For those living with chronic illness, a sense of wellness isn’t easy to achieve alone. Support can empower you to live well. If you want to make some lifestyle changes but don’t know anyone close to you with the same goals, you can look outside your inner circle for support. You can make connections in local and virtual communities.
Connection is important to health and wellness, especially if you’re looking for support during a new diagnosis or advice for successful lifestyle changes. Connecting with others can be important if you are facing a new diagnosis or what support for making lifestyle changes.
Connecting online
The internet has platforms for all types of connection. You can find virtual communities on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, reddit, forums, blogs, Pinterest, and platforms specific to helping people with similar conditions connect to learn more about your condition or lifestyle goals. Virtual connections allow you to decide how interactive you want to be in a community. Learning from others about a specific condition or lifestyle concern can help you feel more empowered and connected to your health.
You can also learn how to navigate healthcare resources from your peers such as learning how to read medical research and what questions to ask your care team about your health. Navigating the more complicated aspects of treating a chronic condition sometimes requires reassurance from your communities in person, online, and in your doctors’ office. The important part is feeling connected to others who know what you’re experiencing and empowering each other to seek wellness and better health.
Internet Safety
Remember, your digital or in-person community isn’t your care team and may not always be the most informed. People can have bad information regardless of where you met them. Always check with your provider before making lifestyle changes to make sure you’re not putting yourself at risk of medical complications or following advice that might conflict with your treatment plan.
Internet safety is always important, never give someone you met online your personal information. We can never truly verify that someone is who they say they are in digital spaces, so be cautious and thoughtful about who you talk to or share information with.
