Helping Friends in Need

Contracting AIDS can be a frightening ordeal, and a solid support system is critical. When one of your friends receives this diagnosis, you might feel a wide range of emotions, including confusion...

Losing a spouse can be one of the most devastating and stressful times in a person's life. Facing a day-to-day routine filled with painful reminders of the loss can leave a person feeling isolated...

Support groups are usually offered free (but sometimes with a nominal donation requested) and open to all members of a community. But they often have a very particular focus for which they offer...

Divorce is difficult on almost everyone and those going through it often need support. Sometimes, all a person needs is a friend who can sympathize with the situation even if they haven’t been...

Unfortunately we will all experience grief in our lives. Finding and participating in support groups often helps with the grieving process and reminds us that we are not alone in our pain. There...

I saw an amazing story this morning that moved me to take some kind of action. It was a story about three kids, hiking in the Middle East, that stumbled across Iran's border. They were taken into...

A cancer diagnosis can be a devastating and confusing time for a person. Worries about future treatment and chances for survival are in the back of the person’s mind. A wide array of emotions...

When a friend is experiencing grief, it's often hard to know how to support them. Sometimes, great intentions have less than great outcomes. Learn how to best be there for them.

Suppose your friend tells you he or she is HIV-positive. Would you let your disapproval of your friend's behaviors in the past keep you from helping him or her? Your friend will need support to...

When a friend finds out she has cancer, her whole world can be flipped upside down. She may have many emotions and concerns including shock, depression, anger, fear, and wondering if she'll...

If you have ever experienced a significant loss in your life, then you can understand the sorrow that can overcome you. If you are fortunate enough not to have experienced such a loss, you might...

Starting a support group depends on your passion about the subject. You will need expert advise and confidentiality within your group. However, it is up to you to make it an open group to everyone...

With the ever-changing status of the job market and economy, chances are that you know someone who has lost a job. Helping someone through a job loss can be difficult without direction. Without...

While coping with any illness can be a challenge, chronic illnesses present a unique set of circumstances for the sufferer and support team. Since chronic illnesses last for more than a few days...

In this day and time an individual is expected to live longer than ever before. However with this fact, the number of serious health conditions encountered has also increased. Loved ones need...

In the role of a Domestic Abuse Advocate and in Crisis management, I heard countless times how the support of family and friends was not perceived by the victim to be present. Here are some...

Friendships are an important part of personal development. Friends teach us important lessons about communication, sharing, caring and building support systems outside of our immediate family...

It can be hard to watch a friend or family member in pain. If someone you know and love is suffering from depression they need all the support they can get. Though it may be difficult or you may...

Death by suicide is more complex than simply mourning the loss of a loved one. The death is sudden and unexpected, but blame can prevent normal grieving. There are ways you can give positive...

When your friend breaks down and finally tells you they are getting divorced, the right words are never there. No matter what you come up with, you feel like turning back time and saying something...

Comforting a grieving person entails offering support and allowing the person to go through whatever he or she is feeling.