There are few things in this world that are scarier to deal with than a cancer diagnosis. It’s normal to feel frightened when your doctor tells you that you have this condition, no matter what form it may take. Breast cancer is among the scariest for women to have, and it’s important to find one of the many solid breast cancer support groups to help you along with those stickier feelings and situations that can come along with such a diagnosis. But how exactly does a cancer support group help you through your fight against cancer? 

Finding Common Ground with People

Many people would say that one of the top reasons that a cancer diagnosis is so hard to cope with is the feeling that they have to go it alone. Of course, it’s very likely that you have friends and family that want to stay by your side and support you in any way that they can, but often times those people simply don’t understand what you’re going through because they haven’t experienced it first hand. That’s a good thing for both you and them, but it does mean that the amount of support you’re getting from people in your life that have experience with what you’re dealing with is limited. 

That’s where breast cancer support groups come in. Meeting up with a group of people that are either currently fighting against breast cancer or have already put that battle behind them can allow you to feel the full effects of support from people that know just what you’re dealing with in your treatment. There is no part of cancer treatment that doesn’t take an immense amount of bravery to go through with, so many people do find it comforting to know that they aren’t alone. 

You can usually find a couple of types of cancer support groups. One type takes the form of a group therapy session, where people come together and talk through their feelings about the situation in a group setting. That style of support works for lots of people, but other people might just end up feeling more drained from sitting through a meeting like that. The other type of support group you can expect to run in to is the kind where people come together to try and figure out the logistics for if the worst-case scenario happens. 

This latter style of group can help you figure out how to get your estate in order, potentially point you towards resources to help your family find financial security, and a lot more. What happens in any particular group varies a lot depending on the people that are in the group, but there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to find a group that can meet your needs for your journey. 

A Variety of Ways to Attend

No two people are alike, and that’s why there needs to be more than one way to attend cancer support groups. More extroverted people can go to in-person meetings and meet up in varying group sizes depending on their preferences, but what’s out there for our more reserved friends that still want to find support? Well, people have accounted for them and because of that, they also have options to get the help they need in any form that they want. 

This is thanks in large to the internet. The internet has made staying in touch and communicating with people much easier than it has even been in the entire history of the world. By using this tool for cancer support groups, it allows people the tools they need to get the support they want without ever having to leave their homes. Just like in-person meetings, online meetings can take all sorts of different forms. This is for the same reason that in-person meetings come in many different forms because different people have different needs. 

Some people would argue that online meetings are more versatile than in-person meetings because there are more ways to attend on top of the different types of support you can receive. There are video meetings, voice-only meetings, and even entirely text-based meetings. That means that no matter how much or little direct human interaction the patient prefers, they’ll be able to find groups that will fit. 

There’s no one size fits all solution to supporting someone with cancer, and that can make it feel like it would be a challenge to find exactly the kind of support you need. The people that have been organizing cancer support groups are acutely aware of this, and as such, they’ve put together a variety of meeting types so that most people will be able to find something that will work for them. 

Find Support Groups that Specialize in Your Issues

While no form of cancer is fun to have, each type has its own unique problems that set it apart from other types of cancer. With that in mind, many support groups have popped up that allow people to meet up with other people that have gotten the same kind of diagnosis. These groups make it easier for you to meet up with people that are going through the same exact thing you are, which makes learning how to cope a lot easier. You can go to more generalized support groups if you prefer, some people like to be able to separate themselves a little bit from other people with the same diagnosis, but many people do find solace in knowing that they are going through the same exact thing as someone else. 

People have been putting together cancer support groups for decades now, so it’s no wonder that you can find specialized and generalized groups just as easily as one another. The entire cancer support group system is set up to help as many people with cancer as possible. That’s exactly why it’s so easy to find exactly what you need, no matter what your preferences for support are. There are many, many resources out there for people that have cancer to find support. 

Cancer Support Groups can Help Your Caretakers as Well

Even the most well-prepared caretaker can be entirely caught off guard by a cancer diagnosis, and it can be hard to know the best way to take care of their loved one. Fortunately, there are also support groups that can help your caretaker make sure that they’re taking the best care of you possible, as well as teach them skills to help them cope with the situation better. The tools that they gain in these support groups will last them a lifetime and will help them raise the quality of life both for you and themselves. 

Find Support Even After You’ve Won Your Battle, and Maybe Even Support Others

One of the greatest things about cancer support groups is that your support doesn’t end just because you won your battle against cancer. You can still go and attend and continue to learn ways to cope and grow out of what was probably one of the scarier parts of your life. Just because you won the physical battle doesn’t always mean that you’re out of the psychological woods yet. A cancer diagnosis can still affect you mentally for a while, which is why it’s nice to know that the support you need is still right there.

On top of receiving continued support, you can provide support to those that need it because they’re currently going through the same thing that you were. That can be helpful for both sides. People like to see that others do survive and continue their lives after their battle is over. It can inspire a great amount of hope, and hope is one of the most important things to help you get through this battle. It can also help you feel like at least something good came out of the ordeal that you just had to face. Helping others is incredibly rewarding and might help you more than you’d realize at first.

This mutually beneficial arrangement allows both those that are currently fighting cancer and those who are already in remission a way to help each other through dark times, and it generally leaves everyone involved feeling at least a little better about their situation. Continued support for people no matter where they are in their battle is really what makes these types of groups so supportive. 

Getting the Most Out of Your Cancer Support Group

Many people will stuggle a lot when they get diagnosed with cancer. It makes sense, everything in our bodies and minds is specialized to keep us alive for as long as possible. Such a diagnosis is enough to shake anyone to their core. Fortunately, there are many groups out there that can provide support in a lot of different ways so just about anyone should be able to find exactly what they’re looking for in a support group. It’s truly a beautiful thing that so many people come together to support one another through such difficult times. 

***On the Aepios latform, members gain support from peers nationwide by sharing valuable real-world experiences, treatments, and outcome for an expanding number of medical conditions.***