DBSA Online Support Groups

Welcome to the DBSA online support groups! We're glad you found us. If you are new to the DBSA online groups, let us walk you through the experience.

>>>Need help creating an account or signing in? Watch our short video tutorial.<<<

DBSA's online support groups meet at selected times. Please note that you will not be able to access the online meeting room outside of these times. Each online support group is capped at 12 participants and the room opens 10 minutes before the meeting time. Groups fill up quickly, so try to arrive early. Participation in the groups is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Beginning in June, the Friends and Family Online Support Group will meet on the 2nd Thursday of every month. 

Beginning in June, the Monday night Online Support Group will resume meeting at 10:00pm Eastern, each Monday night. The Tuesday night Online Support Group will go on hiatus. 

The Friday night Online Support Group is currently on hiatus. We hope to continue this group when additional facilitators have been found. If you are interested in facilitating, please fill out the Facilitator Application. 

The online support group and the DBSAlliance.org logins are different. If you've never used the online support groups, you must create an account.

Guidelines Glossary Structure User Guide Meeting Times Registration Help


Online Support Group Guidelines

Please read before logging in below.

All users are asked to follow these guidelines while participating in a DBSA online support group.

  • Share the air. We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to share. Time is limited, though, so we ask that everyone be respectful of other participants' share-time needs.
  • Give back. We recognize that we often benefit as much by supporting others as we do by sharing our own struggles, triumphs, and experiences.
  • One person shares at a time. Each person should be allowed to share without interruptions or side conversations.
  • What is shared here stays here. This is the essential principle of confidentiality and must be respected by all.
  • Differences of opinion are okay. We are all entitled to our own point of view.
  • We are all equal. Accept cultural, linguistic, social, and racial differences and promote their acceptance.
  • Use “I” language. Because we do not participate in support groups as credentialed professionals, we do not instruct or advise. We do, however, share from our own personal experiences. We are unique individuals, and only we know what is best for our own health (along with our doctor’s recommendations). Example: “In my experience, I have found…”
  • It’s okay not to share. People do not have to share if they do not wish to. However, because space in the online support groups is limited, we ask that all participants check in with a facilitator via private message if they do not wish to share or if they arrive late to a group.
  • It’s everyone’s responsibility to make the discussion groups a safe place to share. We respect confidentiality, treat each other with respect and kindness, and show compassion.
  • Please arrive on time and commit to stay until the end. People who arrive 30 minutes after the meeting begins will be asked to leave and return at a later date when they are able to join us from the beginning.
  • You must be 18 years of age to enter the online support groups.

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All participants will need to register the first time they log in to the online meeting room. This registration is different than your registration on the main DBSA website. You will only need to register once. The online support group requires Java; click here to see if your computer has Java. If your computer does not have Java, you can download it for free from http://www.java.com/.

If you've recently updated your Java to the latest version, you may have a problem seeing the login box. To resolve the issue with the latest update of Java, please try the steps below. (You must close all browsers first before doing this.)

  1. Open your computer's control panel.
  2. Double click the Java coffee cup.
  3. Click the "Settings" button.
  4. Click the "Delete Files" button.
  5. Check ALL things to be deleted, including "Installed Applications and Applets.
  6. Click "OK."

Need help with registration?



Online Support Group Glossary

d/ Indicates when someone is done sharing. Please use and respect the “d/” during the support group session.
dd/ Indicates when someone would no longer like the group's focus during the support group discussion.
t/ Indicates that what someone is about to share might be a trigger for someone else in the group.
pdoc Psychiatrist.
tdoc Therapist.
dx Diagnosis.
tx Treatment.
rx Prescription medication
(((username))) A virtual hug. When you want to give someone a hug, put their username in between a set of three parentheses.
m2 “Me too” is a way to show support for other participants while they’re sharing. It is okay to throw in a “m2” during someone else’s share time.
!!!!! A symbol for facilitators only. If a facilitator uses the “!!!!!,” it means all participants should pause the conversation for a moment.

