Hope Unlimited Old Mille Cafe In North Park 10/8/09

Hope Unlimited Meeting #68 October 8th, 2009 Thursday

Old Mille Cafe

3949 North Ohio Street (On Corner of Ohio and University)

San Diego, CA 92104

Learning, Sharing, Coping, Supporting, Growing, Surviving

Have you recently been diagnosed with a serious illness? Are you a medical cannabis patient?

Hope Unlimited is a place for people to give and receive both emotional and practical support as well as to exchange information. People with chronic health conditions, as well as their friends and families find Hope Unlimited to be a valuable resource — a place where people can share medical information, get confirmation that their feelings are "normal," educate others, or just let off steam.

The Hope Group is made up of people with common interests and experiences. Medical Cannabis patients who have been through, or are going through, a similar circumstance can do more than sympathize with you — they can relate to what you are going through and keep you from feeling like you are alone.

Please keep these ten guidelines in mind when attending a Hope Unlimited support group:

1. Hope Unlimited provides a safe environment where you can share thoughts and feelings.
2. Everything is confidential—what’s said in the group stays in the group.
3. Always remember to display kindness, courtesy and consideration for your fellow group members.
4. Don’t interrupt when others are speaking.
5. Give everyone a chance to talk.
6. Shut off all cell phones and pagers during the group.
7. We are all doing the best we can with the tools we have. Some of us our sicker than others.
8. Speak in reference to yourself; i.e.- “what works for me.”
9. Nobody has to share. It is totally cool to just come and absorb the good energy.
10. Support each other by sharing experiences.

Benefits of attending a Hope Unlimited Support group Meeting:

• Provide a forum for mutual acceptance, understanding, and self-discovery.
• Offer an opportunity to reach out to others and benefit from the experience of those who have “been there”.
• Help those attending understand that a disease/chronic medical condition does not define who we are.
• Motivate attendees to follow treatment plans.
• Create a group that can make a difference in your community, maybe even save a life.
• Offer the consumer’s perspective to legislators and the local medical community.
• Remind ourselves that health and healing is possible!