Five rules every health support group should start with

Long rule pages don't get read. When we wrote the guidelines for the Patient Support Network, we cut them down to five rules that fit on one screen, then linked to a longer page for anyone who wants the detail. Feel free to adapt them for your own group.

1. Share experience, not prescriptions. Talk about what worked for you, and leave doses and treatment decisions to your clinicians.
2. Protect each other's privacy. What's shared here stays here: no screenshots, and no naming other members outside the group.
3. Be kind about different choices. People make different decisions about treatment, work and family. Questions are welcome; judgement isn't.
4. No selling. No supplements, cures, coaching offers or fundraising links without moderator approval.
5. Ask for help early. If you or someone here seems at risk, report the post and contact emergency services. Moderators are volunteers and can't respond around the clock.

The fourth rule saves moderators the most time. Health groups attract people selling miracle products, and a clear, simple rule makes removals much less awkward.

The fifth rule matters most. We repeat it in the welcome message and in the group's pinned post, because a member in crisis won't go looking for the rules page.