Monday, August 19, 2013

The Many Benefits Of Joining A Cancer Social Network

By Helga Stokes


Although medical science have made progress in leaps and bounds, most people still dread the thought of being diagnosed with a life threatening disease. Cancer, in particular, is probably the most feared diseases and most people see a diagnosis as a death penalty. This is not the case. Sufferers can lead relatively normal lives and becoming a member of a cancer social network can help them to deal with the disease.

A diagnosis can prompt a patient into becoming an entire different person. Many people develop serious depression and others become asocial and uncommunicative. In certain cases psychological problems may even lead to suicidal thoughts because patients simply do not want to think about pain, treatment and death. Patients often feel as if they are alone and isolated. They find it difficult to seek help and they often see no point in continuing their lives.

If patients do not receive support they are in great danger of isolation and even of alienating their friends and family. Many people simply do not know how to treat such patients and they are sometimes even scared of contracting the disease themselves. With proper support patients will be able to live life to the fullest, to adapt to changed circumstances and to maintain the relationships they enjoy with others.

Joining a support group holds many advantages. Most members suffer from the same disease and they are able to provide emotional support and even practical advice. Members are able to share their emotions and symptoms with others that know those same emotions and symptoms. That is why they are often the best equipped to provide support. Members motivate each other and encourage each other to live a full and satisfying life.

Many support groups also have medical experts and psychologists as members that can offer professional help to other members. They can point patients to pertinent publications and they can provide valuable practical advice on both medical and psychological matters. Some groups even allow members to post questions that will be answered by specialists. Discussion groups often help to motivate patients and to encourage them to reach out to others.

The internet offers a rich variety of support groups and they are easy to find by using a search engine. It is important to read the terms and conditions inherent in membership. It is also advisable to find out exactly what the scope of the support on offer is. Some groups are littler more than online discussion groups and others are run by people believing in specific therapies and alternative treatment methods.

Some people find it difficult to choose a specific group and solve the dilemma by joining many different ones. This may be counter productive because it is necessary to be fully involved with the group in order to gain maximum benefit. It may be a good idea to join a few likely groups to learn more about the benefits they offer. In time, membership of unsatisfactory groups can be discontinued.

A cancer social network can play a very important role on helping patients understand their condition and to cope with it. It can help patients to escape their negative emotions and to become involved with others that are suffering. Support groups can help people improve the quality of their lives.




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