AFTER CANCER: SUPPORT GROUPS
Do I Need to Participate in a Support Group?
Having completed treatment, you may think, “Why would I need a support group now?” After a diagnosis of cancer, the initial challenge is to get through treatment. The longer-term challenge is to find a place for your cancer history in your life so that it enhances, not detracts from, the rest of your life.
If you are having any concerns, anxieties, worries, fears, or depression after you complete your treatments, a support group might be an excellent place for working through these normal negative feelings as efficiently and painlessly as possible.
If you feel very healthy, physically and emotionally, and sense that your life is getting back to normal easily, you probably do not need a support group. It might be nice to go to give advice to others who are having a more difficult time than you.
If you are feeling lonely, one of the best remedies is a good support group. In general, people who attend a support group are motivated to find healthy ways to cope. You may find the advice of other survivors not only practical but also inspirational. Sharing with other cancer survivors helps dissipate loneliness and the sense of alienation that often accompanies surviving. Listening to other people who have faced and overcome some of the problems you are facing will help diminish any “Why me?” or “Nobody understands” feelings.
Won’t It Be Depressing or Scary to Be with Other Cancer Patients?
All support groups are different. Even the same support group is different at each meeting, depending on the individuals who attend that day and the topics discussed. The person in charge of the meeting, the facilitator, can make a major difference in the flow and tone of the meetings.
At many support groups, you cannot tell the patients from the friends and family members by how they look. There is often lots of laughter and joking, as well as exchange of practical information and genuine support. Try attending a support group for two or three sessions before you decide whether it will be helpful for you.
Do Support Groups Work?
Many well-documented scientific studies show a correlation between support group attendance and improved quality of life. A 1989 study of women with metastatic breast cancer showed a significant improvement in survival time in those who received weekly supportive group therapy. If the group is good, and you feel comfortable in it, you will doubtless enjoy improved quality of life and, possibly, length of life.
How Do I Find Out about the Local Support Groups?
To find out more about the support groups in your area, call
• the Cancer Information Service
• your local Cancer Council, Foundation or Society
• your hospital’s oncology department
*170/32/5*
