FINDING out you have a condition which could change your whole life can be a daunting and worrying experience.

However, being diagnosed with one which many believe only affects elderly people can make younger sufferers feel very isolated.

Those who have been dealt the blow of rheumatoid arthritis know what it is like to face the challenge of the debilitating condition – not just on a physical front but also emotionally.

However in Bolton it is not a fight you have to face alone.

The Bolton Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group (BRASG) was established 10 years ago and has been on hand to help not just sufferers, but also their family, friends and carers.

Julie Dorsett is one of the first to welcome new members of the branch – which is part of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS).

She understands just how important it is to meet people experiencing the same problems even when sufferers experiences the condition differently.

She said: “Some people seem to think rheumatoid arthritis is something you get when you are older but it’s actually something you get when you are younger.

“Most people are diagnosed in their 30s and 40s. It’s quite a big percentage of people.

“When you do have it, it’s great to have a chat with people. While there is some great healthcare in Bolton, you get great personal support in a group.

“People who come to the group make friends. We ring each other up, visit each other in hospital and just give each other support.

“It’s like a family and there’s some fantastic support! You realise you are not alone!”

And the group is not just for patients, but those around them too.

Julie adds: “There’s quite a few people who bring their carers, their husbands, wives, friends who care for them.

“Loved ones around you see struggling and they struggle just as much as you. They don’t suffer the physical pain but the emotional pain is there.

“It is hard to see a loved one struggle and then there’s also the added pressure put on them to provide the support.”

According to the NRAS, approximately 690,000 people in the UK have rheumatoid arthritis – the most common form of inflammatory arthritis – and it affects roughly two to three times as many women as men.

People can get it at any age, even from the age of 14 when it can be diagnosed as ‘early onset’.

While most assume arthritis refers to wear and tear on the joints like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is known as an autoimmune condition.

This is when your body’s immune system – designed to protect you against infection – attacks your body.

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing inflammation and symptoms of pain and stiffness.

Julie, who relies on a wheelchair and walking aids to get about, describes her diagnosis as a relief after years of uncertainty over what was causing her pain.

The 40-year-old later discovered BRASG and has been a member of the group committee for seven and half years.

She explains: “At the time I was happy to have a name for what I was suffering with. I was in a bad way and you think all sorts when you don’t have a named for something.

“One day I saw this sign in Lever Chambers for the group and went along. The first time I went there was a lot of older people there and I was in my early thirties.

“I did not feel like I fitted in and left, but they emailed me and asked me to come back because they wanted to get younger people involved.

“You don’t think you need counselling but in a way meeting others and talking about it is like grief counselling. You have to grieve for your old life and cope with your new life to help get on with it.”

Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints.

Some days sufferers can get by and others the condition flares-up and can be very debilitating.

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis also experience problems in other parts of the body, or more general symptoms such as tiredness and weight loss.

Patient in Bolton receive care at the Bolton One facilities, where BRASG was founded with the help of consultant rheumatologist Dr Sreekanth Vasireddy.

Dr Vasireddy joined members for a 10th birthday celebration last week at the town centre healthcare and leisure facility.

Now coming into its eleventh year it hopes to continue its good building up a community of help and welcoming new members – both old and young.

To find out more, or to get in touch with BRASG, contact the NRAS freephone helpline on 0800 2987650 or email helpline@nras.org.uk.

The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month, with the exception of January, from 2pm to 4pm.

As well as offering support and advice, it welcomes guest speeches including heathcare professionals.