disscusion answer

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Discussion: Self-Help Groups
Self-help groups are collections of peers. The word “peer” means people are sharing similar experiences or having similar backgrounds (Naparstek et al. 81). For example, an elderly person looking for grief support is much more likely to feel at ease in a group of individuals with similar age and similar life experiences. The self-help groups also have a friendly setting and participants tend to enjoy the best experiences when they feel like a part of the group (Naparstek et al. 81).
The purpose of self-help groups is to create an informal setting. The rationale is that people are much more likely to share their experiences in an open setting, where they do not see formal repercussions for their participation (Doyle 95). Lack of formality is only as useful as people in the group see their setting as informal (Doyle 96). Therefore, while most of these groups include a professional to help steer the group activities in a positive direction, professionalism requires a complete relaxation. An assertive presence can defeat the purpose of the group (Naparstek et al. 81). These groups operate under an assumption that sharing an experience with peers is an empowering experience. After sharing, a person is supposed to find the courage to overcome their problem.
An underlying problem in participants is an exciting component of self-help. The nature of a problem is not as crucial as having a homogenous group and all peers in a group tend to have experienced something similar.

The issue has physical and psychological effects on the subject, hence the need for self-help (Doyle 77). Family and friends can occasionally attend these meetings and, rather than small donations to support the venues, there are no payments (Doyle 98). Support is the connective feature of support groups. The importance of creating a support structure to empower individuals to overcome their problems suggests that some problems can be solved by people who can access the support they need (Naparstek et al. 81). The supportive environments are anonymous because people need confidentiality when they participate in self-help groups.

Work Cited
Doyle, Kevin. “Chapter 7: Multiple Relationships with Clients: Applying the Concept of Potentially Beneficial Interactions to the Practice of Addiction Counseling.” Annual Review of Addictions and Offender Counseling: Best Practices, edited by Stephen Southern, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013, pp. 95–105.
Naparstek, Arthur J., et al. Neighborhood Networks for Humane Mental Health Care. Springer, 2012.