Social Media and Crohns

In earlier posts, my emphasis has been more on my feelings and experiences at being diagnosed with the illness, what it felt like at the time, in retrospect and the isolation and feeling of being on a journey.
I posted yesterday how i have come across the sentiment,often cruelly and ignorantly, that the illness and how to deal with it was in the mind.
Indeed i stressed that it is in the mind, in that Crohns plants demons there, nagging away at you, who you are, your hopes and fears, questioning your self worth and future.
Today, i want to try to evaluate how i see crohns and indeed any illness, be it acute or chronic, in its relationship with facebook, twitter and similar.
I have become increasingly convinced that social media is the future mechanism for connecting sufferers of crohns together, offering information, support and care, It is a proper community, legitimately a community of different individuals, with a common bond of the illness.
We are all vulnerable to the mental and physical frailties and damage crohns does. We know the signs, we feel the pain, we share the anxiety and fears. I have seen many people post about their illness, especially on twitter, clearly at a loss, in a dark place and searching for help and someone who really understands. The value of twitter especially, is that there are individuals willing to help others unburden their problems onto them. Many i have seen are so low, so desperate, they merely need to know that there is someone out there who cares and understands them.
I know many who invest time to coax people 'away from that dark place' towards somewhere brighter, more positive, more optimistic. All in some way can help, sharing a joke, a story, posting some music or just listening to a tweet, comfort to a person in despair. This is where i feel twitter and social media provide that simple thing that is not always available at a GP, Consultant appointment or mere physical self help meeting.
Don't get me wrong, i have been involved in face to face Crohns meetings with speakers and participants, they do help and offer a valuable resource. In my experience many of these meetings leave sufferers benefitting, but unable to really voice their problems direct to people fearing judgement and repercussions in some way.
On twitter, i see people willing to totally open up to others because of this 'anonymity'. They are prepared to reveal innermost feelings and open their hearts to seek help. I think the very fact that this is the arena and you must consider your every word and emotion in tweeting, tells us much about the nature of how crohns affects our morale and confidence. Equally it offers genuine hope for the future for sufferers and friends and families, giving crohnies belief in others and consequently in themselves.
Don't be mistaken into thinking that errors are not made on twitter, and people get hurt through words meant or unintended, its not always easy to express the actual emotion in written form. It is also very easy to cause harm, when people receiving and giving advice are often in pain, low and afraid.
Nevertheless, i see good things ahead for Crohns sufferers on twitter and other social media. The spreading of medical experience and knowledge can only be a help. The access to medical professionals, often at the cutting edge of progress must be an advantage.
The future , in my view, is good for the Global Crohns Community on social media. It has to be progress that a development in treatment in North America can be known almost immediately in Europe.
Crohns is a complex and personal condition. Personally, i have found it difficult to adequately express my feelings to family members for many years.
I have willingly shared some miserable 'secret tears and pain' to other crohnies in such a relatively short time of knowing them.
I am optimistic for the future for sufferers of crohns and IBD, that gives me comfort.