Ten Reasons to Join a Support Group

Here’s a myth: Attending a support group will help a breast cancer patient live longer and feel better.

Here’s the truth: A support group might …

1. Help a patient better cope with the symptoms, pain and stress of their disease, improving their quality of life.

2. Ensure a patient, survivor or caregiver feels less alone or isolated while they’re dealing with this disease.

3. Enable a patient or caregiver to find new emotional coping skills, like crying or laughing, drawing or writing, whatever.

4. Motivate a patient to stick to their treatment protocol or encourage or a survivor to attend follow-up doctors appointments.

5. Inform patients, survivors or caregivers about advocacy efforts and research developments.

6. Offer a safe haven where people can identify and express painful feelings.

7. Make genetic counseling less depressing and anxiety provoking, according to a recent study from Norway.

8. Facilitate the sharing of resources … like where to get a great wig, which body cream works best during radiation therapy, who the best local massage therapist is, that kind of thing.

9. Become a meeting ground for new friends who share in this particular life experience.

10. Allow a patient or caregiver to “give back” after they’ve gotten beyond the illness, helping those that are where they used to be, giving meaning to the entire experience.

Don’t know of a local breast cancer support group? Contact the American Cancer Society’s Reach for Recovery program (1-800-227-2345) or Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization’s 24-hour Breast cancer hotline (1-800-221-2141). They’ll hook you up, for sure.

Did you join a support group? Why or why not?

(Image: Karen Lynch)