If you are truly interested in joining with others to start any type of self-help support group ("self-help" means a member-run group, not a professionally one), there are suggestions at:
http://mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=866

Best to those who decide to start one!

Take care and hope,

- Ed

American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse
Saint Clare's Health System, NJ
http://mentalhelp.net/selfhelp or www.selfhelpgroups.org
Our American website provides:
- a keyword-searchable database of over 1,100 national, international, and model self-help support groups for most any specific illness, disability, addiction, bereavement situation, parenting, caregiver concern, abuse, or other stressful life situation;
- listing of local non-profit self-help group clearinghouses worldwide
http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=859
- suggestions on starting both community and online mutual help groups;
- information on research of self-help groups - to see a summary of the more rigorous outcome studies, you can see a copy of the chapter from the last edition of our Self-Help Group Sourcebook at:
http://www.chce.research.va.gov/docs...Loomis2002.pdf
- and a registry for those trying to start new national or international support networks that don't yet exist in the world.
For information on national, online, or model groups, you can also phone our national helpline in NJ at 973-326-6789 (8:30am - 5pm Eastern, weekdays).

"Start your Community. It won't be easy. You'll be scared. You will often feel that you don't know what you're doing. You'll have a difficult time persuading people to join you. Many initially won't want to make the commitment, and those who are willing to will be as scared as you. Once you get started it will be frustrating. There will be chaos. Most will consider dropping out, and some probably will. But hang in there... And then suddenly you will find yourself in the clear air of the mountaintop, and you'll be laughing and crying and feeling more alive than you have in years - maybe more alive than you've ever been." - M. Scott Peck, MD, in The Different Drum, 1997.