Tonight's chat topic: What are the "free" resources available today to help with #mentalhealth issues...pros/cons...what's available? #mhsm
That was how we started the chat last week and it turned into a discussion full of great resources. Naturally, the conversation led to discussing online support networks and groups. We discussed the pros and cons of "professionally" led and moderated groups versus those solely organized by "peers". The role of a peer versus professional can sometimes be fuzzy, but the overall consensus from the chat seemed to be that it was integral to have an experience in dealing with the mental health issues yourself on some level in order to be a successful group facilitator. Regardless, a facilitator or moderator is essential to the proper functioning of an online group. Many of our chat participants are moderators/facilitators themselves or have previously been, both online and off. It was a great discussion rich with ideas, opinions and resources.
Check out these links for resources on leading/facilitating support groups: http://www.addcoach4u.com/support/supportgroupsmanuals.html
http://www.recoftc.org/site/index.php?id=412
Some links to online support group information:
http://www.namimass.org/helpline/inforefer3.htm#onlinesupport
http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/family_resources.asp?cID=4808
http://www.addcoach4u.com/support/addsupportgroupresources.html
Warmlines: phone numbers to call for confidential support
http://www.namimass.org/helpline/inforefer3.htm#warmlines
These are just a few places to look for these kinds of resources and all were provided during last week's #mhsm chat by participants. See the transcripts of the chat for even more and to find some great people to follow on Twitter.
So far, Chat No. 6 was the most fulfilling chat to date, for me. It went smoothly, I was able to follow with less time lag problems and the conversation was full of resources and great perspectives. I'm still looking to form a partnership with one or two other individuals to help facilitate this chat (hint, hint). Some very kind and supportive people on Twitter have been faithful attendees and have really helped us to get this chat running. I am so grateful for their help. (You know who you are!)
Showing posts with label #mentalhealth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #mentalhealth. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Chat No. 3
Our third chat was perhaps the most stimulating for me, thus far. It seemed all the participants were very enthusiastic and filled with a passion for reducing stigma and getting the word out about using social media for activism in this area. I was just thrilled to be a part of the chat, let alone an organizer.
We started off the chat with a topic raised by @petequily and discussing celebrities who raise awareness and help to reduce stigma by discussing their own personal struggles. The conversation easily picked up from there:
@susanmees @petequily I love the idea of personalities with mental health being more visable. Let's do away with the mental health stigma. #mhsm
@mhsmchat Can we give a salute to those we know (celebrities) on twitter and elsewhere, who are helping to stomp out stigma with social media? #mhsm
@stephintoronto @susanmees @petequily big campaign in canada being put on by @endstigma getting celebs & famous cdns to talk about #mentalhealth #mhsm
@NAMIMass Can your avg person relate/learn abt mental illness from a celeb? #mhsm
@susanmees @NAMIMass I think seeing a celeb speak out helps erase stigma. A lot of folks need the support of knowing others feel similarly. #mhsm
@stephintoronto ending stigma about #mentalhealth starts w me,not a celeb.tangible,real,life,i am now an advocate #mhsm @petequily @MHSMchat @susanmees
@perthtones @mhsmchat #mhsm Celebs speaking of #mentalhealth can help, but many see it as attention seeking - we need cultural change to end stigma:)
From this point the conversation shifted to discussing how we can get involved now and work to end the stigma that far too many dealing with mental health issues contend with. It was very inspirational and a conversation full of great ideas.
One idea taken from the chat was to transform #mentalhealthmonday into a day where we can speak out about how mental health issues have touched our lives personally, sharing with the world so that others know it can affect any of us, that no one is protected from it, it is just part of human health.
This past Monday I spoke out about different ways mental health issues have touched my life, sending tweets out about how many in my family have been affected, how I have been diagnosed with different mental health issues such as major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder. I spoke out about putting an end to stigma and many others joined in, although perhaps not quite as many as I hoped. I plan to continue this movement with #mentalhealthmonday as a way to recognize people who work hard to end stigma and help others with mental health issues as well as a way to share our own personal experiences.
The trends for the use of the hashtag for #mhsm has shown that more people are adding it to their tweets and bringing attention to the chat. I am extremely pleased by this. Unfortunately, I am not savvy in the metrics and analysis of this kind of data, so if you know of some good tools or sites that can help with this, please share! I use hashtags.org to get a glimpse of what is going on, but I am willing to bet there are other sources for this kind of information or perhaps ways to better use this one that can give a better big picture.
