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Administrator
Administrator
15007 Posts
Gratitude: 3353
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 Posted - 10/26/2008 : 16:48:56
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Our Values
Our web community will actively encourage the following values:
Respect and Compassion
In order to encourage respect and compassion in our web community, we ask that community members refrain from telling others how they should live their lives (e.g., "get rid of that person" or "get off that medication"). We believe that feedback or advice is most helpful if it is offered as a suggestion or through an example of a personal experience. This teaching by personal example is much more respectful to others than direct advice giving.
Trust
We want our web community to be a gathering place for sincere, helpful people whose wisdom you can trust. That is why our staff will routinely remove messages that promote false claims of miraculous cures or other untruths. Since trust is so important, we do not allow members posting with 2 separate identities (posing as 2 different individuals). Any member doing this will be banned from our community.
Specific Guidelines
- No Posts Concerning Imminent Suicide
This support community is an inappropriate resource for those who are imminently at risk of harming themselves or others. These are medical emergencies that require immediate psychiatric care from trained professionals.
Unfortunately, some individuals are chronically suicidal and repeatedly post "farewell" suicide notes to our community. We appreciate that such suicidal posts are a "cry for help", but these posts about imminent suicide are extremely upsetting for our other members.
Since our members are totally anonymous, we lack the ability to locate the member who posts a suicidal "farewell" letter. Thus the posting of a "farewell" suicide note serves no purpose, other than to seriously upset our entire community.
Members with more than 200 gratitude points can vote to ban any post that they feel is inappropriate, and likely to severely upset our community. The banned post will be automatically removed from view once 3 such (high gratitude) members vote that the post is inappropriate and upsetting. Such banned posts will be reviewed by our administrative staff. Initially, the main use of this "ban" vote will be to prevent the posting of "farewell" suicide notes. Only the inappropriate post will be banned, not the member.
- Ethical Behavior
Our community believes in "The Golden Rule" (that we should treat others the way we want them to treat us). Thus members writing to condone unethical behavior (e.g., genocide, murder, violence, hatred) will be banned from our community.
- Anonymity
Our members join our community to share with other people living with similar illnesses. Because many of our forums are public, we must keep our identities completely anonymous. In that way, we can discuss the role our significant others play in our lives without publicly embarrassing them. Likewise, we keep anonymous so that teachers, employers, fellow students or coworkers can not "Google" and identify our community posts. Private communication with friends can be held in your private blog where your anonymity can still be protected. To protect your anonymity, members should not communicate with each other off this site. We ask that members not exchange e-mail addresses, phone numbers or meet in person. Our experience is that these 'offsite' relationships can be disastrous (especially when one member becomes pathologically dependent or manipulative towards the other).
- Friendship, Not Romance
This is not a social networking website to meet new romantic partners. In fact, we strongly caution against romances between community members. We ask that member-to-member romantic messages and/or lover's quarrels not be posted. We believe that it is an invasion of privacy to have our community read member-to-member love letters.
- Members Preying On Other Members
Certain predatory individuals join self-help groups to prey on vulnerable members. These individuals initially "sound good". They may even read self-help books to improve their false public image of being a compassionate, understanding community member. Their real goal is to meet other members in person to prey on their emotional vulnerabilities in order to get money or sex.
To prevent this, we ask that you never reveal your real identity or meet with another member in person. Psychiatrically, it is extremely risky to meet other members in person for the purpose of romance.
- Sobriety
We ask that you only post when you are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Democracy
Our community is simply a group of friends giving and getting feedback from each other. Our community is run democratically. We do have an administrative staff, but they are often busy elsewhere with their psychiatric duties. That is why it is essential that members direct our community by voting on posts (using the icons at the bottom of the posts). As members collect more "gratitude" points (for community service), they are given more voting privileges. If someone wants to change our community, they can start a petition in our "Opinion Polls" forum or just post their proposal in our other forums.
- Our Code of Ethics
Our Code of Ethics is fairly enforced by our administrative staff. Members can click on the "Notify Admin" button underneath any post that they feel needs administrative attention. Our administrators have full-time jobs in psychiatry elsewhere; hence our administrators can only sporadically visit our communities each day. Unfortunately, our administrators don't have the time to read every post. Thus our administrators rely on our members to direct them to those posts which need administrative attention.
