In a support group, members provide each other with various types of nonprofessional, nonmaterial help for a particular shared burdensome characteristic. The help may take the form of providing relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also provide ancillary support, such as serving as a public relations voice or engaging in advocacy.
Maintaining contact
Support groups maintain interpersonal contact among their members in a variety of ways. Most groups have traditionally met in person in group sizes that allowed conversational interaction. Support groups also maintain contact through printed newsletters, telephone chains, internet forums, and mailing lists. Some support groups are exclusively Online_support_groups.
Membership in some support groups is formally controlled, with admission requirements and membership fees. Other groups are "open" and allow anyone to drop in at an advertised meeting, for example, or to participate in an online forum.
404PsychLinks Online - Forum maintained by a practising Ottawa psychologist. Offers help and support with relationships, family, and self. Membership is free and can be anonymous.
The Limbic Region - Emotion Central - Share poems, view art, and read collections of quotes. Has an alphabetical list of phobias.
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Uncommon Forum - Personal development and self help discussions in depression, anger management, stress and relationships, and hypnosis.
Wisdom Circles - Self-discovery and community building in small groups.
Presidents & Congress Ignoring the Constitution - Judge Napolitano