8 Signs You May Not Need a Support Group For Your Illness

When you first received the diagnosis of your illness, thenodds are that many people around you, perhaps even you
doctor, reommended a support group. Reseach has studied thenimpact support groups have on how well one copes withndisease, and it is positive. However, if you have no desirento attend a support group, recognize that it is notnuncommon. As with any kind of support group, some supportngroups you will connect with well and others won't be a goodnfit. Don't jump to the conclusion that all support groupsnare the same.

But the question still arises. Regardless of whether you arenlooking for a colon cancer support group or a endometriosisnsupport group, the real question may be, do you really needna support group at this time in your life? Many changesnoccur while we live decades with illness and there arenseasons in our life when an illness support group may holdnour very best of friends, and other times when we have nonneed to attend whatsoever.

Below are eight signs that a support group may be somethingnyou do not need right now:

1. You are coping well with the day-to-day aspects of livingnwith illness. You don't think about your illness non-stopnbecause you're simply too busy living life.

2. You have a trustworthy group of people who influence younin positive ways. Friends or family members appreciate thenmagnitude of the choice you make to live your best lifenpossible, despite your daily pain.

3. You don't experience feelings of anger, bitte
ess ornresentment towards healthy people -- at least on a regula
basis. You can have relationships with people withncomparison of your abilities (or lack of) ever entering you
thoughts.

4. You easily carry on conversations with people withoutnever bringing up the topic of your illness. You don'tnbelieve that your illness is such a fundamental part of whonyou are that it's necessary to describe your medicalnchallenges to total strangers.

5. You don't watch others with envy. You feel you havenovercome any annoyances you may have previously felt towardnpeople who have their health, but who do not seem to benappreciating it.

6. You find that sitting around talking about your illnessnwith others at a support group is more depressing thannrefreshing. You leave your meetings feeling worse than whennyou came.

7. You feel comfortable researching symptoms or making callsnto find the information you need in order to be a goodnadvocate for your health and illness.

8. You have formed a friendship with at least one othe
person who has an illness. It's important for you to havensomeone with whom you can vent openly and share you
vulnerabilities with in regard to how you live and cope withnillness. And contributing your own ideas with another personnwho understands the details and "language" of illness willnbe helpful too.

If you connected with some of the examples above, it'snlikely that you don't really need a support group at thisnpoint in your life. But surprise! You could be annexceptional facilitator of an illness support group. All ofnthe signs above make a simple outline for your proposal fornstarting up a support group.

The best support groups are often led by people who havenovercome the daily frustrations and bitte
ess thatnaccompany illness during the first years of diagnosis. Thenfact that you are past the initial rollercoaster of emotionsnwould greatly benefit a group of people still strugglingnwith them.

If the idea of leading a support group doesn't soundnappealing right now, that's fine too! Go have fun with anynactivity you feel passionate about. Just remember, there arenremarkable people in support groups who will be there tonoffer comfort when you find you need it.