dbt chat 7/27

Rap is having technical difficulties - i got kicked and can't get back in. Sorry.

We did have a good chat, in spite of me getting booted continuously. A little later than scheduled. Thanks for coming, those who did.

It won't let me back in again now. I do want to answer the question I was trying to answer at the end when I finally got booted out for good. My role on this site is that I came here for support at a time when I really needed it. 7 years ago I was in crisis after crisis, with depression, suicidality, self injury, etc. Plus, I have never learned adequate social skills in real life, and wasn't able to connect or even communicate effectively.

Part of my recovery was realizing that I couldn't keep living the way that I was. I came from a dysfunctional family, and had given up on a career in mental health because it was discouraged for someone their own issues (by at least one undergrad psychology professor I believed when I was 18 years old). I went back to school and finished my bachelor's degree, started working, and finished a master's degree in mental health counseling almost 2 years ago. I am a therapist now, and I run DBT Skills Groups in my real life job. The chat and the social group on this site are not therapy, however - only self-help. One of the reasons that I wanted to run these groups is because I needed a support group and contact with others who are trying to learn DBT. I still need support too. Especially now, as you will see if you read some of my current posts on the boards here.