I can't respond to many posts these days, nor do I ever start threads for my own issues. I'm someone who will relate something similar I've experienced to the OP's issue, and I've been that way my whole life. It makes me think I'm showing the other person "I've been through x,y,z and I really understand how that feels." I've been informed that it really invalidates the OP and that a LOT of people don't want to hear about my problems on their thread, where they came to post about their problems.

Advice is also something I try to avoid, but I have posted "have you thought about doing so-and-so, I've heard this type of activity helps." I have had people misconstrue that type of comment as advice-giving, so I don't do that either.

It's basically "hello, goodbye, here's a funny thing that happened with my cats, here's an important thing happening in my kid's life, etc." I have censored myself down to practically nothing.

Not helping anyone!