[gashly]

Just from watching the posts on this commnity, it seems to me that a large number of people here seem stuck, there seems to be a flood of strugging voices and not enough to stem the flow. Not much in the way of positive reinforcement, or useful advice, or sometimes even people answering so someone is "heard".

For example in the Coping with Emotions Forum the sticky does not provide any useful tips on coping with emotions, it just says it's a place to share your emotions. Most of the posts seem to be about venting, but not coping or gaining or building coping skills. It would be useful to at least have something to hold your over until you can find a therapist or something.

It seems that a lot of the chats in the calendar are inactive, or don't seem to happen. I am also alienated (and not the only one to experience this) by the demographic seeming mostly college age. I can't relate to that. It would be nice if there was a place for people in their 30s/40s and up to talk.

The resources section is frightenly out of date. Anything over a year old runs the risk of not being available, a lot of that seems to come from the early 2000s. Going through it is an exercise in frustration and futility for someone already maxed out.

I've only spent a short time here, while this seems a little more controlled than other places I feel it's not useful to me, hopefully I can find a place of support elsehwere.

I'm sorry that you don't find PC helpful. I think you and I are probably in different forums. There median age in the bipolar forums is actually in early 40's. To answer your one question, I have found PC very helpful. But I guess it really would depend on what you are looking to get out of it. I myself am finding it an aide for me to get more unstuck. Because I have people here who have gotten to know me and encourage me to push a little harder and keep going forward not backward. I wish that would be everyone experience here. Good luck to you whatever you choose.

[venusss]

Yeah, I guess it depends on what you are expecting from it. I find it therapeutic just to be able to post and vent when I need... in the end we all need to deal with our issues on our own, or possibly without a support network... that we created.

One thing that bothers me a bit is that it seems some people are afraid to chirp in with advice or comments because they are afraid it may be deemed unsupportive (and yeah, there has been plenty debate on what is considered supportive). It is great to have safe environment for such exchanges though. I just wish some peeps participated more as they have things to say

I think sometimes there tends to be also encouragement... how to say it... of unwellness... some people can get really defensive when will power and other things are mentioned, or when somebody comes with bold statements of taking things into their hands and now they gonna rock it... and debates can quickly turn into "no we can't"...

If you don't like psych central. You could just go to another mental health forum. I like it here. The people here are very friendly.

I have been a member on a couple of forums before I joined here and I have to say this is the one for me, I have found it really helpful and the people here are very friendly, This is a big forum though, I have just recently blocked a few forums that I don't find useful to myself. I am sorry that you don't find PC useful to you.

I hope that you find somewhere that is more suited to you and good luck.

[Miss Laura]

Hey Gashly,

We are not medical trained people. We are all suffering from MH Issues. This site is more for people to talk about how they are feeling and if other people can help out with their problems then that's great.

I have been here for a wee while and I enjoy this forum. I stick to a few forums where I post regularly and everyone there are great at givining advice if I need/ask.

Give the site a go and see what you think. If it's not for you then it's not for you!!

[Yoda]

hello gashly

In the first year or so when I was at psychcentral I was frustrated because I didn't feel like I fit in with the people here. It seemed at the time that I was surrounded by emo teenagers. Nothing wrong with teens but I was looking for someone who had experiences that they could share and I could learn. It took me quite awhile to learn how to use the site for my benefit.

I hope you can find the help you are looking for.

[gashly]

I think I am more of a problem solver, and when I don't find answers I get easily frustrated. That is not to say that I don't like to feel validated, because I have often gotten advice when I was trying to vent, and just wanted to hear that it was ok to feel that way. It could be that I looked to this as a resource, and my frustration levels are high at this moment. There have been a couple of times where I found information from others on this forum that I wished my therapist had told me. I just wish there were more answers out there.

Overall though, I worry that just venting for me can be detrimental. I do need to take action, I can get stuck venting and it cycles in on itself. Sort of like a negative cycle, I guess. Perhaps that is what I'm worried about, not enough positive actionable examples to counteract the negative cycle, if that makes sense? I'm rambling, unfortunately, and feel very scattered and fogbrained at the moment.

This is not an attack on the community, or the people in it. As some people seem to have taken it. But I do think there are some things that could use some help. I worry about the number of people who are stuck who might outweigh the number of people who can find help here. Perhaps I am more sensitive to this, as I'm experiencing that stuckness and the overwhelming emotions and feelings of helplessness that go with it.

[gashly]

I guess I feel that maybe there should be more moderation and intervention from experienced individuals? Perhaps because my feeling is that this board gives the impression of being a one stop shop, find your therapist, take a test, find a group to support you on this outdated resource. Some forums have useful stickies linked to the conditions section that help you sort out what the disorder is.

It would be good to have a sticky on sorting out/coping with your emotions on the coping with emotions forum.

