Ideas on Improvements etc to TBBD.

G’day, You Lot.

I'm wondering, what if any, changes or alterations or additions would you like to see here to the layout on TBBD Message Board?

Are there Topic Categories which should be added, or existing Topics split to make them more relevant, or what?

F’instance, I’d quite like to see the ‘News Items’ Links which are sometimes posted, all in the same place and easily found.

Remember, the Topics don’t have to be directly related to Mental Illnesses – they are just part of our lives and there is much more to us, than our diagnosis.

Having said that, do we want ‘Diagnosis Specific’ Topics, eg:
Major Depression,
Borderline Personality Disorders,
Eating Disorders,
Bi Polar Disorder,
Substance Abuse and Addictions,
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders,
Post Traumatic Stress,
Schizophrenia,
Seasonal Affective Disorder,
Suicide,
Grief and Loss
and other ‘stuff’ like that?

I’d appreciate your thoughts and ideas on this one please, ‘cos I can’t think of everything (and somedays, all I can think of is nothing.) What would make TBBD more useful to you as a wellness tool, and also, what can we do to ‘convert’ Guests to Members?

I won’t let TBBD be used for formal research projects or the like (ya can read my reasons at https://thebigblackdog.forumotion.net/t980-notice-to-all-members-use-of-tbbd-for-research-purposes) but I can’t stop Guests from reading posts. So how’s about we make our place a bit more interesting and useful, to us?

Please, feel free to put your ideas here, ‘cos I need them to help grow our site and make it more useful and more relevant to us.

Ta very muchly.

Paddy.
Admin etc.

I really like the idea of having a news forum.

I dunno about having a suicide and grief forum. One of the things I really like about TBBD, is that it's a lot more positive than other mental health forums floating around the internet.

I'll think this over some more and see if come up with any ideas.

Hi,

I agree it would be nice to see all the news links under one section.

I am also a bit uneasy about having a suicide and grief forum, but for a different reason than Doc. Suicide is a touchy subject and has to be handled correctly. I don't think we (the members of TBBD) have the apporiate skills and training to handle suicide or crisis issues. It takes specalist training and experience. Even though I deal with these issues often in my line of work I have resources I can fall back on i.e. my manager, supervision, other staff.

I think our approach we currently have here on people in crisis is correct, that encourage them to seek help from the approate services and help them find those services.

It is the same with grief. Grief is very complex and there are various stages that one must go through. Again I dont think we (the members of TBBD) have the skills and training required. Again I think we currently have the right approach where we support members and help them seek the approate help and support.

Would be intrested in hearing other opinions.

Roswell

It is great that there is so much information on here for anyone to learn from and by getting to know us through our posts decide whether to become members or not but some people sometimes have fairly delicate, personal issues that they trust us enough to share but maybe not the whole world so to speak. Could we maybe have just a very small members only area. Not to be used for general chat but for things that are a bit more personal.

A members only area would be great for a couple of reasons. Mainly it will be hidden from the search engines like google, meaning we can say stuff without it being spread all over the internet.

Maybe vent and my journal could be made private?

I like that idea doclazy, Vent and my journal for members only...

Personally i would not like to see the word suicide on the topic list, it would be a visual reminder of the past.....

Your doing a fantastico job... I salute you with my 2ltr trim Milk

Poetry

Speaking from my own experience the Christmas before last I was suicidal and ready to tip over the edge I think, I don't even remember much of it.

I will be forever thankful that there was somewhere I could call for help (being a Registered Nurse I was reluctant to go to my own ED) but most suicidal people anyway don't want the "fuss" and questions.

Only the top 3% of emergency admissions make it to the acute unit anyway and that is a tragedy but its a fact.

Paddy Quinn thank you so very much for having this forum, because the other contactable agencies were either on hold or on holiday.

Martinexx

Im scared of it going to change when Ive just found it. Its the first site of this kind that I have ever contributed to, and the first that I have found that I have wanted to contribute.

I like that it is NZ based, and I really like that it is somehow managing to be a place where people can share but without it turning into its own deep pit of depression. Does that even make sense? The few sites I have looked at in the past, I have fled from as fast as possible, because they feel such a festering pit of disenchantment. Despite people having some very real and painful experiences here, together there continues to be a positive vibe to it.

I think that must be very hard to achieve, and I think in large part it is due to your 'management style' Paddy. Hats off to you for managing to be caring, kind, and somehow keeping the boat going forward.

Hey PAddy,

Over the last few days there has been a few posts on people wanting to get more exercise or loose weight. Just wondering if w could have a health and fitness section where we could record our own fitness journals and motivate each other.

Cheers

That sounds look a great idea Roswell. I would hold a celebration party if I could make it down and back up from my own letterbox, that is my current goal.

I have a suggestion. Could we have a View New Posts (VNP) thingy available? Would it be a pain in the bum to set up?

It would be great to have it, because it would make it easier to find the threads where people have responded, rather than looking through them individually so to speak!

Maisie... drag the following link up to your bookmarks bar. That's what I do.

https://thebigblackdog.forumotion.net/search.forum?search_id=newposts

Hi maisie ..... there is a 'view new posts' thingy .... on the Home page on the left side of the screen - it's in small writing.

daze

Ah! thanks guys!

i am wondering if maybe paddy you could make a board for "inspirational storys and sayings"

they could be personal storys or ones you've heard or read maybe?