January is Self-Help Group Awareness Month

January is Self-Help Support Group Awareness Month. And January is the perfect month in which to become more aware of the vast variety of support groups available.

Traditionally, January is the time of the year that many people vow to make positive changes in their lives, to break bad habits, and to generally live a happier, healthy lifestyle. These resolutions are commendable but oftentimes more challenging to achieve than to declare. But with the help, support and encouragement you can find in a self-help support group, reaching your goal may be easier and more achievable than you think.
Want to lose weight? There are many support groups that can offer support including: Overeaters Anonymous (a 12-step program dealing with compulsive eating); Food Addicts Anonymous (where members learn to abstain from sugar, wheat and flour); TOPS (which offers weight loss sessions and weigh-ins and are open to those 7 and up); and Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (help for food addiction, obesity, anorexia and bulimia). All offer different type of support at no cost.

Have other unhealthy habits that you would like to break? Consider Nicotine Anonymous, Alcohol Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous and more. And research has shown that being a member of a group can help a person stick with their goal and achieve their resolution better than trying to go it alone.

Are you in an unhealthy or toxic relationship? If so, there are various groups for men, women, domestic violence, codependency, Al-Anon and Nar-Anon (groups for persons with a loved one with an alcohol or drug-abuse issue).

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Have a problem with clutter? Try Too Much Stuff. Experiencing burnout from being a caregiver to an elderly parent, ailing spouse, loved on with Alzheimer’s or other dementia, adult child with a serious mental illness? There are groups for all types of caregivers. They provide emotional support, a sense of community, information on local resources, and coping skills.

The groups listed above are just a small sliver of the types of groups available in our database. Use our keyword searchable database or give us a call to see what support groups are in your area to help you deal with life’s stressful situations.

For more information visit New Jersey's Self-Help Group Clearinghouse website at https://03e9627.netsolhost.comor call, toll-free, 800-367-6274.