Discussion Introducing myself + observation

[observer230]

Hey all,

I'm a new member. I'm not quite sure this is the right forum for this discussion (please LMK!).

A little about me: I'm a prominent advocate in the content moderation space. My scholarship primarily focuses on protecting communities like this one and ensuring that the Internet continues to allow for free and open expression.

Observation: I joined this community purely to learn more, observe, help aid my advocacy efforts (and honestly, even personally blow off some steam when it comes to my own mental health). I'm working on a paper about SS and other similar groups that tend to get kicked off "mainstream" social media. Today, I shared some of that work and current research with my academic community. Someone from that group just informed me though that it created an incredibly uncomfortable situation/conversation and that I was a "cautionary tale" for future discussions (this individual noted they never wanted to put others in the situation I put folks in today). Maybe this is more deserving of the "venting" label but I'm frustrated. It sometimes feels like we pretend to care about mental health when it "looks good" to care about it but no one ever wants to have the hard conversations behind closed doors. I'm not sure how Internet services are supposed to make progress on this front (creating safe and inclusive spaces for this kind of speech/content) when the topic is so taboo even for an academic discussion.

I provided a quick trigger warning for my community today before I presented on this topic. I guess that wasn't enough. I'm curious how you all navigate these conversations outside of this online community. Do you talk openly about this topics with others? Perhaps I'm in the wrong here. IDK feeling really thrown off right now.

 

[Ghost2211]

The first rule of SS club, you don't talk about SS club.

Just kidding. It's nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your time here. Most people in the world can't handle talking about suicide it seems, in any setting. I'm sorry to hear they were not receptive to your presentation, but I'm also not surprised. The world isn't ready for suicide to be socially acceptable.

 

[LonelyNick]

Welcome! You will find people love to engage in debates, share opinions and offer help. It's amazing that you try to push the taboo about suicide talk with mental health.

Good luck!

 

[Meditation guide]

Hey all,

I'm a new member. I'm not quite sure this is the right forum for this discussion (please LMK!).

A little about me: I'm a prominent advocate in the content moderation space. My scholarship primarily focuses on protecting communities like this one and ensuring that the Internet continues to allow for free and open expression.

Observation: I joined this community purely to learn more, observe, help aid my advocacy efforts (and honestly, even personally blow off some steam when it comes to my own mental health). I'm working on a paper about SS and other similar groups that tend to get kicked off "mainstream" social media. Today, I shared some of that work and current research with my academic community. Someone from that group just informed me though that it created an incredibly uncomfortable situation/conversation and that I was a "cautionary tale" for future discussions (this individual noted they never wanted to put others in the situation I put folks in today). Maybe this is more deserving of the "venting" label but I'm frustrated. It sometimes feels like we pretend to care about mental health when it "looks good" to care about it but no one ever wants to have the hard conversations behind closed doors. I'm not sure how Internet services are supposed to make progress on this front (creating safe and inclusive spaces for this kind of speech/content) when the topic is so taboo even for an academic discussion.

I provided a quick trigger warning for my community today before I presented on this topic. I guess that wasn't enough. I'm curious how you all navigate these conversations outside of this online community. Do you talk openly about this topics with others? Perhaps I'm in the wrong here. IDK feeling really thrown off right now.

I don't understand. What position did you put folks in? Are people in your academic community really that up tight?

 

[Stick]

I don't talk about suicidal at all really irl, so this place is incredibly important to me and everyone else here.
I think that the work you are doing sounds great, and the response you are getting seems to me to be proof that this is a conversation that needs to be pushed, and so I thank you for what you are attempting.

 

[Myforevercharlie]

Welcome! I think most people here are quite open and friendly as long as it's anonymous. I think it's a great thing you're doing!

 

[lost guy]

I find it hard to talk about my suicidal tendencies to even those closest to me and that I know who care about me the most.

This place has been a blessing for me as a place to chat or even lurk. I just know that if I tell anyone that I want to die that they will panic and become overly concerned with trying to keep me from dying rather than understanding why I want to die.

