Community Support Groups for Adolescents and Young Adults
In a community support group, members of the community provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A community support group also works with the engagement of advocacy for troubled adolescents and young adults.
Some community support groups and conditions for which such groups may be formed are addiction, anxiety disorders, domestic violence, eating disorders, gamblers anonymous, mood disorders, and so on.
What are the Benefits of a Community Support Group?
There are many benefits to community support groups for troubled teens and young adults. Those in the group that are struggling find the support they need to start making changes and take action against their issues. Due to the fact the struggling teens or young adults are in a group with a community that is willing to listen and help they can feel acceptance and tend to open up and discuss their problems.
Also being in a setting where they are talking while others actively listen can build self esteem in some struggling youth. Lastly the confidence and self worth gained by actively trying to help others in the community support group goes a long way with troubled youth and helps them to build confidence.