Depression Understood Forums

Hi everyone!

I've had majour depresive disorder for quite a few years, so I've gotten fairly decent at keeping it from interfering with my life. With that being said theres a fine line between optimism and ignoring ones problems. So, I'm not about to act like its not a part of who I am. Therefor I'd like to stay engaged with those who suffer in common with me.

So, here I am. I understand the physical aspects of navigating and participating in forums just not the social ones.

Please share tips, critisisms .....embarasing eperiances you've had on forums ect.
(It would make me a lot more comfortable).[/b]

Hi Alison; and welcome to this forum.

you wrote:Please share tips, critisisms .....embarasing eperiances you've had on forums ect.
(It would make me a lot more comfortable).

I've giving many tips while I've been here and found more. One good way of homing in on them is to hit the search button above and punch in your concern as a single word. I gets many hits that way. Of you can and should post your questions as well as your feeling and thoughts here. I generally put poetry in the art work section, philosophy in the thoughts... section, advice in the living... section, desperate rants in the expressions section; but the isn't really a protocol.

You will find people willing to give advice, encouragement, and criticism to your posts.

Two tips to that:
1) There is respectful criticism and there is a more patronizing kind (among many other unacceptable kinds). I find criticism much easier to reflect on when it is worded as a thought, a feeling or an experience. For instance, no matter how strongly I believe something, I find it's better received when I say it's what I believe rather than speak as if it's a fact. "in my experience..." is harder to judge and thus easier to accept than "this it what you should do...".

2) There is no shame in editing. The little "edit" button up their in the right hand corner, has saved me many times from reacting to someone's post in a way my cooler head thought better of. It also allows me to better express myself by first getting my thoughts out, then arranging the text for better impact or reading. So you always have the option to save your self embarrassment.

Other than that, I think it's important that you write about things that are important to you. You will find that people here are helpful and compassionate.
Again welcome;
Frame