DBSA Support Group

As I've mentioned more than once in the past, I LOVE my DBSA Support Group.  I had a friend ask me the other day, "So what do you actually do at the group?"  Truly a good question.   We're not nearly so formal as AA or something like that, no 12 steps or anything (I am not making fun of AA my ANY means...it's a great program, I was just simply stating that we're not quite the organized), but I think for what we need to be, we're just perfect.  

Unlike AA or other such programs, no matter how much we talk about our depression or bipolar, it isn't going to go away.  So the purpose of the group isn't that.  The purpose is support as we struggle to figure out how to live with our disease.  

I think we can all relate to the idea that we've had experiences that no one could understand unless they'd been through it.  You might try with everything in you to get others to begin to glimpse what you're going through, but even if they are open minded and try their best, they still fall short of really understanding.  That's how I often feel when writing this blog.  I'm trying to help as many people as possible at least get a glimpse of the struggling I'm going through, but it's no the same as having actually been there yourself.  That's where my support group comes into play.

It's so liberating to meet with others that have truly contemplated suicide and know the darkness that you can only feel in those moments.  It is so cathartic to laugh with others about the totally irrational thoughts you've had, but in the moment you thought were TOTALLY normal.  It's so cleansing to cry with someone who knows how hard it is to wake up EVERY day struggling to do the most basic things.  It is so uplifting to see others just like you who are succeeding in life, despite an illness that might otherwise rule your life.  In a special way, I am truly at home when I'm at my support group.  At home in a way that I can't be with anyone else.  

But DBSA is even more.  The emotional side that I've just described is what I think really keeps us coming back each week, but DBSA is about sharing information too.  We talk about our struggles with various medications.  Talk about (in a general sense...no specifics allowed) what meds have been good for us.  We talk about life style changes that have made a difference for us.  We talk about readjusting our reality to make our life work.  And DBSA has so many reference materials available for free.

It's truly an amazing program.  If you or someone you know needs this kind of help or support, go to the DBSA website to find a chapter near you.  Or if you'd like to contact me directly, leave your email address in a comment and I'll be happy to contact you.