Support Groups and Counseling

AIDS dementia complex can be one of the most difficult of all HIV/AIDS complications for you and those who care for you. The condition affects every aspect of your life, including family relationships, work, financial status, social life, and physical and mental health. You may feel overwhelmed, depressed, frustrated, angry, or resentful.

While understandable, these feelings do not help the situation and usually make it worse. This is why support groups were invented. Support groups are groups of people who have lived through the same difficult experiences and want to help themselves and others by sharing coping strategies.
 
Support groups meet in person, on the telephone, or on the Internet. To find a support group that works for you, contact the following organizations. You can also ask your health care provider or behavior therapist, or go on the Internet. If you do not have access to the Internet, go to the public library.
 
For more information about support groups, contact these agencies:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Prevention Information Network - (301) 562-1098 or (800) 458-5231
  
  
• Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving - (800) 445-8106
  
  
• National Alliance for Caregiving