false hope or realism?

i (nowadays reluctantly) go to an ED support group of carers and sufferers.
last night it got me thinking. when dealing with an ED is it better to give a message full of hope but often false and unreal, or is it better to give a more accurate depiction of what someone at the beginning of their ED (or their carers) are likely to face?
or do carers and sufferers actually need different slants, different approaches?
for me, i find it far more comforting to have someone talk about what i am actually experiencing no matter how bleak it is, i do think hope is important. the unit i just came out of always said they would hold the hope for us whilst we weren't able too which i appreciated so much. however they also felt that it was really important to acknowledge and validate what it was you were experiencing at the moment (it's a DBT way of dealing with someone).
however the group i go to often undermines sufferers experiences when they aren't positive. they will often cut them off at the end and say 'however on a more positive note....' whilst i compleatly understand why they do that i don't believe it is always helpful and i think the hope they try and impart is often based on so little truth.
is it better to be falsely hopeful? or is being prepared of what you are likely to encounter at the same time as showing that you can survive it a better way forward?