Possible extra forum in health

Former Member

Hi,

We're currently considering the idea of changing the structure of the health forums.

The idea is to add a possible new forum that would have a specific focus on mental health, emotional health, maybe wellbeing whilst the health and fitness section would have more of a focus on physical health problems and fitness.

Anyway, I'm curious to see what users of the current health board think about this, so let us know?

Former Member

i think it would be win all round personally, especially seeing as sensitive issues have been raised recently that trigger some people. People who only want to discuss the physical side of things can do, whilst others can discuss their problems without so much of a triggering risk when entering the forum.

i'm not saying it is a bad thing, but as it is stickied the first couple of issues you are presented with when clicking on Health are depression and SH and maybe some people don't want that in their faces, especially if they have just come for advice on thrush or something.

Former Member

personally i wouldn't like it, firstly because physical and mental health can be intertwined and secondly because it might feel like those with mental health problems are being segregated into one area, when it might be better to maintain the impression that mental health is part of wider health and is not something to be ashamed of. there's a chance that the mental health forum would become a sort of whinge-moan forum, and there are other websites for that. just my 2p

Former Member

i think its a good idea

Former Member

what sort of names are in the running for it Jim?

**helen**

nicebutdim23 wrote: »

what sort of names are in the running for it Jim?

We've thought about things like emotional health and wellbeing (if we decide to go head of course) but we would very much like to hear your ideas.

Former Member

I think that mental health has too often been pushed to the sidelines or treated as a non medical issue - by many people over the years - and should not necessarily be segregated into its own special section - on the one hand i'm sure there are many campaigners on mental health issues who will agree with me.

however on the otherhand i do think that there are posters who might have a bit of an emotional issue - but dont' feel that its bad enough to be medical - and might be put off posting about it in health.......

Former Member

Emotional health and well being sounds like a good plan to me.

Would possibly address the slight mix up between some of the emotional type things currently in there tangled up with cough and cold treatments.

Former Member

:thumb: Sounds like a good idea to me...because at the moment there is only really one thread for depression/self harming and it's reaalllly long and kinda confusing to follow!
Think if things were divided up more people could talk about their issues in a more specific place.

Former Member

To be fair the support thread around depression and self harm isn't exclusive, people do post on their own issues at times - that thread would still remain for those people looking for ongoing support without making their own thread.

However a seperate forum may be helpful in making it clear, especially to new users that they can start their own thread.

Former Member

I think it's a good idea. It's not segregating it so much as giving it it's own room so people can be supported better, imo.

JsT

Yeah definately - although the considerations of those who will be using them needs to be considered.

Former Member

I've been giving this some thought since I first saw this thread yesterday.

I'm a maybe!

In some ways it would be good to have a forum just for mental health, it would be like raising the status of mental health on the boards. As long as the original health forum gets re-named too so it's called physical health or something like that as it would be anoying if it was called health but couldn't contain mental health problems.

Practically it would be quite difficult to divide certain topics. Where would a thread about harm reduction for self-harm go? Or first aid type questions for self inflicted injuries? Or sleep problems? Or all the topics which overlap between the two areas. Scar threads. As has already been pointed out mental health is one aspect of the whole of our health. It might seem stigmatising to seperate off mental health problems, as if saying they weren't proper medical issues.

Also I don't like the name "Emotional health and wellbeing" as some of the more serious psychiatric conditions that get posted about probably wouldn't be described as an "emotional" problem. It sounds like also their would be a massive overlap with the relationships forum (which is one I generally avoid).

It might be good to seperate the weight lose and increased fitness threads more from the eating disorders ones, different forums could help. Although I realise that weight lose is so closely related to emotional health that this would be difficult - if for example you were trying to lose weight that you had gained due to comfort eating when depressed.

Former Member

aleox wrote: »

:thumb: Sounds like a good idea to me...because at the moment there is only really one thread for depression/self harming and it's reaalllly long and kinda confusing to follow!

Agreed. However, every time I have a problem, I don't really want to make another thread about it. Especially, considering the problems I had (with another poster and my posts in that thread) last year.

**helen**

Randomgirl wrote: »

I've been giving this some thought since I first saw this thread yesterday.

I'm a maybe!

In some ways it would be good to have a forum just for mental health, it would be like raising the status of mental health on the boards. As long as the original health forum gets re-named too so it's called physical health or something like that as it would be anoying if it was called health but couldn't contain mental health problems.

Practically it would be quite difficult to divide certain topics. Where would a thread about harm reduction for self-harm go? Or first aid type questions for self inflicted injuries? Or sleep problems? Or all the topics which overlap between the two areas. Scar threads. As has already been pointed out mental health is one aspect of the whole of our health. It might seem stigmatising to seperate off mental health problems, as if saying they weren't proper medical issues.

Also I don't like the name "Emotional health and wellbeing" as some of the more serious psychiatric conditions that get posted about probably wouldn't be described as an "emotional" problem. It sounds like also their would be a massive overlap with the relationships forum (which is one I generally avoid).

It might be good to seperate the weight lose and increased fitness threads more from the eating disorders ones, different forums could help. Although I realise that weight lose is so closely related to emotional health that this would be difficult - if for example you were trying to lose weight that you had gained due to comfort eating when depressed.

Thanks for this RG - I think you've got to the crux of the issues we need to consider for this

Former Member

I think it's a good idea.