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Online Support Group Structure

All DBSA support groups follow the same basic meeting structure.

  • Gathering time - The group assembles.
  • Welcome - Facilitators bring the group together and provide focus.
  • Review what will happen at the meeting and the group guidelines - Participants are asked to look over the guidelines at every meeting.
  • Check-in - Participants briefly let the group know how they’re feeling and what they’d like to discuss during the meeting.
  • Discussion - This is the heart of a DBSA group. Often the discussion will be based on common concerns or themes that came up during the check-in time.
  • Closing - Facilitators bring closure to the session.

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DBSA Online Support Group Meeting Times

Each online support group meets for 90 minutes. The groups may be shortened if there are fewer participants.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do your best to arive to online support group meetings on time and commit to remaining until the end. We understand things come up, but participants who arrive late or leave early can be very disruptive to the flow of the meeting. If you log into a meeting more than 30 minutes after the meeting begins, you will be asked to leave that night's meeting. We encourage you to review the meeting times listed below and find a time that better matches your availability. You are invited to attend any meeting that you can make it to on time. We appreciate your assistance in keeping these meetings safe and productive for all.

The online support group meeting room opens 10 minutes before the start of the online support group and closes 30 minutes after the group has ended. The online meeting room is not open at other times. Our rooms fill up quickly, so please arrive early. Participation in the groups is on a first-come, first-served basis.

General Groups

  • Mondays at 10pm Eastern (9pm Central, 8pm Mountain, 7pm Pacific, 3am Tuesday GMT) The Monday night Online Support Group will resume meetings on June 3rd, 2013. 
  • Tuesdays at 9pm Eastern (8pm Central, 7pm Mountain, 6pm Pacific, 2am Wednesday GMT) The Tuesday night Online Support Group will go on hiatus beginning in June, 2013.  
  • 2nd and 4th Fridays at 8pm Eastern (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific, 1am Saturday GMT) The Friday night Online Support Group is currently on hiatus. We hope to continue this group when additional facilitators have been found. If you are interested in facilitating, please fill out the Facilitator Application. 

Support for family and friends of people with mood disorders

  • 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 8pm Eastern FAMILY & FRIENDS' GROUP (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific, 2am Friday GMT). Beginning in June, the Friends and Family group will meet on the 2nd Thursdays of each month. 

Looking for a real-time online support group that meets at another time?

Please note, DBSA does not endorse any organization listed below nor endorse or recommend the use of any specific treatment or medication listed on this website.

Depression Recovery Groups (video-based, real-time online support group)

The founder of our Conejo Valley, California chapter has used his experience with support groups and technology to develop a new type of online meeting. The peer-led meetings are done with webconference technology. This allows participants to see their group leader and to talk with each other using a phone line or VOIP (their computer). Participants can also see and interact with slides that facilitators use to help structure the meetings. The group is offering free weekly DBSA meetings on Thursdays at 6:00 PM Central. Click on this link to join the site and register for the free Depression Recovery Group meeting: www.depressionrecoverygroups.com/DBSA.

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Registration FAQ

I'm unable to log in to the DBSA online support groups using my DBSA website username and password.
Utilizing the DBSA online support groups requires a separate registration. You must create a new user account to access the groups.

How do I register for the DBSA online support groups?
To register for the online support groups, click the "Create a new user account" link at the bottom of the login box.

I've registered. Now what?
Once you've completed the registration process, you will be able to log in to the DBSA online support groups. No further action is necessary.

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Questions about the online support group? Visit the Online Support Group User's Guide.

Learn more about mood disorders by reading DBSA's brochures.

DBSA has nearly 1000 in-person support groups. Find one here.

No in-person support group in your community? Start a DBSA chapter!

Looking for wellness tools or a little inspiration? Visit FacingUs.org, your online home for wellness.

Interested in being an online support group facilitator? Click here for the application.

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DBSA envisions wellness for people who live with depression and bipolar disorder. Because DBSA was created for and is led by individuals living with mood disorders, our vision, mission, and programming are always informed by the personal, lived experience of peers.

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