PsychCentral

Imo If you need mental health help seeking it on the web is not the best place. There are some ppl i ran into on that site looking to take advantage of others.
I did thou make some very good friends there. There were some true and honest ppl there.
Imo...
Imo there was no safety net for kids there. Chat rooms are open for all registered.
Imo it can contribute to mental health issues including computer addiction, abuse on the net
I watched a few of my friends there be attacked for no reason and also banned with no reason given... IMO things took place in chat that should not have been allowed. They were brought up to adms
Imho it could be a haven for cyberbullys and criminals which really makes me wonder? How does this help mental health.
My other thought is? Are the moderators and adms team trained? Jmho
Please be careful on the net. Not is all as it seems imho.

P.S. ALways remember to keep your self safe on the net

As stated in my title, I'm a long time member of Psych Central, 10+ years! I have learned so much there, not only about my mental health struggles, but others as well. I certainly wouldn't have been a member of Psych Central this long if there wasn't something positive and uplifting and educating about this site. Not only are there very active forums to partake in, there is so much more to see and learn there. There are many contributors who write articles for PC as well as "Ask The Therapist" and great information about specific mental illnesses/disorders to read about. Last but not least are the friendships I've made on the forums over the years. I have been blessed by these folks and I'm every so grateful to DocJohn for providing such a wonderful place!

Looked at site recently, Why have you banned all the interesting people on there? They disagreed, or didn't complain enough for you? Sad. Pax.:-)

After an old friend told me she was concerned her daughter was suffering from the same eating disorder I have fully recovered from, I went to the forums to see if others gave good advice and to also help others know that recover is truly possible.

Not only did I see ONLY 2 success stories written, the threads were filled with pessimism, shame and general negativity. Because I had been in that dark place before, I know it's very hard to see a way out. But when you are finally out and walking in freedom, you want everyone to be able to come out too.

I wrote my recovery story as a first post. I did not post anything about taking therapy, or drugs or reading any books or even links to other websites. I only encouraged others by saying that recovery was possible and I asked questions like, "Did your doctor say you had to stop eating chips?" None of my posts/questions were approved and I have been banned forever for (as they wrote it) "Apparently trying to advertise." I have written them for an appeal, but I have yet to hear any word of response.

I honestly don't think the moderators want anyone to get real help or to have the audacity/courage to think they might be able to help themselves. It's truly a shame.

I had been a member with Psych Central on and off for several years. The problem
Is that it's moderated in the wrong way - freedom of speech is pretty limited to be honest, even if you're respectful, have a valid point to make and state clearly that you don't intend to debate. It's basically over controlled to the point where you start to feel targeted if the people in charge don't like you or something you've said. I've been in a few situations where another member has behaved in the wrong way and yet I've somehow been given the blame, even threatened with moderation and account suspension - it's just not helpful or therapeutic really. They say that it's a respectful and supportive place but it's very much on their terms - benevolently disagree at your peril. Couple this with the fact that a lot of the time the quality of discussion is so poor you might as well not bother and the articles written are usually shockingly stupid and one sided. There's a whole lot to deal with on Psych Central - just very little to gain.

To be blunt, some of these very negative reviews seem to be from people who don't know what they're on about or who have had a limited field of vision, so to speak.

Having actually been on the site for years, life-long suffered from mental health problems, and been involved with some of the CST, I can tell you that Psych Central is a good site. I am not being biased.

PC does not nor has it ever (to my knowledge) stigmatized mental health, and the idea of that is quite offensive to me and surely to the people who work hard to make sure someone like me has someone safe to go within the great wide web.

Have I always agreed with the team? No. That's not reason enough to slander an entire website and demean all the good they have done. Believe me when I say I have seen some terrible websites out there that are worthy of a 1 star, Psych Center, however, is not.

So, with all this said, why only 4 stars? Because I'm quite a literal person, and I see "You love it so much you want to tell the entire world," which simply isn't the case. Due to the nature of the site and personal information (related to one's life and problems) shared, I certainly wouldn't want to tell the world all about it, but if I know someone who's struggling, the first place I think of when I want to suggest a website, is of course Psych Central.

Thanks for reading.

I was a active member 3 years met a few friends. While I was a member two people took there life. The last month was a living nightmare. I got bullies so bad i to felt like taking my life. If someone does not do nothing there will be more suicides. I have proof chat logs private messages everything. So psych can "STOP BOTHERING ME WITH THERE THREATS ABOUT MY ACCOUNT BEING IN JEOPARDY I ask the site to delete my account pictures of my family they have not done that. Your review will help others learn about this website.

Please do not review if you are affiliated or have a conflict of interest with this website.

PsychCentral is a peer support group. As such it is not going to meet the needs of every individual. Of course those who are not happy with their outcomes will be doing most of the reviews. You get out of it what you put into it, if you are courteous and respectful you will mostly get the same respect back. Attacking others or judging others will be monitored. Keep in mind that this is a mental health peer support group your not going to get diagnoses and you will hear things you might not want to hear.

Like any large group there will be disagreements. Much of your experience will depend on which forums you visit. In some forums you may meet large personalities. There is an option to disengage in those clashes by ignoring them. This site is immensely helpful if you keep an open mind and don't let a small handful of people ruin the experience for you.

Largely my experience has been very good. In 5 years I've learned I'm not as alone as I thought that having bipolar is not something to be ashamed of and wasn't as forthcoming with doctors as I should have been. Consequently my doctor appointments have been more open and helpful because and the medicine easier to fine tune giving me a far better quality of life.

PsychCentral is a wonderful place for people to connect with others who have similar issues. I have never had anyone to talk with who understood what I was going through and I found many understanding people on this site. As with any internet site it has rules and guidelines, and if you follow them you won't have any problems. Thousands of people depend on the forums and chatrooms daily for support, encouragement and social interaction.

It is beyond my understanding why anyone would come to a peaceful site with a stated mission and challenge the rules and try to change things. PsychCentral is an informational and support site for those with mental illness and related issues. NOT a current events, political, debate, sex, or religion site, though there are forums for these topics.

I am glad to be a member and have made many friends from around the world who I have a lot in common with. It is my main social interaction every day. I love PsychCentral and the people who put in their time and effort to make it a very special place.

... you get what you put into it.

That may not sound encouraging to some, but it's true. Yes, there have been times where I've posted that I haven't received the responses I've hoped for. But I've never been attacked. And I find that, while I may not have met a million friends, I have had different opportunities there. I have been a community liaison; I have made close connections with others on the site. I tend to fluctuate between being really active and only checking in once in a while to respond to personal messages. As someone who has been active on the site for almost four years, I can honestly say that this site helps me feel like there is a safety net between me and nothing when everything else fails.

Is everyone there perfect? NO. The site is not filled with professionals who are going to tell me what I need to hear all the time. It is filled with flawed human beings who are also suffering with their own stuff. If someone says something that's out of line, I either ignore it, report it, or just tell them that what they've said is out of line. Kind of like the rest of life.:)

Good site overall; glad I've found it. One thing that works consistently for me: if I'm having a bad day, and I don't feel like I'm being heard, I reach out to others and give them the support they need, rather than waiting for it to come to me. Might sound cliché, but it works. I've made incredible friendships that way, and really, that's how it works: the therapeutic value of one person helping another.

I belonged to Psych Central for seven months. Despite being regularly bullied by moderators and by several long-term PC members (who, naturally, the mods give support to), I stayed with the site hoping that if I followed their strange rules and kept trying harder, harder, harder I would find the warm and caring environment Psych Central keeps promising. I was so upset by goings-on on PC that I finally told a family member about it... about how I felt anxious every time I thought about going to the site, fearing I would be pushed around by mods and by certain members. The person I confided in told me that I needed to stop and think about how I felt, and that it sounded like PC was not a helpful website. Those words were a wake-up call. Today I was, as usual, bullied and shamed by one of the long-term members and by a mod who was tip-toeing around, but basically took the side of the clearly imbalanced person who was targeting me for her wrath. Finally, I said ***ENOUGH!***. I have deleted my account and won't return to PC again. The only valuable lesson I learned from participating in the PC community is that I need to set healthier boundaries for myself -and should have followed my gut instinct and left the forum many months ago. I feel incredibly proud of myself for LEAVING Psych Central! I strongly suggest that, for anyone considering joining PC, just don't do it. Unless you're a bully looking for people to abuse, you will not find help on that forum.

I went there and they just made up real bull$#*! lying about there business Indian scammers they lied

Was an occasional poster (not very high volume) for several years before I noticed the Psychotherapy board seemed to be focused on disrupting relationships between people and their therapists. It was like one of those relationship boards where people always tell you to dump your boyfriend.

Most posters are not looking for ways to improve their well being or their lives, just whining and getting "validation" for their terrible pain. Much of the focus seems to be on endless retelling of narratives about "bad" or "unethical" therapists, which is mostly defined by therapists who won't let you scream at them or "handle anger" or who terminate clients when they start stalking them or in the "victim's" terms, express their transference."

There are bullies who have very uninformed "opinions" about psychotherapy in general and post the same information repeatedly about how much they know about the topic because they've been to some therapists. You will also be ganged up on if you have an unpopular opinion, which is essentially anything that disagrees with the mob mentality or points out other ways of looking at things. Many posters just repeat themselves in endless cycles, It is not a board for those interested in personal growth or living a healthier or happier life. It's as if you can only post there if you're miserable.

Perhaps if you are short on real life relationships, you might enjoy the Couch thread, where you can gossip about other threads in violation of the rules and never have to worry about moderation. You can share snippets of your life in ways with the mean girls who are really impressed with themselves and their vocabularies and ability to drink excessively and misuse their prescribed medication.

There are many ugly dynamics in the group on this site, threads that are posted to mock other threads, often using "polls." Posters can block others from the threads they start by using the "ignore" list. I have seen more than one poster start a thread and then block others who respond in ways they don't like. I have been surprised to find I was blocked by a couple of posters who then posted on the threads I started. At least one prolific poster, who regularly insults other people and brags about how rich and important she is, writes like a 4th grader and starts threads in response to other threads she disapproves of. That's just one example of the routine childishness and clique style of this "support" board.

I found the information on this site to be unbiased and objective, and really in-depth. I appreciated the personal stories and articles about living with different mental health conditions, not just from professionals but also from people who cope with the condition day-in and day-out.

My experience in the forums was positive. I found people who suffered from a concern similar to mine to be supportive and offering thoughtful advice. I also found it a very safe environment, as every time I was on I noticed there was a moderator or someone else in charge who was logged on as well. There's no spam to deal with in this community, and I didn't run across any trolls.

An excellent site... saved my life! I have been there for 6 years and can't wait to get on it every day for support and insight for me. Don't hesitate to join.

Recently, I read a blog post by a PhD credentialed mental health clinician on Psych Central that contained clinically unsubstantiated content delivered in a very negative, sarcastic, unprofessional spirit of communication to the public. There were several emotionally-charged comments from readers who were disturbed and offended by the piece -and rightly so. I attempted, repeatedly, to submit a comment that was aimed at providing accurate information about the subject matter contained in the blog, but found that every time I attempted to submit it, it would not post to the site in the comment section. At first, I considered my comment not being added as a technical glitch of some kind. But, after multiple attempts, and attempts to submit from other email addresses as well, my good discernment led me to confirm that my comment is being blocked/disallowed by the author of the blog or Psych Central moderators.
I'm a published writer on the subject of stigma and mental illness, an experienced mental health advocate, as well as a counseling student trained in Motivational Interviewing. I find the jagged, bullying tone of the blog irresponsible and potentially harm-inducing for readers who are family members of those with diagnosed and undiagnosed mood or personality disorders.
Its indefensible that the judging, hyper-critical, sarcastic, empathy-less, clinically unsupported 'opinion' communicated in this contributors' blog post, under the guise of 'expert' advisement- is reflective of the mission statement so articulately communicated on the Psych Central home page. PsychCentral and, in particular, the blog posts author needs to put them selves in check. I will no longer refer my readers or colleagues to Psych Central. Very disappointed in Psych Central. And, just more confirmation that just because someone has a PhD, they can also remain exceedingly immature in their field of study with a perspective that is, "shut tighter than two coats of old paint":-)