How to Find a Bipolar Support Group
Sammi talks about bipolar support groups because she believes social support is very important in life, and it can be especially important if you are going through something in your life.
So I want to stress that support groups are not a replacement for therapy or professional treatment.
Support groups are usually peer-based. So you'll go there and discuss with other people who have been diagnosed.
Although this is not a replacement for therapy, it can be helpful because social support is really important for life in general, for feeling like you have a community of people who support you, so you don't feel so alone.
The Benefits of Support Groups
Support groups allow you to share your experience with others and also enable you to get some insight on what some other people are going through, and how other people are coping.
Being around people who share some of the same experiences as you can make you feel less alone and socially isolated or outcast.
The great thing about support groups is that you can both give advice and get advice, and you can also give each other encouragement to continue with your treatment and recovery process. So you can find support groups in many different ways.
Find a Support Group Through Your Counselor
One way is to talk to your counselor, and usually, they can refer you to a support group. I can remember there being a lot of different posters for support groups inside my therapist's office.
Look in your counselor's office or on university billboards if you go to school, that sort of thing. You can also look in newspaper classified ads. So your local paper or local magazine.
Go Online
You can also just do an online search. There are also support group apps. One that I know of is called the Support Amino App, and this is available for iPhones and Android phones.
It's not quite the same as meeting a group in person, but if you're the type of person who prefers to stay at home and get support online, then apps can be a great thing, apps, and online forums.
Learn From Others With YouTube
Also, YouTube is a great place to learn about other people's experiences.
I have a YouTube channel, it's YouTube.com/RawSammi, and I talk about my experiences, and I feel like my comments section is a great place for people to talk about their own experiences, and there are a lot of other mental health YouTubers that you can get some support.
How You Can Find a Support Group in Your Area
An excellent way to find a support group in your area is to go to the website DBSAlliance.org, and all you have to do is put in your zip code, and it will tell you what support groups are available in your area.