[Alcinus_of_chell]

Originally Posted by gashly

Just from watching the posts on this commnity, it seems to me that a large number of people here seem stuck, there seems to be a flood of strugging voices and not enough to stem the flow. Not much in the way of positive reinforcement, or useful advice, or sometimes even people answering so someone is "heard"..

You make a good point, I myself have had threads I created go unanswered or almost unanswered.

For example in the Coping with Emotions Forum the sticky does not provide any useful tips on coping with emotions, it just says it's a place to share your emotions. Most of the posts seem to be about venting, but not coping or gaining or building coping skills. It would be useful to at least have something to hold your over until you can find a therapist or something.

What you say makes sense, nothing and no one is perfect, and while in its current form the area in question does help people it could of course be improved.
I hasten to note, lest the words seem empty, that I do not use the subfourm in question with anything nearing regularity and as such do not have a good idea of how it could be best improved or how that improvement could be accomplished.

It seems that a lot of the chats in the calendar are inactive, or don't seem to happen. I am also alienated (and not the only one to experience this) by the demographic seeming mostly college age. I can't relate to that. It would be nice if there was a place for people in their 30s/40s and up to talk.

It's too bad about the chats, but I believe we do have a social group for people in their 30/40s (I could be thinking of something else, I'm 17 so such things are not in my sphere).

The resources section is frightenly out of date. Anything over a year old runs the risk of not being available, a lot of that seems to come from the early 2000s. Going through it is an exercise in frustration and futility for someone already maxed out.

Really? I've never visited that part of the site, it sounds like an Admin should take a look.

I've only spent a short time here, while this seems a little more controlled than other places I feel it's not useful to me, hopefully I can find a place of support elsehwere

You've clearly given this thought and I agree that if you are finding the thing you say to be true then you are right to look for somewhere else.
I wish you luck.

[Indie'sOK]

I like it here. And from what I've seen, people do support each other and people have made progress. Like others have mentioned, there are enough mental health forums on the internet to find the one that suits you. ((hugs))

[missbelle]

Maybe if you post you might want to be more direct in the post, asking for coping strategies. Sometimes if you are vague we do not know always what you need/want. Thats not just you its everyone. Some of us post to rant..some because they have a question. I like it here and feel comfortable because I can share a little of my wisdom. I am 67 and have been on meds for 22 years. I still once in a while get a sprinking of depression and anxiety. Mine is more situational now rather then chemical. I have also learned some things here, and I also go to games when I am bored so this site fills many things for me.

You can try some more or as , someone mentioned try another site. Not all sites fit everyone. We will be sorry to loose you but also understand!!

I think it's true what others have said: it depends on your expectation. Is this place a substitute for counselling/therapy? Is it an alternative to meds? Are you going to find all the answers about your issues? No. Will every thread attract dozens of responses? Probably not.

But! This site does offer peer to peer support. Other people who can relate to what you're going through, let you know that you're not totally on your own. When you're alone at your computer, that can mean a lot. Sometimes someone will be able to offer you advice based on their experiences, or simply some kind words. Don't underestimate the value of sharing things with others. I have been touched by some of the insights that members of this community have offered.

The site does vary, forum by forum, and there are some 'groups' I find I can relate to more than others. Sometimes I too feel discouraged by a lack of replies, but it's important not to take it personally - sometimes people just don't know how to respond to a particular question or issue posed - it doesn't mean no one cares.

I also think you are mistaken by assuming it is mostly a 'college demographic' -- I know MANY of the people here are older than that (a recent post in the Psychotherapy forum demonstrates this.) Sometimes it's difficult to judge how old someone is by the way they communicate in a written medium. Also, I would add that younger members of the community often have valuable things to contribute, too!

I'm sorry that you don't seem to have found this place to be the supportive community I have. I find that contributing and getting feedback on here has been complimentary to my work in therapy, and in understanding my problems.

I wish you luck in finding something that works for you, but I hope you'll stick around a bit longer, and not throw in the towel just yet Take care

[Indie'sOK]

Look at the birthday announcements on the bottom of the main page for an example of the demographic...we've had kids as young as 11 or 12 and adults into their 80s

[(JD)]

I wonder what it is about your feelings that others are stuck that interfere with your own feelings of healing. Are you afraid that since some of the members are on a plateau of their therapy progress (or indeed currently without a therapist and might be at a stopping place for a bit) that you might not progress yourself?

You can get what you need from this site, if the needs are proper. But you can even vent some here and not worry about others attacking you. I can't say that for other sites very much. It depends upon what you put into your experience and what you want out of it. You might not even know yet. PC is a good place to find out though.

It is peer response here... sometimes we find our own answers by posting to someone else (then we have an "ah ha!" moment of our own). Sometimes it's from reading other's posts.

Do you know exactly what you want yet? Without that, then I doubt any place will suit you.

There are forums to read and reply, give and take advice. There are chat rooms...and quizzes and information galore on various disorders and even on non disorders. There is an arcade for games, and "Answers" for the different format of getting and giving help.

Hope you stick around.

