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A few of the supportive agencies and groups in regard to stress
are:
Local Mental Health Centers; Alcohol and Drug Abuse Centers.
Professionals work in these agencies; make use of them. Fees
are based on ability to pay.
Local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Al-Anon or Alateen for
relatives of alcoholics. These are self-help groups; no
professionals and no charge. See alcoholism in chapter 4 for
Web sites.
Local and online self-help groups based on AA principles:
Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Neurotics
Anonymous, Psychotics Anonymous, Parents Anonymous (for
abusive parents), and others. See chapter 4 for possible Web
sites.
Local and online groups for phobic, abused, abusing,
depressed, manic-depressive, schizophrenic, obsessive-
compulsive, workaholic, sex addicted, over spending, etc.
persons.
Local and online groups for people who are going through a
crisis, such as death of a spouse or child, divorce of parents,
suicide by a relative, being fired, being dumped, suffering
AIDS, serious injury, mastectomy, vanished children, etc.
Local diet and exercise clinics (see comments in chapter 4);
online dieting and eating disorders groups. See chapter 4.
ome.htm), Scouts, local sports-recreation programs, Foster
Grandparents, and others.
Department of Family and Children Services, especially to
investigate child abuse; Welfare Departments; Food Stamp
Program.
Women's organizations such as Women's Centers for abused
women, Women Against Rape, Day Care Cooperatives,
university programs in Adult Reentry and Woman Studies,
Family Planning Centers, YWCA, Displaced Homemakers
(employment services), Professional Women's Organizations,
Equal Rights Organizations and others.
Nurses Associations (for health care at home), Elder Hostel
Program (travel and education), Senior Citizen Centers, Council
on Aging or state Department of Aging, Meals-on-Wheels have
free meals for the elderly, and volunteer programs at nursing
homes and hospitals and so on.
For employment problems: Employee Assistance Programs,
state Employment Office, Job Training Programs, Displaced
Worker Projects, Occupational Safety and Health Hot Lines,
community colleges offer various technical skills courses, and
there are many occupational-professional-union organizations.
