Welcome to the DBSA Online Support Groups!

We're glad you found us.

If you are new to the DBSA online groups, please read this page first.

When do the groups meet?

There are several DBSA online support groups, some for people living with a mood disorder and some for family and friends of those living with a mood disorder. It is very important that you arrive on time for group meetings. Joining the meeting after it has started can be confusing for you and disruptive to the rest of the group. 

DBSA Online Support Group Meeting Times

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.

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.

How does the software work?

The DBSA online support groups run on their own system, different from DBSAlliance.org. Even if you have an account on DBSAlliance.org, you'll need to create a new account specifically for the online support groups. Please review the picture below:

I've logged in. Now what?

Once you've logged into the DBSA online support groups, the DBSA online meeting room will open and you will see something very similar to the picture below. Please note that the online meeting room is only open during group times.

How do I send a private message?

Private messages allow you to communicate privately with someone else in the online meeting room. To send a private message, double-click on the username of the person you want to send a message to. A new private message window will pop up.

To avoid side conversations, please do not private message another participant during the support group meeting except to alert the facilitator of a possible problem. Participants who violate this expectation by having repeated or prolonged private message conversations during a meeting may be excused from the online support group. Private messages may also be sent before and after the online support group meeting.

DBSA's online support groups run using AddOn Chat. In order to run AddOn Chat, your computer must have Java. To see if your computer has Java, please click here. If your computer does not have Java, you can download it for free from http://www.java.com. Please note that users have reported difficulty using AddOn Chat in AOL. We recommend you try Internet Explorer or another internet browser if you run into any technical problems while accessing the chat room via AOL.

How do the groups work?

DBSA online support groups follow the same format as most DBSA in-person support groups. We start with a gathering time, then everyone has a chance to check in with the group. Once everyone has checked in, the facilitators start the discussion by asking someone to share with the group. Once that member has shared, the other members of the group offer their feedback and support. As the meeting draws to an end, the facilitators lead a quick closing exercise before everyone leaves.

If you have more questions, please visit the Online Support Group FAQ.