Receiving a doctor’s diagnosis for a medical condition can be a scary and stressful experience, especially if it’s an uncommon issue. Only people who have been through this can really understand how it feels-this overwhelming need to learn as much as possible about the condition. Sure, the doctor is friendly, will answer questions, and gives you advice, and sure, you can read countless books, blogs, articles, and research about the condition until you can’t think of anything else you need to know, but somehow it’s not what you’re really searching for. Many people find that what they truly need is to talk to others with the same condition-to hear from people who are going through the same thing and experiencing the same symptoms firsthand. It’s far more comforting to learn about what to expect from someone who has already been there-someone your age, perhaps, or someone who lives nearby-than to read an article by some doctor you’ve never met whose only knowledge of the condition comes from seeing it in others. One way to make this connection and educate yourself through others is by using social media sites. Websites like Facebook and Twitter are becoming more and more popular each and every day, but it may not yet be an obvious thought to use them in this manner. But, the truth is that these and many other social websites are great resources for information and support.

Facebook and Twitter are the most commonly used social networking websites, so let’s start there. Facebook uses groups to allow people with similar interests to follow a group page where they can view shared wall posts and discussions. Try typing the name of your medical condition into Facebook’s search bar. When the results list comes up, you can click “groups” on the left-hand side of the page to narrow the results to show only the group pages. Take a look at the various group pages and see what you discover. You might want to consider looking at groups that have the highest number of members, as this could provide you with more support and information. However, you might find it more important to look at the group’s activity rather than its popularity. For example, there may be a group with 100 members, but no recent conversations posted on the wall. Then there might be another group with 40 members that clearly have active discussions on a daily basis and even make posts about live group meetings in an area near you. Join as many groups as you want, or just join the one that looks right for you-the choice is yours. On Twitter, people identify the topics of their discussions with hashtags. For example, if you wanted to post a Tweet about an article you read on cystic fibrosis, you would follow your information with “#cysticfibrosis”. Then, all Tweets that use this hashtag can be searched for by other users. To find information and people to talk to on Twitter about your medical condition, type its name into the search bar. On the left-hand side of the page, you can filter your results to show Tweets about the search term or people relating to the search term. You can find organizations to follow for reliable information, other people with the condition to follow and send direct messages to, or you can reply to other people’s Tweets and take part in conversations.

Another thing you could do is to look for social media sites that are specific to your condition or that are for general health discussions. Some conditions have exceptional social media sites that are similar to Facebook or Twitter, but are only for people with that same condition. This can be incredibly useful for finding friends and support groups nearby, as well as for finding a broad range of informational discussions. Try simply typing the name of your condition into Google; or, you could try adding words like “social” and “network” to your search. Don’t give up after just one search because sometimes these sites might not be widely used, making them difficult to find. If you find one, though, it may end up being your favorite resource for peer discussions, information, and advice.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to http://www.spineseminar.com/ patient education.

Author Bio: Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to patient education.

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