Abusive relationships -- Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. Domestic Violence Center of Howard County, 5457 Twin Knolls Road, Suite 310, Columbia. Free childcare. 410-997-0304.

Adult Children of Alcoholics -- Wednesdays, 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church of Howard County, 9325 Presbyterian Circle, Columbia; Saturdays, 12:45 p.m., Serenity Center, 9650 Basket Ring Road, Columbia. Call 410-796-4680.

Alcoholics Anonymous -- Sundays, 7 p.m. Share experience, strength and hope with each other to solve this common problem and help others to recover. Laurel Regional Hospital, 7300 Van Dusen Road, Laurel. 301-497-7914 or 410-792-7636.

Bereaved Parents of Baltimore -- Self-help grief support for parents, grandparents and siblings mourning the loss of a child. Monthly sharing groups in Lutherville, Westminster and Columbia. Monthly newsletter. 410-321-7053.

Better BedRest Inc. -- Resource and referral service for women on bed rest during pregnancy. 410-740-7662.

Bipolar support group -- Thursdays, 6 p.m. Laurel Regional Hospital, 7300 Van Dusen Road, Laurel. 301-497-7914 or 410-792-7636.

Cancer group for young adults -- Free professionally-led support groups for young adults affected by cancer. Mondays in Columbia. For free consultation, call 410-964-0202.

The CARE Center -- Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Provider of free assistance to Howard County parents in finding services and programs in the community for children and teens. 410-313-2273, go to www.howardcountymd.gov/children or e-mail children@howardcountymd.gov.

Celebrate Recovery -- Fridays, 7 p.m.12-step program dealing with addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors. Light dinner available before meeting. Childcare available. Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, 2600 Marriottsville Road, Ellicott City. Call 410-442-5800 or go to www.chapelgate.org.

Chemically Dependent Anonymous -- Fridays, 5 p.m. A fellowship of recovering addicts and alcoholics. 1-888-232-4673. www.cdaweb.org. Serenity Center, 9650 Basket Ring Road, in Columbia.

Children of Separation/Divorce -- Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. Church of the Resurrection, 3175 Paulskirk Drive, Ellicott City. $25 per session. Registration required. Call 410-744-4910.

Crisis hotline -- Specialized Trauma Treatment and Recovery (STTAR) Center 24-hour hotline for victims of sexual assault. 410-997-3292.

Depression-Bipolar Support Alliance -- Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m. in Ellicott City. Those living with depression and bipolar disorder, as well as their family and friends are invited. Call Penny, 410-242-5683, or Dave, 410-465-3486.

Dual diagnosis -- Self-help group specifically for adults and adolescents diagnosed with a substance dependence and psychiatric disorder. Mondays, 6 p.m. 410-365-1228.

Eating disorders -- Mondays, 6 p.m., Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 9:30 a.m., Serenity Center, 9650 Basket Ring Road, Columbia; Fridays, 10:30 a.m., Howard County General Hospital Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Drive, Columbia. No weigh-ins. Go to www.oabaltimore.org.

Fathers -- MENS (Men Encouraging Nurturing and Supporting), a life skills parenting program and support group for fathers. Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. Department of Social Service, 7121 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia. 410-872-8777.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous -- No weigh-ins. Sundays, 8:30-10 a.m. Columbia Serenity Center, 9650 Basket Ring Road, Columbia. 781-321-9118.

GriefShare -- Wednesdays, through Dec. 16, 7-9 p.m. A nondenominational bereavement program held at Chapelgate Church, 2600 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville, Room 214/215. Robin Reiter, 410-442-5800.

Healthy Families -- Howard County General Hospital links new parents with resources and services to help them with the daily challenges of raising a new baby and to provide a healthy and safe environment for the child. Call 410-715-3716.

HIV/AIDS -- Monday evenings in Columbia. For meeting location, time and more information, 240-606-3093, or the health department at 410-313-2333 or 1-866-313-6300.

