The national Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance website primarily has information about mood disorders. The main focus of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is Depression and Bipolar Disorder. In the past Bipolar Disorder was called Manic Depression or Manic Depressive Disorder. On the DBSA website there is an information page with clickable links to screening tools. These tools can help you determine if you are coping with either disease or not. The DBSA also has information packets that they send out.

DBSA is also concerned with anxiety, as it often is a co-occurring diagnosis with both depression and Bipolar Disorder. There is information about anxiety on the DBSA website. This is a quote from the web page about anxiety: “Anxiety can begin early in life for people with depression or bipolar disorder. Anxiety and mood disorders can be co-occurring diagnoses.”  

The DBSA website has an online recovery center. You must open an online account for parts of it.

Click here if you are looking for information about where DBSA Support Group meetings are being held in Michigan.

Click here if you are looking for information about online DBSA Support Groups.

Some of the Michigan DBSA affiliates only have one meeting. Several Michigan DBSA affiliates have no website. Several have no newsletter. The DBSA in Michigan is a peer-run, volunteer organization. These smaller affiliates do have support groups and may offer more. Every affiliate has a phone contact, address, and email address. Below the Metro Detroit DBSA is more state information.

The Metro Detroit DBSA is a large affiliate. Their website is a modern site, up to date, easy to navigate and use. On their website is a list of meetings that occur in the Detroit Metro area. Metro Detroit DBSA also has a Family/Friends group and a Young Adults/Adults group. There is also something called 4th Monday Mixers each month.

The Metro Detroit DBSA affiliate partners with the NAMI Metro affiliate on many things such as education, advocacy, anti-stigma efforts, support, conferences etc. The Metro Detroit DBSA Conference is always great, with talented, engaging speakers, and lots of networking opportunities.

The links page on the Metro Detroit website is a great compiled list of places that you can go for up to date assistance and information.

The DBSA affiliates in Michigan are generally about support and education. Some partner up with a local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) affiliate or with the Mental Health Association of Michigan (MHAM) for advocacy efforts. Anyone with any type of mental illness or psychiatric diagnosis or a family member or friend, is welcome to make a DBSA support group meeting their first stop. If they can't meet your needs well enough, they will try to hook you up with another option. At the very least, they will be able to send you in the right direction.

Other state DBSA Affiliates that have a website or page are:

DBSA Southwest Michigan

DBSA Northwest Michigan

DBSA Kalamazoo

DBSA Northeast Michigan (a little general information) 

If you desire to join Metro DBSA, they are comfortable with people joining online, and are well set up for it. They would really like to meet you and get to know you.