Contest: 5 Helpful Things You Learned at Psych Central

1. I have also learned that I am not alone, and that others face some of the same challenges that I do.

2. When I relate to someone else's challenges, the best way to show support for them is to listen and accept them, not usually to tell them my own similar experience, at least not in detail.

3. When I need support for my own problems, it works best to start my own thread and ask for support. It took me a while to learn this one because I didn't know how to ask for support for myself. I tended to post my experiences in response to somebody else, and hope for someone to take notice of what I said and know that I needed support too. It doesn't work that way.

4. That I am able to communicate effectively online even when I can't do that as well in real life, and that online friendships are every bit as real as any other friendships.

5. That people like me can overcome their problems and be quite successful.

And a wealth of communication skills, coping strategies, understanding of myself and other people, and on and on...

Rap

this started out as a journal entry peom and ended with a paragraph not a poem. oh well.
lol


What do I get
from psych central the Doc wants to know.
Well the DID’s that I met
In this city and in a local support group some on the healing road they don’t want to go.

They would rather have some one
who will take care and fix them with out
their self doing what needs to be done
and learning ways to force therapists to hospitalize some were all about.

I also encountered a few that DID they wanted to be
Because in a local support group I and a couple others disclosed what I had
Calling to join The group I began and befriending me
Until they found out the group was not about DID and that made them mad.

Basically there is no one around here anywhere close to
my therapy level for I didn’t have the luxury of doing therapy for DID
Over the standard course of decade years that others do.
I had a child to get home you see.

A lawyer told SKR and I work on it
Quietly and get it done.
Whereas others have / had the luxury of working a little bit
At a time, I had to do it in years of just one

To get things in control to the point where
My child could come back home to me
For SKR and I the words “not possible” was not there.
We went full steam ahead and my boy came home see.

But he was now violent and suicidal back in foster care he had to go
to go through residential treatment program, which is where he is now.
The lawyer told SKR and I he would come home after treatment so
We were told to continue working so we did and wow.

Was I surprised when I received LL as a therapist and she
Was amazed at all the work SKR and I had done.
I was told SKR and I had done at least 10 years of therapy work in three.
So now others at my level of healing around here – not a one.

The local support group is more for beginners, and for me
I’m well past the denial of the abuse so I
went looking for on line support groups for DID.
Private survivor run sites I did try

Everything went fine as long as I pretended to
Be still stuck in denial and not know anything about my DID and how
To take care of it. Many times I was told to stay away from those that do
Integration and were bold enough to be getting better now.

Some even told me to post as an alter even if I had to
Pretend because that site had message boards for specific aged alters. I said no.
I should not have to pretend and perpetrate misconceptions of a disorder. That I wouldn’t do.
The end result – I was banned and told to go.

So this time I decided to look only on professionally run sites that way
I would not have to pretend and perpetrate misconceptions of DID.
because of previous experiences on line I decided to barrel right in the first day.
That way people know right from the get go that I was just going to be me.

Because of all the work SKR and I did together I know
I have a lot to offer those that are ready to look beyond just barely surviving to
Finding out what DID is in the professional sense not the misconceptions and so
On and actually doing something to help their self. I wanted to find people who

Felt they are worth the time and energy it takes to live in the here and now I
also knew there had to be others that were doing therapy work for DID
so maybe I could find some new ideas to try
Well I found what I was looking for here at psych central for you see –


Even though there are people here that don’t want me to write
what I know about DID and my experiences and would rather have people perpetrating the misconceptions of DID There are as MANY if not more people here that continuously ask for and are making better lives for their self with the information that I have to offer and I have been accepted as a person who does not have to pretend to be nieve, so on. Here at Psych Central I have found a place that not only helps in the rough times but also welcomes, acknowledges and celebrates both healing and accomplishments.

So what did I learn by coming here –

1. Just because I had some bad experiences with privately run support groups that does not mean they all are like that.
2. Be myself. There really are on line support groups that welcome people who are choosing to heal instead of staying stuck in the problems and so on. And we are on one right this moment.
3. I am not alone. There really are people out there like me.
4. How to use the IGNORE icon to ensure I have a good – great on line experience that is 95% trigger free.
5. how to use a blog.

