SUPPORT GROUPS—MENTAL HEALTH
Please note—The information listed here comes from many sources. Please check individual groups for suitability for your family’s needs.
Please be sure to check for additional lists by condition (i.e. "Support Groups for OCD")
Chazkeinu
314-346-7414 Zahava
Chazkeinu is an international support system for women dealing with mental health issues and their families.
Semi-weekly hazkeinu telephone meetings offer a speaker who shares her personal story on the line, as well as women with family members or friends with mental illness who share their experience. They also hear from mental health professionals and Rabbanim who share encouragement with the group. The line is open to all callers to share what resonated with them from what the speaker spoke about. Included are question and answers, and an option to add “call comments” via email. The phone meetings are positive and inspiring, and all in a safe and anonymous environment. Monday phone meetings feature speakers, and Wednesdays include speakers, topic meetings, and panel discussions.
Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation
The Hidden Children
An online support group for frum parents whose child suffers from a psychiatric disorder, organized by M. K., the author of "The Hidden Children" (see the article in our chizuk library).
"...I would like to invite any reader who has a child suffering from a psychiatric disorder to join our online support group. You can drop me an email and I will invite you to the group. You do not need to reveal your real name. This will be a safe place for us to voice our deepest fears and reservations. It is a place to share our pain, and I hope that it will also become a place to share information. I already have a few professionals in the works who are interested in participating in our discussions..."
High on Equilibrium
www.highonequilibrium.blogspot.com
An online blog for those dealing with bipolar disorder. This is a portal in which people can anonymously discuss the questions they may have about this mental illness without risking exposing their condition in public.
Borderline Personality Disorder
845-244-1674
A Jewish support group for spouses and family members of people who suffer from borderline personality disorder. Adults only.
Frum Support
Frum Support is a web-based system of support groups for people who are suffering from a medical or mental illness and are afraid to speak to other people, because of the stigma attached to it. It allows them to reach out to others in the same boat anonymously without the fear of being discovered.
Members can post either in the public forums or they can 'private message' each other in a private manner.
The mental health section is extremely busy because the people suffering from mental illness feel very alone. They feel that very few people understand them, and mental illness is still very stigmatized in our communities. For many people, the ability to connect to others who understand is literally a lifesaver!
Toshia
718-705-9980 ext 208 Rivky Goldman
Toshia runs a number of support groups including a free, anonymous phone support groups for wives whose husbands have been diagnosed with mental illness. The goal is to aid in mitigating the wife's pain and allow her to parent her children more effectively under the circumstances. Moderated by Cirel Stern LCSW.
They also run a phone support group for mothers of teens with mental illness and phone support groups for mothers of children with ADD/ADHD.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Queens/Nassau
1981 Marcus Avenue, Suite C117
Lake Success, NY 11042
Phone: (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284 (not a crisis line)
Offering a variety of free support groups, educational classes and monthly meetings for family members, caregivers, professionals and those with a diagnosis. The nonprofit works to improve the lives of people with mental illness by educating the public, advocating for legislation and reducing stigma. For locations and dates visit www. namiqn.org.
ENGLAND
Bikur Cholim D’Satmer of Stamford Hill
0208-800-7575
Monthly support group meetings for spouses of people with mental health issues.
There are two separate groups—one has meetings for women caring for husbands with mental health issues, and one for men caring for wives with mental health issues.
All meetings are facilitated by professionals. All participants have an absolute commitment to confidentiality.
The understanding, trust, and sharing of these groups is a lifeline—and proof that spouses do not have to forgo privacy in exchange for support.
CANADA
L’espoir Shalva
514-731-5625 Claudie Shoop
Montreal, Quebec
Jewish support group for people with anxiety disorder