I'm new and I've been reading through the forums for a bit now. Something that came up in my thoughts was how forums such as these can affect a person and whatever their issue may be. As I browse through, I'm constantly wondering things such as:

Does this person really have this problem at all, or is it simply a made-up self-aware cry for attention? It does not matter whether it is a cry for attention, the facts are that people are looking for support and that is what we do here, support each other.

If not fake, how much exaggeration, if any, is in this post? Answered above.

Should younger users (I just read something by a 14 year old, who got a reply from a 13 year old) be bringing their problems to the internet? If we can help younger members to cope with difficulties in life, all the better for their future.

How many of these users see this community as a "release" or possibly see this community as their only social life? And is that healthy? Most people come initially for support and then find friends which is great.

Is a lot of time spent on these forums a sign of social or personal issues, or are we still "normal" in society? We are more normal than the normal!

Pretty much, does the PsychCentral community promote or aid some people in falling deeper into their problems rather than actually fixing them? What do you think about this (and the prior questions)? In my experience we help and support many people, we don't 'fix' people, we help people find their own path.

Also, for those of you who are therapists, how often do questions such as these come up when working with a patient? I'm only 20 and am studying psychology right now. I'm not quite sure what I want my concentration to be, but clinical work is definitely an option. I'm worried that if I can't trust what the patient has to say, then I might not be able to help the patient to my fullest capacity. There are some therapists here but this is not really a place specifically for therapists. Always take what your client says at face value.

***I'd also like to note, for the moderators and anyone else whom it may concern, I have no intention in this post to "trash talk" or belittle PsychCentral. These are just thoughts that came up in my mind as I was reading through the posts and I was curious what others thought.