Spinal cord injury support groups and peer mentoring can help educate you, offer comfort and even connect you with others contending with similar difficulties.
What does a support group entail?
A support group for spinal cord injury consists of numerous people facing similar SCI worries or complications. It is the perfect opportunity to share any thoughts and feelings and even give advice and encouragement on how best to deal with certain aspects of spinal cord injury based on first-hand experience.
Support from family and friends is fundamental during the recovery process, but, despite the amount of love and care they have to offer, they may not know the right words to say or the best plan of action to take. And while doctors and other health care professionals can guide you through the process, often emotional support is lacking due to the amount of information they need to cover during appointments.
Support groups might feel daunting at first but will soon feel like home to those who need some reassurance in their recovery. There is nothing better than feeling like others can relate to you and what you are going through, especially when hearing success stories.
Benefits of support groups
Not only is a support group a safe space, but you can also reap the benefits of authentic and constructive guidance on how to move forward after living with spinal cord injury – something that affects your physical and mental health drastically. Here are some more of the benefits:
- Share experiences: As more people share their stories in the group, you will feel more confident and less reluctant to share your own experiences in dealing with spinal cord injury. Opening up and talking about your story will help you come to terms with your injury and help you feel less isolated.
- Coping strategies: Spinal cord injury can change everything, and you may find yourself learning an entirely new way of living. Support groups can advise and teach you how to use coping strategies from those who have put them into practice and succeeded.
- Mood booster: Support groups do not always focus on the doom and gloom. There is an opportunity for everyone, especially those who may not have the option to socialise in person as often. A couple of hours to chat each week can positively impact someone more than you think.
How to get the most out of a support group
There are ways to take full advantage of joining a support group:
Be mindful of others: Having an intimate conversation with a group of people can risk hurting feelings if it gets too personal. Remain considerate that words are impactful and think carefully about what you say before saying it.
Attend regularly: To get the most out of a support group, you should try to attend as often as possible to develop connections and relationships with other attendees – this will make the whole experience much more comfortable.
Take part: Don’t feel afraid to speak up about your own experiences or help advise others. Participation helps conversation flow naturally, and everyone will feel more confident in taking part.
The structure of a spinal cord injury support group
In any support group, a coordinator will run the group in line with a structure that keeps everything to a particular topic or conversation to avoid distraction and ensure everyone gets the opportunity to speak if they wish. Some of the main points discussed in a spinal cord injury support group include:
- Mental Health
- Coping mechanisms
- Pain management
- Driving
- Adaptive sports and exercises
- Intimacy and sex
- Going back to work
- Bowel and bladder management
Aspire Law can get the compensation you deserve
At Aspire Law, our priority is to ensure that you and your family are not suffering from financial loss due to your injury. For a free and no-obligation discussion, contact us on 0800 030 20 40, or email us at help@aspirelaw.co.uk.
