Support groups can work wonders for people that are currently diagnosed with cancer or recovering from it. There is a lot of stress one deals with during the entire process, and sometimes, feeling obligated to talk face-to-face with others about your journey can add to the stress. Cancer support groups online provide a different approach for people trying to get that same kind of unique care. You decide when and what to share with people, whether it’s posting photos of yourself, sharing what happened at your last appointment, or just overall updates in your life. There is no scheduled date and time to meet somewhere, it’s all up to you when or what you want to share with others.
Online Support Group vs. No Support Group
There is some research that shows support groups improve your quality of life and chance of survival. But still, some people do not participate for many different reasons. You could feel too weak and lethargic from treatments. Or maybe you have social anxiety, and adding stress to your life is literally the last thing you want to do at that point. While not attending a Cancer support group may help keep someone at ease, it is still unfortunate they are missing out on the potential benefits it could have for them and their diagnosis.
Without the unique support from other people with first-hand experience in cancer, you may encounter many downfalls. Understandably, there is a lot to be concerned about when dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Emotions ranging from feeling terrified, nervous, confused, depressed, are all too much to keep bottled in. Keeping those scared, dark feelings and thoughts inside all the time will have its own effect on your health. You may have family and friends to talk to, but usually there is only so much you can say to them. When your loved ones are already concerned for your health, it can be hard to let them in on all the fears and stresses you have going on inside. And honestly, unless one of them has been diagnosed before, they won’t know the best ways to help you cope. It is natural to feel afraid or stressed or sad when diagnosed with cancer, but those feelings can quickly take an even deeper plunge if not expressed to anyone besides yourself.
An online group gives you the option to open up to others that are in similar situations, but still gives you a sense of privacy and protection from the outside world. You still have an outlet that enables you to cope with how you’re feeling, express concerns, and get advice from people going through similar situations or even the same situation as you.
About Online Support Communities
There are so many benefits to being a member of an online support community. You can create a personal profile where you share pictures or information for others to see. You decide what you want seen by others, and even decide who is allowed access to that information. Whenever you want to share something, you can. Whether you get a random thought at midnight or at 4 in the morning. It is a way to vent out any concerns and that is crucial to help relieve stress.
Also, an online support community has no local boundaries. It doesn’t matter if you live in a secluded area surrounded by nothing but trees, you still have the option to connect and relate with others. You get to speak out when you need to, in the comfort of your own home. There’s the option of having a live video chat with people, or just messaging back and forth if that is what’s more comfortable for you.
Online support communities help so many people in countless ways. If you are really struggling, losing hope, or just overwhelmed by all feelings, you can reach out to people that have been in that state of mind or are currently there. You can learn coping strategies, or just have a conversation with someone to vent out all the intrusive thoughts. Now the opposite can happen too. If you are a cancer survivor, and are a part of an online support community, you can be the one to help others. And that is a huge part of healing as well. Being a cancer survivor, you know how terrifying and overwhelming a diagnosis can be, and you can help guide and inspire others that are just starting their journey. That is what a support community is about. No matter what stage you are in, recently diagnosed, or in recovery, it’s a long road however you look at it and having people there for you, or being there for others will only improve your outlook.
Why Do You Need a Support Group?
The main part of any support group is to provide an outlet for you where only others battling a similar disease can share experiences and helpful advice. That includes people sharing how certain treatments and pain management helped them. Or people sharing what helped them not feel depressed and isolated. It is important to talk about these topics with people that truly understand what you are going through. Family and friends can love and support you through hard times, but they won’t know exactly what to say or what advice to give you if they have never been in your shoes. When someone is struggling with alcoholism and wants to get help, they can’t only rely on family or friends; they need professional help. The same should be applied to any disease. Of course if you have cancer you most likely are getting the medical attention you need, but a support group is the follow-up step. It is so important to be able to converse with others that know exactly what the battle of cancer entails.
Inspiration at Your Fingertips
Being diagnosed with cancer, recently or not, is a traumatic event and is hard on your body and mind. Some may not consider your thoughts and feelings having much to do with your outcome, but research does show otherwise. Imagine feeling completely hopeless and alone. Doctors can tell you what your chances of survival are and what steps should be taken to get there, but it still can have little positive effect on your view of the diagnosis. But talking to a person, a non-medical professional, who has been where you are and is on the recovery side of it, can be tremendously uplifting. And having that emotional support available at almost any time, inside the comfort of your home, is even better. You can be a member of an in-person support group, but what if at that exact time during the meeting, you feel closed off and do not want to interact with people? Then you’re not getting as much as you could from that group. An online community of people that are battling cancer, or survivors of cancer, can be much more accommodating to the individual. Hearing, or reading people’s success stories, the challenges they had to overcome, and what they’re doing in life now that they have won the battle, it will only change your outlook on your diagnosis for the better. People die for many different reasons, car accidents, sudden heart attacks, natural disasters. The point is, cancer isn’t a death sentence, even though it may feel that way. To single-handedly change your mindset into being more positive would be difficult. But allowing yourself to get that special kind of care by relating and connecting with people who understand, is just the kind of uplifting, life-changing help you need.
***On the Aepios platform, members gain support from peers nationwide by sharing valuable real-world experiences, treatments, and outcomes for an expanding number of medical conditions.***
