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The Importance of Support Groups

Support groups are important because they provide emotional support for people facing similar, tough situations. Support groups allow people to share information and openly discuss their problems without judgment, to process their feelings and to hear others talk about their situation. Participation can help people deal more effectively with their problems. The main thing support groups provide is the feeling that you are not alone.

Definition of a Support Group

A support group is a group of people who meet regularly over a certain length of time to discuss a common health issue, disease, disorder or difficult situation. It helps people to learn how to handle a specific challenge and offer effective solutions. A facilitator moderates a support group in a small-group setting.

Benefits of a Support Group

Support groups provide many benefits. They allow people to vent about their struggles and challenges among other people who know exactly what you're talking about. This type of support is not always available from family members and friends. Support groups offers encouragement from peers. It helps people to process their feelings about a tough situation. It also helps a participant to gain a deeper understanding of their situation and let go of resentment of the situation.

Goals of a Support Group

Each support group has a goal to accomplish. For example, how to cope with food allergies. A trained moderator helps a support group stay on task, maintains orderly conduct and assigns weekly goals and sometimes homework assignments. Sessions are weekly for a minimum of one hour. A support group can last several weeks or be continuous.

Source: Ilene Meeks Gilmore, eHow