Joining and participating in an online community may be a convenient and excellent way to find support your individuals suffering from phobias. There are many benefits to participating in an online support group, including convenience, anonymity, and the ability to not only get support but also to provide support at the same time to others in need. This is especially useful if your phobia limits you from leaving your home or if you must work hours in which it makes traditional therapy difficult or impossible to attend. There are many online communities available depending on your particular phobia and situation. Below you will find some helpful steps in finding a community that supports your needs best.
Step 1: Determining The Type Of Support You Need.
There are online communities for just about any phobia you can think of, so finding the right one is not going to be a problem. You already know it exists — you just need to find out where and which one, of the many, is right for you. Online communities exist for other types of issues as well, such as family issues, additions, health issues and many others, so it’s not just specifically for phobia, although you may suffer from other issues because of your phobia — in which case some of the other support groups may be of interest.
Step 2: Seek The Names Of Groups And Organizations That Support Your Issue.
Most organizations or groups will have access to several online communities that can greatly benefit members suffering from varying conditions and they can point you into the right direction on finding the support you need. You may also consider asking your doctor for additional resources as well as searching for specialized support groups on Google for more information.
Step 3: Search For Online Communities For Your Specific Group Online.
If you do a Google search on your particular phobia, you should be able to find a plethora of available online communities designed specifically for support on your particular phobia. You can also try visiting websites of organizations that specialize in your phobia as well, and they will often have links to online communities in which you can access for more support.
Step 4: Join Major Social Media Networks That Focus Primarily Support Groups.
Besides the common social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, there are many others that focus largely on providing support for various issues such as phobias.
Step 5: Read Through The Content Posted Within The Online Community And Measure Its Level Of Support Provided By Members.
If an online community truly provides a high quality level of support, then it’s a great choice. But if it falls short of the level of quality you are looking for, then it may be more beneficial to seek another online community for support. You will want to find a community that demonstrates understanding and compassion for the issues it’s members are facing as well as informative topics and helpful support and tips or advice that you can use in every day life situations.
Step 6: Verify That The Online Community Is Active And Current.
An active community forum will have updated information about your issue and current news as well. A strong community will have many active members, so check the dates of posts and discussions to ensure the community is active and current.
Step 7: Join More Than One Online Support Community.
Joining just one online support group may not be as beneficial to you, depending on the level of support you require. You also may need varying levels of support or varying levels of activity. Some communities may be more active than others or some communities’ activity may die down, in which case having a backup community to check in with might be beneficial. Joining more than one support group community can help allow you to find a support group that is the most beneficial to you and your particular needs.
Be careful about sharing too much personal information with other members, such as your full name or telephone number and address. Some predators may use online communities to prey upon unsuspecting victims when they are very vulnerable. Also, do not participate in online communities in which the members encourage you to discontinue treatments or ask you to purchase third-party products from them. If members are judgmental, this is a also a red flag that this is not a beneficial community to join and may not help you to overcome your problems.