- Suggestion, Not Criticism
Our members ask first if their advice is wanted before giving it to another member. This way, members can decide when they are ready to hear advice and feedback. We have learned that feedback or advice is most helpful if it is offered as a suggestion or through an example of a personal experience, but not as a criticism.
- Drama
No member is allowed to launch a public personal attack against another member. If someone has posted something that violates our Code of Ethics; please click the "notify administrator" button and our administrator will deal with it. Our experience is that public airing of interpersonal disputes accomplishes little. It only serves to increase the drama and misunderstanding in our community.
If you find another member is obnoxious; simply click the "Ignore User" button. If you want to resolve a misunderstanding with another member; do so by posting in the private section of their personal blog.
- Religious Tolerance
Many of our community members have gained great strength from their religious faith while coping with mental illness. Since our community is composed of members of many different faiths; all we ask is that members respect each other's religions and not try to argue with or convert nonbelievers to their faith.
- The Debate About Abortion
Many of our members have strong religious convictions concerning abortion. Thus we ask that our members respect each other's differing points of view regarding abortion. Specifically, we ask that members not debate the topic of abortion in our communities.
- Banned Activities
It is our policy to warn anyone showing flagrant disrespect [e.g., foul language], and to delete their disrespectful posting. If this disrespect persists, the member is banned from the community.
Likewise, we will warn anyone showing religious intolerance [e.g., stating that there is only one "true faith"], and delete their intolerant posting. If this religious intolerance persists, the member is banned from the community.
No advertisements (for research subjects, support for special projects, or commercial enterprises), or internet links to websites promoting these activities are allowed.
Unfortunately, we do not allow links to other, non-English speaking websites (because we can't determine their content).
Our community does not allow its members to actively promote scientifically unproven theories or treatments for mental illness. Thus members are not permitted to promote astrology, megavitamin therapy, or the Church of Scientology (etc.).
- Keeping "On Topic"
We have many forums; each forum discusses a specific topic. In that way, members can join discussions that are specifically relevant to their needs. Sometimes a member accidentally posts something that would be better located in another forum. Our administrative staff will then transfer that post to the more appropriate forum.
We Are Not A Substitute For Professional Care
Although I am a psychiatrist and the administrator of this website; I can not legally treat anyone on this website. However, I can answer general questions about psychiatry and I can refer our members to relevant research.
Like everyone else in our community, I do post messages of encouragement to specific members when they are in crisis. My posts stress that the member in crisis seek professional help (and not just rely on help from anonymous friends in this support community).
Disclaimer:
Please note that the information contained in this website is provided for Canadians for educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical care. Please consult your physician if you have any concerns about your mental health.
While great effort has been taken to assure the accuracy of the information featured on this website, MyTherapy.com and others contributing to the preparation of this website cannot accept liability for errors, omissions or any consequences arising from the use of the information.
Since this website is not intended to replace other prescribing information, physicians are urged to consult the manufacturers' and other available drug information literature before prescribing.
Phillip W. Long M.D.
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| hercules21
Incredible Member (2000+ posts)
5803 Posts
Gratitude: 2829
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Posted - 09/09/2011 : 15:47:24
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Can we add basic Internet etiquette to this list - such as NOT TYPING IN CAPS LOCK.
"Mrs Morel always said the after-life would hold nothing in store for her husband: he rose from the lower world into purgatory, when he came home from pit, and passed into heaven in the Palmerston Arms.". |
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| Administrator
Administrator
15007 Posts
Gratitude: 3353
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Posted - 02/11/2012 : 14:59:32
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WELCOME TO OUR COMMUNITIES
Where To Make Your First Post
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| Davekyn
Incredible Member (2000+ posts)
2412 Posts
Gratitude: 2195
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Posted - 02/11/2012 : 17:15:14
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I myself have not comunicated off this site as sugested. Some of us would aprecieate it you would consider also taking the same tone with your moderator.
Thanking you in advance.
Moving On... |
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| Administrator
Administrator
15007 Posts
Gratitude: 3353
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Posted - 02/12/2012 : 21:49:12
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Dear Members,
How My Retirement Changes Things
Lynda and I retired on December 31st, and we are both loving our new, retired life-style. However, Lynda's retirement means that she will no longer monitor our communities.
