At least six members meet regularly one evening per week and discuss their daily and personal problems without any involvement of therapeutic experts. Group sessions should last two to three hours at most. The only equipment the group needs is no more than a neutral place to meet once a week.

Only if you abandon your single-track mindset, you will be able to change your traits of personality and  overcome your problems with the help of the members of the support group.

	Sufficient opportunities to restore your inner and outer balance must be provided, for instance by giving encouragement or appreciation.
	You should be able to develop to the full in order to accept your given natural abilities.
	Sense of action must be evident, otherwise people tend to act according to any kind of sense.

Concretely speaking, this means that the group provides support in dealing with difficulties which arise when trying to cope with certain problems.

 

Self-support groups for Messies – what are they?

	Self –support groups are groups of people varying in size from three to six or eight to ten persons.
	Members of the group are confronted with similar situations in life and are affected by comparable difficulties.
	Their common aim is to overcome their social, personal or illness-related burden.

What do self-support groups accomplish?

	They try to improve the personal situation of respective group members and try to strengthen and increase their social skills.
	The opportunity of exchange and mutual support can be seen as a big advantage, as it helps to break down people`s isolation which is most typical for people suffering from the “messie syndrome”.
	Setting up a social network among the people affected is one of the most urgent tasks.