Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

"Depression is an offline event"

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru

Hey :wave:

"If you feel like you really got nowhere to turn - online is the not the place that is going to save you"

What do you guys think?

I'll keep quiet for the mo

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes and no...

    He's totally right about people being ignored or smashed, but there are also so many online resources and support groups that wouldn't be available offline. Of course people need real world help, but both online and offline its all about looking for it in the right places. Here is a good place, twitter might not be so good. A GP might be a good place, but your next door neighbour might not be...

    I think its silly to write off the net wholesale.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd have thought the internet was more about getting specific advice and information rather than moral support. In those terms, I don't think it can compete with real human contact, and as he says, there's a lot of shitty people online that will say all sorts of things from the safety of a computer. Having never gone through depression myself, I don't really know about it, but I'd have thought that human contact and having someone to properly listen to you would be good, whether or not they have the expertise to actually help you.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    At least online, you're anonymous. Also, I know very few in real life who have gone through depression. In the nicest way possible, I do feel as though I wouldn't be able to talk to them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru

    Hey :wave:

    "If you feel like you really got nowhere to turn - online is the not the place that is going to save you"

    I think it's better to communicate with someone on-line, than not to communicate with anyone at all.

    So I do think it can be a step in the right direction, even though it's unlikely to: "save you", whatever that means.

    There probably is a risk of getting a false sense of comfort from making contact on the net, and maybe that's what you are getting at?

    If someone started a project whereby depressed people could make contact on a website, with the option of talking on the telephone if they felt so inclined after a while, I think that could be very useful. Maybe using peer to peer support, or involving trained counsellors. Perhaps training people who have recovered from depression in counselling skills so that they could become voluteer counsellors.



    What do you guys think?

    I'll keep quiet for the mo

    I think it's better to communicate with someone on-line than not to communicate with anyone at all.

    So I do think it can be a step in the right direction, even though it's unlikely to: "save you", whatever that means.

    There probably is a risk of getting a false sense of comfort from making contact on the net, and maybe that's what you are getting at?

    If someone started a project whereby depressed people could make contact on a website, with the option of talking on the telephone if they felt so inclined after a while, I think that could be very useful. Maybe using peer to peer support, or involving trained counsellors.

    Perhaps training people who have recovered from depression in counselling skills so that they could become volunteer counsellors.

    Such a project would come with various risks, not least that its success might be its downfall, i.e. once it took off it could be extremely difficult to keep up with the demand for such a service.

    The potential of the Internet is vast – what it needs is human creativity and determination in order to harness and utilise such potential.

    Unfortunately, most of the people who have such qualities are chasing quick profits. Not enough Chad Varah’s around, sadly.

    I have the greatest respect for Tim Berners-Lee and the way in which he resisted financially exploiting his own brilliant creation.

    Not a lot causes me to feel proud to be British, but the fact that he is from the UK does.

    Jed
Sign In or Register to comment.