Hopefully, you have a group of family and friends you can rely on for support for many of your needs. But you may also find it helpful to take part in a formal support group with others who are dealing with the same disease and life issues you are. Whether led by a professional or directed by the members themselves, these groups can be valuable in two main ways: they can provide emotional support and they can offer practical advice for living with your illness.
Emotionally, it can make a real difference to talk with people who are having some of the same experiences as you. It can help you to feel less isolated and alone and more like a normal person. The group might also feel like a safe place to talk about fears and anxieties and in turn get the help you need.
It’s easy to see how helpful it can be to get practical tips about dealing with your illness. Whether they have to do with planning your day, organizing your household or learning what treatments have provided the best comfort, these bits of advice can make life more livable in big ways and small. The practical tips you get from others who are dealing with similar situations might help on the emotional side of things too. Just knowing that others have faced the same problems and have found solutions can go a long way toward easing your mind and bringing comfort in troubled times.
Health professionals, hospice programs and the healthcare institutions you use can provide information about support groups in your community. And if you have regular access to the Internet, there are online discussion boards that can be as helpful and effective as face-to-face groups. Just be sure you know where the information is coming from. The Internet makes it easy for anyone to "hang out a shingle," so it is very important to check that the organization that sponsors an online group has a solid reputation.
