Support for Helpers

As a friend or family member helping someone living with a mood disorder, it’s important to build your own support system. You might think your problems are minor in comparison to what your loved one is coping with, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less deserving of help and comfort. Take time out for yourself and to do things you enjoy. Taking care of yourself means you’ll be better able to help the person you care about.

Support Groups

For Friends and Family Members

A mother of a son with depression says, "When you are in the middle of a situation, it’s hard to see what's happening, but when you sit in a support group meeting across from someone who is going through the same things, it gives you perspective."Find a local friends and family support group.

DBSA has recently revamped our online support groups and will be launching a new group for friends and families in 2016. This group will be posted at DBSAlliance.org/OSG as soon as it's up and running. Thank you for your patience as we improve our online offering!

For Parents

DBSA's Balanced Mind Parent Network (BMPN), guides families raising children with mood disorders to the answers, support and stability they seek. BMPN is a family-focused community for parents and caregivers of children with mood disorders with 24/7 access to information and support. BMPN currently hosts 12 online support communities based on specific interests.

For Your Loved Ones

If your loved one lives with bipolar disorder or depression, it can be incredibly healing for them to realize that they’re not alone. As one DBSA support group participant says, "The members of my DBSA support group reached out to me....If not for the support that I received from this organization, I probably wouldn’t be here." Find a local peer support group in your community or find an online peer support group.