How to Find Support Groups: Where to Start and What to Expect

Key Takeaways

• Support groups offer peer connection for mental health and addiction recovery, with options ranging from 12-step programs to secular, science-based alternatives
• Finding the right group may take time. Some people may need to try several treatment or support group options to find what works best for them.
• Many support groups are free, including those offered by NAMI, SMART Recovery, AA, and NA
• First meetings can feel awkward, but sharing is optional, and trust builds over time

Support groups offer connection and community for people looking for help with mental health and addiction. But with so many options, where do you begin?

In this guide, we share a list of helpful meeting finders that include support groups beyond 12-step fellowships (e.g., AA and NA). You'll learn how to find the right group to meet your needs.

Top Meeting Finders

The following is a list of reputable resources and meeting finders for support. There are options for a wide range of groups, including alternatives to 12-Step recovery meetings.

If you don't find what you're looking for on this list, Recovery.com offers additional options for mental health and addiction treatment.

• Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families:
  Offers support group meetings for adults raised in homes with alcohol use disorder, neglect, or dysfunction.
• Alcoholics Anonymous:
  Helps you find local and online AA meetings focused on recovery from alcohol use disorder.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's LGBTQ+ Crisis and Support Resources:
  Offers a curated list of crisis lines, peer support networks, and mental health resources specifically for LGBTQ+ people seeking help, safety, and community.
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America:
  Provides a peer-to-peer support group directory for people living with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and related conditions.
• Celebrate Recovery:
  Helps people through a faith-based recovery program with group meetings for addiction, trauma, and co-occurring concerns.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance:
  Offers peer-led support groups across the U.S. for people living with mood conditions like depression and bipolar disorder.
• Eating Disorders Anonymous:
  Provides a list of eating disorder meetings that support recovery and healing through a 12-step framework.
• Gamblers Anonymous:
  Provides an international meeting locator for people seeking recovery from gambling addiction.
• Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing (GRASP):
  Offers community-based support groups for people who have lost a loved one to substance use.
• Life Recovery:
  Provides a Christian-based support group model that integrates the 12 steps with biblical principles to help people find healing from addiction and life struggles.
• Mental Health America:
  Includes a wide range of peer-led support groups organized by mental health condition, identity, or life stage.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness):
  Provides free, peer-led support groups for people living with mental health conditions and their family members.
• Narcotics Anonymous:
  Offers an international meeting search for people recovering from opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders.
• She Recovers:
  Shares trauma-informed support for women and nonbinary people recovering from substance use, mental health challenges, and life transitions.
• SMART Recovery:
  Hosts science-based, self-empowering support meetings for recovery from all types of addictive behaviors.
• White Bison:
  Offers culturally grounded healing programs and peer-led support groups rooted in Native American traditions, including the Wellbriety Movement, to support recovery from addiction and intergenerational trauma.
• Women for Sobriety:
  Provides mutual support groups for women seeking recovery from substance use through a positive, empowerment-based approach.

Types of Support Groups

Not all groups are the same. Some occur during inpatient or outpatient treatment, and others can occur in community-based settings with nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, and other resources. Here's how to tell the difference between your options.

12-Step programs like AA and NA follow a spiritual framework with structured steps and sponsor relationships. Secular alternatives like SMART Recovery use science-based, self-empowering approaches without a spiritual component. Faith-based groups like Celebrate Recovery integrate religious principles with recovery support. Condition-specific groups focus on particular challenges, such as grief (GRASP), eating concerns (Eating Disorders Anonymous), or mood conditions (DBSA). Groups may meet in-person, online, or both, and most are free to attend.

Ask Your Mental Health Provider

If you're already connected with a mental health professional, they can recommend groups that align with your diagnosis or treatment plan. Providers often know which support services are active, trustworthy, and a good fit for your stage of healing.

Recovery.com is a great place to find a mental health provider or a higher level of care.

What to Expect in Your First Group Meeting

It's normal to feel nervous at your first session. Knowing what to expect can ease anxiety. Each group can be different, but many groups share a few common features.

• Sharing is optional: You may be invited to share, but you can always pass. You also don't have to "perform" or present a perfect version of yourself. You can feel sad, sit in silence, or simply pass. Most groups make room for many feelings and communication styles.
  
• A safe space: Groups often aim to support confidentiality and respect. Trust usually builds over time. It's normal for a group to feel quiet or awkward at first. The natural rhythm of the group and the relationships with other group members can grow stronger with time.
  
• Not therapy: Peer groups focus on sharing and listening, rather than diagnosing or treating concerns like in professional group therapy. Many groups also avoid trying to fix problems for others. Instead, they focus on connection and support.
  
• Facilitators set the tone: Peer or professional facilitators guide the discussion and help support emotional safety.
  
• You're not alone: Many participants have felt nervous at first. You can give a group time to see if it feels like a good fit. You can also try other groups if you'd like a different style or setting.
  

It's helpful to remember that different support groups offer different things. If the first group you try doesn't fit your needs, you can keep looking. Support groups can be a meaningful part of recovery, and it may take time to find the right fit.

You can try attending more than one group before deciding what works for you. Showing up regularly can help you build trust and connection. Respect others' boundaries and confidentiality, and share when you're ready.

Take in what's helpful, and leave behind what doesn't serve you.

Support from Social Media and Online Communities

Social media and online peer support communities can offer support and empowerment for mental health, but the experience may vary based on factors like group quality, organizational affiliation, and how the platform is moderated.¹

Being selective about where and how you participate can support a safer, more helpful experience.

Platforms like Meta or Reddit can offer peer connection, but they vary in quality and moderation. You may also come across misinformation or harmful behavior. It can help to look for groups connected to a known organization or those with clear rules and active moderators.²

Find Your Place of Belonging

Support groups can remind you that healing doesn't happen in isolation. Whether you're looking for help or holding space for a loved one, it can help to connect with people who've been there, too.

You don't have to have the right words or be in the perfect place emotionally. Showing up can be enough. The path forward may not be linear, but with community, you can take steps without feeling alone.

Let Recovery.com help you take the next step.

Browse our resources, compare options, and find the support group that brings you back to connection, clarity, and care. You can also compare treatment options near you.