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Depressed? Please join us.
Depression & Bipolar Disorder Support Groups
THERE ARE 2 DBSA SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE WEST LOS ANGELES AREA:
1. DBSA Support Group in Mar Vista. Located in the SHARE! building at 5521 Grosvenor Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90066. The street is just off Jefferson Boulevard, the first block (no traffic light) west of Centinela. This group meets on Tuesdays from 8 PM to 9:30 PM every week of the year. There is FREE parking. The meeting is FREE. Suggested donation $1 for use of SHARE!room, but not required. Some go to a local Denny’s restaurant on Jefferson Blvd. afterwards. Just come to our meeting! Try it and you will perpetually calendar it!
2. DBSA Support Group at UCLA in Westwood. Located at 300 University Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90025, just off Westwood Boulevard as you enter the campus. It is on the Second Floor. This group meets on Mondays from 6 PM to 7:30 PM every week of the year. Participants vote at the end of a meeting on a local restaurant in the Westwood Village and some go to it for fellowship afterwards. The meeting is FREE.
DBSA and SHARE! recommend you attend 5 meetings of this group before deciding whether one of these support groups fit your needs.
If you have questions, call (818) 599-8626 and just ask for “DBSA” (me).
WHAT MANY PSYCHIATRISTS SAY ABOUT SUPPORT GROUPS:
Alienation and estrangement are countered in support groups. If you have a problem, the people who attend have “been there.” You will find you are not the only one who reacted like you did to a person or in a situation. Participants feel less different.
Groups provide a sense of community, a feeling of security akin to family. We help break down isolation. We all want to help one another transfer back into the community.
Groups de-stigmatize the experience of being bipolar or a major depressive. If you share, you will hear others share like experiences and counter any feelings of worthlessness.
Groups support disclosing of dark secrets. We counter the feeling “my story is too terrible to tell.” (Nothing surprises us. LOL).
By sharing their own experiences to our “shares,” we can consider taking another view of our problem, perhaps an insight we forgot which puts it in perspective.
Groups help those who come to eventually talk, and feel like they are in a safe environment. Everyone pledges complete confidentiality.
Groups permit sharing of coping ideas. You will be surprised at how resourceful many people are in their suggestions.
Groups combine the strengths of many individuals, not just one or two.
Groups create an environment where members can learn to trust others and repair their ability to relate to others--to practice socialization skills.
We authentically care about everyone diagnosed with bipolar depression or major depression. We discuss problems, feelings and crises manufactured by our condition.
Many members of the groups become close friends. You get the benefit of the experiences of people of all ages and from all walks of life on how they coped with problems, like yours--what didn’t work and what worked for them.
Prolonged and profound depression causes loss of insight. We are cheerleaders for each other. Everyone needs genuine cheerleaders in life.
WHY ATTEND A BIPOLAR AND DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP MEETING?
DBSA support groups provide the kind of sharing and caring that is crucial to a lifetime of wellness. DBSA support group participants say their DBSA groups:
- Provide a safe and welcoming forum for mutual acceptance, understanding and self-discovery.
- Give them the opportunity to reach out to others and benefit from the experience of those who have "been there".
- Motivate them to follow their treatment plans.
- Help them understand that mood disorders do not define who they are.
- Help them rediscover strengths and humor they may have thought they lost.
WHAT BENEFITS DO DBSA SUPPORT GROUPS OFFER?
BENEFITS: Number of survey participants benefiting to some or great extent:
-Provide Personal Support 98.2%
-Help to cope with problems and crises 96.7%
-Help to make better decisions 95.1%
*DBSA support group survey of 2,049 people from 190 cities in 38 states and District of Columbia.
HOW CAN DBSA SUPPORT GROUPS HELP PEOPLE MAINTAIN BETTER MENTAL HEALTH?
People who had been attending a DBSA group for more than a year were less likely to have been hospitalized in the past 12 months.
-The longer people attended a DBSA group, the less likely they are to have stopped medication against medical advice, and the fewer barriers to following their treatment plan they experienced.
More than half of the people who were not following their treatment plans when they began attending their DBSA groups became more motivated to do so over time with continued group attendance.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A DBSA SUPPORT GROUP MEETING?
- SELF-HELP: DBSA Support Group meetings focus on mutual aid and strategies for living the fullest life possible. Participants continually seek to provide hope, reassurance and encouragement to one another. By sharing experiences, insights and ideas, people get peer-to-peer support from others who have "been there.” DBSA groups meet regularly and are completely free of charge.
- ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY: Participants make the group a safe place by fostering a supportive, trustworthy, respectful, nonjudgmental atmosphere. All those attending have an opportunity to share strategies, tips and experiences that can help others cope successfully with depression and bipolar disorder. Participants have the common goal of wanting to live successfully with their illness and do not criticize the choices other group members make. Rather, they encourage each other to learn from the experiences shared and make their own informed decisions.
- CONFIDENTIALITY: What happens at a DBSA support group stays within the group. No one may reveal information about the people attending the group or what is said during the meeting. Exceptions to this policy are made only when the safety of an individual is in imminent danger.
- PEER LEADERSHIP: Each support group meeting is facilitated by someone with depression or bipolar disorder. The facilitator guides discussion, provides focus to the group and helps ensure that the group principles/rules are followed. Facilitators receive guidance and resources from DBSA staff and have the opportunity to attend leadership training sponsored by DBSA.
-OTHER SERVICES: Most groups offer free educational materials about mood disorders, and many maintain lending libraries, publish newsletters, provide information on area mental health care services or are involved in outreach or advocacy in their local community.
DOES DBSA OFFER ON-LINE SUPPORT;
Yes. DBSA offers live, real-time support group meetings on the internet for people living with mood disorders, their family and friends. Online support is ideal for those who live too far from their local DBSA group, have limited mobility or simply wish to remain anonymous. Led by volunteer peer facilitators, these meetings follow the same format and guidelines as DBSA's in-person support groups. Each group meets once a week, and consumers and loved ones may attend as many sessions as they'd like. Registration is required, but there is no charge to register or participate. To learn more, or to register, visit WWW.DBSAlliance.org.
Location: West Los Angeles
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Tags: Severely Depressed? Bipolar? Doing Nothing? Why Not Join Us? (Westside LA 90066)
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