A classic philosophical debate for psychological treatment providers is whether someone who has recovered from a particular problem (i.e. depression) or a trained professional that has not personally experienced a specific problem is better equipped to be a helper for said problem. Both models thrive, with Alcoholics Anonymous perhaps being the most visible example of peer support, since the groups are often run by recovered alcoholics. The Boston Globe has a piece on the benefits of peer support, and describes a growing trend of using this method for issues like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Overall, I think peer support and professional treatment can both be very helpful depending on what someone is looking for. I think one of the best benefits of peer support is the normalization of the problem as well as giving people hope that they can recover, since the person they work with is a living testament to it.
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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2 Comments to
“Peer Support for Mental Illness”
I agree. I think that peer support in addition to professional treatment can be helpful. If direct peer conversation is not available, at least peer authored books, blogs or articles can be helpful.
I would caution people to not rely solely on peer support, though. Those of us with only personal first-hand knowledge (rather than medical training) have a fairly narrow view of any given mental disorder.
Peer support has been crucial and sadly lacking in my life. No one in my immediate group of friends or close family has a mental illness (or at least they don’t admit to it), and that really makes my struggle much more difficult. I wish that there was someone besides my analyst to call who had been there before.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 9 Jun 2007
