pros and cons of sharing about mental illness and the recovery journey online

[Judy2]

hi there:)

so since i have had a journal on this forum for quite a while, i've noticed that sometimes i feel divided between sharing honestly and authentically what's going on for me, particularly in the mental health domain, and maintaining my privacy.

i wonder what you guys' opinions on this topic are - if mental struggles should be shared or kept private, or something inbetween - and what exactly the limits should be. 

i don't think we'll reach a consensus on that but would be curious to open a discussion on the subject and follow along with everybody's ideas in association with this question.

lots of love ♡

[Judy2]

i think a pro would be that it can help those affected by a similar illness, decrease loneliness, increase connection. it can destigmatise the diagnosis and help explain symptoms and challenges to outsiders who might have no idea - and as a result increase empathy in our society.

on the flipside, it can be quite vulnerable and mutually triggering for the one sharing as well as those registering the information that's being shared, for example when talking about specific eating disordered behaviours, substance abuse, self-harm, or suicidality.

[Beans]

I think the downside about being honest about mental illness is the judgement by others who don’t understand, but I think it’s great to share the struggle and to let others know they’re not alone. 

[Yimpa]

Feel free to share about your journey, no filters, and ignore haters. This is what will strengthen you. 

I feel like the goal is to understand ourselves better, not about educating others dogmatically. Those who resonate with your journey will organically come along.

I haven’t read your journal entries much, but now I am curious. Thank you for sharing.

finally,… sharing openly about stuff that has so many misconceptions and stigma is really uncomfortable. but discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. it just means you’re being honest in a world that isn’t used to it. vulnerability hangover is real, but it’s not always a signal to stop. it’s just the cost of being authentic. baby steps.

Edited Thursday at 08:46 PM by Yimpa

[Judy2]

43 minutes ago, Yimpa said:

I haven’t read your journal entries much, but now I am curious.

nah, don't be.

i think it's strange because oftentimes, i'm really not sure how specific i can or should be, or i pull back and hide stuff after posting it. it gets awkward because i'm not clear on the extent of the things i should or shouldn't share, so there are some weird allusions all the time.

i'm really not sure if it's helpful to anyone, including myself, if i relate the specific behaviours that i know aren't ideal. i mean maybe it depends on how i talk about them. and for the most part, the problem is that i'd have to repeat myself a lot to the point that this would normalise things/make them seem okay, justified, strengthen identification....because i can't really present many solutions yet....only repeating patterns and potential causes that end up being justifications and rationalisations. it's really not that fun to read my journal because my mind isn't that smart about handling my problems, or i'm too weak or something.

if i were to talk about the behaviours in detail when it would make sense as part of the emotional expression, i think that would come across as being too pro harmful behaviours? i don't know how to share that i'm struggling without making it look like i think it's good. 

Edited Thursday at 09:13 PM by Judy2

[Oppositionless]

I'm vulnerable to a fault on this forum, haven't decided if it's a good or bad thing lol. I can't always tell whether it's helpful because my OCD involves a lot of checking and reassurance seeking, so if I make a vulnerable post and I realize I'm posting for reassurance I hide it.

[Yimpa]

3 minutes ago, Oppositionless said:

I can't always tell whether it's helpful because my OCD involves a lot of checking and reassurance seeking, so if I make a vulnerable post and I realize I'm posting for reassurance I hide it.

Opposite problem for me. There’s probably thousands of posts that I’ve made that deserve to be hidden. I just ignore it and move on instead.

[Oppositionless]

38 minutes ago, Yimpa said:

Opposite problem for me. There’s probably thousands of posts that I’ve made that deserve to be hidden. I just ignore it and move on instead.

Theres also power in just letting it ride ❤️.

[Yimpa]

Just now, Oppositionless said:

Theres also power in just letting it ride ❤️.

what do you mean by letting it ride? 

[Oppositionless]

2 minutes ago, Yimpa said:

what do you mean by letting it ride? 

Not hiding the posts you think deserve to be hidden . 

