There are a lot of hurting people here. And at times, I've been one of them. And I appreciate all of the support that I have been given and will be given.

However, there is a ignored segment here that I would like to ask everyone who is a regular to take a minute to help out. It saddens me greatly to see someone post and not get one reply. Sometimes they might gather in one or two. So many of us have been here so long and we just barge on in and ask for support. That's how we operate.

But there are people here who really do hesitate to ask for anything. It also looks as if there is a "group" of us who favor each other. And I believe it is because we're the more vocal and confident of PC and we don't mean for it to come off that way. Kudos disturbs me a lot because it is the same group of us who get all the kudos and hugs. You can look at kudos and it is a rotating group of the regulars. I'd rather never be mentioned in there again than to know that someone who needs it more than I do is being left out. I mean that from my heart.

I've asked this before and I'm asking again, please search out new posters and shy posters and show them that you really do care about their pain. Go back to your early days, when you didn't think you could live with your illness and remember how heartening it felt to get a PM or a hug or a follow-up on your posts.

We're all here because we have mental illnesses. Some of us are at different stages in our recovery and in our attempts to recover. The 12th step of AA says that we're at our best when we're helping someone else. (that's how I remember it) And I am at my best when I get out of my head and into my heart and do something special just because I want to...not because I have to.

It's almost Christmas. I want to make it special for a lot of people here and I am asking you to help me. Please assist me in searching out and offering a hand up to someone we don't know. Or someone that we may have noticed but didn't really see the big picture with them. It is truly better to give than receive.

love, pat