The benefit of RA support
Having good social support is important across many areas of medicine, including RA. Support means having family and friends to talk to, or being in contact with other people with your condition.
Patients with a stronger support network experience less functional limitation, and less psychological distress. Patients who take an active role toward coping with their RA, who support themselves by asking for help, and maintain their social network experience less fatigue.
The bottom line is that RA can be tough to handle, but you don't have to handle it alone. Did you know that there are 2.1 million people in the US with rheumatoid arthritis? Get RA support and reach out and connect. See the
RAliving resources section for a list of organizations and Web sites that can help get you started.
