CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Finding Help

So where do you start in your journey when you need help?

That depends actually. Do you want to be part of an online community? Do you want to join in face to face at a support group or self help gathering, or perhaps a little of both? Or maybe you would just like to receive the magazine and e-newsletters and follow along on other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Today there is quite a choice, and the trend is moving towards online groups more than ever before, mainly because they are more sustainable.

The fact is that attending in-person support group gatherings are becoming a thing of the past. Where once you could count on finding a local group and rocking up whenever you felt like it, always assuming they would be there for you, now days this is becoming much harder. Why you ask? well the people who usually run these types of groups are almost always living with a chronic or progressive disease themselves. The need to help others along on the same journey they are living is usually what has planted the seeds to starting a support group. A need to connect with others experiencing the same types of things as you are, and realising that you are not alone, not going bonkers, and actually it's a good thing to be informed and to mix with others especially for your mental health and emotional well-being drives their passion to give you a place to belong.

There are some incredible Bloggers, organisations, support groups, and individuals who all have something to offer to you within the Chronic Illness world. Whatever your illness or disease may be, there is support for you somewhere, you just have to find it.

To make it a little easier you will find some of my favourites for you to explore below, happy reading!

The great news is that in Western Australia there is the peak body for Support Groups, and Self-Help organisations called ConnectGroups Association. This incredibly valuable team of talented individuals work tirelessly to bring our community information, education, events, training, collaborations, and so much more. And you can now do this in-person and online through Zoom! Talk about getting everything you want and more right? From their podcast series, their monthly blog and e-newsletter, this organisation offers so much to the community services industry in ways nobody else does. To have a chat with the team or check out their website just click here.

Since 1983, ConnectGroups has provided practical assistance to both new and established groups to support their effective management and role in the community.

ConnectGroups aims to help people help each other by providing Support Groups with:

Links to community networks and information.
Assistance with group development and management.
Support with community resources and services.
Individual and group skills training.

ConnectGroups promotes the philosophy and practice of peer support throughout Western Australia. Fostering empowerment among Support Groups allows people dealing with stressful life problems and situations to share their experiences and to offer emotional and practical support to one another.

All graphics are copyright and owned by ConnectGroups WA.