[Ramasta9]

15 hours ago, Judy2 said:

hi there:)

so since i have had a journal on this forum for quite a while, i've noticed that sometimes i feel divided between sharing honestly and authentically what's going on for me, particularly in the mental health domain, and maintaining my privacy.

i wonder what you guys' opinions on this topic are - if mental struggles should be shared or kept private, or something inbetween - and what exactly the limits should be. 

i don't think we'll reach a consensus on that but would be curious to open a discussion on the subject and follow along with everybody's ideas in association with this question.

lots of love ♡

When it comes to journalling. What i find helps is physically writing down and reflecting rather than on the internet as much because its a digital / artificial platform, so it doesn't register the same and integrate as effectively as physically doing the act, because the energetic / emotional / feeling-oriented counterpart is mostly missing when you express on the internet, as its mostly mental. The somatic flow and release is missing, thus doesn't register in the nervous system. This is why people struggle with online journals, i don't think they are meant to be exposed anyway. I think its a private thing mostly. Rather use the gems you discover within your private journal and then share online your wisdom from experience  

I feel first and foremost things like this best be felt and reflected upon and expressed in person / private, then once integrated, you can actually provide useful content for others who may also be going through the same. Of course you have to find your ~middle way~ with everything, these are just some of the things i have observed and how I would go about it.

 

[Judy2]

@Ramasta9 okay, thanks for sharing:)

 

[Oppositionless]

@Ramasta9 that's a great idea . I'm not gonna take down the posts I've made, but I'm going to acknowledge that the extent and ferocity to which I shared may have actually made me sicker .

Edited 10 hours ago by Oppositionless

[Ramasta9]

@Judy2 @Oppositionless Most welcome  I did write a post about it one day on the journalling section but i felt it wasn't really acknowledged or may have been too confronting to those who rely on online journals so i removed it, but more or less is around what I shared in my previous comment. 

I've had some chats about this sort of stuff, more around AI use with @Natasha Tori Maru who gets me quite deeply and probably can also chime in and give some good advice here, she's such a powerwoman on these forums that we need more of. 

Much love ~

[Natasha Tori Maru]

@Ramasta9 yes there is something so grounded and connected when pen is put to paper. 

My thoughts flow in a more confluent and coherent way. Slowed and stopped by the physical process my hand needs to move through to tattoo the letters on the page. 

I find pen on paper is easier, less constipated and clearer when I am writing about my inner most emotional states. Any intuitive idea that is not clear to me, suddenly becomes clear as I write. Almost as if it is not any conscious thought coming out. Pen and paper feels like it taps unconscious mind and intuition in a different way. It helps to elaborate on the fine nuances in emotional states; I am better able to make distinctions between worry, anxiety, concern, pressure etc rather than just feel a general 'negative' low energy state.

But when I have ideas or insights, sometimes typing is better to 'get them out' rapidly. I like to get mind/intellectual insights out quick so I can disconnect any ego from them and feel cleaner. 

I think both are useful on different ways. Experiment! Overall I find it very important to 'empty' out my emotional states, daily. Through writing, mantras, typing etc. Empty it all and let it go. Sometimes I scream into pillows or bark at my dog.

I appreciate your words and the tag - even if I feel they are underserved 🤍

[Ramasta9]

1 hour ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

@Ramasta9 yes there is something so grounded and connected when pen is put to paper. 

My thoughts flow in a more confluent and coherent way. Slowed and stopped by the physical process my hand needs to move through to tattoo the letters on the page. 

I find pen on paper is easier, less constipated and clearer when I am writing about my inner most emotional states. Any intuitive idea that is not clear to me, suddenly becomes clear as I write. Almost as if it is not any conscious thought coming out. Pen and paper feels like it taps unconscious mind and intuition in a different way. It helps to elaborate on the fine nuances in emotional states; I am better able to make distinctions between worry, anxiety, concern, pressure etc rather than just feel a general 'negative' low energy state.

But when I have ideas or insights, sometimes typing is better to 'get them out' rapidly. I like to get mind/intellectual insights out quick so I can disconnect any ego from them and feel cleaner. 

I think both are useful on different ways. Experiment! Overall I find it very important to 'empty' out my emotional states, daily. Through writing, mantras, typing etc. Empty it all and let it go. Sometimes I scream into pillows or bark at my dog.

I appreciate your words and the tag - even if I feel they are underserved 🤍

🙏🤍