I feel like there is a lot of energy poured into avoiding triggers or people being negatively influenced. I have a few thoughts on this after recently trying to do the same in an epic fail type of adventure.

We are all unique individuals with our own experiences. We are all responsible for the information we digest.

BirdDancer, you mentioned a book above as a negative influence. I found Whitaker's book to be an eye opener that led me to do a lot of my own research. You pointed out the criticism of it at the time when I mentioned it here previously. I found several of the points you raised imporant and valid, but I was also able to research and find support for a lot of Whitaker's claims. It wasn't all bad and it wasn't gospel. It was information and I took responsibility for what I chose to do with the information. A discerning eye is important. I appreciated your raising an alternate lens to view the work through, but I didn't see it as an overemphasis on what I view to be some very real problems Whitaker sheds light on. To me, it was good food for thought. My opinion doesn't make you wrong, but assuming the work is negative and creates negativity here isn't wholly accurate from my point of view. It actually helped me to know some very helpful questions to ask when I was approaching weaning off meds. It inspired me to seek some of the most valuable information I have gathered here to date.

Sometimes an experience that is percieved by one as completely triggering and fearful and negative can also be experienced by another as a restorative, loving and positive experience. It all depends on where you're standing relatively speaking, what your current state is and what sorts of catalysts you wish to leverage for growth. We share our experiences and they set off chain reactions constantly. I have very rarely experienced anyone who has purposefully intended to trigger anyone. I have, however, experienced backlash from a well intended comment setting off a chain reaction in someone else. We cannot know exactly how others will react. We can only walk with the best possible intent and learn as we go. We can then offer more respectfully in the future.

I myself have been triggered on numerous occasions. I have seen advice offered that I feel would most definitely impact me negatively should I act upon it. I do not blame others for this. I place the responsibility solely upon myself to navigate away from or around things that upset me. Or... Better yet, I hold gratitude for the triggers as they shine a light on areas of opportunity for personal growth. I have also seen that same advice that would harm me go on to inspire amazing and positive changes in others. The value existed despite my position on it. Does the fact that it triggers one outweigh the benefit of the other? This is a clear no for me. I see myself as no more or less important than anyone else here.

I am truly sorry for anything I've said here or elsewhere that negatively impacted anyone. That has never been and never will be my intent. I hope we can overlook it human to human and realize that on the whole, information is neutral. It is our individual choice of how we process it that makes the difference. It is our intent to offer kindly and our willingness to learn from our unintended consequences that makes the difference.

All of that said, I have felt that my discussing weaning off meds has been triggering to some and I've kept my discussion of it to a minimum after viewing how it was affecting others. I appreciated the experiences others shared and I especially appreciated those who took the time to offer their words of caution. They were a huge comfort during an unknown and somewhat fearful time for me. I'm not sure those same posters would have contributed to those threads if they were kept in a separate place. BirdDancer, you are a great example. You offered tremendously helpful insight while I was weaning off Geodon. I would not have been as prepared if you and some of the others didn't help me to know how to better proceed.

Placing those discussions away from the mainstream to avoid potential negativity for some feels a bit like pushing something away because we're fearful of it. I'm not opposed to separating the info, but the motivation feels off to me.

I've never used my own story to glorify coming off meds. I imagine that happens, but again, we all need to be responsible for seeing through information like that and assessing its worth or potential harm to ourselves. Additionally, I have seen several members wisely and lovingly counsel those who were in an unbalanced state and mentioned that they were planning to come off meds in regards to the potential danger they were facing. That critically valuable exchange might not occur if these discussions were not a part of the mainstream threads. Those discussions are literal lifesavers in my humble opinion.

If there is not a separate space for these discussions in the future perhaps we can rightfully name the threads the way the user who recently created one did. There was no guessing needed to know what would be discussed in that thread. Anyone who is cautious of the impact of such a discussion had every opportunity to walk away. If they were triggered or negatively impacted they chose that path. Those who felt they had something to offer participated. I found nothing about it threatening. That's just my two, maybe three cents on all of this. I know others may disagree and I'm good with that. I just needed to air some of this out as it has been on my mind and my heart recently.

I'll support whatever the group decides, but it is my hope that we move forward with strategies that create an abundance of value over those meant to avoid perceptions of fear and negativity. Potential negative influences for one can be the key to health and wellness for another. So many threads we author and participate in here ride that very thin line.