|
Welcome to the Find the Light
Online
Support Group. The mission of this website is to provide
online
peer support for
adults that are suffering from mental illnesses such as
anxiety, mood disorders (bipolar, depressive disorders), and
substance abuse. We also provide accurate, credible information relating to various mental health issues.
We also welcome
caregivers and/or parents
of children and adults with these crippling disorders. There
is a strong connection between good mental and physical
health (mind/body). We offer tips and support for those that
are suffering from both. We all have been there and
understand. We encourage you to try our support group. It
can be life changing. Here are a few testimonies:
Stories from the heart.
If
you are currently suffering from stress and anxiety I
suggest the article in the September issue of
Glamour on stands now! Find
the Light is mentioned in the Cover Story,
"The Female
Stress Crisis, Solved!", as part of a holistic approach to
managing stress and
anxiety.
Check it out at Glamour Magazine's
website! Or come see for yourself how an
online support group can be of benefit to you. Just enter
our online group by clicking the link below to get the sign
up process started!
Enter/Sign Up For Support Group
Here
With the advent and rise
of the internet, millions are turning to
online peer support groups
due to not being able to access the mental health system. Living in
today's times can make for a
trying day for even the healthiest of us. We are among the most stressful
living situations and times in ages. Over 70% (up to 90%) of
all emergency room visits are due to stress-related
illnesses! That's a lot. If you are suffering from a mental
illness, and the stress of today's living is overwhelming
you perhaps you could benefit from an online support group
in addition to therapy and/or medication. (Check out
www.drugwatch.com for comprehensive information
on any prescriptions you may be taking.)
If you are in need of talking with others with the same
illnesses, every day challenges, parenting, anything, you
will enjoy our group. It is a relaxing atmosphere of
positive support. There is a give and take nature about
groups that becomes helpful for all involved. would
like some advice and good ideas on managing your illness why
not give online peer support a try? The value is tremendous when one thinks about the
convenience of accessing the group from a convenient place. Additionally, it has also been found
helpful to reach out to others in their time of need. The
free exchange, the mutual giving and receiving of support, is
the essence of any peer support group.
Which Online Support
Group?
So, perhaps you have decided to try
an
online support group
and found your way here to Find the Light. Chances are you
were referred by word of mouth, or any of the above
mentioned professionals, or, you found our private group via the search engines (Google,
MSN, etc). Regardless of the keywords used (depression
support group,
anxiety support,
substance abuse help, etc),
chances are also good that you found many results for these
keywords and wondered to yourself
which online support group to choose. In my opinion that has to be a personal
choice. You will have different needs than others. Some
groups are very large and
vast, with many members, and heavily moderated (monitored),
and can be very busy. Some are smaller to mid-size. Any
credible website that has an online support group will have
contact information for you to ask any questions you may
have.
I will say, that without a doubt, this group, is one of the
most private and close-knit. What this would mean to you is that none of the messages created within the
private forum will be seen in ANY search engine. (Enter
the FTL
Online Support Forum/Group Here).
In addition to privacy, Find the Light continues to strive
to be one of the best on the net for support.
Find the Light Online Support
Group provides a small screening
process for your protection and
privacy. Unless you are an accepted member you will gain
access to the other part of this website, which is the
online peer support group. The general public cannot access
the group, thus cannot see your username or messages. It is an
anonymous (you may choose any username), special, close-knit group that allows the
free exchange of feelings, moods, happenings, and thoughts
without judgment. On a final note about selecting a group
online, you will find that with some online support groups, if not many,
your messages can be seen in Google and aren't private.
If you don't want your messages to be made public then I
would suggest giving us a try, or be diligent in your search
for the best group that may be a fit for you. It may take a couple of
groups to
figure it out, but it certainly is
worth it to find that fit for yourself. Here are some of our
Find the Light member testimonials.
If you have direct questions please don't hesitate to
contact me. If you care to
find out more about Find the Light and want to join, please,
read on. Thanks for your interest!
Why Online Support?
Find the Light
Online Support Group is pioneer in the field of online
mental health. Launched in 2003, it was one of the very
first to not only show up on the net but to maintain it's
position in rankings, popularity, and credibility. The site
is upheld to the
highest personal and professional standards. For more on me,
please click
here, There are many theories
in psychology that purport effective techniques for treating
mental illnesses. If you suspect you have
anxiety or one of the
mood disorders please take
the time to look around the site for some education. If you
are indulging in a little too much of the
alcohol or drugs, even food
or nicotine, please, I URGE you, to do the same! Healthy
recovery is possible. Next, I
strongly encourage you to seek professional help if at all
possible. If you currently are suicidal please dial 911
immediately or call the
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
(in the US). We are not equipped to handle suicidal
ideations in the group. Remember, education is the key
to empowerment. There is also a slow shift in thinking
away from dependency on the medical field towards
personal responsibility and prevention. We can be a great
first step!
