Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Fall 1999)
TOPIC: Need help coping?
 
by health district staff

Need help dealing with breast cancer? Curious how others are coping with alcohol addiction, heart disease, overeating or death and dying?

Support groups are a great way to meet people struggling with similar life issues. Depending on the group, membership or participation can be your ticket to learning more about your issue and the resources available to help you cope.
Some groups are run by health professionals, like the Alzheimer’s Support Group, while some are facilitated by individuals who are dealing with or have dealt with the issue themselves.

Other support groups are run by larger organizations as a courtesy to their clients or patients, and many, such as Alcoholics Anonymous are local chapters of national organizations.

There are also support groups run for a fee by mental health therapists that include professional guidance and supervision not found in some mutual support groups.

resources

First Call 2-1-1
Free information on hundreds of health and human service agencies and organizations, including support groups. FirstCall is a nonprofit organization with over 550 listings in a relational database. The database can be accessed online or by phone:
    •    Dial 2-1-1
    •    www.firstcall-vc.org

Healthinfosource.com
Local web site that offers health information on providers, support groups and health events.

www.healthinfosource.com

Therapist Referral
Searchable database of therapist-led support groups available online or by phone:
    •    221-5551 Connections
    •    www.mentalhealthconnections.org

There are several local resources available for locating support groups. FirstCall and Therapist Referral provide free online and telephone referral to support groups and other resources.You can also search online at www.healthinfosource.com