It is really awesome to have a community of like minded people to relate to. Also, it helps that it seems that most here relatively have a head on their shoulders, speak (type) eloquently, and most importantly, have a great sense of compassion for one another.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

I can totally imagine that conversation! I would hazard a guess that you're confused/frustrated because you got gaslighted. You acted appropriately for the setting and the context, and then got shamed for it.

I've spent plenty of time in academia in a liberal save-the-world-style interdisciplinary master's program, and they never lived up to the hype they advertised that sucked in lots of folks like me. Lots of talk about changing the world but good luck getting support from staff, or even getting a thesis adviser aligned with your interests, let alone finishing a thesis -- i.e., gaslighting and frustration. Academia is full of big talk from way up on immoble high horses, spoken through pursed lips and exceedingly tight asses, yet with such intelligently sincere wide eyes.

I also spent plenty of time working admin in community mental health. I was a site representative for monthly organization meetings, and was widely disdained throughout the multi-site organization for daring to suggest Christmas decorations were destabilizing for the population we served and maybe we shouldn't have them at the front desks. I poked at a sacred cow, hence the irrational response to a suggestion that was quite rational for the setting, let alone, you know, compassionate. Perhaps you also poked a sacred cow in spite of the rationality and, you know, compassion and liberalism.

That said, I'm feeling a bit confused myself. It seems at best a reckless move to come here and post about what happened, let alone to potentially blow off mental health-related personal steam you wouldn't want people irl to know about, after you've just made a presentation about this site. Some folks are now going to be curious about this site and, as you know from your research, posts are public. Heck, some of them might even be suicidal and you turned them on to a resource. But if it's not reckless, and is actually an intentional move, well then at worst, it's...concerning.

 

[Meditation guide]

Do you talk openly about this topics with others?

Only if I want to get rid of someone fast.

 

[willitpass]

Do you talk openly about this topics with others?

i talk a bit too openly about it and it's landed me in many psych wards. i've learned that what is normal to me scares others off

 

[Sinkinshyp]

I'm very blunt about it. My son died 3 yrs ago in a car accident. I've been beyond broken since. The day I ordered my method I could not stop smiling. Got caught by my mom and I could only burst out in laughter, pointing up with both hands saying I'm going I'm going. She waited that happy dance at the bathroom door couple of hours than called ma me to her room and asked why was I so happy? for 3 years since my son died I have not smiled once. I guess I was so happy to get sits ir ordered than shipping was super-fast. I have said everyday since my son died My sun is dead thee is no pill out there thats able to fix my -support my CTB whne it comes. Let it beknow how severely mental health is lacking, I'm insured with a good COUNTRYWIED insurance USA yet no one short of an air plane right frm me,

 

[Hopeindeath!]

Welcome.

 

[whywere]

WELCOME!!! NEW SANCTIONED SUICIDE GLOBAL FAMILY MEMBER!!!! It is so nice to have you here with all of us. I hope that you find the loving,caring and the empathy that I have found here. ALL the global family memebers here are so nice and caring, I LOVE IT AND THEM! Again, WELCOME and great to ahve you here!!

 

[HadEnough1974]

Hey all,

I'm a new member. I'm not quite sure this is the right forum for this discussion (please LMK!).

A little about me: I'm a prominent advocate in the content moderation space. My scholarship primarily focuses on protecting communities like this one and ensuring that the Internet continues to allow for free and open expression.

Observation: I joined this community purely to learn more, observe, help aid my advocacy efforts (and honestly, even personally blow off some steam when it comes to my own mental health). I'm working on a paper about SS and other similar groups that tend to get kicked off "mainstream" social media. Today, I shared some of that work and current research with my academic community. Someone from that group just informed me though that it created an incredibly uncomfortable situation/conversation and that I was a "cautionary tale" for future discussions (this individual noted they never wanted to put others in the situation I put folks in today). Maybe this is more deserving of the "venting" label but I'm frustrated. It sometimes feels like we pretend to care about mental health when it "looks good" to care about it but no one ever wants to have the hard conversations behind closed doors. I'm not sure how Internet services are supposed to make progress on this front (creating safe and inclusive spaces for this kind of speech/content) when the topic is so taboo even for an academic discussion.

I provided a quick trigger warning for my community today before I presented on this topic. I guess that wasn't enough. I'm curious how you all navigate these conversations outside of this online community. Do you talk openly about this topics with others? Perhaps I'm in the wrong here. IDK feeling really thrown off right now.

Welcome aboard, observe all you want. The fact that this site exists is a testament to how badly the mental health system has failed.

To your colleagues, I would ask them to browse the site, spend day after day reading posts and goodbye threads. Put yourselves in the shoes of those who are suffering and ask us, "what more can we do to help".

The sad reality is that so many mental health professionals lack the empathy required to really truly help people.

Psychiatrists see patient after patient and just prescribe meds which more than half the time does not help.

We can be doing better by simply doing a DNA test to see which meds are more likely to work and which are not. Avoid the "let's see how this class of drugs will work" and 6 months later you feel worse because of the meds.

Thank you for coming here and observing.

As for my ctb, I'm waiting until after November the 3rd. Hey that's when the shits gonna hit the fan and I want to watch it play out on CNN. Peaceful transition of power, or civil war? Stay tuned!!!

 

[LonelyNick]

Its really awesome to have a community of like minded people to relate to. Also, it helps that it seems that most here relatively have a head on their shoulders, speak (type) eloquently, and most importantly, have a great sense of compassion for one another.

The compassion here is what makes this place so wonderful. There's a few bad apples like everywhere humans gather because such is our nature. But mostly, compassion and empathy would be the best way to describe this place.

 

[262653]

Do you talk openly about this topics with others?

Indirectly. Sometimes I talk about topics related to suicide, like euthanasia, nutrition, well-being, biology and such. Sometimes joke about death and dying. See how they react as we get closer to the dangerous topic. I think jokes are a good way to implant a dangerous idea without it being rejected immediately. Or so I like to believe. Like a processed toxic waste presented as a candy. Candy is tasty, so it bypasses the first line of defense, the sensory pass control.

I also plan to start with death and suicide whenever I meet someone I really like. Repulsion and rejection isn't a big loss, at least I can outright guess that we are not compatible, but I like meeting like-minded people outside SS, and I think it's worth the minimum effort.

 

[woxihuanni]

There are a lot of societal problems why people can be forced to suicide, it is a myth that the only reason is depression, etc. I have talked about my situation openly to a lot of people in real life, only to be guilted, shamed, abandoned, mocked. Couple of them wanted to have financial gain out of my death, too.

It does not sound like you can do anything apart from being shut down in your own academic circle, but if you wanted to advocate anything for victims of forced suicide: robust laws for non-physical abuse. Targets of abuse are loaded with the guilt and shaming that should be rightly on the abuser.

You have probably fucked up your career already, though. One thing academia does not like is anyone who spoils the circle jerk party. Good luck.

 

[XYZ]

I'm working on a paper about SS

Really?! I confess I am intrigued. I'd love to hear more about it.

What is the purpose of your paper?
What theoretical framework are you using?
What is your method?

let alone to potentially blow off mental health-related personal steam

Objectivity and neutrality are paramout in research. I agree that a good researcher (especially one whose method is "observation") should not get personally involved with the object of study lest he should influence the results.

 

[SadGuyWannaDie]

I lost a child a few months ago and I have had no filter sometimes to what came out of my mouth. I talked about my darkest desires to die without fear of consequence until I had alienated myself from everyone and now the suicidal ideation is only talked about here. I probably could've been involuntarily committed for some of the things I've said out loud and if I hadn't gone quiet I would've been. I didn't find a lot of understanding or support when I did though it's partly my fault for being utterly inconsolable.

 

[voidman]

Welcome. This goes to show how "normal" people absolutely recoil at the prospect of even discussing ctb.

 

[Rn110bg101]

I talked to my ex-friend about my suicidal thoughts and... well, to make the pain short, we are no longer friends. I wish I'd never talked about them at all…