The forms of self-help initiatives

The existing self-help initiatives can be differentiated by three forms:

self-help groups are ...

• Associations of people on a voluntary base
• round-tables of approximate 7 to 15 members
• defining themselves their contents and working procedures
• orientating themselves to the requests and necessities of the group members
• asking an active and ongoing collaboration from their members
• not assisted by professional people (not peremptory)
• meeting regularly on pre-fixed dates (weekly, twice or once a month)
• (normally) free of charge

During the meeting, the topics of discussion turn around exchange of experiences and exchange of information.

Each one

• gets relief and support by the other members
• sees that he is not alone with his problem
• starts to perceive his difficulties better and learns how to live with them or how to master them better

Within the health or illness referring self-help groups, the members speak about treatment options, medication or side effects, but also treat aspects of legal rights for severely handicapped persons or of insurance and nursing care insurance.

Projects of self-help

There are also initiatives which to not intend to exchange their knowledge within groups, but want other people in need to profit of their knowledge. In this case, they offer information and advice to the interested people as well as to their next of kin

Many of these projects work for better conditions in the public health and social sector. By organizing meetings to inform the public of their activities they address the more general information.

Self-Help Organization

Self-Help Organizations are associations, uniting on a county or national level, in order to defend their interests as patients. As for instance, fighting for better medical and social care.

In reality, the transition between those forms of self-help is smooth. Alongside with the big associations of people with chronic illness, working in a very professional manner, having a wide network of structures and giving professional advice in social rights, there are also many smaller organizations, for instance for rare illnesses, being organized on the state level but as a fact having more the character of self-help groups. All these groups exchange experiences and support. Due to the fact that most of the time the work is done gratis and on a voluntary basis, their concrete offer and also their efficiency is disparate.