By Susan Wright

Support can come out of any group that meets regularly whether or not it is called a support group.

• Support groups can be purposeful and formal like a 12 step group, a Bible study class, a diabetes care group, or a weight watchers meeting.

• They can have an informal agenda like a group of folks who meet every Sunday morning before the second service at church, moms who meet at the park in the afternoons after school, or seniors who meet every Thursday morning for coffee.

• Bible study groups, informal groups, or topic-generated groups can turn into a support group.

• On Tuesday, April 13th we started a new class for folks dealing with chronic pain/illness. In honor of that class I generated a list of potential benefits for attending that class.

Read on for 35 reasons it is beneficial to attend a support group:

• To be around others who are experiencing a similar life experience

• To hear others say what you are saying/thinking

• Figuring out how you are feeling/thinking because of hearing about others’ thoughts/feelings

• Relieve isolation

• A place to give voice to your hopes, fears, losses

• A place to be understood

• A place to speak openly and honestly

• Learn new information about your situation regarding chronic pain/illness

• Learn what to do to have a better, more peaceful lifestyle

• Learn how to live with a disability

• Studies show that people who attend therapeutic support groups tend to live longer

• They are also less depressed and more motivated to take care of themselves

• Finally they often feel less overwhelmed and more in control of the disease and/or pain

• A place to find and give inspiration, support, exhortation, hope, and information

• Friendship with like-minded individuals

• Feel helped and guided not attacked and belittled

• Help in applying your faith to problems

• Reminder to live one day at a time

• Reminder that this is not all there is to life – Heaven is coming!

• Reminder that you are more than your disease/pain

• To be around others who’ll understand the fear, anger, resentment, grief, and /or helplessness you feel about your changing body and that you are not “you” any more

• People who will not belittle you or take you too seriously because they have been, are, or will be where you are emotionally, physically, spiritually

• To be around people who won’t coddle you

• A place to learn effective self-care techniques

• Model taking care of yourself

• To learn how to love yourself

• Share experiences, information, encouragement, support and hope

• To help you understand yourself

• To be with people who don’t see you as a problem to be solved

• To be around others who didn’t know you “before” and so aren’t sad/grieving with you about that loss

• To be around others who show that “this” disease/pain/situation is livable

• To be able to go on this journey with someone else

• To be around those who have realistic expectations for you and your life

• To see what realistic expectations look like

• To be part of a community

Your turn. Which ones do you identify with? What has been left off the list? What makes you mad?