Coping with all the feelings a long-term condition brings with it can be tough. Being able to ask someone for help and support with our feelings can be even harder. It’s all too easy to end up feeling alone. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You may have heard the saying "a problem shared is a problem halved". It’s true. Sharing your experiences with others and listening to others, to give and receive support, can be helpful for everyone. Being able to help other people also helps us feel better about ourselves.
Many people can give you help and support, if you want it and know who to ask. Finding people and places that can help you talk about your feelings will also help you become more positive and confident about getting back in control of your life.
If you find it hard to cope with all the feelings that having a long-term condition brings, here are some places you can turn to for support:
- Self-help/peer support groups. These are groups of people with the same or similar conditions. Some of these, like Diabetes UK, are just for people with diabetes. Others are general groups for anyone with any long-term condition. These groups are a great way of making friends and sharing experiences and tips with other people who know personally what it’s like to live with a long-term condition. You can also read about one woman’s experience of joining her local Arthritis Care support group and how it helped her.
- Self-management courses. You'll meet other people on the course and talk to each other about your experiences.You’ll also have the chance to meet, make friends and swap ideas and tips with other people in a similar situation to yourself. You can read more about self-management courses such as the Expert Patients Programme and what they can offer you.
- Your local place of worship. If you have a religion, your local faith group can be a huge source of support, friendship and practical help.
- Counselling organisations. Sometimes it may help to talk to someone you don’t know. Organisations that offer a confidential telephone helpline include the Samaritans and Mind.
- Your local GP surgery may have a Patient Participation Group, which can be a good source of information on local organisations. Find out more about patient participation from the National Association for Patient Participation.
- Family and close friends. The more they know about what’s going on, the more help they may be able to give, such as finding out more about your condition.
