SADAG Support Group Mission Statement

Above all, SADAG Support Groups’ first aim is to do no harm. A Support Group is a group of people who have the same personal experience of the same problems or life situations, and are there to help each other feel supported.

What can we do to change the stigma associated with Mental Health in SA

What Is A SADAG Support Group?

A Support Group is a gathering of people with common experiences and concerns who meet together to provide emotional and moral support for one another. They encourage a sense of community, a source of empathetic understanding and a non-judgemental environment.

Members of Support Groups often share their thoughts and feelings and learn from other people’s sharing and other’s life experiences. In a SADAG Support Group environment everyone is seen as an expert of their own life experiences. Rather than a teacher/pupil relationship, where the Support Group Leader is seen as an expert/teacher, and the Support Group Members are seen as pupils, in a Support Group environment everyone, including the Support Group Leader, plays the role of both the expert and the pupil.

So often in life, when people come to us to share and talk about what they are going through, we are so preoccupied with trying to find a solution that we forget to listen. One of the most valuable gifts we can offer someone is giving them space to share their feelings. We should never underestimate the power of discourse with others who are in the same situation. Sharing experiences enables us to give each other mutual support, normalise our experiences and collect practical information and ways of coping. Group members offer each other emotional and practical support and reduce the sense of isolation that can be associated with mental illness and emotional struggles.

A Support Group can help you cope better and feel less alone as you make connections with others facing similar challenges. A Support Group shouldn’t replace your usual medical care, but it can be a valuable resource to help you cope and manage. As human beings we want to connect with people. Depression can sometimes threaten this, when we feel depressed we feel alone and lonely, we feel that others cannot understand us and we withdraw from people when we need them the most. Fear of stigma and being judged often make us fearful of telling even those we love that we are depressed or suffer from mental illness. Joining a Support Group, or deciding to set one up, is a powerful commitment to form relationships with others again.

Why do you think people are scared or ashamed to speak out about their Mental Health and ask for the help that they need?

Different Types Of Support Groups

SADAG has many different types of Support Groups, each serve different communities and different issues. In this manual you will also find methods of speaking to people in your community to identify which Support Group will meet the needs for the people in the community. You can also choose what type of Support Group you would like to run based on your own mental health journey, passion, or interests.

There are is an endless list of different types of Support Groups, these include, but are not limited to

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trauma
• PTSD
• Substance abuse
• Bipolar Disorder
• Post / Peri Natal Depression
• Support Groups for loved ones and family members who have loved ones with mental illness
• Groups for people who have lost loved ones to suicide, and so on
• Unemployment
• Managing retirement
• HIV/AIDS

The Difference Between Group Therapy And A Support Group

Support Groups and Group Therapy share many common characteristics. They both involve people coming together to share their experiences in a non-judgemental environment. However, the main difference between Group Therapy and a Support Group lies in the fact that Group Therapy is run by a professional who is trained and accredited with the ability to conduct psychotherapy, while a Support Group is for a community with similar problems coming together to share them.

While the majority of SADAG’s Support Group Leaders are patients, or ex-patients themselves who have experienced difficulties with their own mental health or the mental health of a loved one, we do have Support Groups that are run by mental health practitioners. These mental health practitioners do not run their groups in the capacity of mental health practitioners.

It is not necessary for Support Group Leaders to be mental health practitioners, because Support Groups are not therapy, nor are they the first line of mental health treatment/intervention.

Why is a Support Group so important in your community?

What Support Groups Do

Support Groups foster an environment that:

Give you a voice and helps you to take control:

• A Support Group provides a place of stability and security, a place in which you can feel respected, nurtured and cared for, and above all it provides a “listening place”.

Creates a culture of equality:

• A Support Group is the first place you can go where everyone understands and no one judges.

Builds a common identity:

• You will realise by being with others that share your symptoms, that you are not alone; there is an immediate feeling of acceptance and belonging.
• Being with others who are experiencing the same illness or life problem as you and are successfully managing, despite their problems, can be the best encouragement of all.

Is non-judgmental

• There is a code of confidentiality within the group, and each member’s privacy and dignity is respected.

Works against isolation:

• By being around those who have recovered, gives the sufferer hope – “I’ve been where you are, it will get better.”
• It’s a wonderful experience, when you’re in a terrible place, to get a visit from a caring group member who is calling just to see how you’re doing and to say “I’m here if you need me”. It’s equally gratifying to visit someone in distress and be able to help them.
• Joining is voluntary with no commitments or forced discussions.

Allows the sharing of pain:

• Knowing that someone else truly understands by virtue of having “been there”, brings a sense of relief, you are no longer alone with your pain.
• Everyone is given the freedom to draw on the strength of the group as needed and to extend strength to others when possible.

Provides information and referrals:

• When people discuss their “illness”, a great deal of information and education is gained.
• Helps to share coping tips and methods that haven’t only come from books.

How does joining a Support Group help someone who has a Mental Illness?

Who Attends SADAG Support Groups?

Mental health does not discriminate against race, gender, socio-economic standing, age, or religion, it is something that almost all of us are affected by, be it personally or through a family member or loved one. As such, there are an incredibly diverse group of people who can attend SADAG Support Groups.

Due to the vulnerability and susceptibility of the youth, as well as legal requirements, we advise that only people eighteen and older attend and run Support Groups. Responsible practice, and an emphasis on doing good, not harm, means that we recommend that the youth seek other mental health resources where there are a dedicated team that can ensure the safety and well-being of the individual and group.

There are many different types of Support Groups, and these groups offerings extend beyond offerings focused on the patient, or mental illness sufferer. There are groups dedicated to loved ones and family members of people with mental illness, as well as groups dedicated to the unemployment, those suffering with trauma and PTSD, as well as caregivers to name a few.

How does your Support Group help your members