Due to an issue a relative of mine has, I am on a Facebook support group for people who also have this issue. The group is very active, and while they sometimes have their problems, for the most part, they are very supportive. Over the months that I've watched this group, I've noticed that a lot of the trolls and crazies have been weeded out. It's made things better for everyone.
These groups are important. One of the most devastating aspects of any chronic illness is that it often isolates the ill. They lose friends. They stop being social. They often cease all interaction with others. I've read comments by people in this group, and they sometimes talk about how they feel alone in the void, with only the other people on the internet to talk to them.
Tonight, a woman posted how she wished someone would call her. She was in the hospital, close to death, and no one was there with her. She said that if anyone was interested, she would pm them her number. She said she didn't want to cause any trouble. She just needed to hear a human voice in what were probably the last hours of her life. People agreed to call her. Others wished her well. I never read who spoke to her or not, but I know there were many offers.
The internet can be an awful place. We all know it can. It has found ways to hurt us like we've never been hurt before. At the same time, for those who are alone in the void, it can also be a source of needed comfort. It can be that hand in the darkness. For people who might not get that otherwise, it's a beautiful thing.
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