How Support Groups Help The Arthritis Sufferer

It's 3 a.m. and you're having chills and waves of nausea. Is it a side effect of the new drug you were recently prescribed or the effect of the iffy Chinese food you had this afternoon? Where do you go for advice, comfort, and information at that hour? Enter Online Support Groups.

A survey in March 1998 by Tom Ferguson M.D. at Boston's Center for Clinical Computing and William Kelly at the Sapient Health Network showed that online health communities are significantly more helpful than even specialists in 9 of 12 healthcare aspects. The nine areas that were found to be superior were the convenience, cost effectiveness, emotional support, compassion, source of medical references, source of information, source of coping tips, death issues, and most likely to be there for the long haul. They also rated a bit higher in the area of technical medical information. Online health communities therefore seem to be a very good bet for anyone with a chronic illness. It is also a means of finding a place to go where you are both understood and appreciated. Many find that it gives them a new purpose in life; a sense of accomplishment when they help comfort someone new to their illness. But how does one pick the support group that is right for him or her?

There are a few do's and don'ts when it comes to support groups:
DO: Be willing to share your thoughts and feelings with the community. They can't help if they don't know what is bothering you.
DON'T: Give out personal information such as address and identity info. Support groups are an anonymous outlet for a reason. Don't set yourself up for identity theft.
DO: Be a good listener and communicator. If you can't express in words how you feel, turn to emoticons (those little smiley faces that smile or frown).
DON'T: Use all caps as it's considered shouting by online chat groups. Crazy fonts and AlTeRnAtIvE type will make others a bit standoffish around you.
DO: Welcome all new members and try to make them feel at home. Remember how you felt when you first signed on.
DON'T: Be controversial. Share recent news but avoid promoting the latest scam or quack cure.
DO: Sit back and watch the group for the first few days to get a feel for the community.
DO: Be open to new friendships. Support groups are like therapy; they don't work with a closed mind.
DO: Think before you type. Remember there are real people behind the user name.

With these tips for adjusting in the realm of healthcare communities, here is a good listing of communities to get you started. Some are news groups, some are organizations, some messageboards; but all have an outlet to provide support and information when you need it most.

Support Groups You Need To Send an Email to Join:

AutoimmuneDisordersArthritisSupportCDnD@groups.msn.com
ArthrsJoint@groups.msn.com
Rheumatoid-arthritis-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Messageboards and Communities:

http://arthritis.about.com.
http://arthritischat.com
www.arthritissuport.com.
http://supportpath.com.

Organizations:
The Arthritis Foundation
http://www.arthritis.org.