We Thrive is a voluntary support group set up by and for the parents of young people in their teens and early twenties who suffer from behavioural, emotional and mental health problems including, but not limited to, addiction, depression, suicidal tendencies, self harm, eating disorders and ADD/ ADHD/ OCD.
We are four parents whose kids have been through in-patient treatment, and we are joined in virtual meetings every week by other parents whose kids are in recovery, in relapse or who need help and aren't sure where to find it. Everyone is very welcome, whether they come once or on a regular basis. We felt there was a need for such a group because we all found comfort in the company of others in similar situations.
Nobody expects to find themselves supporting a child through behavioural issues like depression or addiction; it's not what you sign up for when you start a family! We are all extremely ordinary people who find ourselves in an unenviable and extraordinary position - the desperation, the sadness and the isolation you feel when your child is ill is a very dark place - and there is very little support out there.
What unites the parents who attend the meetings is that we all understand the situation in which we find ourselves, and benefit from the support provided by listening and sharing our experiences. Being able to talk within an understanding community allows us to genuinely find some peace and balance in our own lives.
We also invite a range of guest speakers to talk to us on various related subjects (including ADHD, Trauma, Guilt, Setting Boundaries and many others) which a number of experts in these fields have so far agreed to do voluntarily. We do not offer advice, however, and are not sponsored by any person or organisation. We strive simply to be a platform for sharing the experiences of many to the benefit of all who find themselves in this position.
While we have so far absorbed the limited costs associated with what we offer, we would like to expand that offer by upgrading our website to make it a useful repository for information (articles/ videos/ therapies/ practitioners/ etc) that parents themselves have used and found beneficial.
We are therefore opening this Crowd Funding page to ask for any contributions that people might wish to make to this valuable cause. We would be so grateful for any contribution at all.
Any funds received in excess of the approximately 1,000 that we need to initially upgrade the website will be put towards our future goals, which include:
- Inviting fee-charging speakers to address parents
- Broadening our reach to help more parents
- Further improvements to the website as a useful and dynamic information resource in the fast-changing understanding of this growing and complex field
The new website will include information on how any money collected is spent.
For more information please do visit the existing website www.we-thrive.org.uk, or contact us on [email protected]
