When you live with neurodiversity or a mental illness, having a support group or a local community is vital. This can be family and friends but the reality is often people around us are busy and wrapped up in their own lives.

This is where peer support groups come in. According to the charity Mind, “peer support is when people use their own experiences to help each other”. It’s a bit like attending group therapy.

Since I lost my job a couple of months ago, I started looking for ways I could introduce structure, some routine and social interaction into my weekly itinerary. I stumbled across the Mary Frances Trust, a local charity that supports mental health and emotional wellbeing for adults in Surrey. Check them out here.

I have been attending one of their Women’s Peer Support groups which has been a breath of fresh air. I was welcomed into a community and got to hear from others who were struggling in some way. We also did activities together such as meditation, keeping a gratitude journal and creative writing which are all good for fostering emotional well-being.

I attended their monthly Bipolar support group. This was a valuable opportunity to meet others with the disorder and learn how they’ve coped over the years. In comparison to ADHD, Bipolar disorder is rarer so I seldom get the opportunity to meet in person with others who have it.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash