I like this definition of support: help and kindness that you give to someone who is having a difficult time. "Support" has many senses. That administrators have to remind us about being supportive is indicative of the lack of a consensus about what support means.

Supporting for me is more an objective process than a subjective one. I attempt to subordinate my weltanschauung as a means to being less judgmental, critical or intolerant. Help and kindness suggest empathy and understanding. PsychCentral is meant to be a safe place to talk about troubling concerns. I say nothing if I am having trouble being supportive as I understand it.

Information: knowledge or facts about someone or something Again, the question becomes what knowledge or facts are appropriately shared? I have come back to this question frequently since becoming a member.

Providing phone numbers and links to state agencies or help organizations like NAMI and The Domestic Violence Hotline may help someone get assistance.

As a former lawyer, I have talked about legal matters in a general sense with the admonition to talk to a lawyer. There certainly is a problem if a member relies on anything stated here without first confirming with a licensed attorney the information given is current and correct.

Giving advice is the most problematical for me. Most of us are not trained professionals. I have had therapists tell me they cannot give me advice about what is best for me when decisions need to be made. One therapist explains:

Therapy is a process of exploration. It is unethical for a therapist to give you advice about what to do in your life. Therapy is about helping you come up with your own solutions. Practical suggestions about coping skills or referrals are provided in therapy. http://therapist4me.com/Boundaries%20of%20Therapy.htm

Others gave me advice and certainly tried to influence my decisions. The point is if professionals are reluctant to give advice, why would nonprofessionals venture too?

Also problematical is giving advice based solely upon our own life experiences. Each of us is not the final arbiter of what constitutes common sense or truth. Many of us will and have viewed the same facts differently. While I do and am talking about my own experience I understand and respect that others may disagree about my conclusions. Discussing options and alternatives might be more useful.

What do you think?