[lunaticfringe]

Are you on Facebook or other social media? If not, why do you choose not to participate? If you are, how do you think it affects you and your bipolar symptoms? Is it a trigger for you?

Personally I am on Facebook and Instagram currently, but I have deactivated my Facebook account numerous times because it was just too much for me or led me to make bad decisions. I always end up messaging the wrong person...saying the wrong things. In many ways I think Facebook is a terrible place. Sort of a breeding ground for gossip and negative stuff in general. But when you're at home alone every day it can be a relief from loneliness. Some big pros and cons to it. What do you guys think?

[Capriciousness]

Hey. I think if it helps you that is a good thing. Maybe only go on when you are feeling well enough that it helps you and avoid it if you are in a more sensitive place? I don't know.

To answer you question fully and honestly. I am not on. I have a friend who knows some stuff about the company based on their job and Facebook has no respect for privacy at all. That bothers me. I don't participate. I like seeing friends updates and stuff but I can see it would also be triggering for me. I would probably feel like I didn't have a lot of friends compared to other people and it would get me down during a down. Ha.

[Toodles333]

I despise Facebook. It's one big popularity contest. I stopped using it around 3/4 months ago.

[CopperStar]

I tried the Facebook thing some years ago. I found it mostly boring and didn't see the point of it. Most people I knew on it were either bragging about stuff or giving random updates on like, what they had for dinner. Then there were the really vague, mysterious updates probably meant to make other people worried or confused lol. So lots of boring with a pinch of drama. The only thing I liked was browsing pictures of people I knew, made me feel a bit like a creeper but eh, I still enjoyed browsing. Then once in a while I would try to actually have a conversation in some comments, but it didn't really go anywhere. Most people just seemed to want to broadcast themselves but not actually talk much.

So I tried to do that for my own page and broadcast my thoughts, opinions, etc. It was mostly political and philosophical stuff, and nobody would ever comment or want to talk about any of it. They were more interested in Jane's pedicure pictures than my article on how to improve the FDA. Haha. And of course occasionally when I'd get really agitated I'd go off on some big soapbox speech. And of course that always got ignored, too.

I eventually realized that Facebook was making me kind of hate humanity, and I didn't want that, it's a dreadful feeling, so I just shut mine down and left. I mostly hang out on forum communities dedicated to the topics that interest me and where I can have actual conversations.

[Capriciousness]

Plus! It takes all the time I have just trying to keep up with everyone on here! Ha

[venusss]

I like Facebook, because it's helpful in my political activism . I am member of one big Czech group and several pro-ukrainian groups... I am too busy trying to read in cyrilics to notice if there is some "bragging". I guess it depends whom are you friends with and what groups you choose to join.

I try to avoid the "bad" groups, although sometimes it's hard to resist. Had been dragged in the Facebook muds few times. First time it scared me, then I realize that making it to some people's blacklists is a honor.

Facebook is what you make it. And believe me, there are good people on there.

[Trippin2.0]

Nice to see you around Venus, been hoping you'd appear


FB, I don't really have much use for it anymore. The main reason I still have it is to use FB Messenger because ~Christina and A Red Panda can't WhatsApp with me for some strange ungodly reason.


I would deactivate it if they could chat via WhatsApp.


That being said, I don't find it triggering, and I couldn't care less about popularity contests. Once in a blue moon when I do update my status, I definitely don't shy away from saying whatever the hell I want. It's my page after all, and its my thoughts. I don't care about approval, disagreement or likes.

People who have called me out for being "too honest" (read family members thought it inappropriate to swear or mention my bipolar...) Well people publicly got told to ***** off and unfriend me if they didn't like what they read on MY page.


People haven't tried to police my page since. Lol


Anyway, yeah I think FB is ok if you have a use for it, and in some cases if you have the skin for it. Not everyone can be ok with other people posting "perfection" 24/7.

[Shadesofdark]

Have an account, have one friend, don't use it. Privacy concerns among other things, and the whole friend - unfriend thing makes me feel like I'm back in high school. Bleh.

[wildflowerchild25]

I'm on my account every day. I like to know what my old friends are up to. I have a real hard time keeping in touch with people via traditional routes like phone calls, so I love Facebook for letting me talk on my own time. If any of my friends or acquaintances start drama, I block them from my newsfeed so I can't see their posts anymore. Problem solved. No one bothers me because they all know I don't do that ****. So I love Facebook.

Love Facebook! Use it all the time. It is an easy way to keep in touch with old friends and family. We are all so spread out across the country now that otherwise we'd really lose track. I keep my privacy settings pretty locked down, so the people I interact with are people I enjoy. I have several interest groups that interact via FB. I'm not one to keep many extra feeds running through my page such as news sources, etc. because that kind of thing can become very negative. I prefer to keep my FB a positive aspect of my life and am very good at hitting the "I don't want to see this" button if something some posts bothers me. I realize people have different political and religious beliefs that don't always mesh with mine, but it is easy to just delete posts I don't like and still keep those friendships positive and friendly. I don't go on FB to debate or find new friends; I suspect that is where people get into trouble with FB.

[loophole]

I'd go on major political rants... False flag events etc... I spent way to much time on it and I was hypomanic and kind of embarrassed myself.. Closed it down over a year ago

Sent from my iPhone 6 plus using Tapatalk

[Nammu]

Don't do FB. In part the privacy issues. Don't like the idea of them using me for their statistics and tracking. I've also heard to many bad things about the negativity. What's really irritating is that nearly every business now says " like us on Facebook"

[HALLIEBETH87]

I love Fb and Instagram. I just dont post something I don't want everyone to know or create drama. No dirty laundry

[LettinG0]

Don't do FB. Don't want to do FB. Parts of my family are "those that air their dirty laundry and fight constantly' via FB......NOPE NOPE NOPE.... don't want any part of that.

[PixieRN]

I come and go. Somedays, when I really feel lonely, it helps me feel connected to the outside world. When I am paranoid, I have to shut it down until that passes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[fishin fool]

Never been on face book and never will but I understand
why people like it.

[RisuNeko]

I only have facebook show me the posts of the people I care about. Mainly family, close friends, and coworkers. That keeps my feed pretty positive and relevant to my life. It's a good way for me to keep in contact with my extended family and see my mom's hiking pictures etc. I wish my two best friends still used it so I could chat with them, because I never get to talk to them anymore but so it goes. It's also the main way I talk to my aunt who has bipolar and we send long messages to each other updating each other on our lives and venting and checking up on each other. I think it's more of a good than an evil in my life. Plus I don't get too terribly distracted by it despite my adhd.

[~Christina]

Venus ! I have missed you

Trippin ! yes I know

I love my Facebook, I don't get upset about it. I post what I want when I want and if someone doesn't like it they can unfriend me. I keep up with family and friends. if someone posts something I don't like I just scroll past it.

[gayleggg]

I mainly stay on Facebook to keep up with my daughter and a few close friends. The others that I'm bored with I have on ignore. I find it a good experience but I keep it pretty simple.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[thecrankyone]

I love FB, but I'm particular about who I friend, I also don't give out where I work, or talk about work particulars.

I've found some really nice people as well as keeping in touch with people I've not seen in years as well as many friends from other places.

There are many great groups for bipolar, liberal politics, cats and other things that are important to me.

I have a thick skin, and refuse to take part in other people's drama woahs.

I also for the most part don't say anything I wouldn't discuss in a public place, because that's what it is.

[Cocosurviving]

I never did MySpace. When FB came out a friend talked me into it. She sent me a link to view a pic but it was on FB. I had to have an account to see the pic. LOL. I did join. Old friends from high school, college, family members and acquaintances started finding me. So I began having friends but I was not up to posting status updates. I would read others sometime and look at pics from time to time. When my onset in I had been on FB for over a year. Then I had an mixed episode an unfriended several people whom I felt hurt my feelings. I went on a cussing rant for three days on FB toward one of my sisters. This all happened in Sept 2012 a month after I was first diagnosed. I later apologized on FB. I deactivated my account for a long time bc I was so scary I would flip out and go ham again. I started getting on Instagram and it was fine. After thinking long and hard I decided to return to FB. When I went ham on FB I had just started bipolar meds for the first time ever. I had not even been on them for a month before my episode kicked in. I returned and started off very slow. I did not download the app on my phone and did not log-in everyday. A year later I have the app on my phone again. I've connected with more friends from high school and college. I've even connected with old co-workers. I honestly mainly get on and go directly to my groups. I check my newsfeed a few times per week. Overall it's a great tool and can be used in a positive way. When I don't like something I either ignore them that day bc everyone has a bad day. But if they have too many I'd just stay friends with them and block post. LOL

Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk

[HALLIEBETH87]

I joined Fb when it was only for college kids in 2005.....

I go on and off of it. I have family member on it and old friends. It can make me sad when I am down. I sometimes feel like I am a failure.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Originally Posted by ValentinaVVV

I go on and off of it. I have family member on it and old friends. It can make me sad when I am down. I sometimes feel like I am a failure.

I do when I start to compare myself to other friends accomplishments.

[wiretwister]

I had an account when my son was in afganastan so we could post pics and such, have not used it for a couple of years and have only him listed as friend, I receive e-mails from fb every day listing new friends or beggining me to return ... I consider it a total waste of time, but I guess in our "nosey" world I understand why so many go there ...