A lung cancer diagnosis — either for you or someone you love — can be overwhelming. Even if you have friends and family members who will walk through the treatment process with you, it can also be helpful to find support from people going through the same experience.

If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer or you are a caregiver for someone with lung cancer, there are many ways you can get support. Connecting with people who understand your situation can help you feel less alone on this journey.

The Benefits of Finding Community

Having any type of cancer can be tough, but working through those challenges with others can make the journey a little less difficult. There are a number of reasons why it’s important to find community after a lung cancer diagnosis. Here are just a few of the benefits that finding community can bring:

• Talking to people who understand exactly what’s entailed in a journey with lung cancer
• Asking questions about lung cancer and getting answers from people who understand the situation from the inside
• Finding doctors and centers with special expertise
• Sharing your own story with people who can relate to your experience, even though every story is different
• Getting emotional support when you feel anxious, afraid, or worried about your or your loved one’s diagnosis
• Riding out the ups and downs of cancer treatment with others who are on the same rollercoaster
• Mentoring others through the different phases of a lung cancer diagnosis

Ultimately, finding a community that truly understands the journey you are on can help improve your quality of life and overall sense of wellness. Even if you have a strong support network, you may want to speak with others who have experience with your diagnosis — those who can offer personal advice for all the twists and turns of life with cancer.

How To Find Community in Person

One of the best ways to find community is by connecting with other people who you can meet face to face. Some in-person support groups may be conducting sessions virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lung Cancer Support Groups

Support groups are groups of people who meet together to talk about or verbally process a certain issue. In the case of lung cancer, the group leader leads discussions about issues that come up during treatment for both patients and caregivers, as well as issues that arise after treatment for lung cancer survivors.

You can usually find in-person support groups through your cancer care center or hospital support services. Some nonprofit organizations will also provide support groups. If you are interested in one, ask your oncology specialist or other health care provider about available options.

Therapy

If you’d prefer to talk about your cancer journey one on one, a therapist or a social worker who specializes in working with people diagnosed with cancer can be a good option. Your therapist will help you process a cancer diagnosis, deal with any setbacks that occur, and understand what is going on emotionally as you go through treatment. Most oncologists or other health care professionals can direct you to a therapist if that is the kind of support you want and need.

Mentorship

Some people choose to find a lung cancer mentor. This is someone who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, who has cared for someone diagnosed with lung cancer, or who is considered a lung cancer survivor. The mentorship relationship is different from a friendship and from a therapy relationship. A mentor is someone who understands what you’re going through and can walk alongside you during your own lung cancer journey.

Social connections have been shown to improve overall health and longevity, especially as people age. Many mentors have found it extremely meaningful to pass the knowledge they’ve gained on to others.

How To Find Community Online

Connecting to a community online gives you access to people from around the world who can offer support, rather than just people in your hometown. Online communities are available whenever you need them, rather than at specific times. They have the added benefit of being a safe option during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blogs

Blogs for those diagnosed with lung cancer — or by those diagnosed with lung cancer — can offer you insights into living with lung cancer that you might not otherwise get. Some people choose to chronicle their journeys with lung cancer online. This allows you to see what it is like to live with lung cancer on a day-to-day basis.

Blogs can also help you get the information you need to answer any questions you might have about lung cancer or treatment options. If you aren’t comfortable asking a question (or you don’t want to wait for someone to answer it), you can often find the answer on a blog.

Online Cancer Support Groups

Online support groups can be a great way to meet other people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer and get support from them. Some of these online support groups meet via video, while others might meet in a text-only chat room. They operate similar to in-person support groups. A leader asks questions and directs the conversation to help you process your experience as a person diagnosed with lung cancer or a caregiver.

Social Media Groups

Some people choose to join or create social media groups on Facebook or other sites to share their journey with lung cancer. That way, they can share updates once, without having to tell everyone individually when something changes with their condition or their treatment.

An online social community also allows you to put someone else in charge of posting those communications. This can give you some mental space. When you are exhausted from treatment or from caring for someone receiving treatment, you don’t have to feel like you need to update everyone, too.

Finally, these groups also allow you to get support from people who might be far away, or who might not otherwise know about your journey or understand what you’re going through. They can respond to your updates or post comments so you can hear how much you are loved by friends both near and far.

MyLungCancerTeam

MyLungCancerTeam is a social network for people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer and their caregivers. Members can ask questions, share their stories, and participate in ongoing conversations with other members.

Connecting online can be just as meaningful as connecting in person. “I feel better since I found this site. I’m excited,” one member wrote. Another member shared, “I am so thankful for being a member of this site. I need all the encouragement I can get, and I certainly cherish each and every one of you.”

One MyLungerCancerTeam member commented, “Bless all of you on this site. We are a family.”

Meet Your Team

Have you participated in a lung cancer support group? How has it helped you? Do you blog about your lung cancer journey? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on MyLungCancerTeam.