Mood Disorder Support Group of Long Island (MDSGLI)
The Mood Disorder Support Group of Long Island (MDSGLI) is an all-volunteer nonprofit and independent affiliate of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). For Long Island residents navigating depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and other mood conditions — and for the family members and friends who walk alongside them — MDSGLI offers free, confidential peer support meetings designed to break the isolation that mood disorders so often impose.
What to Expect
MDSGLI runs both virtual and in-person support groups across Long Island. Meetings are led by peer facilitators who have been there themselves — people who understand from the inside what a manic spiral or a depressive shutdown feels like. The format is straightforward: members check in, share what’s going on, and listen to one another. Discussions often move into coping skills, medication experiences, family dynamics, and the small daily practices that help members stay grounded. The tone is warm and confidential, and members are reminded that what’s shared in the group stays in the group.
Who This Group Is For
MDSGLI welcomes adults with any mood disorder, including bipolar I and II, major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and co-occurring anxiety. It also welcomes family members and friends who want to better understand their loved one’s condition and connect with others in similar situations. Members might be newly diagnosed and looking for community, longtime patients managing a chronic condition, or caregivers searching for language to talk about what their household is moving through. No referral or paperwork is needed.
Why Peer Support Works
More than 21 million people in the United States live with a mood disorder, and the experience can feel deeply private — friends and coworkers may not know the full picture, and even close family can struggle to relate. Peer support groups answer that loneliness directly. Hearing someone describe the same exhausting cycles, the same shame after an episode, the same quiet wins after a stretch of stability normalizes the experience and replaces self-blame with a sense of shared humanity. MDSGLI builds that experience on a local scale, anchored in Long Island.
How to Join
All MDSGLI support groups are free and confidential. Most meetings are currently virtual, with some in-person gatherings available — the schedule is posted at mdsgli.com/zoommeetings for online groups and mdsgli.com/groups for the broader listing. New members can contact the chapter information line at (516) 499-MDSG (6374), reach out through the website’s contact form, or join the private Facebook group for ongoing updates and community conversation. Donations are welcome but never required — MDSGLI is committed to keeping support free for anyone who needs it.