[Thousand Umbrellas]

I'm new and I've been reading through the forums for a bit now. Something that came up in my thoughts was how forums such as these can affect a person and whatever their issue may be. As I browse through, I'm constantly wondering things such as:

Does this person really have this problem at all, or is it simply a made-up self-aware cry for attention?

If not fake, how much exaggeration, if any, is in this post?

Should younger users (I just read something by a 14 year old, who got a reply from a 13 year old) be bringing their problems to the internet?

How many of these users see this community as a "release" or possibly see this community as their only social life? And is that healthy?

Is a lot of time spent on these forums a sign of social or personal issues, or are we still "normal" in society?

Pretty much, does the PsychCentral community promote or aid some people in falling deeper into their problems rather than actually fixing them? What do you think about this (and the prior questions)?

Also, for those of you who are therapists, how often do questions such as these come up when working with a patient? I'm only 20 and am studying psychology right now. I'm not quite sure what I want my concentration to be, but clinical work is definitely an option. I'm worried that if I can't trust what the patient has to say, then I might not be able to help the patient to my fullest capacity.

***I'd also like to note, for the moderators and anyone else whom it may concern, I have no intention in this post to "trash talk" or belittle PsychCentral. These are just thoughts that came up in my mind as I was reading through the posts and I was curious what others thought.

[Can't Stop Crying]

I don't really have an answer to your questions, but I do have a question for you if you don't mind ...what brought you to Psych Central in the first place?

I wanted to add that PC is a safe forum based on mutual support. Just like IRL, there are all kinds of people with all kinds of issues...I don't feel that it is my place to judge the validity of their posts. Also, in terms of minors - some literally have no one else to talk to, if PC can encourage even one to bring their issues to a parent or school counselor or other professional, then in my mind it's a job well done!

The purpose of the Forums at Psych Central is simple -- it's a small community devoted to support for mental health and relationship issues. In that vein, you should be civil and treat others as you expect to be treated here. ***

This is, first and foremost, a self-help support community. That means if your message (post or PM) isn't about offering support to another person or asking for it, it's potentially not appropriate for our community.

http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=3643

Hello, Thousand Umbrellas. Many before you have mulled the questions you pose. We all have our own perceptions and opinions about what takes place here. Even so, as the Guidelines make clear, it is not our province to be judgmental. The goal is to support.

[(JD)]

I'm sure there are articles addressing the issues you mention... and how such a site benefits those with mental unwellness.

With regards to what a person posts, and whether to believe them or not, I look at this way: they are posting it for a reason, and probably that reason is rooted in some sort of mental unwellness. I take what they say at face value. Since I don't have any personal gain or interest, what does it matter whether what they are posting is absolute truth or not (and who can count on that anyway?) If they are posting to get a rise out of someone, or for attention, then those too are part of their disorder. They still need support.

I don't parse support out as to whether or not what is posted is real, believed or surreal. It's a good way to stay healthy (don't take things personally.)

Welcome btw

[madisgram]

