Support and Discussion Groups

One of the most powerful applications of the Internet is its ability to bring together patients from all walks of life, to share experiences, advice, and support with one another. Find links to online support and discussion groups, usually carried out through message board or chat technology, in this section.

AARecovery.com Clubhouse Chat
Support and encouragement are an indispensable element in the ongoing treatment of a recovering alcoholic; the Internet has made it possible for such support to be provided around the clock to any geographic location. Recovering alcoholics can participate in an informal, “meeting after the meeting” chat at this site, discussing experiences, describing difficulties, and sharing advice; a link is also provided to more formal Alcoholics Anonymous online “meetings.” In both cases, participation is completely anonymous; simply enter any name you wish and you can be chatting in a matter of seconds.
http://www.aarecovery.com/chat.htm

Ability Online Network
Children suffering from disabilities—or from debilitating illness—can visit this site to learn about and talk to others with similar problems. The Ability Online Network requires registration to become a part of its online community; indeed, one cannot even read ongoing discussion, let alone participate, without registering. Though this site comes from humble beginnings—it originated in 1991 as a small bulletin board system, it has developed an impressive sample of members from around the world.
http://www.ablelink.org/public/default.htm

DejaNews: Eating Disorder Support
USENET message groups are invariably the largest discussion forums devoted to any topic, with by far the most participants. This one, dedicated to people with eating disorders, their families and caregivers, is no exception. Ongoing conversation is lively and varied, with messages contributed by many dozens of posters. Fair warning, however: USENET is essentially unmoderated, and although regular posters do a good job of policing content, the veracity (not to mention the civility) of discourse posted here is never certain.
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=alt.support.eating-disord

Diabetes Forums
With 435 registered users contributing nearly 6,000 posts on a wide variety of topics, these are among the most active diabetes-related forums to be found online. The board is moderated, and although anyone can read posted messages, would-be participants must complete a brief, free registration before they can post.
http://www.diabetesforums.com/

Food Allergy Survivors Together (FAST)
This colorful site seeks to bring together people with food allergies in three distinct ways: (1) with a traditional listserv, through which participants communicate via mass e-mail; (2) with a standard message board; and (3) with a real-time chat feature. The listserv is robust and active; the chat and message board services are still developing and as such are rather quiet at the present time. In addition to its connectivity services, FAST offers a number of additional resources and tools for those with food allergies (unfortunately, it also offers a high concentration of pop-up ads).
http://www.angelfire.com/mi/FAST/

HealthyPlace.com Mental Health Communities
This site presents “comprehensive information on psychological disorders and psychiatric medications from both a consumer and expert point of view.” The site hosts active chat rooms and support groups, features online journals/diaries and psychological tests, and offers breaking mental health news, mental health videos, online documentary films, a mental health radio show, and more.
http://www.healthyplace.com

Internet Breast Cancer Support Groups
If you have breast cancer, or are the friend, family member, or caregiver of someone who does, you might consider setting aside an hour or two every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at 8:30PM CST, to participate in one of the oldest established online support groups gracing the Internet. More than 700 individuals worldwide post to the Yahoo Groups message board; the site also hosts live chat sessions thrice week at the aforementioned times. A large archive of other projects, articles, and features is also offered; this site comes very highly recommended.
http://www.breastguide.com/

KIDSAID
“ KIDSAID is a safe place for kids to share and to help each other deal with grief about any of their losses. It's a place to share and deal with feelings, to show artwork and stories, to talk about pets, and to meet with one's peers.” Visit the site for more information on the Kids to Kids Support Group, kids’ questions and answers, poetry, memorials, art, games, and much, much more.
http://kidsaid.com

LymeNet Discussion Forum
The Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey maintains this truly enormous message board community, which features hundreds of conversations related to Lyme disease, including consideration of different forms of treatment and discussion of the legal issues surrounding the disease. Specific topics include “Medical Questions” (91,529 posts to date), “General Support” (32,249 posts), and “Seeking a Doctor” (1,965 posts). Because material is moderated by the Lyme Disease Network, it is somewhat more authoritative than many other boards of this kind.
http://www.lymenet.org

MS MOMS Forum
Visitors must register before contributing posts to this message board, which is intended to serve as a place for mothers of children with multiple sclerosis—or mothers with multiple sclerosis—to share experiences and advice. Topic categories include “Diagnostics and Testing,” “Family Matters,” “Humor,” “Pregnancy,” “Meds and Prescriptions,” and “Sex and Relationships.”
http://www.msmoms.com/forum/default.asp

MDA: Chat Schedule
The Muscular Dystrophy Association hosts several live chat sessions, on a number of predetermined topics, on virtually every day of the week. In a typical week, visitors might discuss myasthenia or caregiving issues, or offer support to any of a number of specific subgroups within the muscular dystrophy community (ie, girls with DMD, parents of children with DMD, or “The Wheelchair Gang”).
http://www.mdausa.org/chat/calendar.html

OBGYN.net: Women/Patients
Women who visit OBGYN.net have their choice of ten different message boards at the URL below: “Women’s Health,” “Pregnancy and Birth,” “Breast Health,” “Young Women,” “Endometriosis,” three boards on polycystic ovary syndrome, a board in Spanish and a board in Dutch. Messages dated as far back as February 1997 are archived for research purposes.
http://www.obgyn.net/english/forums/forums.asp

PedTalk
According to site creator Chip Hart, “PedTalk is a majordomo-served mailing list for general pediatric discussions.” Participants include some physicians and some patients, but the site is careful to caution users against soliciting medical opinion or advice from the list. PedTalk is e-mail based, which means that registrants will receive quite a few items in their inbox each day from the listserv; if a crowded mailbox is a problem for you, you may wish to consider a different group.
http://www.pcc.com/lists/pedtalk

Support for Cancer Caregivers
Extant since 1997, this extremely no-frills listserv seeks to give those charged with the care of individuals with cancer the opportunity to share advice and experiences in a relatively anonymous fashion. Joining the list is easy; just enter in a name and valid e-mail address. All messages posted since the inception of the list are archived on this site, accessible only to list members.
http://listserv.acor.org/archives/caregivers.html