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Post by Wavey75 on Dec 30, 2013 11:52:02 GMT
Hi,
I've searched this forum and I have not found a group in this area.
If one exists, please kindly point me in their direction, if not is their enough interest to start one?
I'm 38 years old, just diagnosed with ADHD and located in Torquay, but I can travel around South Devon within reason.
If you are in the area and are a professional or an ADHD sufferer, please let everyone know here.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2013 13:52:36 GMT
If you want a group just start one - I did.
Make it known that you'll be in place a) at time b) and you'll be the one wearing a silly hat/got a book on the table or something.
It might take a few goes - I believe the central London group took several attempts before anyone else showed up - and it takes a bit of work. It's worth it.
Getting the message out is key.
Flog the life out of free advertising - you can do that here, a Facebook page, Google lets you have free web pages, maybe the local media will be desperate for a story...be resourceful and find your local ADHDers.
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Post by Wavey75 on Dec 30, 2013 21:27:52 GMT
Thanks for the tips, Dave.
I'm new to this group and so I thought I would 'float' the idea of one in my area, to see if one already exists, etc.
I wouldn't have any idea how to run a support group for ADHD - no point in just arranging to meet and not having some kind of material to cover, that's not support and it's wasting people's time IMHO.
Also, there's no point supplying if there's no demand.
If enough people want it, then I'll start it, perhaps with another member?
Cheers,
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2013 22:50:59 GMT
no point in just arranging to meet and not having some kind of material to cover, that's not support and it's wasting people's time IMHO. This is pretty much what has happened at the meets I went to. You're not there to put on a show and nobody cares if there is no singing or dancing. As long as there is a facility for tea/coffee (which is effectively a comfort blanket for adults) you won't have too many problems I'm with you though. I'd rather travel a 100 miles each way than figure out how to start a regular and consistent meet up but this mindset might also be the reason why you succeed
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2013 1:07:00 GMT
Support groups work on several levels.
Not many have material pre-prepared (or a speaker)
I've been diagnosed and medicated with many drugs for many, many years - what kind of material do you think will hold my interest? I go to ADHD conferences and find it hard not to fall asleep because I frequently know more than they (the pros) do.
What about the person who wants to know if they have ADHD and how to get their GPs attention?
Those are two extremes - what interests me isn't going to be relevant to the noob.
But I love support groups and the noob NEEDS support.
I get the camaraderie and isolation reduction - the noob gets to meet ADHDers, see if they fit the profile and gets valuable local intelligence.
Having a speaker or material can be very interesting - but it's amazing how much valuable stuff happens just with the networking opportunity.
And you don't need to be an expert to run one - you just need to know how to get people together.
And if you did prepare material guess what happens? Everyone that it was aimed at, and promised to come, loses their keys/is rushed to A&E/gets the wrong week. Then the room is suddenly filled with people who came on a whim and didn't tell you about it who aren't much interested.
They're ADHDers - expect the unexpected - it's part of the fun.
I spoke at one a few weeks ago. I got stuck behind a crash and was late - it was a long way in rush hour traffic.
I got there and the guy who booked me...was even later because he'd forgotten when it started!
But one of the best things is meeting the people. ADHDers are generally really nice people who happen to have been blown all over the place.
There will be sad and horrible stories - but also much laughter.
In my previous post I told you about the central London meet and how the organiser sat alone at the venue for several months before anyone else showed up.
It's now a thriving meet that organises itself - even I know it's on the first Tuesday of the month and where the venue is and I live 200+ miles away.
So - look around to check for a meet - use the internet and maybe ask your specialist.
If there isn't one then get stuck in - if you've been diagnosed then others will have been too.
Don't expect instant success - it will need time for the word to get around and other people to ask themselves 'I wonder if there's a group? I'll check FB and Google'.
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Post by Wavey75 on Dec 31, 2013 11:34:49 GMT
Mike,
Thanks for the account of your experiences, it pretty much paints a picture of what I had imagined would happen at support meetings.
Dave,
You've made some interesting points there, some of it was stating how I feel about it and some of it made an impact on me. I grew up in South London, before moving around with work and ending up in Torquay.
I think it would be a good idea to advertise for a support room and see if there is any demand for it first, then I will think about a location and possible running it until someone else would prefer to or wants to.
Wavey75
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Post by Wavey75 on Jan 3, 2014 0:24:46 GMT
For anyone interested, I've found a group in my town, already setup.
I found this link via netmums site: www.addiss.co.uk/ukgroups.htm
Which led me to this site link: www.adders.org/englandmap.htm
So I clicked on my town and found it.
The first link are also looking for support groups up and down the UK to 'affiliate' themselves with, presumably so they can recommend to potential members.
Hope this can help someone else in time.
Wavey75
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2014 0:33:14 GMT
I'd check your local group still exists - I can see a lot of inaccuracies on that map.
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Post by Wavey75 on Jan 3, 2014 1:24:40 GMT
I can too now, but there's stuff on their that's not on here and worth chasing up.
There was someone asking for support in Dorset and I see from this site there's 2 support groups there, so may help someone ... who knows.
Wavey75
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Post by Wavey75 on Jun 29, 2015 13:51:07 GMT
2015 Support Group:
Please post here for further information on the details of attending this group in the Torbay & South Devon area for adults with ADHD.
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Post by chaoticwitch on Jul 6, 2015 8:36:37 GMT
Hi Wavey75, is this a support group you are setting up yourself? I live in Torquay and would consider coming, although I've not had much luck with support groups before, it would be interesting to meet other ADHDers from this area.
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Post by stellaxadella on Sept 23, 2015 16:21:22 GMT
chaoticwitch Wavey75 I live on the Devon/Cornwall border and would also be interested in meeting up with other adult adhders maybe we could arrange something?
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Post by Wavey75 on May 17, 2017 13:21:58 GMT
There is now a regular meeting in Exeter for Adults with ADHD. The group is on Facebook and the link to it (it's a private group) is here: www.facebook.com/groups/1738033326417479/If this link does not work for any reasons, just search for "Adult ADHD social group - Devon" from your Facebook account page(without the speech marks). The group is meeting every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month in the Imperial Arms, Exeter, but for the summer & Autumn seasons only it is on the 2 Wednesday and 4th Thursday. All meetings are from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and table 21 is used as often as possible.
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grantface
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Post by grantface on Oct 1, 2017 19:13:13 GMT
I have requested to join but no luck. Tried joining Friday. Prob just my impatience!! I'm in Plymouth and wanted to meet others in the area.
Cheers
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Post by Wavey75 on Oct 3, 2017 18:23:29 GMT
I can see on the group you've now been added to the group. If that's not you added today, please let me know.
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