Support groups offer emotional help following the diagnosis of an illness. CNN's Judy Fortin reports

The thought of opening up and sharing personal details of an illness with strangers may not appeal to everyone,but many people do welcome the reinforcement they offer. " I think the major benifit of any support group is for you to be able to say I'm not alone." Doctor Wendy Lens says people with diseases and medical condition who attend support groups suffer less stress and their pain is often diminished."You can be yourself, you can share your experiences, you can learn from others' experience". Doctors are careful to tell patients with life-threatening conditions that support groups won't prolong their lives. "We don't tell people that support groups are going to give them a longer life, but what we definitely can tell them is it will help them to live better." Doctors Lens recommends finding a support group that offers confidentiality, one where you don't have to talk if you don't feel like it, but encourages you to share.Look for a group where attendance is not mandatory, and if you are not feeling supported, she tells patients to leave. For today's health minute, I'm Judy Fortin