Holding Hope Support Groups

Holding Hope Support Groups

Written by and for people with Lived Experience - Port Alberni Community Action Team - Families Helping Families

Today’s Learning Moment – 05 10 21 Issue: Holding Hope Support Groups (updated Jan 18, 2023)

Holding Hope are support groups for folks with a family member who has a substance illness. Holding Hope support groups is an initiative of Moms Stop The Harm.

You’re probably thinking as you read these first few lines that the last thing you need or want, is to share with others your story about your family and the person you love who has substance illness. I get that. I’ve been where you are. Probably the first thought in your mind is “judgement”. I’m betting you’ve experienced a lot of that on this horrible journey that you’ve been forced to take.

Here’s the thing. When it comes to substance illness in families, the thing we MOST need is support. The stigma we experience prevents us from reaching out for the very thing we need the most. Absolutely everything we experience in today’s society screams that this should be hidden. That somehow it’s our fault. That we failed or that in some way our family is weak or defective. Not exactly a place to come from that encourages reaching out. ☹

None of us dreamed for a second that this was a possibility when they came into the world. If you’re like me, you remember the beginning years, the dreams we had, the potential we saw in them. Somehow all of that seems gone forever as we watch them spiral deeper into substance illness or in some cases mental illness as well.

However, what if I told you there was a SAFE place you could go to for help? People like you who are where you are or have been where you are now. That’s what Holding Hope support groups are. HH support groups can help you feel less isolated, alone or judged. You’ll be able to talk openly about your feelings. You’ll gain an understanding of substance illness as it applies to your family. You’ll get practical suggestions born from real-life experience. Most importantly is HOPE. As dark as it may seem to you right now, there are stories of healing. In those stories is the seeds of what that healing journey may look like for you and your family.

Nothing is promised and you already know how complex and difficult this journey has been for you and your family. However, we all hold HOPE. As long as there is life, there can be the chance of healing.

You get confidentiality. We all share our stories with the promise that what is said never leaves the meeting. We shed tears together. The power of that is indescribable. Often you can actually see the pain of a person's experience lessen as they share their stories.

HH support groups are a safe place to express your journey. There is no judgement. Everyone's unique journey is acknowledged. You may get suggestions, born on the individual or group experience, but always with the gentleness of understanding that no one way can EVER solve the complexity of substance illness for a family member or your journey.

You get people who have been there in your shoes. The combined knowledge in most meetings can usually be measured in decades of experience. People will often offer their contact info so that others can reach out between meetings.

HH Support groups give us a gift that is so precious. We discover we are not alone. There is an army of families standing shoulder to shoulder. Yes, we cry an ocean of tears, however that ocean is the catalyst for many of us to come to terms with those things we can't control or change. Our combined experience is also the foundation of real change in every segment of how society views substance illness.

These are only a few of the advantages .... ok, ok ... I know I'm biased. I am SO grateful for those willing to share their stories. Solutions they've tried that worked and also those that didn't work. The learning opportunities are incredible.

If you're not already in a group, think about it. You might feel that you can't do it. That you'll break down, that people won't understand. I assure you, that joining your HH group will be the hardest part. Once you're there it will feel like you've come home to people who love you, care for you and who will support you.

You can find support groups in your area of Canada here: https://www.holdinghopecanada.org/find-a-group

All our past Learning Moment articles can be found here: https://ptalbcat.blogspot.com/ 
The link to this specific article is: https://ptalbcat.blogspot.com/2021/05/holding-hope-support-groups.html  SHARING is best done by copying and pasting this link everywhere you want:

Author: Ron Merk – Ron is a family member with lived experience. He advocates for family and people with substance and mental illness. He also facilitates the Holding Hope support group in Port Alberni. 

Families Helping Families is an initiative of the Port Alberni Community Action Team. We send out “Learning Moment” articles regularly to help folks understand substance illness. Knowledge is vital in understanding the illness of our family members. You may copy, distribute or share our articles as long as you retain the attribution. You can be added to our distribution list by dropping us a note at: albernihelp@gmail.com