Every Friday, Laurel Thompson meets with a group of 15 people at a local mental health center in Midland, Texas. I know I can go and face my fears there.
Laurel is a member of a support group for people with schizophrenia.
This group has given me more confidence and a new set of friends. It was last November that Laurel first learned of support groups for people with schizophrenia at a local NAMI meeting. As it turned out, there was no group in or near Midland, so the coordinator at SA encouraged Laurel to start one herself. She was also sent a group leader's manual and a video on how to start a group. With direction from SA, Laurel began contacting local mental health centers and psychiatric hospitals to find participants.