Support Group

Support group can be defined as a place where individuals having similar medical/psychological conditions tend to come together for the purpose of fostering a sense of community as well as the exchange of knowledge, experiences, strengths, and hopes. Individuals join support groups for a variety of reasons, such as to develop "self-help" skills, find support for themselves, provide support to others, and generally improve their own and others' welfare. There are various advantages of support groups such as getting an insight about the condition, meeting people who share the same health conditions, sharing their journey/stories, learning techniques which others have utilised to manage the condition, getting assistance putting "self-help" strategies in help, having the freedom to discuss the conditions, gain knowledge about where to find good resources; gain a clearer understanding of what life is like with the condition; feel better prepared to support friends or family members who have the condition.
Support groups help in reducing anxiety, depression and distress, it aids in achieving a sense of belongingness and provides emotional and moral support.
There are various types of support groups. The type of support group you set up will depend on one's needs and the needs of others with the same health condition:
1. peer-to-peer support group: Individuals who share a common medical/psychological condition such as diabetes, depression, anxiety, addiction etc, they get together to exchange experiences. The members themselves are in charge of the group.
2. Clinical support group: This type of support group is set up by health professionals and is professionally facilitated. This group usually provides information including current research findings, education and advocacy.
3. Online-support group: persons who are housebound or have little to no time to attend meetings, some organisations offer online support. Moreover, they could reside in rural locations where neither the local community nor the medical services provide close support. This group may also be aiming for younger individuals because they are frequently more accustomed to and at ease with internet contact.