My problem with the group support rooms
For the majority if the time I've been here, the chat rooms were a nice place for me to go to vent my problems, talk to people about theres, and even make a few friends. I guess I felt a sense of acceptance that I've never had before. Unfortunately it isn't like this all the time. Rooms have become ovberrun with not just trolls, and not just trolls that use crude language, but trolls who pick on people, driving them out.
I've been able to work around them well enough, but there seems to be this certain kind of troll who picks on people some of the times, and other times, genuinely contributes to the conversation. So because of that a lot of people let them slide. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just missing something, if there's just some sort of unspoken rule that makes those people okay.
Recently I got into this incident where I couldn't help but stand up to myself to people who I thought were friends. I don't feel like I can come back now, because they seem to be cool by the others. This is just making me question e
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This is just making me question everything about people, especially since I've been sheltered I'm starting to doubt myself. Maybe that's just humanity, that they're exclusionary and turn a blind eye to things. I really hope I'm wrong, I really want to come back, but I don't know how to handle this, as I'm terrible at reaching out as it is. This was the only place I genuinely feel I belonged, and now I don't know where else to turn to.
@EarlyOwl I'm sorry you've had that experience. I haven't had quite the same thing but I can certainly undertand (based on my experience) how you got there. Sometimes the group support chats seem very clique-y and the people there have known each other for awhile. Sometimes it's just that I've entered into an ongoing conversation but I also suspect that sometimes the group chats can and do lend towards an atmosphere that's really not welcoming to newcomers.
Hope a mod/admin sees your post.
@ReadBooksDrinkTea
Agreed I went to the depression SUPPORT page and asked for advice and was told they don't talk serious stuff there! WTH? It's a support room.
The rooms are very clique-y. You enter, say hi, ignored, watch this whole conversation going between a clique. Say hello again, or hey what's up, ignored. Or someone finally replies hi how are you, I answer, positively, or negatively, waiting for a reply and nothing! False hope. Great feeling for somebody who already feels they have no self worth.
Frankly, to me, the rooms feel like high school. They seem to be over run with teens. Maybe more teen geared rooms would help. Basically now I just go to a room to experiment. Or set myself up to feel worse.
Sad when being on a support site, Community, and often log out feeling worse or more alone.
@EnergySensitive I'm so sorry you guys have had bad experiences too. These days I mostly stick to the Healthy Living group, as a lot of nice, welcoming people seem to flock there.
@EarlyOwl
So you also had a problem? Did you reach out for help?
I guess nothings completely safe being its the internet but acknowledgement goes a long way.
@EnergySensitive I just took a break for about a day when I cam back and everything boiled over, and eventually the troll became more scarce. I didn't like the person's attitude alone, but you can't really report that. Though if someone does do something offensive then the best option would be to take a screenshot and file a complaint. That's unfortunately the moste a person can do. And, as I said before, stick to the nicer rooms. The nicer people won't just dismiss a person who's being a jerk.
Thats true. The Internet, and the real world is full of dangers and hostility so the nice people have to stick together.