iPain Living Magazine — 43
medical profession and can provide
individual patients support
for everyday living. There can be
great power with support group
initiatives to raise self-advocacy.
There is great value to be gained
by mutual support from individuals
going through similar situations
where you find yourself. To
find a local support group you
can do a search on Google, supportgroups.
com, meetup.com, or
check with your providers and
local hospitals.
The Positive Sides of
Joining A Support
Group:
Empathy from others going
through what you are challenged
by.
Experiential options may be
discussed and relief may be
found through these other
means.
Members can share their
challenges and solutions to
challenges others might also
face with the same condition.
Members grow their own
personal understanding as
they share their stories.
Raising awareness and advocacy
in the communities the
members live in, helping establish
an understanding of
their specific condition.
Social bonds may form, helping
members to establish a
new network of friends who
have like problems .
Support groups offer information
and education about
specific problems or situations
faced by its members,
and how to deal with them.
You can get a different perspective
from what you get
from the healthcare providers
view.
The Negative Side of
Support Groups
Less personal interaction.
People sometimes confuse
the meaning of something
they read verses hearing it
directly from the person and
being able to see the context
in which it is meant.
You must have access to a
computer and know how to
use it to be able to participate.
Online self-help groups offer
their own sets of benefits and
drawbacks. In the last decade
the use of social media has
given rise to groups who can
be from all over the world
and help each other out with
different research information,
treatment options,
and cultural supports.
The Positive Side of
Online Support
Groups
Anonymity for members who
are uncomfortable discussing
their problems in public .
Can offer these people the
support they need, often on a
twenty-four-hour-a day basis.
People with certain rare diseases
who have difficulty
pulling together enough people
in their area to host group
meetings can cover a huge
area online, making it easier
to find enough people to establish
a group.
They offer individuals who
are housebound an opportunity
to participate in a group.
/meetup.com