Life skills groups for children -- Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m. For children ages 6-12. Social skills training, empowering the ADHD student, Asperger's, grief and loss, homework and organizational skills, divorce and separation. The Gathering Place, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville. To register, call 410-227-9074 or 410-992-9684.

Link at Christ Church -- Information and referral service. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- noon.

The Listening Place -- For parents and caregivers of physically or sexually abused children. Thursdays, 7-8:15 p.m. STTAR Center, 9810 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite C., Columbia. Please RSVP. 410-313-2725 or e-mail cdougher@howardcountymd.gov.

Mothers & More -- National support group to address the personal needs and interests of women during parenting years. Twice monthly on Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Free. Call for location, 443-535-0592 or go to www.mothersandmore.org.

The National Family Resiliency Center -- For children and teens, ages 5-18 whose parents have separated, divorced or remarried. Each age group meets for one 90-minute session per week. Limited sliding fees available. Registration required. Call Lauren Woodfork or Kathy Helt, 410-740-9553 ext. 200 or e-mail sales@divorceabc.com.

Nicotine Anonymous -- Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. at The Serenity Center, 9650 Basket Ring Road, in Columbia; Sundays, 5:30 p.m. Medical Pavilion at The Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Drive, in Columbia. A 12-step fellowship for the smoker who desires to quit and stay free from nicotine. Meetings for individuals who have stopped or have a desire to stop one day. There is no pressure to quit. For more information and other meeting times and locations, call the Nic line, 410-964-2180 or go to @ nicamar.homestead.com.

Options -- Support for parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. 410-992-4597.

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) -- Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. 301-776-7394, 703-360-2225 or e-mail merciesnew@aol.com.

Parkinson support group -- Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. Laurel Regional Hospital, 7300 Van Dusen Road, Laurel. 301-497-7901 or 410-792-2270, ext. 77901.

Pet Bereavement Support -- Saturdays. For those with a chronically ill pet or for those struggling with the loss of their beloved companion. Losing a loved one is never easy, and so many who grieve their pets are misunderstood because their loved one was "just an animal." Support is given in a group or individual setting at St. John's Station. Cindy Sansone, 410-750-3357.

Postpartum Support Group -- Mondays, 10-11:30 a.m. Held at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney. Free, drop-in, but must register before attending, 301-774-8881, press 3.

Rebuilders separation and divorce -- Find help and experience healing while going through separation or divorce. Mondays, 6:45-8:30 p.m. Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, 2600 Marriottsville Road, Ellicott City. DivorceCare for Kids (ages 5-12) will meet at the same time. Child care is provided for children under 5. Call 410-442-5800 or go to www.chapelgate.org.

Recovery from Abusive or Destructive Relationships(RADAR) -- Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m. A 12-step support group for women who have been damaged either physically, psychologically or emotionally due to a dangerous relationship. The Serenity Center, 9650 Basket Ring Road, Columbia. Kel, 443-758-5957, or Kelly, 410-747-2142.

Recovery from food addiction -- Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Twelve-step program for those struggling with food. No weigh-ins or fees. Meets in Columbia. For directions, locations and information, call Lynne, 410-744-0940 or Sheri, 443-745-6970.

Smart Recovery -- Every Thursday, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Free meetings focused on how to abstain from any type of addictive behavior. Kolmac Clinic, Century Plaza, Bldg. 2000, Suite 410, 10632 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia.

The Serenity Center -- Improve the quality of your life through a variety of 12-step fellowship groups that meet weekly. 9650 Basket Ring Road, Columbia. http://serenitycenter.homestead.com or 410-884-6088 for meeting schedules.

Listings are accepted on a space-available basis. Groups must be open to the public, and priority will be given to those that meet in Howard County. Send information to: Support groups, Flier/Times, 10750 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044; fax to 410-997-4564; or e-mail hccalendar@patuxent.com.

user comments (0)