Organizing a Support Group

Hello everyone! I am a recently diagnosed person with fibromyalgia. I have been looking for people who have fibromyalgia too. I realized there was no support group related to fibromyalgia in our country and thought to start one. Can anyone help me or provide me suggestions on how to start organizing a support group? Thank you!

W e do not have it where i am either…hope you can figure it out …at times i think its about impossible for others to understand…good luck

Thank you for replying and for the encouragement. I am still figuring it out and trying tap on some organizations already.

Indeed, at times I feel like people don’t understand, that they don’t see what’s going on a person with fibro or any other chronic illnesses. I really hope to find a way to have support and promote understanding. I hope where you are now, a move may be done too…

We have a support group in my city that is led by a member of the community who has fibro. We use a conference room in one of the hospital clinics here… Every third Wednesday of the month, 6:00-7:30. We are a very small group and you’ll find with a chronic pain group it’s hard to get people to come. Sometimes we have speakers come in (to talk about yoga, chiropractic treatment, acquatic exercising, medications, massage)… But we haven’t done that for awhile since sometimes only one or two people show up. Recently a few of us who are more reliable have taken to leading every once in awhile so that one person doesn’t have to do it all. Sometimes we have a topic, other times it’s just open for free talk (if there’s a topic and some one has a need for talking about something that always comes first as we are a support group). We encourage people to bring their support (spouses, children, parents, friends)people with them. I think the best way to start over would be to either take to someone at your local hospital or clinic… Maybe even the Dr you see for your fibro. Get a place to do it then go from there. Advertise by maybe sending emails to Drs, hospitals, etc. Then put up flyers in those same places. Good luck!