Who are support meetings for? Bipolar UK offer support meetings, usually monthly, at the moment, all online Expand Meetings are open to all people affected by bipolar, with or without a diagnosis and including related conditions rapid cycling and cyclothymia. Our Support Groups are intended for people aged 18 and above. If you're aged between 16 and 18 you can attend a Support Group if you're accompanied by a parent or guardian You are welcome to bring someone with you to the group to provide you with support. If the carer is acting within a professional capacity, we ask that they attend in this role rather than as an active participant of the group You are welcome whether you are a : family member carer friend partner Some specialist groups are intended for particular people such as family, friends and carers or young people. We also have an occasional session relating to work and learning. Groups are not open for the purposes of academic or other research. They for individuals affected by bipolar to receive support we do not allow people to attend for any academic or professional reasons. Nor are group groups for campaigning - but all groups do receive information from Bipolar UK about local and national mental health campaigns. Find a support groups near you for further details and booking
How do i register for or join a support meeting? Guidance for joining face to face and online Bipolar UK support meetings Expand Online support meetings Local meetings You can join a local zoom meeting - check our Find a Support Group page for details - by emailing [email protected] stating the name and date of the group you want to attend in the subject line of the email. You will be sent joining details by email. National and specialist meetings For national or specialist meetings (aimed at particular groups or about a particular topic), please Visit our online events diary. Face to face meetings At the time of writing (April 2021) we do not have any face to face meetings taking pace and we hope this will change over the summer For up to date details of online and face to face meetings go to: Find a support group near you
What happens at a Bipolar UK support group? Meetings may vary with a general discussion and sharing of experience or a specific topic sometimes with an invited speaker Expand The format of support meetings may differ from place to place and all are guided by our Code of conduct The meetings are led by co-facilitators, trained volunteers who are themselves affected by bipolar in some way. What is the format? Usually people attending will begin by sharing what their mood is like using the Bipolar UK mood scale Then facilitators may invite people to suggest particular topics they would like to talk about Some groups invite external speakers to address their meetings Do I have to speak at a meeting? You do not have to talk at the meeting if you don't want to and in online meetings you can attend with your camera switched off When and where do groups take place? At the time of writing (July 2021) most meetings are online but this will change in the coming months Up-to-date information about our support groups, including times, dates and booking details, can be found on the Find a support group page Will I be expected to come to all the meetings? No, there is no commitment. You can attend as many or as few meetings as you want Do I have to stay for the whole meeting? No, you're free to leave whenever you want
Is an online support meeting right for me? Bipolar UK is hosting online support meetings, find out what's involved Expand We appreciate that not everyone is familiar with technology, nor has access to the right kit, but if you would like to join an online support meeting Our Support Groups are intended for people aged 18 and above. If you're aged between 16 and 18 you can attend a Support Group if you're accompanied by a parent or guardian You are welcome to bring someone with you to the group to provide you with support. If the carer is acting within a professional capacity, we ask that they attend in this role rather than as an active participant of the group Visit our Find a Support Group page for details and booking Otherwise, we have a number of alternatives: eCommunity – our online peer forum available 24/7 Peer Support Line – our phone and email service Our website with downloadable resources Our chatbot to ask factual questions about bipolar - on the right side of this page
My face-to-face group is on hold - how can i find an online one? Our in person support groups will resume as soon as is safe to do do and you can find out about online or face to face Bipolar UK support groups Expand To find a local support group you can Use the postcode search in the chatbot (Type "support groups" in the chatbot on the right hand side of this page) Visit our Find a Support Group page where local, national and specialist groups are listed (most of these meet monthly) If your local group is not listed, you can also find a list of groups which are temporarily on hold
Are zoom meetings free? All Bipolar UK services are free to use and if you wish to support us with a donation that is most welcome Expand Bipolar UK offers local online support groups via zoom, plus national meetings, some of which are topic based or focus on the needs of a particular group e.g. young people. All our meetings are free. Find a support group near you