Lived Experience Forum

[Eden1919]

@eth  That is what I mean though the pool of main supporters is small... there aren’t many guides so if a few are off for whatever reason (which is completely fine) then there is not enough people to cover the ones who need a break. I really don’t know how to fix that and people who just like to read is fine I think it is just or it seems (I have no actual numbers or genuine evidence) that there is a small group of people who do majority of the supporting especially on the somethings not right forum where people are perhaps needing a little more support than other areas and that because there are not many people actively participating the ones who are are getting burnt out then there are even less people to do the supporting. I really don’t know how to make this easier for everyone involved, I am also not sure what makes the people who lurk not want to join more actively I don’t mean to say they should or shouldn’t but it is another thing to consider, perhaps people don’t feel confident. As others have said the forums work on give and take and that can be hard to manage but I think maybe the idea of more community guides or even a whole different role that could be there to fill in some of the gaps might be helpful. I am not saying that is easy but maybe something to think about longer term. 

I also really do think there needs to be an explanation for new members about what to expect when using the forums because I have noticed some of the adds for the sane forums sort of make it seem like there are always people around to talk to 24/7 and that there are heaps of mods and it is a bustling and busy place.... I know adds have to entice people but I think sometimes the way it is worded can leave to confusion. And sane can be like that but right now it seems a little flat... idk these are just some thoughts I have no idea how this would work logistically. 

[TheVorticon]

Just gonna share my thoughts about this, relevant or not. I'm not wondering why things are the way they are here, FYI, so please don't anyone respond specifically to me about that. 

I got used to the legacy* Reach Out forums for people under 25years old where mods (peers with extra training) and also admins (professionals - some counselors, some more general administration roles) used to interact and provide support regularly. Peer support was important and definitely happened, and having trained people regularly helping was something that made me feel more comfortable asking for support and supporting others.

It was a difficult transition for me coming on here, where that doesn't happen for various reasons.

What makes it difficult for me are things like:

- Supportive posting takes a fair bit of energy, especially if I'm having my own problem.I want to say something helpful and sometimes it doesn't feel like there's any backup (especially if the other member is fairly new or doesn't have regular contacts here).

- Sometimes I drain/upset/trigger myself when reading or replying. On legacy Reach Out I could ask for help with that and get responses from people who weren't involved. Here it just kind of starts "drama"due to everyone being peers.

- Catch 22 because I'm not supporting other people, I have less people willing to reply to me. I also post in weird ways when upset - legacy RO professionals could help her me out of that and into a useful conversation whereas here it ends up being triggering out confusing to other members . 

As a result the solution for me has been to post less in general.  (Reminder - I'm just sharing my thoughts. Please don't tag me if you write a post about how/why the SANE model is different.) 

*I dunno what Reach Out is like now, but I was a reading/lurking or posting member on and off over the span of maybe 10 years.... So I really do mean legacy. 

[Eden1919]

@TheVorticon  I have also used the reach out forums and I do agree there is much more support/input from the moderators there. As you said having them be more interactive also does help to break tension if there are people who are not seeing eye to eye or if there is a miscommunication. I also can empathize with the feeling of not having ‘back up’ sometimes I worry that maybe if I do reply and no one else has it will be ‘my responsibility’ to support that person because I replied. Not saying that is the reality but it does feel that way sometimes. 

[Lauz]

Hi everyone, 

This is a really interesting discussion and the thoughts and feelings around the balance of engagement that everyone gets - whether thats from a mod, a peer and/or Guide. You've all highlighted really clearly as well, the things that can inhibit us from getting involved all the time and thats okay - doing what is right for yourself and wellbeing is first priority. 

The thoughts around more guides or potentially more peer supporter roles as such has me thinking if you guys have had a look at an idea we are wanting to work on which we mentioned here Increasing peer support opportunities in the forums? What do you think? The goal of this was to offer some tiered opportunities and allow for even more peer trained supports to get into gaps of responses that might be felt. 

Might be good to check that out and post of some the feedback thats started here into there? What would you like to see these roles doing in the community for instance? Really looking forward to more of your feedback there!

[eth]

Thanks for the link @Lauz  I couldn't remember where to find it.