Some support groups focus directly on the person with the condition, such as a bereaved spousal group for widows and widowers. Other support groups focus on the people who live with the person with the condition, such as a group for the families of persons with Alzheimer's Disease. There are some support groups that support both the person with the condition and their families. Support groups provide a place where people can learn more about their common condition through discussions with other group members. Some groups organize presentations by professionals with specialized information about their common condition.
Support groups provide a place where people can ask questions.
For some people, the most important aspect of a support group is that it gives them an opportunity to express their concerns, their fears, their anger, and their uncertainty that comes from living with their condition. Support groups can play an important role in learning to cope with a condition, whether it be Down Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV, an eating disorder, alcoholism or stuttering. Approximately one percent of the population stutters to some extent. The parent of a child who stutters faces situations every day that hurt deeply as the child struggles to push out another sentence. Parents of children who stutter often feel guilty for their child's speaking difficulties, as if they could have or should have done something differently to assist their child's ability to speak fluently.