What would happen if ........

instead of a forum, PC was a real life place? Would people actually get the help they need and not get kicked around by the "professionals"?

(hypothetical question)

Heh, I'd be too scared of it and would look for a forum to post on instead. :p

Would you really trust someone struggling with their own problems they can't solve to be able to provide appropriate help so that you could heal from your problems?

Or would it just become a feeding frenzy with everyone feeding into each others problems....like being in a psych hospital & expecting the other patients to be the ones providing help? To me it would be like the "blind leading the blind"

Though those who have healed & learned may actually provide some useful insight but not like GOOD trained professionals IMO.

If PC were a real life support group where we meet in person, I don’t think I would open up as much and others wouldn’t either. Plus there would be the element of judging people for what they look like.

If there were a professional running the group, it would be totally different. I like the dynamic here where the PC professionals only step in when things get out of hand.

I feel the dynamic of a community of strangers from all walks of life who share their knowledge and pain has really worked for me vs. the experiences I had with private therapy or group therapy.

Do the therapists say anything different than the wise strangers here?

The CBT therapist we saw did say something I never heard before. I did learn something from him. The others just left me confused.

I honestly don't think it would work bc here no one knows anyone personally, and that makes us able to open up without feeling pressured, guilty, fear, ect. If PC was a real life place, it wouldn't be any different than going to MH, and that is why I think PC helps us.

My IRL DBT group leader & my own private T taught me things about the mind & psychology that would hsve been a good college class then she worked & focused on the skills. That kind of work she inspired me to do was what aided to my real healing. Something I could have not had anywhere else

Welll...I facilitate a peer-led support group (NAMI) and all of us find tremendous solace and terrific information about mental health, meds, etc. from our group. I would trust any one of my group members, yes.

IRL? I wouldn't behave any differently than I do right here, online.

I sometimes wonder if forums will eventually end up like second life style virtual realities, where folks interact using avatars capable of relaying the kind of visual cues that the textual domain limits. Thing is, those avatars would need to be able to represent the poster without the complications of either eroding their anonymity, or provoking unhelpful visual judgments.

I think a venue like PC fills a need that other forms of social media & specifically, real life professional interactions cannot address - a good balance of anonymity / security / actual experience & empathy.

I think i'd probably do the same.

when I post on here, I like to imagine us all sitting round a big table like a family

but in real life the crowds would just freak me out..

even if it was set up like an office block with all the rooms for the diffrent disorders.... too many people.

don't get me wrong, it would be great to have real life conversations with some of the members (I can think of a few I'd love to meet in real life)

but hmm.... the crowds. I just wouldn't cope

what I've always dreamed of is a psychcentral mailing list

we all subscribe to it and email each other encouragement

Here in the UK there is very little help if we are lucky, and if we're unlucky no help at all

I wanted to say this in a different thread but can't

A support group is one thing.....

Having it instead of REAL GOOD professional help is another & that was what seemed to me was what the OP stated
There is NO peer support group that could provide what my psychologist provided. The DBT group was a great learning environment that she taught in also but without teaching & learning, all that can be is JUST support. While IMPORTANT support is NOT all that is needed.

I like PC and support groups to feel like I'm not so alone in what I'm dealing with. It's not the same kind of support as a professional therapist.

There are people on here who I have seen made tremendous turnarounds in their life and I greatly value their feedback. But I also try to remember this is a forum of people with mental health problems and we bring that context to everything we say. So take everything with a grain of salt.

I've met people from PC in real life. It's actually a pleasant experience, IMO. Like meeting a pen pal finally.

Seesaw

Me too.....it was a wonderful experience. I also reconnected with a person I went to college with here too. That was wonderful because I had lost touch with him & his wife.

I'm unclear about who you are replying to. Since I brought up my experience with support groups, I assume you're replying to me?

It sounds like your experience with individual therapy was successful for you. That's wonderful. I have also had tremendous healing and learned some excellent coping tools from being in long-term therapy with a psychologist. In addition, I have been in a number of therapy/support groups that were extremely helpful for me.

With regard to support groups, I have found that the healthiest outcome of a group happens when there is that indefinable "click" between the members of the group (and the therapist, if one is leading the group). Sometimes that magic "something" occurs; other times it doesn't and the group kind-of falls flat. And I have had several therapists in my life who were duds - at least, they weren't helpful to me. Therapy is like meds. Different things work for different people.

I actually made the most progress in my life attending peer support groups when I wasn't seeing a therapist or pdoc than when I was. So...not saying anything bad about therapy, but I think peer support groups like NAMI or ACA or AA can have a tremendous impact and we can learn a lot.

I agree. I have been in certain types of women's groups and bonded so closely with the women, some for life. I've found that I can get better information about medication in groups (and on this forum) than I ever have from any medical professional. Another aspect of groups that is so important is that oftentimes a group will give someone the support and courage they need to further their journey to better mental health, in whatever way they can.

I believe strongly in the peer support movement. All the same, professionals and support groups can be amazing if you find the right fit for you and your goals, aspirations and concerns. I believe in a holistic approach and that incorporated internet forums that are respectful, maintain anonymity and assist those who haven't gathered the confidence to enter the big bad scary world yet. In the case of myself, forums have been a life saver for social connection, when I had none IRL.

Definitely. I've had certain situations in my life (pregnancy loss, specifically) and the women I met online were nothing short of a lifeline. That was thirteen years ago, and we're still friends.