Local ADHD support group world’s largest Triangle Adult ADHD group membership tops 300

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr 13, 2009 -
As of April first, two thousand and nine, there were 308 active members of the Triangle Adult ADHD Support Group, which is the largest membership of any Meetup ADHD support group in the world. The Toronto ADHD Meetup group had 284 members, but draws from a much larger population base. The third largest group is based in Boston with 229 members. Meetup.com (http://www.meetup.com) is an Internet-based organization that encourages formation of local special interest groups online with face-to-face monthly meetings at local venues.

The Triangle Adult ADHD group provides information, education and support for adults with ADHD. Linda Roggli, facilitator of the group, discovered the Meetup.com site in 2004 while surfing the Internet for information about adult ADHD.

“I had no idea there was an adult ADH support group in the Triangle,” said Ms. Roggli, a certified professional coach  (PCC) who works primarily with ADHD adults. “I signed up immediately but found that all future meetings had been cancelled. Apparently there was no ‘Organizer’ for the group, so I volunteered to take the job for a couple of months. With only 20 members on the roster, sometimes I was the only person at the meeting. Five years later, I’m still organizing the Meetup group and I welcome new members each week.”

Does the large membership mean there are more ADHD adults in the Triangle than in other communities? Probably not, says Ms. Roggli. “There are a couple of reasons that the Triangle group is so large,” she said. “One is that the group meets regularly. That consistency has built trust among the members; they know we are going to be here every month. In fact, we have grown so large that we now have two meetings each month, one in Durham and one in Raleigh.

“The other reason is that there are precious few support groups for adults with ADHD. There is help for children with ADHD, but the truth is that ADHD runs in families. Many parents of ADHD children have undiagnosed ADHD; it’s estimated that only 10% of the adults with ADHD in the United States have been diagnosed. Awareness about adult ADHD is growing however and the demand for support increases proportionately. We are here to reassure, offer information and let people know they are not alone and that there is no shame in having ADHD.”

The Triangle Adult ADHD support group is free to members; there is no charge to join or to attend meetings. To protect the privacy of its members, Ms. Roggli has made the group “private.” “I don’t want to discourage anyone from joining who is legitimately seeking support, but I don’t want to open the door to people who are trying to sell us the latest, greatest ‘cure’ for ADHD. This is a support group. If new members want to join, they can simply fill out the information on the Meetup site and I’ll approve their membership.”

For more information about the Triangle Adult ADHD Meetup group, visit the
website at http://www.meetup.com/Triangle-Adult-ADHD/