In today's world technology is ever increasing and improving and this increasing technology is always opening new doors, some good and some bad. One way new door that has been open due to technology is the door of online therapy or online support. Before the internet and its extremely easy access if someone was dealing with depression or a disease they relied on a visit to the doctor, the support they received from friends and family, and possibly a visit with a therapist to sit down and talk about how this new variable in their life was effecting them. These are all still great forms of support and are very helpful in many cases but today one can sit in the comfort of their own home and receive support for many things through the internet and online support. People with diseases often use online support and one growing area is for those individuals with cancer.
Some of the reasons people use online support are cognitive and emotional processing/ disclosure, written disclosure, remaining anonymous, receiving feedback, no interruption by external factors, easier, and insight disclosure (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). Many theories dealing with the adaptation to trauma suggest that in order for an individual to move on or adjust to trauma that individual must take part in cognitive and emotional processing of said traumatic event (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). This disclosure would normally take place through a verbal conversation with a therapist or a close friend who is supportive, but there is no reason this can't take place in an online setting. Although with today's technology it is possible to verbally discuss and disclose our feelings verbally on the internet through something like Skype or Youtube there are other ways to disclose ones feelings such as written disclosure. Studies suggest that written disclosure is a great way to partake in emotional disclosure and that written disclosure is related to positive health effects to include emotional well being. One great way to put this emotional processing and written disclosure together is on the platform of the internet. This platform not only allows users to use the internet for written disclosure but also allows them to get feedback. The internet also allows those participating in online written disclosure to stay anonymous if this is what the user wants (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). Staying anonymous and communicating through the internet helps to rid of external factors that may be a distraction. When someone is participating in written disclosure online they are often concentrating on their inner thoughts and do not have to worry about being interrupted by a reaction or facial expressions or external factors as they would if they were disclosing their thoughts in person. For most people this makes online disclosure easier in general (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). Also the fact that one does not have to leave the comfort of his or her home when disclosing their feelings also makes online support more attractive and easier. A study done on breast cancer patients found that while online disclosure is helpful the disclosure of insights brought significant benefits to participants, and that this disclosure of insight had a stronger effect on enhancing health benefits than the disclosure of emotions (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). That is those who understand and disclose their own mental processes and grasp the true nature of the situation received significant benefits. If you or someone you love is suffering from breast cancer or any type of cancer don't be shy, there are many resources out there that can assist you in your battle against cancer. Whether your looking for information, emotional support, or would like to share your story in an effort to help others in their battle against cancer follow this link. CANCER SUPPORT.
Another area or illness that sees a large amount of people searching for online support is bulimia. Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that can lead to serious health problems for those afflicted. In the study by Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) this disorder was examined in the sense of online treatment. Due to the somewhat personal, and to some embarrassing, nature of the disease seeking help can be daunting. This was one of the key factors leading to people seeking online care. A computer is not going to judge, which according to some participants in the study, their physicians did. The fear of being judged and that medical practitioners did not give them the attention that they felt that they needed some people turned to online care. Some of the other feelings that lead to online support were openness to the idea of online support, not feeling their condition was serious enough to warrant medical attention, the ease of access, and the privacy.
Openness to the idea of online support was seen found to be important because some people have a serious aversion to computers as a whole. For online treatment to have a chance the participant had to have an open mind and be willing to try the treatment with the idea that it may work. Another big aspect of people turning to online care was not feeling that their condition needed medical attention. These people knew that they had a problem and that they needed to change, but they didn't think it was severe enough to go to a doctor or other more serious medical means of treatment. For those that felt their condition was on the lower end of the seriousness online treatment was an attractive option. They were able to get help without feeling embarrassed or that they were wasting someone's time. The ease of access was also attractive for these people as well as others. The fact that online treatment can be done at any time in any place that has the internet it has a high level of flexibility. In the case of eating disorders being able to access treatment at any time was very helpful. If they felt some type of urge coming on they could get online and look at some of the online help to help fight the feelings they were having. The final big attraction was privacy. Eating disorders are embarrassing to some and they try to hide them. This can lead to people putting off treatment due to shame. Online care allows someone to get treatment without coming out about their condition to anyone. For those that have a problem admitting their condition to others online treatment was a valuable resource due to it's lack of judgment.