Self-help groups

Organized groups, where people with cancer and their families meet others in a similar situation, can be helpful. Often this is the first opportunity that families have to discuss their experiences with other people living with cancer. These groups can be a source of information and support and can provide an opportunity for people to talk about their feelings. Some groups are run by health professionals, doctors and nurses, counselors or psychotherapists in a hospital. More commonly, people with cancer run groups. They often offer different techniques to teach coping strategies together with relaxation or visualization, as well as practical information and emotional support.

If you are interested in joining a group, but are unsure about whether it would be helpful, try making some enquiries about it first, and go to a meeting to see what it is like. You may feel more comfortable if you take a friend or a relative along with you. But if you are uncomfortable, you are under no obligation to continue attending. See Support Groups.