ME Help - Article in Andersonstown News

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	ME help MOST help lines and chat lines are only open during office hours on weekdays and closed at weekends and on public holidays, including Christmas and New Year, when people want and need them most. Now M.E. Free For All. org can offer a global round-the-clock, 365 days a year, service, thanks to the invention of Skype (rhymes with "pipe")! Skype is a relatively new technology, which allows a broadband user to talk from one computer to any other computer, anywhere in the world, free of charge. There are some extra services that can be bought from Skype but the basic service, which we use, is free. For those who don't already have Skype, we have full details of how to get it on our website but it really is as easy as 1-2-3. Ready? 1. Go to www.skype.com and click the big green "download" button, 2. Follow the instructions to create your Skype account and choose your Skype name, 3. Start building your Skype contacts. It is fairly straight forward for even the most terrified technophobe but if you do get stuck and don't have anyone to help you, you can e-mail John at drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org and we'll get you started. If you want to speak to somebody, you will need a microphone, which you can buy online or a an electrical shop but it is still worth downloading since, even if you do not have a microphone, you can send in stant messages straight away. Once you get connected, you will be able to talk about anything at all, including this awful illness, M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) and any other problems, like benefits, with any of us, who have similar experiences. You can also add any friends or family you already have and we can add more new ones to your growing list. As you get more experienced and confident, you can add other features, such as three-or four-way conversations, play games and you can add a web cam if you want the person you're calling to see you, or turn it off if you prefer. Our SkypeMEFree service is to complement our M.E. Christmas blog and Christmas M.E. constituencies forum, where you can have some good, light-hearted exchanges with others on any subject apart from M.E., and where you may meet some new friends who, perhaps you didn't know, live only a few streets away. You can also ask for help with such things as a lift to the doctor's, shopping, housework or gardening. Yours sincerely, Dr John H Greensmith