“Who can so softly bind up the wound of another as he who has felt the same wound himself”?  

Thomas Jefferson

About MDSG

The Mood Disorders Support Group of NY (MDSG-NY) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) self-help, all peer run
mental health organization. Since 1981, MDSG has been enhancing and saving lives. Our highly trained

facilitators – peers “who have been there themselves” and have found recovery strategies that work –
have been supporting individuals with similar mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety and
bipolar disorder, as well as their families and loved ones. As attendees once themselves, they are in a
unique position to help others heal.
MDSG is an affiliate chapter of The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), a leading national
organization focusing on peer-based, wellness-oriented support. Through their extensive online and print
resources and their nearly 600 support groups and more than 200 chapters, DBSA reaches millions of
people each year with in-person and online peer support.

 

MDSG’s Mission and Core Values

Our goal is to greatly enhance the quality of life for those living with mood disorders through a confidential, educational, compassionate and empowering group environment. 

We instill hope, trust and a deep belief in the healing process through our shared experiences along the recovery path that taught us how to live well, despite our mental health challenges.

We dispel the stigma that keeps us isolated due to feelings of hopelessness and shame.  Our groups provide real belonging and acceptance.   

We actively demonstrate that we can heal if we do it together.   

We discover we are not fundamentally flawed, “not crazy” at all.  We are simply human beings who have a disease of the brain that requires the right treatment and support. 

We educate each other through our shared experiences with diagnoses, setbacks and successes, coping skills as well as effective medical, therapeutic  and holistic treatment strategies we have found.

We educate families/loved ones to help them better understand mental health disorders and find more successful communication and partnering strategies.  When families are involved in a constructive way, healing outcomes greatly increase.

We inspire and motivate each other to find a personal recovery path that works. We all recover differently.

We really get it.  We really care.  

Our Services

  • 16 peer-led mental health support groups weekly at two sites in Manhattan
  • Quarterly newsletter MOODS
  • Warm 24-hour phone line
  • Comprehensive mental health resources 
  • Lecture Series