hi, newbie with questions...

hi. I have just signed up and i was wondering how this works...I am in nursing school and my teacher recommended that we learn about online support groups, and how they can be a helpful resource for our patients. I have experienced some mild depression in my life so i figured that this was a online support group that i would be interested in. If anyone would be willing to give some feed back i would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Well, generally it's pretty simple. People come here for information and to connect with others with the same problems. Out of these two things you get a community that will listen to you, offer feedback, and provide support (offering kind words, sharing their own experiences, friendship, etc.).

So is there something specific you wanted to know about?

Cyran0

So, do some use this as therapy or is it usually inconjuction with individual therapy? What if someone is in a crisis is there someway that help can be notified? What is it that you like best about the support group?

I'd say the majority of us have therapists and psychiatrists that we see regularly. That said, coming here is therapeutic. It's just not a replacement for the treatment you get from a trained professional.

This is an online oasis for people to meet and talk. It is not a crisis center, medical establishment, or anything like that. To that end, there are pointers to those sorts of resources but no mechanisms built in designed to aid in a crisis situation. At least, that's my understanding of the site. For official statements you should contact the sites moderators or administrators.

What I like about the site is that I find people here with similar issues to my own. This is kind of miraculous for some of us as having a mental illness can make you feel disconnected or alien. Rarely do I ever meet anyone in real life with my background, experiences, and illness.

I hope that helps and I do highly encourage you to ask the sites administrators or official representatives for specific information and policies. Everything I've said is my perception and I'm in no way a representative of Psych Central.

Cyran0

Thank you so much for your insight!!! It is very helpful. I am just mostly curious on how everyone views the idea of an online support group and if they find it helpful. And, also if there is anything that you think is important for new nurses to realize,know, or understand to be a better nurse for those who do have a mental illness...
Thanks again. i appreciate your feedback
Take care

Good posts Cyrano! I think you have explained things well and I agree with everything you have said. I think most of us feel less alone and "odd" when we come here and find that we are not the only one's with these kinds of problems &/or thoughts. That in itself is therapeutic. Also, I have been pointed towards some helpful sites or books from others here.

One of the drawbacks here is that members are anonymous, so if someone needs immediate assistance IRL, all we can really do is encourage them to get help. We are not set up to be a crisis service, and have policies that members don't post about suicidal intention or actions here. It isn't fair to the other members who are here to get help too to have to cope with someone needing help that the members are not trained to give and also don't have the resources.

But being anonymous is also good because we can share things that we might not be able to otherwise, and sometimes that makes it easier to then talk about those things in therapy or deal with the problems. Some of us had no idea that there were others so much like us before we came here, and it helps to know that we are not alone. It helps to hear what helps for someone else and what their experience has been like.

It also helps to have the opportunity to help others. If we dwell too much on our own problems then we start to wallow in pity and get completely stuck. Doing something for someone else makes it easier to see the way out for ourselves. But then, there is a balance to be found, as it is easy to get overinvolved with others and avoid dealing with our own stuff.

If you are wondering if members find this helpful, well, some of us have been coming here for years. We must be getting something out of it. I have some really good friends in this online community, and have been able to keep in contact with them even though I move frequently and lose contact with people IRL.

Please read a bit and see how this works, and if you have any more questions ask away.

Rap

It's sounds as though this website really helps. That's good to know...especially when we are taught how important support is in coping with chronic illness. Thanks again for sharing! -MEB