Mutual Aid Support Groups exist for most most any specific disorder

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There are self-help (i.e., member-run) support groups for most every illness or

disability. There are even mutual help groups like the " Well Spouse Association "

and hundreds of different " caregiver " support groups for those who help.

If you are seeking a particular group, try the online database of the...

American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse

http://mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/ or www.selfhelpgroups.org

The website provides:

- a keyword-searchable database of over 1,100 national, international, and model

self-help support groups for most any specific illness, disability, addiction,

bereavement situation, parenting, caregiver concern, abuse history, or other

stressful life situation;

- listing of local non-profit self-help group clearinghouses worldwide, that can

provide info on local groups in their areas:

http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=859

- suggestions on starting both community and online mutual help groups;

- a review of the more rigorous outcome research studies done of self-help

groups, you can see a copy of this chapter at:

http://www.chce.research.va.gov/docs/pdfs/KyrouzHumphreysLoomis2002.pdf

- info on groups, for a better understanding of what mutual aid self-help groups

do, look over the first chapter of our Sourcebook at:

www.medhelp.org/njgroups/SB-Understanding%20SH.pdf

- and a registry for those trying to start new national or international support

networks that don't yet exist in the world.

For information on national, online, or model groups, you can also phone our

national group information helpline at (8:30am - 5pm Eastern,

weekdays).

" My years as a medical practitioner, as well as my own first-hand experience,

have taught me how important self-help groups are in assisting their members in

dealing with problems, stress, hardship and pain... the benefits of mutual aid

are experienced by millions of people who turn to others with a similar problem

to attempt to deal with their isolation, powerlessness, alienation, and the

awful feeling that nobody understands. "

- former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D.

" Mutual support groups, involving little or no cost to participants, have a

powerful effect on mental and physical health... The psychological and physical

health importance of this diffuse community is striking... The self-help

movement, both in face-to-face and virtual arenas, has tremendous therapeutic

potential. "

- from " American Psychologist " journal article, " Who Talks?: The Social

Psychology of Illness Support Groups " by K. P. on, J. W. Pennebaker, & S.S.

Dickerson, (55) 2, pp. 205-217, 2000.