👋 Welcome to r/postintensivecare - Introduce Yourself and Read First!

Hey everyone! I'm u/Worried-League6995, a founding moderator of r/postintensivecare.

Welcome.

If you found this community, you likely fall into one of two categories:

1. You are an ICU survivor (or family member) trying to understand why recovery feels so difficult and different than you expected.
2. You are a healthcare professional seeking to understand the long-term reality of the patients you worked so hard to save.

This community exists to bridge the gap between those two worlds.

What we do here

• Validate the survivor experience through clinical science
• Educate healthcare practitioners on discharge planning and post-ICU sequelae
• Advocate for better continuity of care and specialized post-ICU support

We are a peer support and awareness community - not a clinic, not a replacement for medical advice, and not a promotional space.

Who belongs here

• Survivors, families, friends & partners - You are the experts of your own experience. This is a space to learn the terminology of your recovery and feel less alone.
• Clinicians (MDs, RNs, NPs, PAs, RTs) - Your insight matters. We encourage you to listen to survivors' lived experiences alongside sharing clinical perspectives.
• Rehab & support professionals (PT, OT, social work, therapy) — Recovery happens in your hands. Social workers and mental health therapists navigating complex care transitions are especially welcome.
• Researchers & academics - You provide the evidence that drives change. Share findings (with mod approval for recruitment), and help us translate science into actionable advocacy.

Before you post

1. Assign your flair. Use the sidebar to select a user flair (Survivor, Family/PICS-F, Clinician, Researcher, etc.) so others understand your perspective.
2. Read the rules. See the full community rules in the sidebar. The short version: cite sources for medical claims, no diagnoses, no promotions, no hostility.
3. Introduce yourself if you'd like. Comment below with your connection to PICS and what you hope to find here.

For a detailed explanation of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome, see our pinned explainer: [What is PICS?]

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.
4. Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the first wave of pursing a very important mission. Together, let's make r/postintensivecare the central place for survivors, medical professionals and researchers to raise awareness and to advance our understanding and treatment of PICS.

Brought to you by the PICS Advocacy Network (PAN).