Frequently Asked Questions
	Support Group
1.	What is a support group? What is the specific meaning of the word 'support' in this context?
2.	What is the significance of the phrase 'self-help?' In a support group do we not help each other? Then, why is it called 'self-help?'
3.	How can one find out if there is any such group in one's own town or city? And, if there is none, what does one do?
	Shubhankar Support Group and Professionals Help
1.	What is the difference between the support groups led by professionals like doctors or psychologists and those started by shubhankars themselves?
2.	Is it not necessary to have support and guidance of the professionals in running a mental health care support group?
3.	Are professionals like psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors etc. invited to your group meetings. How does inviting them serve the cause of support groups?
	Support Group for Shubhankars
1.	Does it cost anything to become a member & participate in caregivers support group activity? Is contribution or subscription compulsory or voluntary?
2.	Who can become members of shubhankars' support group? Do you have any eligibility criteria for this?
3.	What exactly happens at the shubhankars' support group meetings? Is there any planned agenda or structure designed for these meetings?
4.	In what specific ways shubhankars have been benefited?
5.	Why is it only recently that we find so much being talked about of shubhankar support groups? Is it because mental disorders are on the rise? I am curious to know whether this is simply another wave that will be short-lived?
6.	What topics or issues are not encouraged to discuss in a support group? And what are the reasons for doing this? Does this not amount to imposing restrictions on the support group activity?
	Starting a Shubhankar Self - Help Support Group
1.	How does one go about starting a group? What are the steps to be taken? will this be an additional burden, which one can't afford to take as a shubhankar?
2.	What is the source for funds needed to run a support group? Would that not be additional expenditure for the family, which has to spend on prolonged medication etc.?
	Support Group for Shubharthis
1.	Is it true that you don't permit even shubhankars as observers at the shubharthis' support group meetings? If yes, why so?
2.	Is there is any code of conduct or restrictions on members of your support groups? If yes, what are the restrictions and why so?
3.	In Recovery weekly meetings why is discussion of diagnosis, medication and doctors not permitted?
4.	What kind of backing do your shubhathis' support groups have from the professionals?
5.	Is your shubhathis' support group affiliated to the original Recovery Inc., of the USA? What are their criteria for affiliation or approval for running the weekly group meeting?
6.	Would you be able to train some of our persons, including shubharthis, as facilitators to run Recovery support groups in our place and, if yes, how?
7.	What is the number of shubharthis enrolled with your shubharthis support group and the average number of shubharthis attending the weekly meetings?
8.	Is any religion part of Recovery meetings?
9.	Do the shubharthis weekly meetings have any role for persons who are neither shubharthis, shubhankars nor professionals but just volunteers?
10.	Does one need to pay any money to be a group member? Is it compulsory, especially when shubharthis mostly don't have income of their own?
	Recovery Method
1.	What is the Recovery method?
2.	Can the Recovery method be described as a therapy? And what is the difference between self-help and therapy?
3.	What happens at the weekly meeting?
4.	Can you elaborate the term Recovery Method?
5.	Please site a few more examples of Recovery tools?
6.	Is sharing of an experience in the group meetings compulsory? I may not feel like sharing some time?
7.	A shubharthi shares his experience, which is normally success story of coping with a disturbing situation, using the Recovery method. What does he do, if he had undergone a disturbing event, but he had not used the Recovery method?
8.	At the weekly meetings of shubharthis do you have any activities other than practice of Recovery method?
9.	Why does the Recovery method insist on sharing experience in the four- step format only?
10.	How do you overcome the language barrier as the Recovery tools and procedures are all in English?
11.	What Types of problems does Recovery help manage?
12.	How will Recovery help me solve my problems?
13.	What do I do if I have a major problem?
14.	Is there any time when one stops coming to the Recovery group meetings? If yes, what are the reasons?
15.	How long does one need to attend these weekly meetings?
16.	When can one expect improvement his/her condition?
17.	Are there any books on Recovery? And where can one find them?
18.	Does the shubharthi stop using medication when he starts feeling better using the Recovery method?
19.	If one takes part in the Recovery group meetings, can one stop seeing his/her health-care provider?
20.	Does the use of the word 'recovery' create unrealistic expectations about the method when it is widely believed that schizophrenia is life-long?
21.	Is there no risk in using the word 'recovery' as it is likely to give rise to false hope and consequent disappointment?
22.	Do shubharthis feel the absence of professionals at the weekly meetings?
23.	As sharing consists of personal details, are they treated confidential?
24.	What if my shared experience is leaked out by members to outsiders as that could increase my suffering?
25.	Special Recovery phrases and words are usedin these meetings. Why is this so?
26.	How do I learn to share experience in a structured way?
27.	When does one start to comment on another member's example?
28.	Does the Recovery method work for shubharthis?
29.	Does the Recovery method work equally well for all the participants? If not, why so?
30.	Why is the Recovery meeting limited to once a week only? As benefit depends on one's skill in using the method, why not more often?
31.	Do the benefits of Recovery method have lasting effects or not? If not, why not?
32.	Do I have to come alone to the meetings?
33.	Why is the Recovery method, developed more than 65 years' ago, valid today also? Have there not been any changes effected to better serve the purpose?
34.	Apart from practice of the Recovery method, don't you have some other daily activities, which can keep shubharthis usefully and gainfully occupied?
	Support Group Facilitator
1.	Guideline for Support Group Facilitator
2.	Are the group facilitators health-care professionals?
3.	In what ways are facilitators of Recovery support groups qualified or trained for that job?
	SAA's Role in Self - Help Support Group
1.	What SAA is doing is part of self-help movement. Why do you call it a movement?
2.	What else does SAA do for the self-help movement to sustain?