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EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!!!
13 years ago
Dear Members,
It kills me that I have to post this, but I can not bear to read one more message that I saw too late, or hear a cry for help that I can do nothing about. This is a journal that I just HAVE to make, because most of you seem to have not gone to the Welcome Center and have gotten the wrong idea about what we are and what we do. This needs to be cleared up before somebody gets hurt or dies =c
WE DO __NOT__ AND CAN NOT HELP PEOPLE THROUGH THIS ACCOUNT
Fur Support is moderated by three caring, but regular people. We are not psychiatrists, we are not counselors, we are not professionals of any kind, we are not a help center, we are not a crisis center or a depression or grief specialist center.
What we are is a RESOURCE centerThrough the CORKBOARD page we offer you a place to ask for monetary or housing help.
Through the SYMPATHETIC EARS page we allow you to meet with people who can help and are willing to listen.
Through the RESOURCES PAGE you can see information for 24-7 crisis lines, and even an online depression/suicide chatroom, that allows people to get help the moment they need it.
Through the AFFILIATES page we offer some places for you to meet friends through common interests.
Through the journals we post, we offer advice on being happier, healthier and other life-improvement.
BUT we are not on here often enough, reliably enough or with enough coordination or experience to help everyone who needs it when they need it. Every so often one of us will offer our personal advice while logged in, but that is all we are equipped to do.
PLEASE, as much as I HATE to say this- STOP sending us notes that your friends are suicidal. Stop telling us that you are suicidal- it is NOT that we don't care, because we DO care! But we can not help with this account. We simply do not see notes in a timely enough fashion, and we do not have the manpower, coordination or experience to do anything meaningful this way! If you know someone who is in need, refer them to our Sympathetic Ears page, or go to our Resources page and give them helplines (most are 24 hours) or help chat links, of people who are always there, and ABLE to help when they need it- not whenever one of us happens to log in and read your message five days too late. Not to mention, in instances where we are referred to others, we might make it worse because suicide is a very personal matter, and to learn that some stranger knows all about it could be the final straw that break's someone's emotional back. We do not want this to happen!
PLEASE, go to the Welcome Center if you have any questions, there is more detailed information there. Go to the Resources if you or a friend need help right now. Go to/send your friend Sympathetic Ears page if you or a friend need someone to talk to.
Don't waste valuable time and energy virtually throwing a message in a bottle. Use the means above and make SURE you or your friends get the help they need, when you/they need it!
Oh dear, it's so heartbreaking to hear that this is such a huge problem.
I wish not only the best to you, but the people who feel stuck, hopeless, and lost.
Thank you for making this group.
I hate having to turn people away for help, but I am not in the best state myself, so I can't personally help people right now- I try to tell them to bring their friends to our Sympathetic Ears page, because it really can make things worse for some random stranger to offer unsolicited help, but I never know if I'm too late... It breaks my heart to log on and see that a message entitled "Please Help!", and then see that it is days old and wonder every time, "Have I gotten someone killed by not being available?" =c
You're welcome. I only hope that it is actually helping people.. I have no idea when people use it and it works for them, I only see the instances above..
~Iwyim
I hope everything gets cleared up soon for you
I meant if you go to the sympathetic ears page you don't see anything about contacting this group directly
Don't be afraid to contact someone from the Sympathetic Ears list- every person on that page is a volunteer. We don't ask people to help, they come forward and ask us how they can help and get directed to the page, or go straight to the page and put their contact info and offered to help all by themselves. They want to be there, and want to hear what you have to say. =3 All three of us mods are listed on there too.
~Iwyim