Support Groups - Helpful for Healing

Released: Friday, July 24, 2009

Talking with my clients each every day at the United Breast Cancer Foundation, they voice how they need to just talk to someone who understands what they are going through emotionally and physically.  Joining a support group can help them manage the wide range of feelings and fears they experience during and after their cancer treatment. Support groups also help family members and friends handle the countless emotions a loved one's cancer diagnosis can evoke.

Studies have found that cancer support groups can enhance self-esteem, reduce depression, decrease anxiety and improve relationships with family members and friends. Support groups also can help you cope better with your diagnosis and increase your knowledge of cancer and its treatment.

The emotional benefits these groups can provide are significant. Support groups have greatly improved the quality of life of many people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Some people prefer support groups that meet in person. Others feel more comfortable communicating their feelings in support groups that meet online or on the telephone. (Online and telephone groups also work well for those who live in rural areas or can�t easily leave home.) You may want to begin by asking your doctor, nurse or hospital social worker about support groups that are offered by your hospital or other organizations in your community.

The Internet can be helpful as well. Below are a list of websites that either have search engines that can help you locate a support group in your area or that offer online or telephone support groups.

• The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS maintains a list of organizations that offer support groups. If you don't want to search online, you can contact the ACS toll free at 1-800-ACS-2345. Specialists are available 24 hours a day.
• Another option is the ACS's Cancer Survivors Network, an online community created by and for cancer survivors and their loved ones. The website has live chat and discussion boards. For individuals without Internet access, can call the toll-free number 1-877-333-HOPE.
• CancerCare offers professionally facilitated support groups online, over the telephone, and at CancerCare locations listed on their website.
• Gillette Women's Cancer Connection offers an extended list of women's cancer support groups throughout the United States and Canada.
• The National Cancer Institute has a fact sheet "National Organizations that Offer Services to People with Cancer and Their Families."

All support groups are not the same. You may try more than one group before you find the right one for you. You may also find that online or telephone support groups offer a better fit for you than those you attend in person. There is no one "right" support group for everyone. The best support group is the one that works for you.