We know that great benefits are often reported by those attending Parkinson’s, AIDS or MS support groups. There are also benefits in attending alcoholics anonymous (AA) support groups as they help understand one another and give individuals the feeling that they are not alone.
Sitting down and talking with others who share similar health issues can be validating, reduce the sense of isolation and can offer a sense of belonging.
However, when it comes to chronic pain or fibromyalgia, support groups do not seem to be as effective and can in fact sometimes backfire. This 2024 study found what I have always thought, when it comes of on-line “Pain Support Groups”, instead of helping people in their journey, they may sometimes be preventing recovery.
Is the online “support” group a patient is in helping them move toward recovery, or is it becoming part of what keeps them there?
Although there can be value in some support groups, the concept of social contagion cannot be ignored.
Social contagion is defined as “the spread of behaviors, attitudes, and affect through crowds and other types of social aggregates from one member to another.”
The fact that sometimes people can feel greater pain after attending pain support groups may be compared to yawning when one sees other people yawning.
“…social interactions can influence the expression of pain symptoms” – Necaise et al 2024
Like a yawn, pain can be contagious because our brains are wired for empathy. Sure, having “pain” in common with another can bring the people to feel more connected to one another but at the same time it may maintain their symptoms as it offers a sense of “belonging”.
In a nutshell, support groups are not inherently good or bad… it depends on the focus of discussion. Is the focus on promoting fear and hopelessness or on self-efficacy, hope and recovery?
Anyone belonging to a support group should ask themselves this one question.
After attending the meeting do I feel more or less hopeful of my recovery?