b'better informed about their condition, possible symptoms they may encounter, and potential treatments. This can decrease fear and anxiety, and increase effective disease management skills. Resourceswhen you share your challenges with others in the community, they can provide resources that have beneted them in the past, which may serve you well too. These might include recommendations for healthcare providers and pharmacies, assistive technology others have found helpful, nonprot assistance programs, and government services for which you might qualify. Encouragementin the tough moments, you have a community of people who can validate and relate to your feelings, or give you inspiration through their own examples. Purposewhile at times you may turn to the community for support, at other times you will be able to support others or work together towards mutual goals, such as advocating for better healthcare or more awareness of MS. This can add a sense of purpose and help you feel productive.Clearly, there are real, tangible benets to participating in a community. But the MS community is vast. It includes people with all the varied types of MS and MS symptoms,thosewhocareforthem,MSorganizations,healthcareproviders, advocates,andothers.Thecircumstances,interests,goals,andbeliefsofthe members widely differ. How do you nd your place? Finding Your People Finding your place often begins with nding your people. While you can certainly connect with people of all walks of life in the MS community, its often easiest to form bonds among people with common interests or circumstances. If you are seeking support and understanding, this may be the best approach. While a person in their early 20s with MS could have similar symptoms to a person in their 80s, they probably dont share a lot of common interests or day-to-day experiences. On the other hand, there is often an innate understanding with someone whose life is similar to yours, where you dont have to explain many of the things that would be unfamiliar to people in a different situation.Another approach is to seek out individuals and groups who share your goals. If you are looking to use your voice to raise awareness or to advocate for change, this may be the best course for you. Finding people with common goals can give you a sense of purpose. These people may be very different from you, but your differences may help you bring a broader range of people into your cause and amplify the effect of your efforts. So ask yourself, though there are certainly many facets to your personal identity, which aspects are most important to you when it comes to connecting with others? 3'