Hi everyone

This is one of those posts that I feel compelled to write just to get my thoughts out into the open.  I often find that I gain a clarity by processing events through writing so here goes.

I have personally been involved with online communities and forums for well over a decade now.  This started when my youngest son was diagnosed with autism.  It was then that I turned to the Internet for help. I joined multiple email groups and forums and tried to settle in with those which were a right fit for me.  I met some incredible people who helped me, a stranger on the Internet, on my journey as a parent of a child with special needs.  In time these people became like family. 

There is a deep bond which develops with people who are sharing a similar experience and especially one which is so emotional.  You are with people who "get it" and for whom you don't have to explain things.  They just know. 

I had the same experience when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  I had a generic blog, not really about any one topic and during the course of blogging I found out I had this disease.  All of a sudden I had all these new blogger friends who also shared this diagnosis.  It was so cathartic to talk about these very personal and difficult challenges with people who had been through this.  In addition to medical treatment I find that such support is essential.  I don't want to go through these things alone.  I want to know that there is someone else out there who has made it through and then I know it is possible for me to make it too. 

As much as there is good within such communities there is the dark side too.  The Internet has a way of bringing out the worst in some people.  Maybe it is the anonymity.  Maybe it is because our society seems less patient, less civil, and more combative.  But I have seen things on-line that make me ponder whether there is a spectrum of undiagnosed sociopathy going on.  I am not kidding.  The extent to which some people go to cause trouble such as stealing identities, cyber-stalking, on-line bullying and so forth is extremely troubling.  Of course you know my stance on spammers and trolls.  My basic question is where do these people find the time to do these things? 

Last night I saw both the very best in community behavior and also the very worst.  It was a straight up dichotomy that I could not ignore.  I had to write about it here.

Yesterday one of our members here on MyDepressionConnection was having a very rough time.  This person was in a whole lot of emotional pain and was reaching out here.  I was extremely concerned for this member and it is during these times when I am desperate to say the right thing.  I sometimes feel a bit helpless because all we have are words here.  And this is where you guys came through and gave such incredible support that I felt humbled.  I got to see the power of community firsthand.  When this member wrote back today after a rough evening I was never so relieved.   It showed me what we can do as a community to help.  And for most of us...we have all been there on that receiving end as well where someone's words whether on a support forum or on a hotline helped pull us through.