On Thursday November 4th, our DBSA meeting began with Facilitator Steve giving a presentation on“ Dealing with Family and Friends “. 
Steve started out his talk by advising when we are feeling depressed or anxious, unsupportive friends and or family can be challenging. He went on to mention that if friends and or family are unsupportive, and possibly blame you for your illness or maybe even by making thoughtless statements, that can be discouraging.First, and most importantly, recognize not everyone will understand. There may be a reason for their feelings that has nothing to do with you. Their thought process might be from growing up in an environment where they learned it was wrong to show vulnerability. It very well may be possible that the reason they are unable to support you is that they are dealing with their own mental health issues. Steve advised sometimes the best way to feel better is to help someone else!It takes the focus off of you! And learn to treat yourself well!  Possibly one of the best ways to find the support you need is to start with yourself. Learn to be your own cheerleader!Practice being kind to yourself, and keep the self-talk positive.Steve mentioned if you realize friends and family aren’t giving you the support you may need, consider joining a support group, such as DBSA or NAMI. At first it may seem a little intimidating to open up when attending these groups, but you may discover that others who have a common struggle or experience may be great support.A few things to remember if you are dealing with unsupportive people:Not everyone is going to like you, which has nothing to do with you!Your job is not to please everyone, or to be understood by everyone.You must live your life for yourself, and not for other people!The most important thing I learned from this presentation, is to learn to trust your intuition, and to never second guess yourself.And try to stay true to what you know is real. If needed, write it down and come back to it whenever you feel uncertain.And above all, learn to forgive others. If you can learn the importance of forgiveness, you will free yourself!