Is it healthy to read other peoples problems and experiences on the forum?

[integral]

To be constantly exposed to negativity and problems from others. Is this really a good thing to expose ourselves to?

Is it healthy to play the game of the therapist or counsellor or advice giver? 

[Devin]

No it's not healthy to do it constantly, most people already have enough negativity in their lives already. If you start feeling down there's a good chance you're reading too much of that stuff. Try to find 'balance', whatever keeps you in 'peace'.

Edited January 2, 2023 by Devin

[Aaron p]

There's quite a responsibility being advice giver. Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach...but also there's a big trap of constantly putting your attention on other people's issues which can actually be you avoiding your own development...easy to give advice, hard to lead by example

[LastThursday]

I think giving advice requires you to think more deeply than you normally would, especially if there's an ongoing dialogue; so that's healthy. It can also increase your empathy over time, because you're having to think about what another person needs. There is the question of whether the advice is actually helpful or damaging, but even there you become more attuned to people's responses with practice. There is also the matter of whether you should even be giving advice if you have little knowledge in a particular area (say depression) - I'd say not.

With a forum the greatest problem with giving advice is the nature of the medium. Most of the context and all non-verbal cues are lost, so that's a lot of information, and you're left guessing more often than not, which is clearly not ideal for giving advice. And, some people's problems really do require professional treatment and advice, and this forum is not suited to that.

If you're someone that empathises deeply with others, then each interaction will have a strong emotional connection, and that could be negative for you in the long run. Most counsellors for example, will have counselling sessions themselves to decompress and work through their own emotions.

 

[Carl-Richard]

If it truly affects you emotionally and it becomes overwhelming, then certainly no. Other than that, a lot of the forum is low quality entertainment and self-harm. All people engage in it to some extent, so you have to get it from somewhere, though it's good to become aware of it from time to time. I think the worst part is getting complacent with behavior that you despise, as a sort of co-dependency with the larger space. If you get used to not calling it out, people can take advantage of that in your daily life.

[soos_mite_ah]

I think its a matter of knowing how to have proper boundaries with yourself and having the self awareness to recognize when things are taking an unhealthy turn for you. 

Some people, like those who have devoted their lives to the mental health field, often receive a degree of fulfillment from helping people. Others end up identifying too much with that role to where they find themselves in unhealthy dynamics. Some people learn a great deal from watching the mistakes and life experiences of others and use that information to better their lives. For others, the negativity can affect their psyches too much to where it starts bringing them down.

Those are some things off the top of my head. You may resonate with them or not. There are many other ways that people can react to being constantly exposed to negativity and problems and it can manifest in complex ways where experiences can overlap. That's where your self-awareness comes in so you know how it's the best way to deal with it for you personally. 

[Ulax]

@integral Think it depends upon where you are in terms of your own level of emotional mastery. As well as how the problems relate to issues in your own personal life.

[SOUL]

I'm not sure how this is any different from in everyday life, except here it's simply words being read on a screen though sure in great detail, but while in day to day life there may be less detail, yet it's much more messy with emotions, attitudes and personalities in bodies bumping into us everywhere we turn.

Edited January 3, 2023 by SOUL

[Jowblob]

In short , no . Being with low consciousness people is draining and in long term they will affect your own consciousness which will go down. It only has a benefit for them being around you, but not for you if you're aware how somplistic their problems are. It takes years of work and attention on 1 person just to raise his consciousness a bit if he is willing to put work into it, if not than you're just lying to yourself and have an ego