The Healing Effect of a Support Group
Your doctor has diagnosed you with cancer. Your head is swimming with thoughts about treatment, loved ones, setting priorities, finances, and more. If you’re like many cancer patients, you’re likely also feeling isolated because, even though you are surrounded by family and friends, you’re overwhelmed by the feeling that no one understands what you’re going through.
Many cancer patients find that participating in a support group with others who face a similar diagnosis or have gone through similar experiences can provide healing to their emotional and spiritual well-being, which is just as important as good medical care.
“Listening to those brave souls in the support group give their testimonies about pancreatic cancer and what they’ve gone through literally changed my life,” said Larry Frantz, pancreatic cancer patient and member of the Memphis-based Kosten Foundation Support Group for Pancreatic Cancer. “I had given up hope and decided I was going to die when I learned about the Kosten support group. We started going and I realized it’s so much more than just a group talking about death and dying. It’s for the patients as well as their caregivers. It helps everyone. I am so thankful to the Kosten Foundation for starting this support group to provide help for patients who previously had nowhere to turn.”
While the format of every support group is different, the benefits are usually similar. What benefits can you expect to find in a support group? We’ve outlined a few of the most common that participants have shared: