Support Groups
Not everyone may feel they need support or assistance beyond the help they receive from family and friends. However, there may be circumstances in which you may wish to hear the thoughts, suggestions, or strategies other people may have to offer. In-person support groups still exist and can be very effective. However, if time is an issue and your preference is not to have to attend live meetings, then online support groups might work better for you. Below is a list of known support groups (some offer in-person options as well) online.
Online Support Groups:
* Yahoo.com offers a great choice of online cross-disability or disability specific support groups for free. Click on Yahoogroups to search for an online group in your state. Tip: create an email account exclusively for joining online support groups. Some online groups are very active and may flood your personal email account with reply emails and information.
* Facebook also offers access to many private and public groups that are cross-disability and disability specific. Many of these groups serve as forums for open discussions, requests for advice and guidance, and just sharing information.
* Meetup is another great way to meet other parents or family members dealing with similar circumstances. Some offer online support, and others like to meet in-person and plan dates, times and locations for gatherings.
· Abraham Low Self-Help Systems - Recovery International offers meetings to men and women of all ages that ease the suffering from mental health issues by gaining skills to lead more peaceful and productive lives.
· Adult Children of Alcoholics - Through the Adult Children of Alcoholics meetings, members will find hope and comfort in knowing that there is such thing as recovery.
· Alzheimer's Association - Alzheimer's Association chapters and meetings throughout the nation.
· Anxiety and Depression Association of America - In addition to online support groups, this site offers information, resources, and therapeutic strategies for dealing with anxiety, stress and depression.
· Attention Deficit Disorder Association - This site also offers online archived webinars, as well as the opportunity to connect with professionals. The site's target audience are adults with ADHD, and there is a membership charge of $50 - but you'll have access to archived webinars and presentations held at national conferences and featured events.
· Caregiver Action Network - This site provides education, peer support, and resources for family caregivers.
- D.A.D.S (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome) - This site offers support to fathers of children and adults with down syndrome.
- Daily Strength - Free and anonymous online support and resources for families and individuals living with Tourettes Syndrome.
- National Parent Helpline - This site offers parent support on a local and national level.
- Sibling Support Project - This site provides resources and support for brothers and sisters of people with disabilities.
- Support Groups.com - Group discussions, support groups and forums are offered on this site for various disability specific groups (Cerebral Palsy, Dyslexia, Down Syndrome, and many others).
- Wrong Planet - This site provides support, forums, and resources for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Personally, I visit this site often to help me with understanding my son. There's lots of great articles on this site written by brilliant people.
* Yahoo.com offers a great choice of online cross-disability or disability specific support groups for free. Click on Yahoogroups to search for an online group in your state. Tip: create an email account exclusively for joining online support groups. Some online groups are very active and may flood your personal email account with reply emails and information.
* Facebook also offers access to many private and public groups that are cross-disability and disability specific. Many of these groups serve as forums for open discussions, requests for advice and guidance, and just sharing information.
* Meetup is another great way to meet other parents or family members dealing with similar circumstances. Some offer online support, and others like to meet in-person and plan dates, times and locations for gatherings.
· Abraham Low Self-Help Systems - Recovery International offers meetings to men and women of all ages that ease the suffering from mental health issues by gaining skills to lead more peaceful and productive lives.
· Adult Children of Alcoholics - Through the Adult Children of Alcoholics meetings, members will find hope and comfort in knowing that there is such thing as recovery.
· Alzheimer's Association - Alzheimer's Association chapters and meetings throughout the nation.
· Anxiety and Depression Association of America - In addition to online support groups, this site offers information, resources, and therapeutic strategies for dealing with anxiety, stress and depression.
· Attention Deficit Disorder Association - This site also offers online archived webinars, as well as the opportunity to connect with professionals. The site's target audience are adults with ADHD, and there is a membership charge of $50 - but you'll have access to archived webinars and presentations held at national conferences and featured events.
· Caregiver Action Network - This site provides education, peer support, and resources for family caregivers.
- D.A.D.S (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome) - This site offers support to fathers of children and adults with down syndrome.
- Daily Strength - Free and anonymous online support and resources for families and individuals living with Tourettes Syndrome.
- National Parent Helpline - This site offers parent support on a local and national level.
- Sibling Support Project - This site provides resources and support for brothers and sisters of people with disabilities.
- Support Groups.com - Group discussions, support groups and forums are offered on this site for various disability specific groups (Cerebral Palsy, Dyslexia, Down Syndrome, and many others).
- Wrong Planet - This site provides support, forums, and resources for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Personally, I visit this site often to help me with understanding my son. There's lots of great articles on this site written by brilliant people.