Types of Support Groups

There are different types of support groups. I will start with a definition: from Wikipedia, “In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and non-material, for a particular shared, usually burdensome,  characteristic. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy.”
 
Peer Support
 
From Wikipedia, “Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained
supporters, and can take a number of forms such as peer mentoring, listening, or counseling. Peer support is also used to refer to initiatives where colleagues, members of self help organizations and others meet as equals to give each other support on a reciprocal basis. Peer in this case is taken to imply that each person has no more expertise as a supporter than the other and the relationship is one of equality. A peer has "been there, done that" and can relate to others who are now in a similar situation.  A self-help support group is fully organized and managed by its members, who are commonly volunteers and have personal experience in the subject of the
group's focus. These groups may also be referred to as fellowships, peer support groups, lay
organizations, mutual help groups, or mutual aid self-help groups.”
 
“Self-help/mutual aid was defined as; a process of learning with and from each other (similar to adult education). Participants provide each other with mutual aid/peer support in dealing with a problem, issue, condition or need.
 
Participants learn to work together while acknowledging the diversity of their personal situation among the similarities of their shared issue. Together they investigate alternative solutions and are empowered by this process.” Rabbani 2002.
 
In Lupus Ontario and many other specific disease associations, a “peer” is someone who has the disease or is a caregiver for someone with disease rather than a medical professional. A support group leader is most often one of these two or, he/she could be a volunteer who has educated themselves about the disease. A telephone/email support person is a patient who listens to other patients and family members in the same way as you would at the support group meetings. It is not counselling.
 
Open Group
 
An open support group is open to anyone who wants to live better with a disease, learn about their disease and share with others living with the disease. There is no start date or end date. There are core members who may stay for years and others who gain knowledge and coping skills and move on. Members can join at any time.
 
Closed Group
 
A closed group has a defined membership and time frame. People must sign up before the group begins, and for a specific time period such as once a week for 8 weeks, or once a month for six months. All people start on the first night and the group closes after the prescribed number of
meetings is over.
 
Facilitated Support Group
 
A professionally facilitated support group is led by trained professionals who understand the issues that challenge a person with a chronic illness, such as psychotherapist, social worker, psychologist, holistic nutritionist, registered nurse, etc. Currently some associations do not run professionally facilitated groups. Some do offer professional telephone support with a staff social worker through an 800 number in addition to the patient telephone/email support people.
 
Education Series
 
Sometimes people have a need for education more than sharing. Some groups are structured like educational workshops or seminars on specific topics with formal presentations/teachings or as life skills sessions.
 

Take Action

Investigate how you feel about each type of group, write down your thoughts and feelings about them. Do some research to find out what is available near you. Pick one type to try, and then go to at least 3 meetings before deciding if it is right for you. The choice is yours. You are in charge.