBSA support group meeting, where I bonded with new, accepting friends and found role models who gave me faith that recovery was possible.” —DBSA support group participant and activist Larry Fricks, speaking at the White House unveiling of the Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health 5 4

Can DBSA support groups help people maintain better mental health?

• People who had been attending a DBSA group for more than a year were less likely to have been hospitalized in the past 12 months.

• The longer people had attended a DBSA group, the less likely they were to have stopped medication against medical advice, and the fewer barriers to treatment adherence they experienced.

• More than half of the people who were not adhering to their treatment plans when they began attending their DBSA groups became more adherent over time with continued group attendance. 

“Thank you so much for being there for me during these dark times. Attending the support group meetings has been a real lifeline for me and I am so grateful that they are there and available to us.” —DBSA support group participant

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What happens at a DBSA support group meeting?

Self-help: DBSA support group meetings focus on mutual aid and strategies for living the fullest life possible. Participants continually seek to provide hope, reassurance and encouragement to one another. By sharing experiences, insights and ideas, people get peer-to-peer support from others who have “been there.” DBSA groups meet regularly and are completely free of charge.

Acceptance and safety: Participants make the group a safe place by fostering a supportive, trustworthy, respectful, non-judgmental atmosphere. All those attending have an opportunity to share strategies, tips, and experiences that can help others cope successfully with depression or bipolar disorder. Participants have the common goal of wanting to live successfully with their illness, and do not criticize the choices other group members make. Rather, they encourage each other to learn from the experiences shared and make their own informed decisions.

Confidentiality: What happens at a DBSA support group stays within the group. No one may reveal information about the people attending the group or what is said during the meeting. Exceptions to this policy are made only when the safety of an individual is in danger.

Peer leadership: Each support group meeting is facilitated by someone with depression or bipolar disorder or a family member. The facilitator guides discussion, provides focus to the group and helps ensure that group principles/rules are followed. Facilitators are oriented in group leadership, receive guidance and resources from DBSA staff, and have the opportunity to attend leadership training sponsored by DBSA. DBSA support groups are run by volunteer leaders of local DBSA chapters. These chapters also provide other services to the community. Many chapters host educational meetings, lead advocacy efforts, coordinate outreach efforts and more. Getting involved in chapter activities has proven to be helpful to thousands of DBSA participants. 

"If it weren’t for the DBSA support groups I’d probably still be hurting myself and locking myself away for hours. Your group has taught me other ways of expressing myself. I’m starting to love myself again, and be happy with who I am." —DBSA support group participant

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How can I find a DBSA chapter?

Phone: When you call (800) 826-3632 or (312) 642-0049, during regular business hours ( 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Central time), someone will refer you to a chapter in your area and send you free educational materials if you would like them. After business hours, you may leave a message and your call will be promptly returned.

Internet: At DBSA’s website, www.DBSAlliance.org/findsupport.html, you can browse a listing of chapters by state or search by zip code. You can also find information about mood disorders, download brochures, take a screening test for depression or bipolar disorder and much more.

Start a chapter: DBSA can help you establish a chapter in your area, if there is not a chapter near you, or if you are seeking a special group (such as teens only). Simply contact our Chapter Relations staff at one of the numbers listed above, or e-mail chapters@DBSAlliance.org, and we’ll be glad to help you get started.

“Nothing has a more important impact on the lives of people with mood disorders than our support groups. Meeting others who have gone through the same shadows and come out on the other side is priceless. It restores hope, faith and sometimes life itself.” —DBSA Board Chair William P. Ashdown 

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What does not happen at a DBSA support group meeting?

Therapy or treatment: Group attendance is a valuable supplement to professional care (whether that care includes medication, talk therapy or other treatment methods) but is not a substitute for it. Group participants do not seek to diagnose one another. DBSA, its chapters and its support groups do not endorse or recommend the use of any specific treatments or medications. Each individual should work with his or her own health care professional(s) to determine his or her best possible treatment plan.

A lecture by an expert: Although some meetings feature guest speakers or special lectures, most DBSA groups are of the “share/care” variety, in which everyone is encouraged to share, if they wish to.

A religion or a 12-step group: Group participants are not compelled to accept any particular set of beliefs or to follow any particular list of “steps”. It is understood that each person’s path toward wellness is unique.

A “pity party”: While participants often share the challenges of their lives and the feelings of hopelessness that accompany depression and bipolar disorder, groups focus on day-by-day coping, not on self-pity. 

"I found my DBSA support group at a very low point in my life. Through this and other support networks, I have ‘gotten my life back together’ for the most part. I struggle with the illness on a daily basis, but I am functioning and again have hopes, dreams, and aspirations." —DBSA support group participant

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Chapter Interest Indicator

Please Print or Type  

• Yes, I am interested in establishing a DBSA chapters in my area. Please send me a start-up kit.

• I understand that the purpose of a DBSA chapter is to share information and mutual support related to participants’ experiences with depression or bipolar disorder, and that the primary participants in support group meetings are persons diagnosed with one of these disorders or those who believe they may have a mood disorder. Meetings are open to the public and free of charge.

PROPOSED AREA TO BE SERVED (CITY/CITIES AND STATE)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL INTEREST, IF ANY (E.G., TEENS, DUAL DIAGNOSIS) 

________________________________________________________________________

My contact information:

Name __________________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________

City ______________________________ State _________ Zip ____________________

Phone ____________________________ Fax __________________________________

Email ___________________________________________________________________

Others who will assist me:

Name _________________________________________________

Name _________________________________________________

Please mail form to DBSA, fax form to (312) 642-7243, Attn: Chapter Relations or fill out a form online at www.DBSAlliance.org/InterestIndicatorForm.asp

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What else can people do to help?

People with mood disorders and their loved ones:

• Let others know about your DBSA chapter and support group

• Offer to explain the support group to people who are attending for the first time, or accompany them to their first meeting

• Tell your health care provider(s) about the chapter and support group and encourage them to refer others

Health care providers:

• Refer your patients or clients to a DBSA chapter

• Post information about DBSA support group meetings and contacts in your area

• Distribute DBSA educational materials

• Assist or advise a chapter in your area

• Help your patients or clients start a chapter