ME/CFS Phone Support Group

The ME/CFS Phone Support Group is a patient-organized support group started in June 2016. This ME/CFS support group hosts free periodic conference calls designed to provide peer-to-peer support by listening and sharing experiences with other participants. Most participants have ME/CFS, but the calls are also open to family, friends, other caregivers and advocates in an effort to share different perspectives and information.

Aims
These regularly scheduled calls and the group’s Facebook page aim to provide support and social interactions to individuals affected by ME/CFS. The conference call format was chosen to provide another avenue of support, recognizing that in-person events and online-only forums may be difficult for individuals with ME/CFS to take advantage of. Topics vary each call, based on what participants want to talk about during that call. Discussions can cover a wide range of matters, including symptoms, socializing, research, treatments, diet, the isolation and stigma of this disease and advocacy efforts.

Conference Call Details (Year-Round)

 * Saturday's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern / 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Check the group’s Facebook page for the current monthly schedule.
 * Certain calendar months may have calls scheduled for 2 or 3 Saturdays during that month, instead of weekly Saturday calls.
 * For the month of August 2020, calls are scheduled for August 8th and August 22nd (i.e., the second and fourth Saturdays in August 2020).
 * Dial-In Number: (712) 770-4700 (U.S. based phone number).
 * Enter Access Code: 915110 followed by # sign.
 * Participants outside of the United States can join a call by (i) downloading the Free Conference Call application to connect via the Internet or (ii) contacting the group administrators through the group’s Facebook page to see if a local in-country dial-in number is available.
 * Participants can join the Facebook group for additional information and to receive scheduling updates and reminders for the calls.
 * The group’s Facebook page describes other tips and guidelines for joining the conference calls (see the “About" section on the group’s Facebook page, or Facebook group members may access the "Files" section for additional information).
 * A typical call runs 1-1.5 hours, but participants can join for a shorter period.

Online presence

 * Facebook
 * MECFSPhoneGroup@gmail.com