Patient groups

You are not alone! It is nice to know that you are not alone in the world. There are  helplines and patient support groups to tide you through this difficult period.

It is not always comforting to learn that there are so many people who are going through what you are going through. But it does help to remove

• the taboo surrounding the illness
• the pain
• the feeling of guilt of not fighting it

When you are depressed, you will undoubtedly feel the taboo and the pain, and experience the feelings of guilt. And perhaps this thought will cross your mind: "The outside world expects me to function, but I CANNOT".

Contact is important

Human contact is extremely important. It is important that you can speak freely on the telephone with someone who

• does not judge
• does not "play the wise man"
• has tried it themselves
• does not give stupid advice like "you just need to take a walk and get some fresh air" or "go out and buy something nice for yourself", or whatever people come up with.

There are no easy solutions. But when you get the chance to talk about the pain and the helplessness, you will have a little "valve" to help you through the worst. One such valve is the SAMH Helpline, tel. 1800-2837019 or 6283 1576 (9am to 6pm on weekdays)

Local groups

This also means that some of the people we talk to get together in groups around the country. Some of them, those who have come so far in their treatment that the world is starting to look fairly normal again, also have sufficient energy to work for us. They are the driving force behind these local groups.

You can just turn up to a group meeting whenever you wish and speak if you wish to. You can also choose not to say anything if you don't want to. It is a secure community. And being with others in the same boat can be liberating. It can give you some breathing space which will help through the next day.