Dont Go It Alone

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Dont Go It Alone
Finding Help in Hard Times
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Social Support

• Help from family, friends, caregivers, community
  associations, and self-help groups
  
• Meets needs that are not being met by other
  personal resources
  
• One of several personal resources

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Social Support

• Reduces our vulnerability or reaction to stress

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Social Support

• People differ in their level of social support
• This is due to variance in
• Access to support
• Social skills to build support
• Willingness to use support

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Increases Well Being

• Social support increases well-being in two ways
• By increasing ones place in a stable, nurturing
  network of support
  
• By providing needed resources in times of stress

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When Social Support Helps

• Research shows that strong social support
  networks
  
• Act as a daily stress reducer
• Prevent disease
• Guide positive decision making

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Health Benefits of Social Support

• Increases immunity
• Reduces premature death
• Can help prevent the common cold

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Identifying Sources of Social Support

• Beyond the obvious families and friends
• Church
• Neighborhood babysitting coops
• Community volunteer groups
• Community agencies
• Clubs such as book clubs, sewing clubs, dinner
  clubs, etc.
  
• Networks of others

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What Social Support Can Provide

• Information
• Feedback and guidance
• Influences to our belief systems and ways of
  thinking
  
• Helps in problem solving

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Social Support Can Provide cont.

• Material aid
• Place to rest and recuperate
• Reference group for decision making
• Source of identity
• Emotional strength

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Ways to Increase Social Support

• Get involved in your community
• Reach out to others in your community
• Its important to develop social support when you
  are not in crisis

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When Social Support Is Not Enough

• It is important to note that some crises require
  more help than can come from typical social
  support networks

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Identifying Your Social SupportAssignment

• New Baby
• Job Loss
• Moving/ Relocation
• Marital Change
• Natural Disaster
• Personal Illness
• Family Change

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Finding Help in Hard Times

• Remember,
• You Dont Have to Go It Alone!

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For more information please refer to the Dont Go
It Alone newsletter on your mini-CD
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