Family Center Support

Through a number of ongoing events, DBSA offers information, hope, and support for those with mood disorders, their family members and other audiences such as providers and the general public. For more details, see the links below.

As a family member, it’s important to build your own support system. You might think your problems are minor in comparison to what your loved one is coping with, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less deserving of help and comfort. Take time out for yourself and to do things you enjoy. Taking care of yourself means you’ll be better able to help the person you care about.

Support Groups

For Family Members

A mother of a son with depression says, "When you are in the middle of a situation, it’s hard to see what's happening, but when you sit in a support group meeting across from someone who is going through the same things, it gives you perspective." Many DBSA chapters across the country offer support groups for families and friends of individuals living with a mood disorder. Find a local support group.

DBSA also offers online support groups for families. Find an online support group. The Parents' Group meets every Wednesday at 8:30 pm EST.

For Consumers

If you live with bipolar disorder or depression, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. As one DBSA support group participant says, "The members of my DBSA support group reached out to me....If not for the support that I received from this organization, I probably wouldn’t be here." Find a local support group in your community or find an online support group.

Additional Resources

• Rebecca's Dream

  The mission of Rebecca's Dream is to promote awareness and compassionate understanding of depression and bipolar disorder as real diseases. RebeccasDream.org offers tools tools, videos and information for individuals and their family to help learn, understand and cope with depression and bipolar disorder.

• The Balanced Mind Foundation

  The Balanced Mind Foundation's mission is to guide families raising children with mood disorders to the answers, support and stability they seek. The Foundation envisions a world where children living with mood disorders thrive because their families have the resources, community and support they need.