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Communication
Amazon Lifeline Yahoo! group
Amazon Lifeline is a support and social group for lesbian, bisexual and transgendered women who are living with chronic illness or disability. The group provides a safe, accepting and supportive friendship circle — a source of encouragement, connection, laughter, information, and companionship.
What kind of chronic illnesses and disabilities are welcome in this group? All kinds. For example (in reverse alphabetical order): Sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, psychiatric illnesses, physical disabilities, Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, migraines, Lyme disease, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, hepatitis, gout, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, diabetes, depression, deafness, cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, colitis, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, blindness, bipolar disorder, autoimmune disorders, asthma, arthritis, allergies, and AIDS-HIV. Unfortunately, there are many more illnesses and disabilities than there is room here to list them.
What this group is not:
- This is not a dating club. Friendships may form and may lead, in a few cases, to something more, but that’s just a nice accident. If you’re looking for some place to cruise, this is not what you want.
- This group is not well suited to those who don’t have much time to put into it. The only way that we can really get to know one another is to spend time exchanging thoughts, feelings, etc.
- This is not well suited to those who tend to join a group and then lose interest quickly. It takes time and commitment to build a real community.
- Please treat every member with respect and courtesy at all times.
- What you hear in the group stays in the group. Please respect the confidentiality of all members.
- If you disagree with something someone says, please talk about the idea, not the person.
- Please do not type your messages IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS — this is the online equivalent of screaming at someone.
- If you’re interested in getting to know someone in the group better, you express that interest, and the person is not interested, please drop it. To continue to pursue your interest could be interpreted as stalking behavior, which will not be tolerated.
- If you are having a personal crisis, it is fine to talk with the group about what you’re going through. However, we are a peer support group — not a therapy group, and it is not appropriate to make extraordinary emotional demands on group members. Please remember that we’re all dealing with about as much as we can handle.
- It is not reasonable for someone in crisis to refuse to get appropriate counseling and treatment, or to expect group members to provide those services.
- It is always highly inappropriate to act out in the group (for example, threatening suicide or insulting people).
- It is not appropriate to solicit money or anything else from members of the group.
If you would like to expedite this process, then fill out this form. When you click the Submit button at the bottom of the form, it will send your information directly to me, and I can add you to the group.