MHACF — Free Chronic Illness Support Group — Orlando, FL
The Chronic Illness Support Group, hosted by the Mental Health Association of Central Florida (MHACF), is a free weekly gathering for adults living with ongoing health conditions. Whether you’re navigating lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or any other chronic illness, this group offers a space to feel seen, heard, and less alone. MHACF has served Central Florida’s mental health community for over 80 years, and this group reflects their commitment to accessible, peer-centered wellness.
What to Expect
Sessions run one hour, meeting every Friday from 11:30am to 12:30pm at MHACF’s Orlando office. The group is collaborative and inclusive — members share personal experiences, coping strategies, and firsthand knowledge about navigating illness and treatment. Facilitated through MHACF’s Reflections peer recovery program, the atmosphere is warm and non-judgmental. There’s no pressure to share more than you’re comfortable with.
Who This Group Is For
This group welcomes anyone living with a chronic illness, regardless of gender, age, or background. Whether your diagnosis is recent or long-standing, whether you’re managing physical symptoms, grief about your health, or the invisible weight of ongoing illness, you belong here. MHACF encourages everyone to join and help build a genuine community of support.
Why Peer Support Works
Chronic illness is often invisible and isolating, especially when others can’t fully grasp what day-to-day life feels like. Peer support provides something clinical care alone can’t offer — the validation of someone who truly gets it. Research consistently shows that peer connection reduces isolation, improves emotional regulation, and supports better self-management of chronic conditions. Shared experience is its own kind of medicine.
How to Join
This group is free and open to all. Register through Eventbrite — link above. For questions, contact Destiny Harris, MHACF Reflections Program Coordinator, at DHarris@mhacf.org or (407) 898-0110 Ext. 1009. Meetings take place in person at MHACF, 605 E Robinson St., Suite 450, Orlando, FL 32801.