Wing of Madness Depression Guide

Chat Guidelines

The Support Group Atmosphere

Chat is a support group atmosphere, not one-on-one therapy that you are paying for. Please don't make other members feel guilty if they don't focus on your problems exactly when you want them to. They are suffering as much, if not more, than you are. Remember also that although everyone has crisis periods, overall you need to give as much support as you demand.
Strong language should be kept to a minimum.
Respect the opinions, cultures and beliefs of others. Many people here are in a vulnerable state of mind. Disagreeing with someone is expected to some extent, but personal attacks are not permitted for any reason.
If you are drunk or high, you may be asked to leave chat. Remember that you're more likely to say something you regret in that condition and relationships here have been damaged that way in the past.
Lurking (listening but not talking) is fine, but you may want to tell people that you're going to lurk.
A certain amount of idle, non-depression related chat is expected, but let's all remember why we're here. Joking and banter can be found in any chat - ours is meant to help each other through this illness. If someone wants to talk about depression, all other topics should stop or be taken elsewhere.
If someone is suicidal, refer them to a local hotline or urge them to go to the hospital. Anyone who encourages the person who is suicidal to go through with it will be locked out.
If someone new comes into chat please welcome them and let them know you are there for them if they feel like talking; nobody should feel forced to talk.
If you are going to be away from your computer, please switch to the Away subroom.

Trigger Topics

Since we don't have the ability to segregate trigger topics in chat the way we can on the board, we need to be more careful about discussing them.

Specific discussions about cutting or sexual abuse are not permitted unless everyone in the chat room is comfortable with it.
Religious discussion and proselytizing (trying to convert others to your religion) are not permitted in chat. Please remember that some people are offended by religious discussion and not everyone believes in the same deity that you do.

Private Messaging

Private messaging is only for conversations that need to be conducted in the chat room but are too sensitive for one reason or another to be public, or for very quick personal remarks. If you need to carry on an extended personal conversation with someone else, please exit the chat room and use one of the other rooms - The Quiet Room or The Cafe - or use an instant messaging program like Yahoo, MSN or AIM. Other chatters do know when two people are not participating fully in the room's conversation and feel ignored, especially if the group is small.
Be very careful about what you say in private messages. Due to human or computer error, it could show up in the room. Do not say anything that you wouldn't want the whole room to hear.

No Sex, Please!

No cybersex. Period.
No A/S/L questions (age, sex, location). This is not a dating chat, and those questions make people uncomfortable.
Sexual harassment of any kind is not permitted by either gender. Flirting should be kept to a minimum. Take it elsewhere if you want to want to pick someone up. Sexual discussion about depression (i.e., medication causing sexual dysfunction) is fine, but bear in mind that someone in the room might be uncomfortable. Change the subject if that becomes obvious.

If You're Suicidal

This chat room is a support group situation, with no trained mental health professionals present. Please call a suicide hotline or go to a clinic or hospital if you feel that you might act on your suicidal feelings, as opposed to just wanting to talk about them.

Problems?

Transcripts of the day's chatting are sent to WoMDeb every night. If there is a problem in chat, please email or private message her on the board and she will look at them. Remember that private messaging in chat is included in the transcripts.

As on the board, if you have a problem with a chat moderator's behavior, please take it to WoMDeb in private message on the board. She will look at the chat transcripts, among other things.