Originally Posted by Thousand Umbrellas

I'm new and I've been reading through the forums for a bit now. Something that came up in my thoughts was how forums such as these can affect a person and whatever their issue may be. As I browse through, I'm constantly wondering things such as:
Does this person really have this problem at all, or is it simply a made-up self-aware cry for attention? i dare say if someone is just crying for attention that a mental health site would not be their first selection.
If not fake, how much exaggeration, if any, is in this post?
exaggeration: does it matter if that person is suffering?
Should younger users (I just read something by a 14 year old, who got a reply from a 13 year old) be bringing their problems to the internet? sometimes in real life that young person may have no interested party to confide to. i'm sure if something brought up was terribly serious the site administrators would reach out to help that young person. i would view facebook, e.g., a far unhealthier place for a young person to cry out for help. i often times suggest to the young person to go to their school counselor.
How many of these users see this community as a "release" or possibly see this community as their only social life? And is that healthy?
venting /release at the site can be beneficial even if one has no physical contact with members. i've done it a few times myself. we members develop a number of good pc friends. they know/understand our issues or concerns over time. pc serves as an additional outlet to us for supporting or offering suggestions. i know helping others always comes back 10 fold to me.
...as their only social life: many members have physical disabillities or MI where they are confined or feel confined.
Is a lot of time spent on these forums a sign of social or personal issues, or are we still "normal" in society? can you describe "normal" for me?
Pretty much, does the PsychCentral community promote or aid some people in falling deeper into their problems rather than actually fixing them? What do you think about this (and the prior questions)? I can only speak for myself. it has helped me in more ways than i can say. for the most part i don't experience symptoms of my bipolar. i don't drink anymore, 21 years and still attend AA. i still go to therapy but not as often-CBT. my contribution is usually to offer suggestions to ppl who have difficulty in these areas or ACOA. it's so rewarding to see these people benefit from our suggestions and get on with their life more contented.
Also, for those of you who are therapists, how often do questions such as these come up when working with a patient? I'm only 20 and am studying psychology right now. I'm not quite sure what I want my concentration to be, but clinical work is definitely an option. I'm worried that if I can't trust what the patient has to say, then I might not be able to help the patient to my fullest capacity.your training will help you in that respect. also, the client "owns" their own therapy. the only way you can help them is if they want to be helped. a therapist bonding trust with the client helps make this possible.
***I'd also like to note, for the moderators and anyone else whom it may concern, I have no intention in this post to "trash talk" or belittle PsychCentral. These are just thoughts that came up in my mind as I was reading through the posts and I was curious what others thought.

good questions from a newcomer. knowledge empowers us. glad you found our site. check out all the site including "research", etc. i think you will find much more good being done than negative, if any at all exists, in my humble opinion. welcome to our community.

[Thousand Umbrellas]

Thanks for all of the replies/answers guys. The more I read through my post, the more I realize I have this tendency to look toward the negative in things, so I apologize for that. It is really easy for me to be judgmental. I suppose I have learned to question everything to really understand it and, over the past few years, I have applied that questioning to everything.

Thanks again, though :]

[sugahorse1]

I like Madis' reply.

At times, PC is my only real support. My boyfriend may be giving me a hard time, I may be dealing with too much stress from work, and the few friends I do have may not be available.
So, I may have a limited social circle. I may not be considered 'normal' - not in a social situation right then anyway.
When I reach out for help, that's how I'm feeling. I don't believe there's something like "Crying out for attention" - if you need attention, it's a very real need.

[pegasus]

Originally Posted by Thousand Umbrellas

I'm new and I've been reading through the forums for a bit now. Something that came up in my thoughts was how forums such as these can affect a person and whatever their issue may be. As I browse through, I'm constantly wondering things such as:

Does this person really have this problem at all, or is it simply a made-up self-aware cry for attention? It does not matter whether it is a cry for attention, the facts are that people are looking for support and that is what we do here, support each other.

If not fake, how much exaggeration, if any, is in this post? Answered above.

Should younger users (I just read something by a 14 year old, who got a reply from a 13 year old) be bringing their problems to the internet? If we can help younger members to cope with difficulties in life, all the better for their future.

How many of these users see this community as a "release" or possibly see this community as their only social life? And is that healthy? Most people come initially for support and then find friends which is great.

Is a lot of time spent on these forums a sign of social or personal issues, or are we still "normal" in society? We are more normal than the normal!

Pretty much, does the PsychCentral community promote or aid some people in falling deeper into their problems rather than actually fixing them? What do you think about this (and the prior questions)? In my experience we help and support many people, we don't 'fix' people, we help people find their own path.

Also, for those of you who are therapists, how often do questions such as these come up when working with a patient? I'm only 20 and am studying psychology right now. I'm not quite sure what I want my concentration to be, but clinical work is definitely an option. I'm worried that if I can't trust what the patient has to say, then I might not be able to help the patient to my fullest capacity. There are some therapists here but this is not really a place specifically for therapists. Always take what your client says at face value.

***I'd also like to note, for the moderators and anyone else whom it may concern, I have no intention in this post to "trash talk" or belittle PsychCentral. These are just thoughts that came up in my mind as I was reading through the posts and I was curious what others thought.

