Fuzzy, I think support groups have the potential to be all of those things you mentioned in your post, with the caveat that they are only as good, and good-hearted, as the people in them.

One thing I like about groups such as this one is they minimize the potential for one-to-one dysfunctional manipulation and misunderstanding. You will get a number of points of view for the issues you bring up and can compare others' viewpoints with your own.

Then hopefully you too have a chance to contribute to others, at the same time you get feedback on your own issues.

This forum also seems to have responsible oversight by the administrators, which is so, SO important, I think.

Have an excellent day! Thanks for bringing this up.