Discussion Boards

It is important to meet and develop relationships with others who understand what you are going through. There are quite a few resources for this.

Support Groups: contact your local hospitals, clinics, churches, etc. to find local groups. You may also reach out to organizations such as the American Cancer Society or Komen Foundation. They maintain lists of support groups. Of course you can also search google (i.e. breast cancer support groups). Sometimes it may take some time to find a support group where you feel comfortable. If you would like to potentially start your own support group, the American Self-Help Clearinghouse (http://www.cmhc.com/selfhelp/) has information, models, and advice.

Cancer Hotlines: if you need emotional support from someone trained to help, a couple of options are Share (http://www.sharecancersupport.org/) and Network of Strength (www.networkofstrength.org)

Online chat rooms and discussion boards: There are numerous chat rooms and discussion boards including http://TalkAboutHealth.com, http://breastcancer.org and http://www.bcsupport.org/.