Find the Light-Help and Information on Anxiety and Mood Disorders

In This Site

Help us to help you! Powered by Computer Concierge International

Find the Light relies heavily on donations from those that believe in our principles and mission. Any donation helps to keep us running and updating. Thank you for your generosity!

Welcome to the Find the Light. The mission of this website is to provide a place for adults that are suffering from mental illnesses such as anxiety, mood disorders (bipolar, depressive disorders) to gain information.

Find the Light provides 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 for those that are suffering from both.

*******PLEASE NOTE. WE AREN'T ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS AT THIS TIME. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP PLEASE CHECK OUT PSYCH CENTRAL'S FORUMS

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, bipolar support, 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. In addition to privacy, Find the Light continues to strive to be one of the best on the net for support.

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. Our DIET plays a huge part in how we are feeling both mentally and physically. Chronic stress leads to deadly, not to mention, extremely debilitating illnesses spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially. When we reach the point of no control and are spiraling we are left wondering where in the world to start. In my experience it had to start with this paradigm. 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. Not only that, I was living in fear my whole life, which led to substance abuse to mask the pain of the terrible anxiety I felt. 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 would like to read more about how to get out of the spiral of anything that has your life out of control, Mindfulness can be a wonderful start.

The point 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. (For more info on healing with the new paradigm, please visit Jon Kabat-Zinn's website on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) We also have our own page on Mindfulness here. It is based on Jon Kabat-Zinn's program and ground-breaking book, "The Full Catastrophe Living". It changed my life!

*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)

National Institute of Mental Health's Anxiety Hotline-
1-888-826-9438

National Drug and Alcohol Abuse Referrals: (800) 662-HELP (4357) (English and Español)
(800) 487-4889 (TDD)

*********
Last Update: March 17, 2012

"When you are in your darkest hour, remember, you can always find the light..." TB, Author, Director, Find the Light Online Support Group.

Click here to contact me

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.