[sabby]

Originally Posted by gashly

I guess I feel that maybe there should be more moderation and intervention from experienced individuals? Perhaps because my feeling is that this board gives the impression of being a one stop shop, find your therapist, take a test, find a group to support you on this outdated resource. Some forums have useful stickies linked to the conditions section that help you sort out what the disorder is.

It would be good to have a sticky on sorting out/coping with your emotions on the coping with emotions forum.

Hi gashly

I guess I feel that maybe there should be more moderation and intervention from experienced individuals?

As one of our members stated in an earlier post, this site is a peer to peer support site. We don't have anyone here practicing therapy in any way. DocJohn wanted a place for folks to come to and feel safe to say what they needed to say without being counseled by therapists. I think our best support comes from others who have experienced the same things we go through.

Perhaps because my feeling is that this board gives the impression of being a one stop shop, find your therapist, take a test, find a group to support you on this outdated resource.

Psych Central is not trying to be a one stop shop. We are a site that provides many things from our forums to Ask the Therapist to articles about mental illnesses and many other connections to the world of mental health. We obviously can't be everything to everybody but I think we fill a need for information that many people are looking for.

Some forums have useful stickies linked to the conditions section that help you sort out what the disorder is.

It would be good to have a sticky on sorting out/coping with your emotions on the coping with emotions forum

There are many forums with useful stickies where members have posted what they found to be useful links for other members to go to. Yes, there are some outdated stickies as they were posted a number of years ago. Some may work, some may not, but I can imagine how frustrating it might be for someone to click on a link and find it disabled. In that light, our Community Support Team may be able to go through them and try to weed out the disabled links. This of course would take time to accomplish, but it's worth looking into for sure. We can also put together a sticky for the Coping with Emotions Forum as well. That is a relatively new forum (just the past year or so). If you have any ideas on this, we're more than happy to hear them!

As another member said, depending on what you are looking for, PC may or may not be right for you. We certainly hope that you will find this place helpful to you. We have a very wide range of age in membership here. And yes, I do believe there is a social groups for different age groups as well.

This is a big site and it can be somewhat confusing at times. There are high traffic forums and there are low traffic forums. It's the nature of the beast. It takes time to fit into any community, be it online forums or where one lives. Please give yourself a chance, give PC a chance and see how it goes.

Thanks for posting your concerns. I wish you well!

sabby
co-administrator

[arcangel]

I understand what you're saying but...it is what it is. One of the things it isn't is a good alternative for professional help. It's no substitute for doing the things that you need to do in order to progress.
For some the site is someplace to find attention. A "there, there" and one or two of these is all they need.
For others it is a good place to find friends and people who can relate and/or understand.
It's basically what you make it but you won't find any cure here.
Good luck

[ECHOES]

Yes, I do. I like having many perspectives and they can come from members of all ages.
In the same vein, I offer support via hugs at times and other times I prefer to offer a perspective, because I think it's so helpful to learn to look at things from different angles.

I am usually surprised to learn a member's age, and I am very often amazed at the courage, honesty, and self-knowledge of the younger members! They give me much food for thought.

I come here of my own free will and I take and participate in what appeals to me, and leave the rest.

[alwaysrejoice]

I really like it here. I have met a lot of nice people and I get to read different views on issues that pertain to my illness.

[pegasus]

Originally Posted by gashly

Just from watching the posts on this commnity, it seems to me that a large number of people here seem stuck, there seems to be a flood of strugging voices and not enough to stem the flow. Not much in the way of positive reinforcement, or useful advice, or sometimes even people answering so someone is "heard".

Hi! I have to disagree with your above statement. I have been here a real long time and I'm certainly not 'stuck' I have grown and learnt a great deal over my time here. Please remember that every single person that comes here are at different places and stages of healing. Some take longer to learn, some are in a real hard place and this forum is the one place they feel they can be heard. We tend not to dish out advice here but we certainly try to support in a positive way.

I wish you well.

[Insignificant other]

Just being .. heard .. is enough!

[Indie'sOK]

Well said, Pegs!

I find the chats helpful and it has nothing to do with PC. It has everything to do with the fact that I have friends on there that aren't afraid to be straight with me.

The forums, I don't find useful in the slightest. Because they're so bogged down with you can't say anything at all apart from "OMG THAT SUCKS." or other useless statements.

But hey, to each their own. If it helps you to get absolutely no clear answers in any way, shape, or form...more power to ya

I have found the forums to be very, very helpful. Yes, a lot of us get stuck sometimes - that's part of the process. I'm not on chat much and can't comment on it with much authority though I've never had a bad experience on it.

Also, don't forget the excellent informative articles and Q&A sections of the site either. There's a lot to learn here.

[careful100]

Originally Posted by happycheeks

If you don't like psych central. You could just go to another mental health forum. I like it here. The people here are very friendly.

Your statement doesn't seem very friendly or offer much support to a new forum participant at PsychCentral. How welcoming to tell them to go somewhere else! If they weren't nervous about participating before, they are now.