Whether it's suicidal tendencies, cancer, anger or alcoholism, you are bound to find an online support group that can help. Support groups usually consist of like-minded people or those afflicted by similar problems, and offer a platform to share concerns, experiences and even advice.

You can start off at Yahoo and Dmoz, which are directories of support groups worldwide for issues ranging from adoption to headache.

Search Engines will also help in finding groups and individuals relevant to your problem.

Once you have identified and registered with a support groups, you can interact with members via message boards, chat and email.

For health, personal and relationship issues, Support Path and Healthy Place are hubs of interaction.

If it's sadness and grief that you're grappling with, try GriefNet.

Online Recovery is focused on support groups that adhere to the original 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mental Help Net is one of the largest online communities for Mental Health. The site offers information, links and resources. You can also find a guide to starting your own support group.

Pick up valuable starting tips at SupportWorks and Grohol -- Before you start a group, check if a similar one exists. If it does, there is no point in wasting your energies in starting a new one. You might as well join that. Start small. Take advice from someone who's running a related group. Don't try building the group single-handed.

This article deals with issues related to online support groups, like `benefits and pitfalls for survivors'.

Study the psychology of Internet Support Groups at Psychology of Cyberspace. Check out the comparison between online, email and in-person self-help groups.

You will also need to be careful about a few things. Protect your privacy. Maintain healthy scepticism. Assimilate advice; don't implement blindly. Says Annette Hensley, one of the founders of SupportPath, "Remember, people in support groups are lay people. What works for one person, may not work for another."

However, warmth always works. With a support group, you're not alone. There's always someone to talk to 24 hours a day. Says Amisha, who is part of an infertility support group, "It feels good to just acknowledge the hurt."

Also Read:
 -- How the Internet saved Vismay's life
 -- Is online medical info killing you?
 -- Honey, I need a shrink