Finding support for Psoriatic Arthritis? Connect with people like you.

Living with Psoriatic Arthritis is an online patient support community that is powered by BensFriends.org, a network of patient support communities for rare diseases. Our mission at Ben’s Friends is to ensure that patients living with rare diseases or chronic illnesses, as well as their caregivers, family, and friends, have a safe and supportive place to connect with others like them.

Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis which affects people who suffer from the chronic skin condition, psoriasis. Common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include pain, swelling, or stiffness in one or more joints that are red or warm to the touch.

Persons with psoriatic arthritis also experience pain in and around the feet and ankles, especially tendonitis in the Achilles tendon or Plantar fasciitis in the sole of the foot and in the area of the Sacrum (the lower back, above the tailbone). Changes to the nails, such as pitting or separation from the nail bed also occurs.

LivingWithPsoriaticArthritis.org is a virtual peer-to-peer community intended to be a safe place for patients and family members as young as age 12, to visit for information, discussion, venting and mutual support. Members come from many backgrounds. Some have a strong religious faith, and others no faith; some are children and others adults, rich and poor, graduate educated or taught by life. Our common denominators are that we share a life journey, and we try to help each other.

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How is Ben’s Friends Different from Social Media and Other Support Sites?

Our mission at Ben’s Friends is to ensure that patients living with rare diseases or chronic illnesses, as well as their caregivers, family, and friends, have a safe and supportive place to connect with others like them.

We’re interested in you as a person, and in your struggles as a rare disease patient.  But we don’t want to know your name or where you live. We won’t even allow you to use your real name when you register for one of our communities. Because when it comes to medical things, anonymity is important in our googly universe.  Your information is never shared, and your activity never tracked by adware.

When Ben’s Friends asks for the country and region you live in, that’s in case your fellow members can recommend local resources and help, and so everyone knows what kind of medical system there is where you live.  That’s important when it comes to giving and getting support. Because we are all about support, and we’re all in this together.. 

Ben’s Friends: Safe and Supportive. 
And anonymous to keep it that way.

Why create an account?

Posts on the different Ben’s Friends communities can be read by anyone on the internet. You can browse through the different topics and find most of the information you’re looking for but there are many things you won’t be able to do unless you create an account. These include:

Making your own posts. Although you’re able to find useful information just by reading other members’ posts, you might still have a lot of questions in your mind. Either you want to start a new topic to talk about them in detail or you want to reply to a comment on a thread. These won’t be possible unless you create a new user account.

Viewing other members’ profiles. Member profiles include information about the country or region they are from, whether they are a patient or a caregiver, and details about their disease and treatments. Maybe you came across an interesting post and you want to learn more about the member. Or maybe you’re looking for members who are from the same country as you. Having a user account allows you to see other member profiles and find information that may be relevant.  

Sending private messages. Aside from being able to post publicly and commenting on a thread, having a user account also allows you to send private messages both to other members and moderators. In case you want to discuss a topic only with a specific person, this is possible by sending private messages when you have created your account.

Click here to create an account and join.

Latest Discussions

  • Pancreatitis revisit
    by tamac on May 7, 2024

    I searched and found some on pancreatitis. Don;t know if I have it. I have been dealing with bad costo for several months. It had died down some. Now, I have pain starting again under the base of my ribs. My brain reminded me about pancreatitis. It spreads around to my mid-back. I have had a bit of stomach area pain for a month. More of cramping up high. Does anyone have any insight on […]

  • Multiple Myeloma Research
    by ModSupport on May 6, 2024

    Did you know your white blood cells can make a big difference? By donating these cells through a process called apheresis, you can help researchers find new life-saving therapeutics and develop medical breakthroughs for multiple myeloma. Sanguine Biosciences is looking to enroll patients in a two-visit research study, conducted at a local blood donation center. By donating white blood cells, you […]

  • Help Advance Lupus (SLE) Research from Home
    by ModSupport on May 6, 2024

    Have you heard? Ben’s Friends has partnered with Sanguine Biosciences, a provider of at-home clinical research services, to share an at-home study opportunity for those interested in advancing lupus (SLE) research. Together, we can make sarcoidosis research happen. The goal of this research is to allow researchers to enhance our understanding of lupus (SLE), in support of developing new […]

  • CCP level
    by Mom_Cat on April 30, 2024

    Just wondering how many of us PsA peeps have elevated CCP? My journey, like probably all of us, has been fraught with frustration. I’ve been diagnosed with PsA for over 10 years. The first rheumy I saw was wonderful and diagnosed me right off the bat. He was ready to prescribe a biologic then and there but I, in my novice PsA state, wanted to try something a bit less big gun (and less $$) to […]

  • Administering MTX in dr office now?
    by Rebel_mom on April 22, 2024

    Went to go pick up the injectable MTX at the pharmacy yesterday they told me it now has to be administered at the dr office so they will not be selling me the needles any more. When did this change for weekly administering? 7 posts – 3 participants Read full topic