[hamster-bamster]

With people leaving, this forum still has by far more viewers than other forums every time I log in - I recently started paying attention. This is not reflective of prevalence in the society, is it? What is so special about this forum that it draws more people in? Put differently, this is a great place, but what is lacking in other forums that they have hardly any viewers?

[unaluna]

If you look at the index, where bipolar is located, it's like the only "manic" or mood-type choice besides depression or "anxiety and phobias" and people probably think, well i'm not afraid of spiders, i'm kinda hyper, i'll go for the bipolar? Because you have to be fairly knowledgeable to even find the borderline forum in the index. And psychotherapy doesn't even look like it would be a forum, it looks like it would be a place to find a therapist. That's what I would guess, it's all because of the VTOC! (volume table of contents) And bipolar looks the cutest and most approachable, just a tiny, unassuming, friendly little word!

[CastlesInTheAir]

I know when I first came here I had warm welcomes and read many insightful posts and could also relate to many people. The games section is also a fun way to interact and pass the time on breaks at work instead of listening to gossip and drama. It also comes with the convience of the phone application tapatalk.

I feel I can be myself here and that people here can relate to episodes I've had. I don't feel so alone here.

Why are people leaving?

-Trish
"Don't curse the rain, without it things don't grow. Instead find the beauty in it."

[Trippin2.0]

Cos we're a FAMILY and our family just keeps evolving

[CastlesInTheAir]

Hows a forum look cute?

-Trish
"Don't curse the rain, without it things don't grow. Instead find the beauty in it."

[CastlesInTheAir]

And i thought you meant PC in general

-Trish
"Don't curse the rain, without it things don't grow. Instead find the beauty in it."

[Confusedinomicon]

I think it is also because a lot of people who have been diagnosed as depressed are having their diagnosis switched to bipolar.

When I started here about a year ago there were far less regulars. It's nice that it's active.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by triciadrich

Hows a forum look cute?

-Trish
"Don't curse the rain, without it things don't grow. Instead find the beauty in it."

-*Addictions
-*Adult Children of Alcoholics
-*Anxiety, Panic and Phobias
-*Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
-*Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
-*Bipolar
-*Depression
-*Dissociative Disorders

See how cute the little Bipolar looks? Should we add another category for just effin' weird (for me!)?

[moremi]

I didnt know this was alot. Haha.... This is my first time on a forum. I would say because for the most part everyone on here gets along and are like virtual friends that understand each other. Everyone is nice and helpful. I like it here.

[Rosie23]

This forum has 2 things that the others seem to struggle with.

Empathy and Validation.

You can spill your guts here and everyone gathers round to offer encouragement and support. It is so comforting to have even one person say "I have felt that way too". But here you get anywhere from 1 to 15 people who do. And the suggestions for things that others have done to get themselves through a tough time are never ending.

And it just isn't about being bi-polar. Everyone cares about the whole person and every aspect of our lives.

That's the way it should be.

[bluemountains]

For me, this is the one forum I can go to where everyone gets it when I do irrational things when either hypomanic or super depressed. I have to admit, that on a recent post on another forum my feelings were a bit hurt when posters there didn't understand that for me an occasional wrong choice is the norm. One day I am so normal and a wealth of good advice, and the next day I am making stupid choices, knowing I am doing it, and not knowing how to stop.
I think sometimes with my irrational thinking, judging from responses, people think I am a teenager or a young adult, but I am a fifty year-old bipolar woman who is super intelligent sometimes, but very dim-witted at other times.
Bluemountains

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by bluemountains

I think sometimes with my irrational thinking, judging from responses, people think I am a teenager or a young adult, but I am a fifty year-old bipolar woman who is super intelligent sometimes, but very dim-witted at other times.

Ditto, plus ten years! I have never tried to strive for perfection in my responses. If I am goofy that moment, that's what you get (i don't mean goofy as in trying to be funny, I mean as in, whaaa???).

[BlackPup]

Coz BPers rock!!!!
We are high as well as low. We can be caring and compassionate but still have a joke over our funnier behaviours.
this is the best forum I've come across.

[AniManiac]

This is a forum where no one has ever told me "don't talk about that" which happened on another site (not PC) that I never went back to after that. That probably relates to the acceptance, validation, and openness that people demonstrate here.

Came because BP's my main dealiewog, Stayed for the company!

And maybe part of it's busy-ness is because we can be prone to getting pretty darn talkative? Lol.

(Don'tKnowWhatYou'reTalkingAbout!YouMeanLikeWhenTheKeysDon'tWorkFastEnoughOnTheComputer? AndEveryoneElseIsExhaustedFromTheBarrageOfWordsAndCan'tKeepUpWithThe7SimultaneousStories?AndWeCanActuallyTalkToPeopleWhoUnderstandThat?!Woot!Woot! )