Paradigm Shift
There is a paradigm shift in process as we speak in the health
field, primarily medical. Instead of treating various
illness of the body (let's take chronic pain or cancer for
example) as separate from the mind, astute (in my
opinion) practitioners are realizing that the mind and body
are one. We simply cannot attempt to treat a physical
illness only with medicine. Our thoughts,
environment, social situations, etc, all play a part in
whether or not we suffer needlessly. This new paradigm is
based in part on the "Bio-psycho-social
Model"*, coined by
psychiatrist, George Engel, in 1977. 1977! I have suffered for
nearly fifteen years from almost daily pain in my head and
neck. No fun! Anyway, as you can imagine, it
isn't exactly mainstream in medicine yet, for various
reasons that I will not go into here. If you want to talk
about it email me!
My point
here is that FTL (Find the Light) is part of this "social" component.
In line with the consensus statement mentioned below, and
this bio-psycho-social model, socialization, and most particularly,
online support, can be very
therapeutic for many of us. The beautiful thing about
gaining support from those that know
and understand what you are going through, is that it opens doorways to
greater health in many ways. Group peer support is invaluable as a supplement for therapy. It is not
meant to be a substitute for therapy or medication.
The
consensus statement unveiled by SAMHSA has
revealed that peer support is essential to recovery of
mental illness. If you are suffering from these disorders
(or any other) welcome
to
Find the Light! I am quite
sure you will find comfort, solace, and the very important
support that you want and need. Please visit and sign up for the
online support group!
(For more info on healing with the new paradigm, please
visit
Jon Kabat-Zinn's website on
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)
*Lakhan, S. (2006, August 3). The Biopsychosocial Model of
Health and Illness. Retrieved from the Connexions Web site:
http://cnx.org/content/m13589/1.2/
Are you contemplating
SUICIDE? If so, please call 1-800-784-2433 in the US.
Click here to download a
free e-book on suicide. If you are a teen, please call
1-877-YOUTHLINE (968-8454)
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders are typically
classified and identified by a person's mood. For instance,
Major Depression is probably the most common mood disorder
but
Bipolar I is also common. With
Major Depression, the
primary symptoms are very low mood, lack of sleep or too
much sleep, appetite changes, suicidal ideations, loss of
interest and pleasure. Most of us experience depressing
times when we experience a loss or something devastating. We
usually move past these things by working through and
resolving our grief, and time passing. It is when someone
becomes depressed for no apparent reason and/or when
depression lasts longer than two weeks. For an official
diagnosis of Major Depression, certain criteria must be
present. These are noted in the DSM-IV, the manual that all
mental health professionals reference for assessment and
diagnosis. People with depression simply can't "just snap
out of it".
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is defined as the excessive use of a drug
(alcohol, narcotics, or cocaine) or use of a drug without
medical justification. In addition to this, to be diagnosed
with
substance abuse or
dependence, use of the
substance has to cause significant distress in at least one
area of life (such as social with relationships, vocational
with work, health, etc) Substance abuse can lead to addiction
(chemical dependency). When an individual is addicted they
feel they cannot live without the substance. They have
become completely dependent physically (or biologically) and
psychologically. There is not one area of life that isn't
effected by substance abuse and
addiction. Lives can become
destroyed-not only those of the addict, but those that love
them. The great news is it is possible to recover from this
affliction. Visit our
recovery section, and of
course, come join our
group to talk with others.
Anxiety
Anxiety is an
emotional state in
which leads us to feel uneasy, apprehensive, or fearful. People
usually experience anxiety about events they cannot control
or predict, or about events that seem threatening or
dangerous. Various types of anxiety disorders are as
follows:
Though this site should
NOT be substituted for professional help, I think it is very
important to have social support when someone is suffering
from these disorders.
Click here for member testimonials.
If you are hurting please find someone to talk
with-maybe a pastor, friend, parent, 12 Step group,
counselor, etc. If you don't have anyone give our support
group a try. Click
here for access. The loneliness and isolation is so terribly
self-destructing that if you don't reach out for help you
could suffer greatly. This is that serious!
So please enjoy this site
for any information you may need and for all of the support
and care you desire. Hope to see you in the group.
Tristine Barry, MS, CTT+
Founder
ftlowner@gmail.com
Related Links
Suicide Information
Online Therapy at Psychcafe
Anger Management Experts
Mental Health Foundation of the
UK-Great Resource!
UK Counselling Directory
Center for Therapy and
Stress Management-Tampa Bay Area
Need a hotline? Click here!
If you are feeling suicidal please
call
1-800-273-TALK
Youth: 1-877-YOUTHLINE (968-8454)
National Institute of Mental Health's Anxiety
Hotline-
1-888-826-9438
National Drug and
Alcohol Abuse Referrals: (800) 662-HELP (4357) (English and
Espaņol)
(800) 487-4889 (TDD)
*********
Last Update: August
26, 2010
This site contains ads from
Google in an attempt to cover monthly costs associated with
running the website.
Contact the Webmaster |
Powered by Computer Concierge
International
