How Support Groups Help Cancer Patients

A cancer diagnosis is life changing. “Probably the most common concern is the feeling of uncertainty, and just feeling really overwhelmed with being surprised by their cancer diagnosis and not knowing how to cope with those feelings.” As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Melissa Sommers knows many of the struggles cancer patients are dealing with. “People have a hard time sleeping, they’re fatigued, on one hand but they’re anxious or worried which is preventing them from sleeping. We talk about strategies like relaxation, breathing, or simple meditation to help them quiet the thoughts a little bit to get better sleep.”

She also helps facilitate some of our free cancer support groups. “It can be really powerful, because I can offer support, but having someone who has been there and experienced something very similar, you can just see someone feel like they have a connection when they start talking,” said Sommers.

Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.