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How A Cancer Social Network Can Help Patients Cope

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.

Being diagnosed with a dread disease immediately triggers a host of psychological consequences. At first there is the shock and the unbelief. Many patients then go through a period of anger and they want to blame something or somebody for their misfortune. Depression is also common and in some cases patients develop serious behavioral problems that can make life difficult for their loved ones and harm their own chances of improvement.

Proper support systems for patients are of vital importance. Medical treatment alone simply does not help the sufferer to cope with the many consequences of a diagnosis. Many become isolated from their friends, colleagues and family because they simply do not understand the disease or the sufferer simply does not want to be treated as infirm.

Support groups consist mainly of people that suffer from similar conditions. They are often best able to provide support and advice because they are intimately knowledgeable about the various phases of the disease, the side effects from treatment programs and the emotions experienced by other patients. Many patients find it easier to communicate with others in the same position and they are more likely to ask advice from other sufferers.

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.

There are many support groups available on the internet. A simple search sequence will provide a list of the various groups available. Some groups specialize in very specific types of this disease while others offer general support. Most groups offer free membership but in some cases a fee is charged, either once off or on an annual basis.

Many patients join too many groups and they do not enjoy the full benefits of membership. This is because they are involved in too many groups. It is better to join a few and gradually whittle them down to one or two that proved to satisfy the unique needs of the patient.

Joining a cancer social network certainly holds many benefits for patients and their loved ones. These groups provide information and support. They can play a very important role in helping patients to deal with the disease and to live life to the fullest.




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