When Ann Mroczkowski of Warminster realized that caring for a husband and sister suffering from Alzheimer's disease would yield endless frustration, she felt helpless. But a support group allowed her to vent her emotions in a healthy way, change her attitude and even find humor in the situation.
Craig, Dierkes and Mroczkowski are three of an estimated 15 million Americans who have learned to cope with their problems and work toward resolutions through support groups.
The groups, which deal with problems ranging from alcoholism to sexual dysfunction, help foster the healing process by letting members know they are not alone. They also provide a forum for exchange of information and a comfortable setting for expressing emotion.
"I felt like somebody had lifted a ton off my back," said Dierkes after her first support-group meeting. "Something I had been carrying around for years and years was gone."
According to the National Self-Help Clearinghouse in New York, there are 500,000 support groups nationwide. The New Jersey Self-Help Clearinghouse lists 3,300 groups in its directory. Pennsylvania does not have a similar clearinghouse.
In Eastern Montgomery and Lower Bucks Counties, about 50 support groups seek participants for meetings.
Some of the groups meet at Warminster General, Rolling Hill, Abington Memorial and Holy Redeemer Hospitals. Others meet in churches, homes, counseling centers and community buildings. The outreach work is part of a nationwide trend to carry healing beyond hospital walls, local hospital officials said.
In some cases, such as Dr. Larry Cutler's Impotence Anonymous group at Abington Hospital, the group is led by a professional connected with the hospital or counseling center. In other groups, the facilitator is someone who has lived through the experience.
