Depression support groups in San Diego
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
This article will show what are good support groups in San Diego, California. Aside from that, the article will show how each of them works, and how to get in touch with them. Finally, the article will explain what are the benefits of being part of a support group when you are depressed.
Depression support groups in San Diego
If you are looking for support groups to help you cope with depression in San Diego, here are some you may want to try. The first one is the one organized by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of San Diego (DBSA).
They are a non-profitable organization that offers groups for people with depression every Monday and Thursday. It goes on from 6 to 8 pm.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the groups have taken place online, and there is no fee to it. To be a part of it, you can contact them over the phone number (858) 444-6776, or via their email at info@dbsasandiego.org.
The National Alliance of Mental Illness is another organization that offers support groups for people with depression. They offer a peer-support group that has been happening in zoom since the pandemic. It goes on for 90 minutes, and it is open to everyone over 18 years old. They happen every Wednesday and Thursday from 6:30 pm.
And once you click on the calendar that you want to take part in that group, you will be directed to a zoom link. Participating in those groups is free. As for paid support groups in San Diego, there is one called GrowthWell Counseling, in this one, people with depression, anxiety, and PTSD reunite all weekdays at 9 am or 7 pm.
The group is run by mental health professionals. Each encounter of this group is between $90 and $140. To be a part of it, you may want to call the number 858-209-5105.
Aside from this one, another paid support group for people with depression is one called SoCal Wellness. This one is also run by mental health professionals.
They are for people with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. They have appointments on Saturday and late afternoons. And each encounter costs between $100 and $400. To take part in it, you should call 619-771-0505.
Now let’s discuss a little more about what depression is, and what are the benefits of being a part of a support group.
What is depression?
Depression is a mental health condition that causes the person to experience intense sadness. But not only that, it can lead them to lose interest in things, even what they love. Feel as if they have no purpose, and are hopeless.
It also causes people to feel more irritable, empty, guilty, and ashamed. Depression drains you out of your energy and makes you intense fatigue. It can also cause the person to isolate from others. Depression changes your eating and sleeping patterns.
To some people, depression can make it harder to focus. It can also lead to thoughts of self-harm, even thoughts of death, and suicidal thoughts. And even though these are the most common symptoms of depression, it is important to be aware that each person may experience it differently.
Aside from that, it is important to know that a person will be diagnosed as depressed if they intensely experience its symptoms for more than two weeks. And even though there is still a lot of research being done on what causes people to become depressed, it seems there are some factors that can influence it.
The first one seems to be genetics. It is known that when a person has a family history of depression, they have a higher chance of going through it. Aside from that, it has been discovered that depression can happen as the person is experiencing a chemical imbalance in their brain.
And finally, it seems that there is an influence of external matters. And when a person is going through a traumatic experience, like the loss of a loved one, or the end of a relationship, they can get depressed. But let’s discuss what are the benefits of taking part in a support group for depression.
What are the benefits of being in a support group for depression
As you are going through depression, you may come across the idea, or the suggestion of someone for you to take part in a support group for people with depression. And that may be a great idea. Support groups have been a good modality of intervention that has many benefits for people with depression.
But it may be a good idea to know how they work first. So the first thing you need to know is that there are different types of support groups. They can be peer-led. This means that the participants will organize it.
Or there may be ones that have a facilitator in them. Those will be people that will organize the reunions, and they can be volunteer ones that are trained by the institution that is making the groups.
In those cases, they usually aren’t mental health professionals. But other groups are organized by mental health professionals. So having this information will help you decide which you want to take part in.
As for the benefits of taking part in a support group for people with depression, there seem to be a lot of them. The first one is that being a part of it allows you to be in close contact with people that are going through the same thing as you are going through.
And even though each person may experience depression in a personal way, that contact will allow you to feel less guilty about your condition. It will allow you to understand how depression is not a choice, and that going through it is a process.
It can help you not feel so isolated and feel more understood. And because you will listen to how people have been coping with depression, it can also help you think of other possibilities and strategies to cope with depression. Support groups can also give you a sense of belonging.
And nowadays support groups have even welcomed family members of people that are going through depression. And this is a great step forward. By doing that, they will help family members to understand what it means to be depressed, and what are the best ways to support someone going through depression.
But as with any form of treatment, support groups may not be the right cup of tea for everyone, and some people may not feel comfortable in them. They may be scared to share, or even that they will be judged.
To those people, it is important to say that even if they feel like the support groups are not for them, they still should try to find a treatment that suits them.
They may prefer individual therapy or other forms of treatment. And that is okay. The important thing is to find a good treatment that suits you. It is only through it that you will get better.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): What are good support groups in San Diego?
What are suicidal thoughts?
Suicidal thoughts are ones in which the person considers ending their own life. It can happen in two manners. A more passive one, and a more active way. In the first, the person may contemplate ending their life, but not plan it.
More actively, the person may be setting a plan and deciding when, where, and how to do it. And this is one moment when people close to them should be careful.
You may notice someone close to you is having suicidal thoughts if they start to act more agitated, may have trouble sleeping, and start to show curiosity around violent events, death, and even suicide. People that are thinking of ending their lives may also start to say their goodbyes, and start giving away their belongings.
What are ways of helping someone going through suicidal thoughts?
If you think someone close to you is having suicidal thoughts, you may want to have an open and honest conversation with them. Ask if they are thinking about it, and offer your support.
Let them know you are present, and if you realize they are actively thinking about it, it is important to not let them allow it and look for professional help. Aside from that, you should take away from the things they can use to harm themselves.
What are the forms of depression?
Depression can happen in mild, moderate, major, and persistent forms. The mild one goes on for a couple of weeks, and the symptoms, as the name says, are mild. In the moderate, the symptoms are more intense, and the person can need therapy to treat them. Some people may even use medication.
Major depression, which is the most intense form of depression, can make it hard for the person to do even the simplest things, like getting out of bed. It can go on for some months, and people need a joint treatment of medication and therapy for it.
As for persistent depression, it can go on for as long as 5 years. In it, the person can swing between moments of mild depression and moments of major depression. To learn how to cope with the instability, the person may need medication and therapy.y
Does depression have a cure?
No, depression doesn’t have a cure. Rather than that, it is said that it goes into remission. That is because it is impossible to affirm that people won’t get depressed again.
When that happens, the person will feel like themselves again. The symptoms of depression will be gone, and the person will be able to experience joy and regain their interest in things.
Can only medication cure depression?
No, medication will only help you reset the balance in your brain chemistry, and with that reduce the intensity of your symptoms of depression. But what is important as well, is to understand why you are going through it.
Having a notion of how you work emotionally, and how you can handle your emotions better is the way to prevent you from having another depressive episode in the future.
Conclusion
This article showed what are good support groups for people with depression in San Diego, California. Aside from that, the article showed how someone interested can get in touch with them, and what are the benefits of being a part of a support group when you are depressed.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.
References
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/groups/ca/san-diego?category=depression
https://www.sandiegofamily.com/resources/support-groups/community-support-groups
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