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Find the Light
Online Support Group
Focusing on Mood Disorders and Anxiety

   
 

The information provided on Find the Light is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician. Find the Light is a self-help site only. Each and every member is responsible for themselves when participating. **
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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). We offer information and links to other addiction/substance abuse groups now and no longer have a major focus within the group on addictions. If you need referrals for addictions please see our resources below. With that in mind, addictions and substance abuse (or any maladaptive behavior such as stress eating, shopping, etc, where we are looking OUTSIDE ourselves for relief) are simply manifestations of deep underlying issues. Most people with substance abuse or addictions also have some kind of underlying mental illness. Many times we find we try to "self-medicate" with these behaviors.

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 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.

 

 Enter Support Group Here


Here is a wonderful testimony from a long-time member of Find the Light. Name withheld for anonymity.

Testimonial for Find the Light

When I was diagnosed with bipolar, my world suddenly made sense, and simultaneously I suddenly felt very, very lonely. I had no one to talk with about my condition but my doctor. Neither family nor friends had a basis for understanding my experience and day-to-day struggle. My doctor and I decided that I needed to be part of a bipolar support group, in a safe environment with people who were going through the same experiences.

I searched for a support group within driving distance, but there were none. None of the major national organizations for mental health and bipolar – the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) – had meetings in my area. The area hospitals were equally bereft of support for people with bipolar – although they had support for other mental illnesses. It is a kind of hell when there is no one in your life to whom you can talk about what you go through every day; how vigilant you have to be to make it to the next.

The only place I'd not looked was online, but I was skeptical given the stories I'd heard about squatters who monopolized the chat forums. But, at that point I was desperate. So I searched on Google for ‘bipolar support group’, and the first organization that popped up was Find the Light (FTL).

I liked the home page. It felt right. It was clear that this was not sponsored by an organization that had an agenda, nor was it sponsored by folks who simply wanted to brag and gripe about how tough and crazy their lives were. It felt like the people inside would know what I was talking about; they would understand my language. So I signed up, and six years later I'm still a member.

FTL quickly became an integral part of my journey to stability. As I've gone through life-changing experiences, the members of FTL have been right there with me, giving me guidance, council, and support. In time, I became stable enough to give back in kind: a blessing; a first.

As with any community, there is a core group who sustain the energy continuity of the larger group, around which others come and go. After an initial, intense period of a few years, I've come and gone a few times, becoming one of many 'second tier' core members who keep coming back and re-connecting with the core group and each other. No matter how long I am away (not long), I always need to return and visit my online family, share my experiences, and provide support for other members as they share theirs. And each time I return, I am glad, and give thanks for the good fortune (and great SEO* strategy!) that led me to FTL.

*SEO is the acronym for search engine optimization
 

NEW-Mindfulness for Stress and Anxiety page has been added. Mindfulness has greatly reduced my personal stress, chronic pain, and anxiety levels to almost nothing. Learn how you can also. Read on for further resources and information on stress, anxiety, and our support group.

If you are currently suffering from stress and anxiety I suggest the article located on MSNBC. Find the Light is mentioned in the article, "Why Are Anxiety Disorders for Women on the Rise?". It was originated by Glamour writer, Shaun Dreisbach in the September issue with a Cover Story, "The Female Stress Crisis, Solved!", as part of a holistic (well-rounded) approach to managing stress and anxiety.  Come see for yourself how an online support group can be of benefit to you and give support for this type of holistic lifestyle. Just enter our online support group by clicking the link below to get the sign up process started!

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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, 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. (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 alcohol or drugs, even food or nicotine, please, I URGE you, to do educate yourself and find a local AA or Celebrate Recovery (Christ-Centered) group in your area.  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. 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. 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)  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)


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".

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
memberservices@findthelight.net

Related Links

 CELEBRATE RECOVERY! Christ-Centered Recovery Program for ALL!

AA 12 Step Program for Alcoholics
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Online Support for the Recovery Community
Addiction Resources and Information
Suicide Information

Online Therapy at Psychcafe
Mental Health Foundation of the UK-Great Resource!

 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 Español)
(800) 487-4
889 (TDD)

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Last Update: November 14
, 2011

Contact the Webmaster

Online support with Find the Light means invaluable peer support. FTL's online support group is screened for safety. Membership has to be approved and requires a login and valid email. It is fee-based but includes a free 30-day no obligation trial. If you choose not to return, you simply do nothing. The fee is a modest amount considering how much the group helps our members. The group is constantly moderated in order to keep it as safe as possible. Part of online support entails the privacy and security that you are "safe" (as safe as possible in the electronic environment of the internet) revealing such personal issues. You do NOT have to reveal yourself to anyone. You can assign a screen name to yourself that allows anonymity. The only thing you reveal is your email address to me. It is held on my privately held server. Member testimonials provide a glimpse into the effectiveness of Find the Light's online support group. 


 

candle

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

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The information provided on Find the Light is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician. This owner of this site does not provide therapy and does not provide online suicide or homicide prevention. **There is a monthly $4.99 fee for participation in the private online support group in the message forums in order to cover monthly costs of labor and related expenses. You will NOT be charged for months you do not use. Please see user agreement (accessed upon signup) for further details.  Overall site last updated:03/08/2011 www.findthelight.net  Copyright 2008 Find the Light Online Support Group. This site contains ads from various agencies (as related to, but not influenced by site content) and affiliates in an attempt to cover monthly costs associated with running the website. All advertising purchasing decisions are decided by the owners and must be relevant or beneficial to the user/member. Such links are marked "Advertisement".