Hi! I'm glad you brought up this issue. I don't "do" chats very often, partly because of that kind of thing. IRL, just going off and talking to somebody in whispers would be considered rude. But, as folks say, it does serve a purpose here.

PC has lots of opportunities, and as other folks have said, you just need to find what is good for you--and avoid the things that are triggering for you. I have learned over time what those things are. It might be particular forums or even people. The guidelines say we are not to talk negatively about other people, but people who are prone to paranoia might need to be extra careful, since they are suspicious anyway.

There are many nice, wonderful people here--and it can be a helpful site, if caution is used. Just remember that most all of us here are struggling with some kind of mental disorder, so we might seem to be callous or unfriendly at times--but it's not likely anything personal. For example, there are times when I just have to break away from here for awhile, when I am depressed, etc. My friends might wonder why I'm not responding to them and think they have offended me, but it's not them at all!