Commonly asked questions about Self Help Groups
Q:- Where can I find information on my closest group?
A:- Click on this link to search for Self Help Group information. Alternatively you can ring the National Office for further information. Click here for contact information.
Q:- What happens at a self help group meeting?
A:- People living with manic depression (users and carers) meet monthly to support each other, share information/ideas and learn to cope with the highs and lows.
Q:- Are the people who attend all older/younger than me - all women/all men?
A:- All ages, men and women, attend the groups' members are welcomed from all sections of the community. The common link is the experience of living with manic depression, or bi-polar affective disorder.
Q:- Am I going to get more ill by meeting other people with similar mental health problems?
A:- The more you get to know about MD, particularly through attending a group regularly, the more likely you are to be able to help yourself and manage the condition.
Q:- Who runs the groups?
A:- They are run entirely by our members (users and carers) with help, advice, training and support from MDF The BiPolar Organisation staff.
Q:- Do I have to say something at the group?
A:- You do not have to speak at all if you do not wish to, but everyone who wants to will have the opportunity.
Q:- When can I join the group?
A:- All groups are open - you can join in at any time. Most groups meet once a month in the evening for about 2 hours
Group members comments
Pauline
"Coming to the group helps me realise I'm not alone, that other people do get on with their lives, and has helped me get my confidence back."
Don
"When I came out of hospital, I didn't know how I was ever going to face my family or friends. No one knew what to say. Meeting other people who have coped and being part of the group has been a real lifeline."
Heather
"I was really frightened and shocked when the doctor told me my husband had manic depression. We both go to our local group and now I know other people who live with this. I know a lot more about the illness, it's helped me get over the shock. we'll manage now. "
Jill
"My friend thought the list of symptoms in the Manic Depressive Disorder leaflet was frightening. I read them and thought - that's me they're talking about! The last 5 years of my life began to make sense and it came as a huge relief to understand what had been happening."
Marc
"After being 'sectioned' for the second time with a 'high', the group helped me to identify early warning signs which I had missed. Since then I have managed to catch them earlier and have avoided admission despite having four episodes in two years. "
Martina
"After four years of illness, I was eventually told I had MD. I was taken aback and had to find out more about what it really meant. Through my local support group, I had access to information leaflets, speakers on various related topics and, not least, the knowledge of others who had been through the same experience. I now feel better equipped to handle the mood swings".
a user
"I did not want sympathy just someone to listen without prejudice."
a carer
"I am gaining an understanding of what it must be like to be high and low."
A user or mental health service user is someone who has a mental health diagnosis.
A carer is someone who cares for a mental health service user. This may be a relative or a friend. The definition does not extend to mental health professionals.