Welcome to Psych Central!

[madisgram]

Originally Posted by Thousand Umbrellas

Thanks for all of the replies/answers guys. The more I read through my post, the more I realize I have this tendency to look toward the negative in things, so I apologize for that. It is really easy for me to be judgmental. I suppose I have learned to question everything to really understand it and, over the past few years, I have applied that questioning to everything.

Thanks again, though :]

it's good to question things, umbrella. that's how i've learned...being curious, to understand, to make a conclusion sometimes based on what i've discovered.
hope pc can enlighten you. it did me.

[IceCreamKid]

Originally Posted by Thousand Umbrellas

I'm new and I've been reading through the forums for a bit now. Something that came up in my thoughts was how forums such as these can affect a person and whatever their issue may be. As I browse through, I'm constantly wondering things such as:

Does this person really have this problem at all, or is it simply a made-up self-aware cry for attention?

If not fake, how much exaggeration, if any, is in this post?

Should younger users (I just read something by a 14 year old, who got a reply from a 13 year old) be bringing their problems to the internet?

How many of these users see this community as a "release" or possibly see this community as their only social life? And is that healthy?

Is a lot of time spent on these forums a sign of social or personal issues, or are we still "normal" in society?

Pretty much, does the PsychCentral community promote or aid some people in falling deeper into their problems rather than actually fixing them? What do you think about this (and the prior questions)?

Also, for those of you who are therapists, how often do questions such as these come up when working with a patient? I'm only 20 and am studying psychology right now. I'm not quite sure what I want my concentration to be, but clinical work is definitely an option. I'm worried that if I can't trust what the patient has to say, then I might not be able to help the patient to my fullest capacity.

***I'd also like to note, for the moderators and anyone else whom it may concern, I have no intention in this post to "trash talk" or belittle PsychCentral. These are just thoughts that came up in my mind as I was reading through the posts and I was curious what others thought.

I don't think children belong on forums. I recognize that PC allows this. I can't know if people who claim to have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia or depression or post traumatic stress disorder or whatever it is they say they have really have it or not. Some people, I think, are probably diagnosing themselves from self-help tests on the internet, which is a poor substitute for professional care. I think "a made-up self-aware cry for attention" is pejorative. Your post was for attention; my reply is for attention; people need and want attention and that's the way the world is. There isn't anything shameful in wanting attention. Someone who lies to gain attention still needs attention; although other people pretending to accept his or her lies as wonderful truth isn't what the person really needs (in my opinion). Do I think some of the people on this forum are lying? Yes, of course. But even lies tell us something. If you think you are going to go into practice and have patients who do nothing but tell you the truth all the time, you're in for an enormous shock; aside from the deliberate lies people will tell, there is denial, poor recall and the inability to reason that behavior A resulted in consequence B that can happen to even the most well-meaning person. Even the most successful, well-balanced, 'normal' people have "social and personal" issues. You're welcome to discuss your social and personal issues. I think you'll find a lot of nice people here.

[Gilead]

The more I read through my post, the more I realize I have this tendency to look toward the negative in things, so I apologize for that.
Recognizing that tendency will serve you very well. But, you have no need to apologize.
It is really easy for me to be judgmental.
You'll see the world much differently if you do it without judging. Bravo that you also see yourself doing this too.
I suppose I have learned to question everything to really understand it and, over the past few years, I have applied that questioning to everything.
Overcoming the negative tendency combined with a non-judgemental outlook can only lead to better questions and answers.

Good luck and good wishes.

[ladyjrnlist]

I, like many, found this site because I was looking for support from others going through similar things as myself. Local support groups and such for mental illness/issues are hard to find. So, I joined in here and have found the support I wanted. Sometimes, I'm here for several hours in a day when I am depressed. It's that or bed. Better to try to sit up at least, right?
I have a full life outside of PC as well, but this site has become part of my support system.
Are some people faking/lying? Probably. But would you want to be the one to call someone out on it and be wrong? We don't diagnose on this site, it's not the proper place for that.
We just treat everyone the same when it comes to offering support. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has their reasons for being here. Sometimes, we just need a friend or two.