Why Support Groups Are Important to Your Health

Support groups.

As an AYA cancer patient, those words made me cringe with anxiety.

My first experience with an AYA cancer support group left me feeling depressed and disconnected. I had sat in a sterile, uncomfortable hospital meeting room with a handful of others who were in various stages of their cancers. As we shared our thoughts and feelings in a painfully awkward circle, it became crystal clear:

This wasn’t working for me.

The following months were spent trying to figure out my “new normal” while attempting to get back to “regular” life as I knew it — and it wasn’t easy. I ended up quitting my job, discovering a new passion, and finding myself on an entirely different path than I ever expected.

But no one really understood me.

Our teens & young adults at Canadice Lake for our 2016 outdoor program with Pack Paddle Ski!

One day, I received a phone call from the social worker in my oncologist’s department with the name of another AYA cancer patient who had a very similar surgery to my own. I immediately reached out to her, and we got together over coffee. For the first time since my diagnosis, I felt like I had someone who “got” me! It was an incredible feeling! She understood what I had gone through, could relate to the emotions and uncertainties, and could laugh with me about the changes and challenges of our particular cancer.

It was the most freeing experience I had had since the diagnosis.

A few days later, she reached out to me about a group called 13thirty Cancer Connect and the Fit! program. “You need to meet Lauren,” my friend texted. “You’ll love her!” I hesitated, given my previous experience with cancer groups, but I was also curious about 13thirty. So I made an appointment to meet with Lauren Spiker and signed up for the 13thirty Fit! program. The rest, as they say, is history!

Connecting with others who “get it” is so important to our overall wellbeing.

According to an article by the Mayo Clinic, support groups are places where we can heal and trust the process of our journeys in a safe space. The article lists out the following benefits of a support group:

• Feeling less lonely, isolated or judged
• Gaining a sense of empowerment and control
• Improving your coping skills and sense of adjustment
• Talking openly and honestly about your feelings
• Reducing distress, depression, anxiety or fatigue
• Developing a clearer understanding of what to expect with your situation
• Getting practical advice or information about treatment options
• Comparing notes about resources, such as doctors and alternative options

At 13thirty Cancer Connect, we’ve been through it all: diagnoses, doctors, hospitals, medications, side-effects, scars, disabilities, challenges, and triumphs. Our lives have been changed in such a drastic way, but to be accepted and understood in a space where we can thrive together is key on our survivorship journeys. We encourage one another, cheer each other on, believe in each other. Whether it’s through teen & young adult events, parents & caregivers support, hanging out at the Center, being out in the community, or catching up outside of 13thirty, you will find its so much more than a “support group”; there’s a sense of belonging to a family here!

Visit www.roc.13thirty.org for our upcoming events, or stop by the Center to say hello!

About the Author

Sabrina Gauer is our Communications Coordinator and Wellness Coach here at 13thirty Cancer Connect! Follow her Instagram for more tips and encouragement for whole health and wellness living!