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Virtual Support Groups


The internet has brought about many amazing features for people all around the world. One of those features is online support groups. These support groups can vary from actual online meetings or chat forums where people can share their hardships and find those suffering from the same thing. The support can be for the person suffering from disease or hardship. Or the support group can be for the parent or family that has to see the person through the disease or hardship. Living in a small town it might be hard to find a group big enough for a specific support group or you might be embarrassed to attend. Online support groups are a wonderful asset because you can connect from your computer or your phone to dozens, if not thousands, of people going through the same problems.

When attending a support group it is a generally understood rule to keep what is shared in a group private and not to share with anyone. However, you cannot control what someone else may do or say outside of the group no matter what agreements are understood.  When you get online you can make a username that no one would be able to identify you with. The internet is a place where you can be truly anonymous.

Healthfinder has a list of reliable support groups and their official websites listed. There are many support groups for more common things like cancer and less common like Sjogren's Syndrome groups. The following are a few that I would recommend

Overeaters Anonymous is similar support group to the 12 step programs for recovery from an addiction. There is a vast array of different online support groups found here. In a simple search for available groups I found support groups offered in 13 different languages (English, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Farsi, Hebrew, Hungarian, Arabic, Dutch, Finnish, Luxembourgish, Croatian and French). This is an invaluable tool as it will not exclude any person no matter their language to participate. The website also offers to help find a local chapter to attend as well.

Families Anonymous (FA) is support group for the families of those who are suffering from addiction in any stage. Addiction affects everyone around that person. FA provides a specific niche to those who are struggling with the emotional roller coaster it is to love someone who is addicted to any substance. On their website you can find an online support group or a local chapter to join.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a support group for those suffering from depression and or bipolar. This site offers support to those affected by this and the family members as well. There is a forum online that people can share stories of inspiration and hope for newly diagnosed people looking for support. There is also a full resource list to find a support group online or in person.

Sources found from:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Health Information Center. (2018). Support Groups HealthFinder.gov. Retrieved from: https://healthfinder.gov/FindServices/SearchContext.aspx?topic=833
 

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References

Stoyanov, S.R., Hides, L., Kavanagh, D.J., Zelenko, O., Tjondronegoro, D., & Mani, M. (2015). Mobile app rating scale: A new tool for assessing the quality of health mobile apps. JMIR mHealth and uHealth 3(1), 27. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.3422

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Health Information Center. (2015). Support Groups HealthFinder.gov. Retrieved from: https://healthfinder.gov/FindServices/SearchContext.aspx?topic=833

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Health Information Center. (2012). What is a patient portal? HealthFinder.gov Retrieved from: https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/what-patient-portal

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. (2018). Finding and evaluating online resources. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved from: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/webresources

Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. (2018). Computer Basics. Utah Broadband. Retrieved from https://broadband.utah.gov/digital-literacy/computer-basics/