Online communities such as ours are a great place to meet new people and make new friends. I encourage our members to do so through the site.

However, I do want to point out that -- just as in real life -- sometimes people can disappoint or betray our trust. So if you exchange personal information with another member here, or go off-community for your social conversations and such, there's nothing we can do if the friendship turns sour.

Be wary if another member invites you to another chat room that isn't associated with Psych Central, or wants to Skype or exchange personal information with you. If you don't feel like you know that member well enough to trust them, then be safe and play it conservatively until you do feel like you know them better.

Some members have found it beneficial to give out an email account that isn't their primary email account, just in case something goes wrong.

You shouldn't let any of this stop you from making friends here. Just be careful about your selection and sharing of personal information, as I would hope you'd do in real life.

Best,
DocJohn