What can you hope to gain from attending a support group?
Many people who have experienced cancer report that even when communication with family and friends is open, there is a special sense of release & relief in talking over problems and situations with people who have "been there." Support groups offer encouragement, strategies for coping, information and the opportunity to form friendships with others who understand the physical, emotional and other problems you are facing. Taking part in a support group helps many people overcome the isolating effects of cancer, whether these feelings arise from the person's own altered perceptions and emotional stress or from the fears and discomfort of others. Support groups can be of help even if you finished your cancer treatment long ago, but you still have questions, problems, or worries related to cancer. The decision to seek peer support is a personal one, and there is no set timetable dictating when--or if-- you should do so. Some people find that they desire this kind of support only in times of particular need, while others enjoy participating on a continuing basis.
Some
Questions To Ask Yourself
If you answer "yes" -- or even "maybe" -- to most of the following
questions, joining a support group may be a positive step for you.
- Are you comfortable
sharing your feelings with others in a similar situation?
- Are you interested
in hearing others' feelings about their experiences?
- Could you benefit
from the advice of others who have gone through cancer treatment?
- Do you enjoy being
part of a group?
- Do you have helpful
information or hints to share with others?
- Would reaching
out to support others with a cancer history give you satisfaction?
- Would you feel
comfortable working with others who have different ways of approaching
problems & moving ahead with life?
- Are you interested in learning more about cancer & the issues that people who have had cancer may face?
For more information on support groups, here are a few web sites to check out:
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
Cancer Care
www.cancercareinc.org
Gilda's Club
www.gildas.org
Brotherhood Crusade
www.brotherhoodcrusade.org
MAMM Magazine
www.mamm.com
National Coalition of Cancer Survivors
www.cansearch.org
Sisters Network, Inc.
www.sistersnetworkinc.org
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
www.komen.org
US TOO
www.ustoo.com
Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivor Support Project www.wwobcssp.com
Women of Essence Breast Cancer Survivor Group www.woebcsg.pacbell.net
