Additional resources for those seeking support.
NOTE TO MODS: I don't know if the idea of this is against the rules or not. I can see you may not want to link to outside resources since we can't control the content or nature of those communities. BUT I implore you to think about it as I truly believe these can be great resources for those in need! If it's ok and doesn't need to be deleted could I ask that this be stickied? Thanks.
I love this group here on DU and the people who have lent me their support and listened to my continued ramblings. This is indeed a safe haven for those of us on DU suffering from mental illness. However it's also a rather small community, more than made up for in kindness though, and you may find yourself at times wanting for more in terms of support ,commiseration, and connecting with others suffering similarly. Because of the small user base here it's not unusual to find yourself the only one with your specific set of mental diagnosis, living conditions, etc. Please don't let this stop you from confiding in others here though as you will not find a more supportive and friendly environment. Having said this I myself often feel the need to find other communities online, in addition to this group, where I can share my story and relate to others. To this end I offer this thread as a place where we can post links to other mental health support communities.
WARNING! - These communities have nothing to do with DU. I can't vouch for all the people you will meet there but my experience for those that I myself have posted have been nothing but positive. Still, I would keep discussions of politics et al out of these groups just in case and stick to the topics at hand.
Please don't hesitate to post any resources you may have found useful.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sites I have personal experience off
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Anxiety Support Forum
http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/
Social Anxiety Support is a fantastic site for those looking for more information on Social Anxiety in general, treatment options, effective medications and much much more. Their busy forums though are of particular interest, offering sub forums on everything from general commiseration, to specific treatment reviews and medication sub boards, spiritual and atheist groups, LGBT and everything in between. My experience here has been nothing but positive. Social Anxiety produces its own unique set of life challenges and I have met people on here I would not have believed existed, in terms of how similar their life struggles have been to my own.
Depression Forums
http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/
An absolutely massive support forum for those suffering from depression. Again they offer sub forums on every related topic imaginable from Bi-Polar specific groups, to medication and much more. I'm particularly thankful for their "Members Needing Extra Support Now" group which focuses on people in immediate acute crisis.
Anxiety Zone (and Chat)
http://www.anxietyzone.com/
Anxiety Zone specializes on anxiety in a similar way that Depression Forums above does so for Depression. You will find sub forums here for everything from Generalized Anxiety, to PTSD, to Hypochondria, Agoraphobia and more. They also have one of the few chat rooms focusing on mental health disorders that is almost always not empty. The chat room mostly consists of the same 15 to 30 people who seems to have made it their own home away from home so don't expect it to be packed like the forums themselves, but unlike other chatrooms it's rarely ever empty. If you want to talk to someone live right now, this is a comforting place to go. Note chatrooms are never as serious a supportive environment as forums so don't expect detailed help. But if you need someone to talk to live who seems friendly and understanding, there's usually someone here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other useful looking resources
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psychforums
http://www.psychforums.com/forum.html
Another very extensive forum site with subforums on just about any mental health topic.