Support Groups
Description of Support Groups:
You are not alone with your struggles. That’s the main impact of a support group, finding common ground with other people facing similar challenges. Support groups can focus on specific topics like overcoming trauma, making sense of schizophrenia, managing symptoms of depression or anxiety, or thriving in the face of a chronic illness. A group can also be dedicated to support generally in which each participant might be struggling with something different from the other members, united in the umbrella of struggle and coping.
Community Center Groups
Painted Brain envisions all group activities, even art groups, as supportive in nature, but we also offer targeted support for specific topics. Check out our community calendar to see what groups are on offer at our community center or online.
Impact of Support Groups
As humans, we tend to learn best from each other and feel centered in the world through community. In a support group, the group leader does not serve as a teacher or instructor, but as a facilitator to group learning, helping participants learn from the experiences of other members. You can share your experiences or ideas and get feedback from fellow-travelers, or you can listen and observe how other people cope with or make sense of similar life challenges. Support is in the name itself.
Success Stories
Loneliness, shame, self-doubt, and feeling that you are the only person to struggle with your unique life circumstances not only feel bad but in fact have negative impacts on our health and well-being. A famous study of support groups for women with breast cancer actually documented the extension of longevity for participants, in addition to increased coping and decreased isolation. The benefits of a support group are also directly linked to the extent to which members share about their own experiences.