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Writer's pictureDr. Rachelle Kritzer

The Power of Online Support Groups

Text on Graphic with headshot of author, Kate Easton. Headline: "Shining Light on Shadows: When Your Child Struggles with Bipolar, Everyone Struggles" Pull Quote: "“Amidst the chaos and the pain, there was a glimmer of clarity – my son was not himself, he was a prisoner of his own mind, controlled by forces beyond his control.”

The importance of connecting to others and being authentically seen and heard is essential to our mental health and well-being. Since the pandemic, people are increasingly isolated and lonely and it is not surprising that there has been a rise in anxiety and depression. The pandemic had a way of exacerbating all of our physical and emotional vulnerabilities. Luckily, as the world shut down to avoid the spread of Covid-19, online support groups popped up to fill some of the need.


Working as a psychologist in schools and in clinics, I am aware of the myriad of community supports available and the difference that they can make in people’s lives. We all have a range of feelings and stressors as well as traumatic experiences in our lives. It is essential to allow yourself to feel your feelings, express them and then let them go so that they don’t take root and fester. A colleague of mine used to say “You have to go through it to get to the other side.”

 

I will discuss the importance of community supports, NAMI and more on a new show launched by Neil Parekh and Dawn Helmrich Neuburg, “Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation About Mental Health.” You can watch the live show Thursday, September 12 at 7pm ET / 6pm CT OR the recording on Facebook, Twitter*, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram* and Neil's website. *We won't know the exact urls for Twitter or Instagram until we go live. For now, those links go to Neil's accounts.

 

Mood disorders and ADHD run in my family. My husband and I as well as our three children had to develop new strategies to cope with the changes and challenges that came with the pandemic. We all struggled. I recognized that I needed more supports and joined some great online groups, including an 8-week NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) family-to-family education group; a monthly NAMI family support group and a weekly contemplative prayer group. I have also connected with a weekly DBSA (Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance) group during periods of greatest stress.


I find it beneficial to connect with others who are facing similar stressors. It is super helpful for me to get out of my own head to consider other people’s perspectives and I am often in awe of their grace and perseverance. I think we all support each other to become more resilient and to be able to “ride the waves” of our own emotions and those around us. In my NAMI support group, we also exchange strategies to access increased community resources for our family members. We have become so close because we are struggling with similar issues.


I am a big fan of Neil and Dawn’s show “Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation about Mental Health.” I applaud them for launching this program to help to destigmatize mental health issues and to provide their viewers with information and resources. I came up with this topic as a way of highlighting some of the resources that are available in all of our communities. Hope others find this helpful.


Title Card for Show. Text and headshots of the co-hosts and guest. Headline: "Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation About Mental Health" Copy: "Ep. 7 Kate Easton Parenting a Child with Mental Health Challenges Thurs., May 9 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 4pm PT"


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