A very popular monthly meeting format is the replacement of the program portion of the meeting with "Breakout Groups."  The attendees are divided into patients and care givers and they "breakout" into two separate areas where they can meet with their peers and frankly discuss Parkinson's related topics, both humorous and serious.

For the Parkinson's patients, these breakout sessions comprise very nearly the only opportunities they have to discuss their experiences with others who can truly understand them. Humor is the primary weapon for addressing a body that feels differently every day and often refuses to do what it is told. Separating Parkinson's symptoms from those of natural aging, medication side affects and finding work-arounds (coping skills) are common discussion topics. While these discussions could easily be depressing, they rarely are because they focus on what patients CAN do and how they CAN continue to do not just the basic activities of daily living but the things they simply enjoy as well. They get instant responses, diverse opinions, sage advice and plenty of chiding from their fellow patients. These discussions are particularly valuable because they take place in an atmosphere of good friends sharing a common life experience and they constitute a major portion of the support group's foundation.