(((myself)))

Thanks ((((((((Jennie.))))))

I love reading this thread. Thanks Doc John for starting this contest. Great idea.

1. About my and others disorders
2. Medicines and how they help
3. Advice on living with my disorder
4. The science of Mental Health
5. Unique information I will never find anywhere else!

1. I have learned diversity is good.
2. I have learned to never use the word "you" in a reply.
3. I have learned when “feelings are shut down” for protection, I have missed out on a lot of life. We may think this as “self protection” from pain or fear… But we are also missing out on joy, love and happiness. And it is ok to feel pain and sorrow and even anger as it is ok to feel happiness and joy. Is the balance of life!
4. I have learned there are many wonderful folks at PC. Even when they are experiencing heartaches or hardships they can still reach out with love and wisdom to those who are in need of support.
5. I have learned "words" are very powerful. They can cause a smile or a tear. Bring hope or defeat. Encourage or destroy. Our words are oh so powerful.

Let's see, I haven't been here long, but this is what I have learned thus far:

1. That there is a place on the net for good, quality support.
2. I've learned I can actually stand up and say I don't care for that-or, excuse me that's affecting me....(in my own realm, outside of the net-my issues with controlling people) and not feel afraid to do so.
3. I've learned that I don't have to feel alone.
4. In the short time I have been here, I have learned a few things about my own "triggers" that I never knew before (good thing!!).
5. Most importantly, I've learned I can be happy, and that I have a right to be happy even though I am not the pinacle of "perfection" nor do I ever intend to be.

ok.......going after those mysterious, but still coveted, <font color="purple">purple PsychCentral.com pens</font>! they're as good as ours!! bwah!

5 Helpful Things Learned at Psych Central....<ul type="square">[*]takes all kinds.....in all areas.....to help shape a "support" community
[*]John Grohol in a fascinating (patient and kind too) man who has a deep commitment to bringing awareness to mental health issues as science and the general public play catch up
[*]even when burned before giving a second chance can be healing and helpful for all around.........i.e. to err is human to forgive divine
[*]that people struggling with mental health issues issues are no better or worse than the "regular" population.......we ARE that population
[*]the human spirit is stronger and more alive than *I* ever could have imagined or hoped and for the people who choose to share and give us that impression of humanity *I'm* eternally grateful to be able to read and learn from your life lessons ~namaste~ a humbling education indeed[/list]

__zh

thanks jennie.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
* that people struggling with mental health issues issues are no better or worse than the "regular" population.......we ARE that population

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">we repeated issues twice since we have so many of them!

Five helpful things I have learned so far at Psych Central

1) That it seems like people with emotional problems like
here at PC are so much more in tune with peoples'
feelings.

2) That eventhough I cannot go out in public and make
friends...I can intermingle with people on here.

3) That when you are really down...everybody rallies around
and does their best to pull you out of it.

4) Knowing that people on here have worse stories than
myself... makes me realize that maybe there is hope
for me also.

5) That this is a great place to just be yourself...no
pressures to be someone you are not...I truly love the
feeling of not having to compete with people in the
outside world...I can just be me.

Hi folks,

Thank you everyone who participated in this little contest!! As I said, winners were picked at random, so here they are:

myself
LadyDragus
roseleigh7
Wisewoman

These members should PM me with their names and addresses to receive their prizes. Thank you all for participating and stay tuned for more contests similar to this every month. I think it's fun to give away things from time to time!

Best,
DocJohn

I have been on and off here sporadically this week so I havent had much time to read all the threads just those that have been catching my eyes and since this is the one that catches my eye because I love reading all the posts I am going to post this here -

I know I sent you a pm but going to say it again -Thanks ((((((((Doc John)))))))) sure was shocked and happy at the same time.

And congrats to all my co winners -

LadyDragus, roseleigh7 and Wisewoman

Congratulations, the four of you, but also to everyone else who submitted excellent responses to what you found helpful about PC

Thank you. I was shocked and happy too.

Congratulations to the other winners.