I have noticed a very disheartening trend lately. As uncomfortable as posting this makes me, I love this app and have received so much wonderful and valuable help I hate seeing it deteriorate.
In my opinion, hijacking threads to one up other members, ganging up on opinions that clash with yours, talking about people in other threads, or just straight up insulting people, serves absolutely no purpose on this forum.
We don’t all have to like each other but this needs to be a safe space for help and support and of mutual respect. Not one where reading a post spirals into becoming entangled in conflict.
We are ALL just one drink, one drug, one action away from succumbing to our addictions. If I go back to alcohol I will die. I rely on the valuable and insightful opinions, experiences, as well as constructive criticism of the members here.
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.
This place is like life. We have good days we have bad days. Emotions get stored up then all come out. We would wish we would all, always get along and help each other. We are all human, and at times our imperfections get the best of us.
Maybe its a good thing it happens, teaches us addicts and alcoholics acceptance and how to move along ignoring the B.S. we dont like.
One thing I like so much about TS is the positivity that flows around. Yeah, there are moments, but we do a great job of managing the abuse.
Been on other forums, and I’ve had much worse experiences
I am so sorry you are feeling this way. Honestly, I thought the board was doing quite well at the moment. Absolutely we go through waves of positivity/negativity. It’s the natural ebb and flow of any forum. If you are feeling this negativity I urge you to stick it out until the positivity comes back, because it will. And your sobriety will be the better for it.
(I have walked away from the board in the past because of in-fighting…all it did was bring me to relapse. Eventually I came back because I needed this board to keep me focused.)
Glad to see you putting your thoughts out there. I don’t visit often anymore, but I do know this is a trend that comes and goes here…and can get very disheartening.
We are all just human, doing the best we can where we are at right now. And for many on here that means having raw emotions and poor coping techniques. And sometimes people are not particularly thoughtful with responses.
For me, I had to learn to think and take time before posting when I was in the thick of it. And also not to impose my beliefs or POV as the only way.
Remembering that many of us are in a vulnerable place in our lives right now helps me to have compassion for the other struggling souls here. And believing once we know better, we do better and once we build up some confidence we aren’t so easy to slam others.
Anyway…good on you for voicing your concerns and caring. Kindness and compassion are so important for a healthy environment.
And I think I may have found the thread that brought this on.
Sadly, I think when arguments like that come up it is actually a cry for help. Something is bothering that person (or persons) and they are lashing out everywhere…at real or perceived wrongs.
I hope that love, not bickering, will be the thing that brings them back. Sometimes it is just best to let it go at the moment and then reach out later once all has calmed down.
I hope YOU are feeling better about this board today. We are all here to help each other, with love.
I don’t come here very often for this reason. I like so many people here, but the few that pop up with their drama and selfishness made it unhealthy to visit as often. I used to checkin here everyday and now I don’t. I miss being here, I dont miss drinking.
