SELF-HELP GROUPS

Self-Help Groups

Self-Help Groups

Introduction

Self-help groups, also known as mutual help, mutual aid, or support groups, are groups of people who provide mutual support for each other. In a self-help group, the members share a common problem, often a common disease or addiction. Their mutual goal is to help each other to deal with, if possible to heal or to recover from, this problem. The groups of self-help are small groups of people who share the same living situation or the same difficulties. They are deliberately trying to satisfy a need, overcome a problem, get a change in a reciprocal manner.

This paper discusses the different self-help groups that are available in Kane, Kendall or Dupage county areas.

Discussion

Brief Report of My Findings

Self-help groups in the county areas of Kane/Kendall or Dupage may exist separately or as part of larger organizations. They may operate informally or according to a format or program. The groups usually meet locally, in members' homes or community rooms, in schools, churches, or other centers (White & Madara, 1998).

In the self-help process, the service user is also the service producer. As an informal, voluntary method of social support, self-help provides informational, affective appraisal and instrumental support. The self-help process relies on three major aspects of social learning.

How Often and When Do They Meet?

The participants of the self helps groups in the county areas such as Kane/Kandell or Dupage, meet often thrice a month depending on how much relaxed and relief do they feel when they meet these self-help groups. There are various kinds of self-help groups some are created by the people who tend to share an illness or a disability, those made by people who want to change a habit, behavior (such as Alcoholics Anonymous), those organized by relatives of people with serious problems, groups of people who go through a period of crisis (a death, separation), or a positive period, but that radically changes their lives (for example, birth of a child), or finally, people who face a situation or a change that affects their identity (for example, the menopause, retirement) (Wituk and Meissen, 2002).

The group is not without conflict. Whenever people meet each other, there may be a result of various interests to disagreements. Just addicts are particularly in need of harmony; and therefore, it requires a very sensitive conflict resolution.

Organize from time to time "complaints Round." Here, each group member the opportunity to express his ...