Support Group: How to find psychological help on the Internet
It is believed that social networks regularly add negative emotions to us, and numerous studies say that they can exacerbate depressive states and make us more anxious. No wonder: it often seems to us that in comparison with perfectly selected photographs of friends and their fun statuses, our real life loses. But social networks are first and foremost a tool, and it depends on us how we use it.
Many of us have long been in the habit of driving the symptoms of a disease into a search engine (naturally, taking into account that not all information published on the Internet can be trusted) - it is logical that when it comes to mental health issues, we do the same. Mental disorders are still stigmatized, and talking about depression and severe emotional states in a culture where optimism and efficiency are valued is not accepted. And in this case, the Internet becomes a very powerful tool: it helps not to withdraw into itself, to find support from people not only from its environment (this is not about random advisers and incompetent advice, but about the “feeling of the elbow”), allows you to look at the situation more widely and meet those who are facing the same problem.
This is the purpose that serves the Koko mobile app, a social network developed by researchers from MIT, which, according to its creators, should be something like the Yahoo Answers service. Unlike the latter, Koko is aimed at helping people in stressful situations and resolving domestic conflicts, well, or simply supporting them when cats scratch at heart. A user can tell a social network about a situation from her life (for example, "My roommate ignored me when she came home. She probably hates me"), and other users can comment on his message and help me see what is happening from a different angle (" She probably just had a hard day ").
Similarly, the online community of 7 Cups of Tea works: on the website and through the mobile application, the user can contact the “listener” - a volunteer who has passed a special training - and share the problem. The creator of the project, Glen Moriarty, compares it with the meetings of anonymous alcoholics: people seek advice, and when they receive it and cope with the situation, they help others. True, the question of how well such a model works is left open: not everybody can cope with a difficult situation, it is enough to exchange several messages or an online call. In addition, experts note that in some cases an online conversation with a patient is not enough and you can fully assess a person’s condition only after seeing him live.
← So the project developed 12 Kinds of Kindness
Before you decide to talk about a problem, you need to admit to yourself that it is, and it can and should be solved - and this is not an easy step that requires courage. Designer Jessica Walsh worked on the project 12 Kinds of Kindness, in which, together with her friend, she tried to become kinder to others through a 12-step program. The fourth step of the program was to forgive myself for some event from the past - then Jessica realized that she had to tell you how she faced anorexia, depression, and how she deliberately tried to inflict physical injuries and injuries on herself. So she founded Let's Talk About Mental Health for people with psychological problems: at first there were only stories of Jessica's friends and acquaintances, but today anyone can share her story. Walsh hopes that the site will help people learn to talk openly about their psychological illnesses and will show that the most ordinary people face psychological problems who lead "unremarkable and otherwise productive lives".
The network is easy to find and specialized resources devoted to specific problems, such as the Anxiety Social Net - a social network for people with anxiety disorders, and in recent years there are more and more of these resources. So, a couple of weeks ago, the Intrusive Thoughts website was launched to help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A community of like-minded people and people with similar problems often develops around traditional blogs. This is exactly what happened with Rubyetc's tumbler: led by London-based artist Ruby, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In a blog, she lays out small comics about her experiences that help her throw out negative emotions and calm down - for example, about how difficult it is to find a psychotherapist, about panic attacks, tears without a reason, and how to live with bipolar disorder. Ruby says her comics are interesting not only to those who are confronted with depression or anxiety: "There are probably situations that concern each of us, but that we find it difficult to talk about, because this makes us vulnerable."
Despite the fact that online services cannot be considered a full-fledged replacement for face-to-face consultations, in some cases they are the only way to get help - for example, if people want to discuss tabbed topics anonymously. The acclaimed Longrid Medium, which was released in 2014, talks about the American Adam, who created a support group for teenage pedophiles who realized their passions and do not want to hurt anyone - it is not difficult to guess what kind of reaction such a group could meet offline.
Online consultations and support groups are also needed by those who do not have the funds for a course of psychotherapy and who do not have the opportunity to contact a qualified specialist, for example, if there are no such people in their city. You can consult with a psychologist for free at relevant forums: it is important to pay attention to the qualifications of consulting specialists and the reputation of the resource. You can also ask for advice in specialized groups in social networks - however, in communities with a large number of participants the risk of running into an insult, unsuccessful recommendation and a specialist with questionable qualifications is much higher. You can get help from trusted communities with strict moderation and rules, such as the support group for LGBT teenagers “Children-404”. Another option is a closed support group for a relatively small number of participants. This, for example, was organized by journalist Alisa Taiga, who openly spoke about her struggle with depression: there are about 250 participants in the community who share personal experiences and ask questions regarding psychological health; the content is moderated.
The widespread proliferation of mobile Internet, we must thank for the opportunity to almost instantly get an answer to your question. This also applies to mental health and difficult life situations: even Siri's assistant learned how to answer questions about domestic and sexual abuse and give contacts to organizations that provide help. Mobile apps are a good way to instantly get support and advice if they are needed. As in the case of other recommendations on health issues, caution should be taken here: remember that there are no universal methods that would help everyone without exception, listen to your own feelings and, if possible, discuss the advice received with a specialist. Applications can help those who are already undergoing psychotherapy: using a smartphone, you can, for example, keep a mood diary, perform breathing exercises or meditate.
Mobile technology seems to be the future of research on mental health issues: it’s easier for us to tell about our experiences anonymously and when this is required simply click on a couple of buttons. The nonprofit organization Postpartum Progress has released a similar application to conduct a large-scale study of postpartum depression; with his help, she hopes to interview about 100 thousand women. While the program is available only in the US, UK and Australia, but its creators hope to conduct an experiment in other countries.
Similar polls, like social networking, are the first step in combating the stigmatization of mental diseases, because they help start an open conversation about them. Appeal to social networks is not a panacea and does not always help to cope with a specific problem - but the fact that they are starting to discuss it is important in itself. Perhaps it is the social networks that will help someone not to be alone with their state, finally begin to listen to themselves, their needs and sensations - and begin to take care of their mental health.
Photo: Rubyetc
