I am in a support group....this one meets every week for exercise and conversation.....I am having trouble with the reading materials that are used at the end....it is mostly negative and depressing....instead of coming away with my spirits high they are low......can anyone share what happens at their meeting and some way to end on a positive note? We go to lunch after the meeting but the mood is already set.

I wonder if they are giving those things to read so people can plan for the bad times as best they can?
But most can see/read about the worst case scenarios online, if they want to..

They really should try to end the meetings with an uplifting message.
Who runs the meetings?
Perhaps you can speak to them privately and share your concerns.

Thanks for the info.....Is a support group usually run by a non pd person and if so should they be there during personal exchanges?

the support group i belong to is run by a social worker who doesn't have pd but has studied it since it runs in her family. no exercise, no field trips, either we have a speaker or we basically go around in a circle, everyone gives an introduction, more extensive if new and can basically add anything they want to when it's their turn to speak. by it's nature, being an incurable disease, pd can be depressing and people with no major problems yet from pd normally don't go to support meetings. when i was first diagnosed i went to one just to see what info i could get and i listened for an hour to the fiance of a guy who was just diagnosed with pd pouring out her heart about how her finance wanted to end the engagement because he didn't want to ruin her life since she would eventually be taking care of an invalid and she wanted advice on how to tell her finace that maybe that wasn't going to be the inevitable outcome BUT WAS HE RIGHT??. wow! didn't go back to that group as i was recently divorced just before my pd diagnosis and had almost no pd symptoms and wasn't ready to listen to what was happening to advanced pd'ers.
i depend on the internet for info but you can never have too many local contacts/friends when you have pd and just making one friend can make it worth going, nothing is perfect. i guess i'd have to get the titles of the materials you are mentioning to see if they are unusually "depressing". if everyone else thinks the same then you should talk to the person running the show but like with every organization you have to decide if it's worth rocking the boat.

Parkinson's UK runs a group of semi-autonomous support groups across the country. I belong to the Stafford Group. We have 136 members, mainly PwP and their spouses. (For perspective, Stafford is 200km north west of London and has a population of about 100,000.)

The branch runs (I take no credit for it):
- a monthly branch meeting with a talk sometimes Parkinson's related, sometimes not.
- a weekly physiotherapy class;
- a weekly crown green bowling session or in the winter cards;
- a monthly carers' dinner;
- a monthly coffee morning.
- various fund raising activities.

We find that sometimes an activity expands in ways we never expected: the bowling led to a connection with a sports club, and this led to a Parkinson's team being formed to play in the local league, but also to other activities run by the sports club such as pub quiz evenings.

The atmosphere is upbeat. The branch can point PwP to services provided by Parkinson's UK and the NHS. It does provide support. This kind of support would be very difficult to provide over the internet. It does not, however, have enough people interested in the citizen scientist aspect of PD to replace what this forum is best at. Together the branch and this forum make a good combination.

John

All this info is helpful.....Thanks

I showed up for one support group, and realized I was much younger than most. One couple was about my age, and I asked which of them had PD? Nope, turned out his Dad did, but couldn't make the meeting as it conflicted with his tennis lesson.

Thankfully in Austin, TX we have some fantastic resources.
Capital Area Parkinsons.

Power for Parkinson's.

Rock Steady Boxing - Austin.

With Rock Steady Boxing we meet 3x a week for 90 minutes. 15 minute stretch, 60 minute workout, 15 minute post stretch. Four levels of classes, depending on ability, and no you only hit bags not another person. I enjoy the workout, and the social interaction with everyone else. Coach is a bundle of energy who keeps up moving.

While not a traditional support group, but such a great group of folks that make it all worth while.

I, too, am looking for a support group. Maybe the local MS society will know. I have stayed away from support groups because I am afraid it will just get me more afraid knowing what could com,e.

Karen, it took me 8 years to go to a support group. I found out there were a lot of people looking for an answer......I believe we're all going to die of something sometime, maybe neither of us from PD...I live each day to the fullest planning on a tomorrow...just don't quit!

Real life support groups can be very good for information on local resources, tips and even first hand reviews on care providers, or assisted living centers if needed.