Self help groups and support groups are available in many different forms from internet groups to telephone conferences to real life meetings. They are available for a wide range of issues, one of the most popular being to stop smoking.
One member of a support group said, “I have been trying to quit smoking for five years with little success. I just wasn’t getting the support at home which I needed and I wanted to be able to talk to people about my problems with giving up. I wanted to know that I wasn’t the only one. I then found a support group just outside of my local town which is easily reachable by bus once a week. At the meeting, which has about ten other people in it, I was able to really engage in conversation and I could understand the issues people were raising. The best thing was being able to exchange tips to help through times when cravings are particularly hard. I was advised by one girl to try the e cigarette. The electronic cigarette is an inhaler which helps you to wean your body off of cigarettes and nicotine.”
Other people find support groups beneficial for grieving. Special grieving groups have been set up for people to explore their grief and help to get things off of their chest. Many people find this a helpful tool to get them through the grieving process when a loved one has died.
Other support groups are for those people who are trying to rehabilitate themselves back into society, perhaps because they have spent time in prison. Being able to attend a support group means that problems or issues which you would not have otherwise shared are able to be spoken about in an open space where like minded people are able to share your view and offer help.
Because of the growth of the internet, more people are now joining online support groups. This enables a person to join a chat group anonymously, allowing them to perhaps speak more freely about their feelings without having to worry about revealing their true identity.
