Psych Community
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Administrator
Administrator
15007 Posts
Gratitude: 3353
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 Posted - 03/21/2007 : 23:37:38
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Dear Members,
There are definite pros and cons to joining an internet support group.
How Internet Support Groups Can Be Helpful
- Making connections. Meeting others with your mental health condition may make you feel less alone or isolated. A safe and welcoming environment, filled with compassion and understanding, can also reduce any stigma you may feel over having your mental disorder.
- Improving your coping skills. Support groups offer the chance to draw on collective experiences. Others who have "been there" may have tips or advice about coping with your condition that hadn't occurred to you. Brainstorming with others may inspire even more ideas. For instance, swapping information about medications can help you see how others handle side effects.
- Getting motivated. Support groups can encourage you to seek professional treatment if you haven't yet. They also may encourage you to take a more active role in your treatment or stick to your treatment plan when you feel like giving up. And they may help you tap into community resources, such as housing or transportation assistance.
- Finding hope. Sharing experiences and making connections can make you feel better about life in general. Seeing others make strides against depression or another mental illness may give you hope about your own future.
- Opening up. You may be nervous about sharing personal issues with people you don't know. At first, you may reap benefits simply by reading other people's posts. Over time, posting your own ideas and experiences can help you get more out of an internet support group.
Internet Support Groups May Not Be For You
Despite all of their benefits, internet support groups have the potential to interfere with your medical treatment if you're not careful.
Don't abandon treatment with your regular doctor or mental health professional when you join an internet support group. Internet support groups are not meant to replace that treatment. They may, however, be a valuable supplement to professional care.
In addition, be wary of information you receive about treatment or medications if it doesn't come from medical professionals. Remember that some information discussed in a support group may not be entirely accurate. If you have depression, for instance, don't be tempted to stop taking antidepressants without consulting your doctor simply because you may hear about a "natural" product to take instead.
Here are some red flags that may indicate the support group isn't in your best interests:
- You feel worse after joining the internet support group
- You feel pressure to try a certain kind of treatment
- Other members encourage you to stop traditional treatment
- Sessions are centered around complaining and negativity
- Members insist that you reveal private information
- It requires you to buy certain products it endorses
- It demands your allegiance to a cult-like leader
- A few people dominate the discussions
- Your internet use leads to isolation from your in-person social network
- The people you're interacting with may not be who they say they are.
Be sure to talk openly with your doctor or mental health professional about your participation in your internet support group.
Free Speech And Disagreement
Our internet community champions free speech. Thus sometimes you will disagree with posts that you read at MyTherapy.
- In our communities, you can click on the "I Disagree" button to anonymously record that you do not agree with a particular post.
- You also have the option to click on the "Ignore" button to block viewing of all of a particular member's posts. However, other members will still be able to view these posts.
- If you are very concerned about a member's post, you can click on the "Notify Admin" button. The administrative staff will then read the post and deal with it.
We do not allow members to personally attack other members. Our administrative staff will delete all such posts, but will not take sides on any such misunderstandings.
Sometimes a member has to be banned because of disrespectful behavior towards another member. However, such banning is rare, and the reason for any banning is publicly posted.
Discord at MyTherapy is fortunately very rare. We strive to keep our communities as supportive and informative as possible. Our goal is to help individuals recover from mood disorders and schizophrenia, and we welcome everyone sharing this goal.
Phil Long M.D.
Administrator 
ref: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/support-groups/MH00044
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| Freestar
Super Member (250+ posts)
325 Posts
Gratitude: 121
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| Megpie71
Starting Member
9 Posts
Gratitude: 11
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Posted - 04/21/2007 : 06:14:52
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I'd suggest that another useful aspect of internet forums in general for people who are mentally ill is that they offer a place to practice social skills. This is particularly true of a community which is moderated enough to ensure that anti-social behaviour is discouraged (for example, by "disemvowelling" anti-social posts, or banning trolls). By having the safe space to rehearse ordinary actions, we can gain in confidence about our ability to manage them. By being able to interact with others without the worry about our appearance or our physicalised behaviours putting them off, we gain skills in interaction with others. As a purely anectodal example, while I had obtained some confidence in my social skills through a mental health self-help group, I found that my first interactions on Usenet improved my self-confidence sight out of mind, because I was able to realise I wasn't the only person like me in the world.
There's been some research over here in Australia about the benefits provided by mutual help groups (which I understand these boards are supposed to emulate). An example is over here:
http://www.vicserv.org.au/publications/new_para/pdf/mhelp.htm
Okay, we're not out there getting together at weekends, but any interaction is a start.
Welcome to our community Megpie,The points you made are excellent, and I love that link you shared with us. It's going to be great having you as a member. Phil Long M.D.
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| Niney
Incredible Member (2000+ posts)
2393 Posts
Gratitude: 640
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Posted - 04/22/2007 : 12:43:10
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I have recently become a member after a friend told me about this site. I really wish I had known about this a few years ago! But I'm glad I found it now. I am on meds that keep my depression fairly stable, but I find weekends particularly bad and lonely. Also I have lost most of my friends as a result of multiple hospitalizations and lack of understanding of MI. My family and the 1 or 2 friends I do have do not want to hear when I'm having a rough time now that my condition has improved. They just say, "Yes, but look at how much better you're doing." and close the subject. So it's been so great to be able to come here where people understand it's a daily struggle to have a mood disorder. That you have to fight everyday to keep the depression at bay.
My mood has improved and this weekend I haven't cried once. I think that is largely due to the cyber friends I have made on MT.
Niney
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." Julian of Norwich |
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Pros and Cons of Internet Support Groups
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