Introduction

In today’s world of instant information via the Internet, finding the type of online support group that you are looking for can become frustrating as you join a group only to realize that it is not offering you what you need. The problem is not finding an online support group, but finding a group that meets your particular needs. Sometimes, the best way to have your needs met is to create your own online support group that will allow you to meet others with the same needs.

An online support group can be created to cover just about any subject including; medical issues, work issues, parenting issues, and special interests. A support group, in the simplest of terms, is a group of individuals that have come together to share information, understanding, and support about a specific topic or interest. That topic can be pregnancy after age 36, rebuilding a 1955 Chevy, or about single parenting. The main point is that if you want a support group about a specific topic, there are probably several other individuals that would be interested in joining the same support group.

 

Finding others in your community that share your interests or are looking for the same support that you are, can be difficult. However, finding others online is much easier and does not limit you or them to one small grouping of individuals. With the Internet, women from places like Chicago, London, Sydney, Belgrade, Buenos Aires, and even Moscow Russia, can come together and discuss their struggle with getting pregnant, how they are dealing with the terrible twos, or they could even have a recipe swapping support group.

So, how do you go about either finding the support group that you are looking for and that will work for you, or creating a support group and getting others to join you? That is the real question, and not always easily answered. Depending on what you most want in a support group will determine what type of group would work best for you.

If you were looking to swap recipes with others from across the world, then a basic open support group would be perfect. An open group would allow anyone to join, and you would be able to start sharing your recipes with the other members from the beginning. If, on the other hand, you are dealing with a sensitive health issue like prostrate cancer, then a more private support group could work better for you. Most topic sensitive support groups have a member approval process that you would need to go through in order to join.

What you can do if you can't seem to find the right group for you is to take a few minutes of your time that you would normally devote to participating in a support group and start creating your own. There are several free online sources that you can use to do this including Yahoo Groups, MSN Groups, and Google Groups to name a few. It will take time to create the group and get it started, but in the long run, having the group that you want and need is well worth the effort that you put into it.

In this course, we will look at the variety of ways a support group can be created, what it takes to make an effective group, how to let others know that your group is available, and how to run the group so it is as supportive as possible and benefits the members. This information can also help a person that is looking for a good group, but either does not have the time to commit to creating one, or does not want the responsibility.

By knowing what a good support group consists of, you will be able to either create your own specialized group, or find an effective group that will offer you what you need.