Figuring Out Your Support Group - Updated

Having support around you is important for your safety and well-being. Some times it can feel like you have no body to turn to but here is something for you to do when you're feeling up to it that may help you find out who to turn to for support in times of need.

1.

• Draw a circle on a piece of paper. Make small marks on the inside. Write a name of family and friends next to each mark.

2.

• Draw lines between all of the people who know each other (only as far as you know. No need to look each one up on Facebook to see if they know each other).

3.

• Write all the names down along with the number of connections, a number between 0-10 of how close you feel to them (0: don't really know them, 10: best friend)
• Add these two numbers together for each person and that will give you a number reflecting how easily you can talk to the person and how many people they can call upon to help you if needed.

Now you have a list of people, in your social circle, who you are most likely to open up to and who know others within your circle to be able to enlist their help for you.

Ways you can use this list:

• Give it to the top 5 on your list so they know who to call in case something happens
• Give it to your Social worker so they know who to contact if they are concerned
• Use it so you know who to call when you need support

Figuring out your support group

Having support around you is important for your safety and well-being. Some times it can feel like you have no body to turn to but here is something for you to do when you're feeling up to it that may help you find out who to turn to for support in times of need.

1. Grab an empty piece of paper.
2. Draw a circle on it around a cup, roll of sticky-tape or by hand.
3. Mark of little lines inside the circle edge at every half point, then every quarter, then eighth.
4. Outside the circle, at each of these points, write the name of family members you are close to, friends and anyone you can think of that may listen if you need to talk.
5. Draw lines between all of the people who know each other (only as far as you know. No need to look each one up on Facebook to see if they know each other).
   
6. Now, write all of the names down in a list, and write the number of connections each name has to the left of each name.
   
7. Next, to the right of each name on  the list, write down a number representing how close you feel to each person with 10 being very intimate and 0 being don't want anything to do with them.
   
8. For each name, add the number on the left to the number on the left e.g. 9+5=14.

Now you have a list of people, in your social circle, who you are most likely to open up to and know others within your circle to be able to enlist their help for you.

Ways you can use this list:

• Give it to the top 5 on your list so they know who to call in case something happens
• Give it to your Social worker so they know who to contact if they are concerned
• Use it so you know who to call when you need support