I will continue to make my daily contributions to our community, and I'm loving the free time I have now to spend on my social life and hobbies. I Don't Have Time To Read Every Post
Our community usually has more than one hundred new posts daily. I simply do not have time to read them all. Thus I leave it to our members to alert me regarding any problem.
That means that there may be considerable "drama" occurring in our community that I will not be aware of until someone uses the "notify administrator" button.
Sometimes I delete a post or discussion thread that is inappropriate or hurtful. Fortunately, this is a rarity. Our Community Is Self-Policing
If 3 Senior Members vote to ban a post; that post is hidden from view. A Senior Member is someone who has posted more than 200 times. When I see that a post has been banned; I check to see if the ban was appropriate.
This means that I rely on our Senior Members to "police" our community.
We are a community of equals. No Senior Member has more power than another. As administrator, my only role is to ensure that members observe our Code of Ethics. Sometimes Our Peace Will Be Broken By Drama
This website is a mental health self-help community. Thus, by its very nature, you should expect our peace to sometimes be punctuated by "drama". This drama happens when some of our members experience very stressful events, or flare-ups in their own illness.
During this drama, things will be said that members will later sincerely regret. Invariably, this drama subsides and apologies are made.
That's how our community can be so healing. We accept apologies and genuinely try to understand the other person's distress. Only by practicing this forgiveness and loving kindness can we hope to help ourselves and others.
Phil Long MD
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| aspierob
Amazing Member (1000+ posts)
1125 Posts
Gratitude: 846
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Posted - 02/12/2012 : 23:45:39
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Thank you Dr Long, I now feel empowered.
there is a fine line between genius and insanity , if you can learn to walk the line , you can rule the world .unfortunately i keep falling into the insanity side |
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| Administrator
Administrator
15007 Posts
Gratitude: 3353
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Posted - 02/13/2012 : 00:25:15
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PUBLIC PERSONAL ATTACKS ARE NOT ALLOWED
It is human nature to want to publicly "have it out" with someone who has angered you.
However, in a therapeutic community such as ours, such a public personal attack is very destructive. Thus our Code of Ethics states the following:
- Drama
No member is allowed to launch a public personal attack against another member. If someone has posted something that violates our Code of Ethics; please click the "notify administrator" button and our administrator will deal with it. Our experience is that public airing of interpersonal disputes accomplishes little. It only serves to increase the drama and misunderstanding in our community.
If you find another member obnoxious; simply click the "Ignore User" button. If you want to resolve a misunderstanding with another member; do so by posting in the private section of their personal blog.
Thus you are allowed to disagree with another member's viewpoint, but this can not take the form of a public personal attack.
If you must confront another member over a personal issue; do so by posting in that member's private section of their blog where your post is not in public view.
If you can not resolve your differences with another member; you have the option of ignoring them (using the "Ignore User" button).
What if you have already posted a personal attack against another member? You will find out that it accomplished nothing and probably backfired terribly. Learn from this mistake, and please don't do it again.
Phil Long MD
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| Administrator
Administrator
15007 Posts
Gratitude: 3353
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Posted - 02/16/2012 : 12:02:49
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THE DANGER OF THE SCIENTOLOGY CULT
The Rise Of Scientology
Scientology is a cult that slowly empties a person's bank account as it takes away the cult member's freedom. It has the characteristics of all pathological cults:
- It is dictatorial, and demands total obedience from its followers.
- It is actively hostile towards those that criticize it.
- It uses fear and intimidation to control its members.
- Its greed is insatiable, and it coerces its members to give it more of their money and labor.
How Our Mental Health Support Community Is Different From Scientology
- Our Senior Members (those posting more than 200 times) democratically run our community. Our administrator only functions to ensure that members abide by our Code of Ethics. Otherwise, our administrator is just another equal member of our community.
- Our members can freely voice their opinions. Our community has no official ideology. Our members are free to believe whatever they want to believe.
- Our members remain anonymous, and have no contact off our website. This is purposely done to ensure member confidentiality, and to prevent anyone preying on our members (for money, sex, etc.).
- Our community doesn't ask for money, nor does it own any assets.
- Our community is based on kindness and understanding, not fear and intimidation.
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Our Code Of Ethics
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