I agree with RxQueen and Jacky.

I think it's a two-way street. It's good for people like us to remind others that there is no replacement for a psychiatrist/therapist. At the same time, if you're asking for advice, you should understand that you're reading an opinion of someone who isn't a medical professional.

If I ask for advice, it's because I want to learn about other people's experiences. For example, if my pdoc wants to put me on a certain med, he is not likely to tell me about withdrawal symptoms beforehand. So, it might be useful to see what withdrawal symptoms other people experience. I would never take anyone's opinion as a professional medical opinion, but it can give me some insight.