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Upstate Pride to hold LGBTQ mental health support group

Herald-Journal - 5/9/2017

May 09--A free and confidential support group for Upstate LGBTQ residents will begin on Thursday.

Meetings will be peer-led and facilitated by Upstate Pride S.C. They'll be held on the Wofford College campus. The newly-established group will offer direct access to regional health care providers.

"It can be really hard to talk about mental health, especially when others don't fully understand your struggle," Isaac Mintz, president Upstate Pride, said in a statement. "Our peer-led group is going to be a safe space for people in the Pride community to share, learn and hopefully heal."

The group will meet in a conference room on the Wofford library's lower level. Attendees are asked to park in one of the library parking lots, accessible by either Evins Street or Cumming Street.

Mintz, a former group facilitator at the Spartanburg chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will facilitate the new support group.

LGBTQ individuals are almost three times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition, according to NAMI.

Common issues include social anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, substance abuse and depression.

"We can offer more than just a listening ear and peer support," Mintz stated. "We have a growing list of (LGBTQ) welcoming and affirming doctors, therapists, and spiritual leaders who serve the Upstate."

More information can be found by calling (864) 735-0023 or emailing Mintz at Isaac@UpstatePrideSC.org.

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(c)2017 the Spartanburg Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.)

Visit the Spartanburg Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.) at www.GoUpstate.com

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