Peer Support Groups

I just returned from St. Louis where I helped train 31 new trainers for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). They will go back to their respective states and train their peers how to facilitate peer support groups.

Peer support is very powerful in my opinion. I work in a PRRC ( Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center ). I watch people attending therapeutic groups all day long. There is a noticeable difference in the milieu when the  group is peer support.

I think when people are in an environment where they can contribute as well as receive support, they leave feeling much better. Whenever I facilitate a peer support group of veterans at my PRRC the air is pregnant with anticipation as the group begins. The group is so popular it has spawned a second group.

Whenever I am in the company of others who share the same experiences and challenges I face daily, I feel more comfortable and am therefore more likely to reach out for support. If you would like to find a mental illness peer support group in your area there are a number of organizations offering help. To find a NAMI Connection group go here.

The DBSA ( Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance ) is a national patient-directed nonprofit organization focusing specifically on depression and bipolar disorder. To find a DBSA support group in your area click here.

Abraham Low was a Jewish-American ( 1891-1954 ) neuropsychiatrist noted for his work establishing self help groups for the mentally ill. In 1937 Dr. Low established Recovery, Inc. and acted as it's medical director until 1954. Recovery, Inc. is now Recovery International and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Recovery, Inc. was way ahead of it's time focusing on peer led groups utilizing techniques now called CBT ( cognitive behavioral therapy ). Recovery International offers three options for participation. In person, telephone, and online. If you are interested in exploring one of these options go here.


'Til next time.

Isolation and Libraries

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. I'm noting that in the Peer Support Corner because the central library in Baltimore was the first place I used to help me break my isolative behavior.

It made me leave the house to catch the bus. I had to stand at the bus stop with other people. I  forced myself to interact with the other people. I quickly realized the interaction made the experiece more enjoyable. I am naturally shy when I don't have a role to play (like trainer or presenter) so this helped me get out of my comfort zone. Getting out of my comfort zone helped me understand "going out on a limb" can be rewarding because that is where the fruit is.

Once at the library I was in heaven. I'm an information junkie and to literally be standing in the middle of hundreds of thousands of books and film was almost pure ecstacy. I would get lost in the crowd of both people and books for hours on end. I still love going to that library. Our main library also has  free classes, classes for small fees, film showings, lectures, exhibits, and  internet access. It is the original cheap thrill.

Did you know there are over 50 ways to use a library card? Find out more here .
Think librarians are dull? Find out how some are pimping their bookcarts .
What the book you read in public says about you .
Finally, the fight over President Obama's library .

Check out your town's main library. It may be therapeutic!

Welcome!

This is the first post of the Peer Support Corner. I hope this will be a resource for people recovering from serious mental illness. I am always looking for interesting things about recovery and wellness. I think a lot of the things I find interesting may be of interest to others in recovery, so I started this blog as a way to share what I've found. I find the most interesting things from other bloggers, so that is what I will be sharing.

Humor and spirituality are very important to me. Click on the cartoon character widget on the right of the blog and get a taste of mental health humor. You can find a little Taoist wisdom at the bottom of the page.

The first thing I would like to introduce you to is a post from another peer in Canada. If you have read my other blog Irritablebrain.com and enjoyed it, I'm sure you will enjoy this.

Sharing is the essence of peer support. Take a second look at the meaning of mental health recovery from the blog of the Hopeworks Community.


Finally, riding on the heels of the 5th anniversary of Katrina, see the lasting effects of the Bush administration's efforts to block Medicaid relief to Katrina children here.

This ends my first short post. Hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!