Finding the right community can take time. Not every online space will feel like the right fit straight away, and that is okay. This page is here to help you choose support spaces that feel safer, more respectful, and more supportive for your needs.
Finding the Right Community (Global)
Online communities can offer connection, understanding, shared experience, and practical support. They can also feel very different from one another. Some are fast-paced and social, while others are quieter, more private, or focused on peer support and lived experience.
This page is designed to help you think about what kind of community feels right for you, what to look for, and what to be cautious of before joining a group or online space.
Explore this page
Search by topic or use the quick links below to move through the page more easily.
What to look for in a supportive community
Respectful conversations
Look for spaces where people are treated with kindness, empathy, and basic respect, even when they disagree.
Clear moderation
Communities with active moderation and clear rules often feel safer and more predictable.
Shared understanding
Groups built around shared experiences, identities, or needs can help you feel less alone and more understood.
What to be cautious of
Toxic behaviour
Notice if a space feels harsh, shaming, dismissive, or full of arguments that leave you feeling worse.
Pressure to overshare
You should never feel pushed to reveal personal details, trauma, contact information, or your full story.
Overwhelm and intensity
Some groups move too fast or contain emotionally heavy content that may not feel safe or manageable for you.
Different types of communities
Facebook groups
Often useful for broad support circles, shared lived experience, and condition-specific communities.
Discord communities
Can work well for live discussion, topic channels, ongoing connection, and lower-pressure real-time interaction.
Forums and discussion boards
Often better for slower-paced reading, exploring old posts, and finding practical peer-based discussion.
Questions to ask yourself before joining
- Do I want a quiet space or a more active one?
- Do I want peer support, information, friendship, or all three?
- Do I feel safe sharing anything in this space?
- Are there rules and moderation that protect members?
- Does this group leave me feeling better, supported, or understood?
It is okay to take your time
You do not have to join the first community you find. It is okay to read quietly first, take breaks, leave groups that do not feel right, or try more than one space before you find the right fit.
Support should not feel like pressure. The right community should feel safer, clearer, and more supportive over time.