Depressed Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from depression. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop saddening ourselves.
The Aims of Depressed Anonymous
- To let the depressed person know that she or he is not alone in his or her struggle with depression. We also help others learn to do pleasant activities again.
- To provide a group where members can help one another and learn new skills in taking mastery over their lives and begin to live again with hope and joy.
- To help each member feel better about themselves — today. One day at a time!
- To educate the depressed person and his or her family about the nature and causes of depression and remove the SHAME of their feeling depressed. It’s OK to admit that we are feeling overwhelmed.
The website contains numerous blogs discussing depression and mental health, along with details about starting the fellowship. All of the blogs are categorized and the blogs for a given category can be displayed together.
The main effect of Depressed Anonymous is that people can come together and find the support of fellow depressed people, and they in turn will find the emotional nurturing and acceptance. They can learn the social skills that can help them gradually enter life again with hope and heightened spirit. Once people realize that they are not alone they then take hope that maybe they too will feel better. The beauty of a self-help group is that a person feels acceptance from the group. No one is there telling you to “snap out of it” or that your depression is all in your mind. Depressed Anonymous, once established in your community, will gradually gain new members as word gets out that a group exists in which people who are depressed can come and share their story with others.