If anything, these spaces can be solid starting points or places to seek out people who would be interested in creating a smaller support group. There are also independently run Facebook support groups for everything under the sun, and many people find them to be wonderful spaces of support. Other organizations and groups already have established closed Facebook communities to foster mental-health-related conversations. Some therapists and mental health professionals have created support spaces there in recent months in response to mental health challenges related to COVID-19, the most recent instances of police brutality against Black people, and the current economic and political climate. FacebookĪll right, Facebook groups can kind of be the Wild West, but there are a lot of potentially helpful options out there. Some are priced per session, some might be covered by your insurance, and some are free or available on a sliding scale. Much as with finding a therapist, cost will vary. It might require some experimenting-you can search “online” or “virtual,” or by your location, then manually seek out the online options therein. To find one, use their Find a Therapist search, toggle to the “support group” option, then search by keyword. We love Psychology Today as a therapist-finding tool, and many therapists are currently hosting virtual support groups (and more-targeted therapy groups and workshops if you’re interested in those). Pre-pandemic, tables were hand-matched to meet in person at a host’s house for support-group-esque dinner parties, but COVID-era tables are all virtual. The Dinner Party helps groups of 20- and 30-somethings who have experienced the loss of a parent, partner, child, sibling, another close family member, or close friend gather in small groups called tables. Most groups are free or have a small suggested donation, and you can sign up for email alerts about future meetings by topic too. You can search for groups by topics such as depression, addiction, LGBTQ+, and even COVID-19. It curates support groups from other organizations, such as the National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) and re:MIND. You’ll find a wide variety of support groups through Support Groups Central. Below are a mix of specific support groups and meetings, as well as databases and organizations that will point you in the right direction. So with all that in mind, let’s get on to how to find an online support group that’s right for you. Those are only a few examples, though-there are a ton of support groups out there, and more are cropping up in response to the myriad challenges that have arisen in the last two years. Or they might share a marginalized identity, such as a sexuality, gender, or race, that influences the challenges they face when moving through the world. Typically, participants have either gone through or are currently going through a similar experience, such as the loss of a loved one or living with an illness, a chronic health condition, or addiction. Support groups are gatherings of people (virtually or IRL) who share common ground in some way and can offer each other emotional support, according to the Mayo Clinic. What are support groups and why might you want to join one? Here’s everything you need to know about virtual support groups and how to find one. Support groups-specifically, online support groups to help accommodate the social distancing precautions of the pandemic-might be just what you need right now. Sometimes that means looking beyond our friends and family. Whatever the reason you find yourself needing more support, seeking out people to lean on is a worthy endeavor. Or maybe you’re going through something specific (like loss, financial hardship, illness, or any number of difficult personal experiences) and your go-to people just don’t get it the way you need them to. Maybe you realized that the people in your circle are great for grabbing brunch or seeing a movie, but aren’t actually who you’d go to when things get tough. Maybe the stressors and safety precautions of the pandemic have made certain people unavailable or difficult to communicate with regularly. Having a strong support system has been the go-to tip from experts when asked how to deal with the various challenges of the ongoing pandemic and the current political, social, and economic climate.Īt the same time, all this emphasis on the importance of social connection might also be highlighting the lack of support in your life. Before we get into our list of the many online support groups that may help people struggling right now, allow me to say something kind of obvious: Just about everything we’ve been through since March 2020 has highlighted how crucial social support can be for our mental health.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |