NOT KNOWING THE RULES IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO BREAK THEM. Failure to follow the rules will result in disciplinary action, potentially including immediate removal and permanent bans.
This group is intended only for adults 18+
We won’t ask you to verify your age, but we do ask that you please keep in mind that this group is NOT intended for anyone under the age of 18. We occasionally discuss topics which may not be appropriate for younger audiences, and we allow use of profanity and plain language when expressing ourselves. There are also numerous potential legal issues when minors get involved and we would just rather not have to deal with that. Anyone discovered to be under the age of 18 will be immediately removed from the group.
Rules
1. Always be kind to others. Obviously, trolling is never tolerated, but a snarky attitude and rude demeanor toward other members will also get you banned.
2. Follow the Community Guidelines.
3. Profanity is allowed, but slurs of any kind are NEVER okay.
4. You may NEVR stream or record our meetings. Our weekly meetups are intended to be a safe space where people can openly share what they are going through without fear of judgement, so please respect the privacy of our members.
5. Allies are welcome to join and quietly observe to learn, but this is a support group, NOT a focus group, so please do not come to our meetups to promote your businesses, research studies, or anything else which could be seen as using this community. We are not here to do work for you. That includes the emotionally exhausting work of answering questions and explaining ourselves to “normally healthy” folks.
6. NEVER suggest possible treatments or diagnoses. Suggesting potential diagnoses can worsen anxiety, and unintended misinformation can have devastating consequences.
7. NEVER tell someone else what they should do to treat their conditions. If someone explicitly asks you for advice, that is fine, but unprompted advice, or blatantly pseudoscientific / predatory “miracle cures” are NEVER acceptable. You CAN talk about what medications and practices have helped you in the past, but it’s never acceptable to promote any specific medications or treatments in this group.
8. Don’t compare your conditions to anyone else’s. Being sick isn’t a competition. Phrases such as “At least you don’t have __.” breaks rule #1.
9. We do not allow discussions of suicide or self harm. This topic, even when handled with care, can be extremely triggering. Nobody in this group is qualified to handle this conversation appropriately, so please do not discuss this here. Threatening to harm yourself or even joking about it will get you banned immediately. If you are in crisis, please call your region’s suicide hotline (988 in the United States) or text “HOME” to 741741.
Community Guidelines
This group is intended to be a safe, supportive space where we can all come to de-stress and openly discuss our conditions without fear of trolling, drama, or any other discomfort.
If we’re all mindful before we speak, we can avoid drama and have a good time here! Before speaking, ask yourself if your comment is mean-spirited or intended to demean or make someone feel bad. Refrain from making comments that bring that kind of negativity to this community.
We all have bad days sometimes. It happens to the best of us. If you’re feeling on edge or like you might lash out unintentionally, please just take a step back and allow yourself time to cool off before you snap. We have a zero tolerance policy against rude or snarky comments. Please don’t let your bad mood get you banned.
This is a support group, not a debate group. If a conversation turns into a discussion over any subject which could become heated, moderators may step in and remind you not to engage in debate. Furthermore, if anyone asks you not to discuss a certain topic, please respect their request and refrain from talking about it. Certain topics can be very triggering for some people, and we want to respect that. It’s an act of kindness that costs us nothing. If members devolve into a less than civil discussion, the topic will be immediately changed, and we’ll move on. If someone tries to keep the conversation going despite attempts to move on, they will be banned.
If you think another topic should be added to that list, please let us know!
Disclaimers
This is a peer support group. We are not medical professionals. We cannot, and will not, suggest diagnoses or treatments for any disease.
This group is accepting of all forms of illnesses and disabilities, and this includes psychiatric conditions and mental illnesses. Please keep in mind that nobody here is a licensed therapist. As difficult as it is to have to address this, it is important to set the following boundaries:
You are responsible for your behavior within this group. I understand that some mental health disorders impact judgement and mood, but if your behavior is harmful in any way, regardless of the reason, you will be removed from the meetup and potentially banned. We need to be responsible and protect the mental health of others in this group, and being subject to an outburst can be very traumatic for people.
If you mention intent to self-harm or even JOKE about suicide, you will be immediately removed from the meetup and potentially banned. Nobody in this group is qualified to assist someone who is in a crisis. Putting that burden on people in this group is unacceptable. I have dealt with suicidal ideation myself in the past, so I understand needing to seek help, but this is not the place for that.
If you are in a crisis, please contact your local suicide prevention hotline. Click this link for a list of worldwide numbers to call. You can also reach out via text by sending “HOME” to 741741 or via phone by calling 988 in the United States.
Disciplinary Action
Accidents happen, and moderators understand there’s nuance to be considered in all situations, but when someone breaks the rules or goes against our community guidelines, disciplinary action is called for.
Depending on the severity of the offense, someone may be immediately banned with no explanation, or they may be temporarily removed from the group and contacted by a member of the moderation team later on in order to discuss what happened and resolve the situation. If it’s just a mild offense, there may only be a verbal warning and reminder of the rules.
If you believe you were unjustly banned and would like to appeal your situation, you can submit a support ticket embedded below (or click here to visit the form page) and explain what happened. If we determine that you can safely return to our community, your ban may be lifted. It may take a little while to assess your case and respond, so please be patient.
Who is the mod team, anyway?
Our moderation team consists of trusted, long-standing members of this community. We discuss potential disciplinary action-worthy behavior in a private channel in our discord server. Before permanently banning members who are not obviously behaving maliciously and must be immediately removed, we discuss the situation and decide as a group how to proceed, anonymously voting on what actions should be taken to resolve issues. If you would like to apply to join the mod team, please fill out this form.
SpoonieVR 