is the San Diego chapter of the national DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance). We are a peer-facilitated support group of people who support one another on our road to wellness. We include those diagnosed with mood disorders, their families and friends, and anyone else who seeks to learn more about depressive and bipolar mood (affective) disorders.

DBSA San Diego emphasizes education in all areas that relate to bipolar and depressive illnesses, including the identification of community resources available to help those affected by these disorders. Our group is organized and run by volunteers, and sponsored by Drs. John R. Kelsoe, M.D., Eric B. Raimo, M.D., and Colin A. Depp, Ph.D.


We meet every Monday and Thursday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the VA San Diego Medical Center in La Jolla for support group sessions, where people get to discuss issues related to their mental health diagnoses with others who have dealt with similar issues. For more information on our meetings, see our Meetings page.

Through education and awareness, many people find that they are better able to cope with the pain of their illness with dignity and insight. We invite anyone affected by mood disorders — mental health consumers as well as their family and friends — to attend our meetings and to take advantage of the many resources available through this Web site.

Usually on the first Monday of the month, DBSA San Diego presents guest speakers from the San Diego health and social services community. We last had a speaker on Monday, 06 April 2009; Dr. Colin A. Depp spoke about Understanding Self-Harm. For more information on our speaker program, see our Speakers page.