Appreciating Group Hope Support

From members of Group Hope mutual help support meetings for Depression and Bipolar Disorder:

Ever since we began in 2003, thanks to all of us who have attended Group Hope support meetings for Depression and Bipolar Disorder, we helped each other find relief from triggering pains of feeling judged. We can choose to talk about the painful depression, mania or panic attacks. The group allows us to feel the comfort of being listened to and understood.

As we listen, we get interested in each other while getting help for ourselves. Together we found gentle and respectful Group Hope discussions easing our anxieties; it relaxes us a bit. We gained good friends, free from some of the draining stress of faking it with people. We learned something about getting along with family by just being in the group. We pick up ideas about how to work with counselors.

We learn from each other some of the ways to get along with medicine side effects or ways to get the medicines or how to cope with them. People in the group help each other find counselors or Psychiatrists.

Together we are safe people to be with. Thankfully we can give each other courage against those frightening death feelings. It helps to be able to tell others about how black it is at times, but also when we feel better. It's all about hints of hope.

Group Hope open meetings welcome family members and occasionally medical students or nursing students to attend, listen and understand. We appreciate that people want to understand.

Finally, all of us resisted coming to a support group; we are glad we did. How about you?