You can see all the tweets from MHSM Chat No. 3 on TwapperKeeper.com; just search for #mhsm! I am open for collaboration so please feel free to contact me either here on the blog, through twitter or at the MHSM email address: mhsmchat@gmail.com.
We started off the chat with a topic raised by @petequily and discussing celebrities who raise awareness and help to reduce stigma by discussing their own personal struggles. The conversation easily picked up from there:
@susanmees @petequily I love the idea of personalities with mental health being more visable. Let's do away with the mental health stigma. #mhsm
@mhsmchat Can we give a salute to those we know (celebrities) on twitter and elsewhere, who are helping to stomp out stigma with social media? #mhsm
@stephintoronto @susanmees @petequily big campaign in canada being put on by @endstigma getting celebs & famous cdns to talk about #mentalhealth #mhsm
@NAMIMass Can your avg person relate/learn abt mental illness from a celeb? #mhsm
@susanmees @NAMIMass I think seeing a celeb speak out helps erase stigma. A lot of folks need the support of knowing others feel similarly. #mhsm
@stephintoronto ending stigma about #mentalhealth starts w me,not a celeb.tangible,real,life,i am now an advocate #mhsm @petequily @MHSMchat @susanmees
@perthtones @mhsmchat #mhsm Celebs speaking of #mentalhealth can help, but many see it as attention seeking - we need cultural change to end stigma:)
From this point the conversation shifted to discussing how we can get involved now and work to end the stigma that far too many dealing with mental health issues contend with. It was very inspirational and a conversation full of great ideas.
One idea taken from the chat was to transform #mentalhealthmonday into a day where we can speak out about how mental health issues have touched our lives personally, sharing with the world so that others know it can affect any of us, that no one is protected from it, it is just part of human health.
This past Monday I spoke out about different ways mental health issues have touched my life, sending tweets out about how many in my family have been affected, how I have been diagnosed with different mental health issues such as major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder. I spoke out about putting an end to stigma and many others joined in, although perhaps not quite as many as I hoped. I plan to continue this movement with #mentalhealthmonday as a way to recognize people who work hard to end stigma and help others with mental health issues as well as a way to share our own personal experiences.
The trends for the use of the hashtag for #mhsm has shown that more people are adding it to their tweets and bringing attention to the chat. I am extremely pleased by this. Unfortunately, I am not savvy in the metrics and analysis of this kind of data, so if you know of some good tools or sites that can help with this, please share! I use hashtags.org to get a glimpse of what is going on, but I am willing to bet there are other sources for this kind of information or perhaps ways to better use this one that can give a better big picture.
You can see all the tweets from MHSM Chat No. 3 on TwapperKeeper.com; just search for #mhsm! I am open for collaboration so please feel free to contact me either here on the blog, through twitter or at the MHSM email address: mhsmchat@gmail.com.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Our Debut
Our first chat was held on February 9th at 9Pm CST and I have to say I am quite pleased with the turnout and content! I have to admit, although I came up with the idea with initial enthusiasm and excitement I was a little unsure for a while just before the chat. I wondered if the community would embrace this opportunity and if I was the right person to get this started. I promoted the chat very little in the days prior to the chat, but some faithful friends in the mental health community on Twitter rallied and reassured me that this was indeed a good thing. So, we had our debut and I will call it a success!
I began the chat with the question:
"What are your goals for using social media in regards to mental health?"
@moritherapy @markvanbaale the transparency of social media is a wonderful antidote against the stigma associated with #mentalhealth #mhsm
@markvanbaale @moritherapy Amen! I really think social media has its merits when used to connect those who are struggling with depression, etc. #mhsm
@markvanbaale Question for all on #mhsm chat: With openness of Twitter and other SM channels, do you ever feel "labeled" if you share about ur struggles?
@petequily @markvanbaale yes there can be stigma attached but sometimes you also find unexpected support. Also important to call out stigmatizers #mhsm (I especially liked this one)
@moritherapy @markvanbaale no, i actually find being open about #mentalhealth freeing. #mhsm
@MHSMchat RT @moritherapy yay! @petequily says it's important to call out stigmatizers on social media. #mhsm
@moritherapy another question: how can social media help bring more awareness and less stigma to mental health in the work place? #mhsm
@petequily 12 Ways to Fight Mental Health #Stigma With Social Media corrected link http://bit.ly/UAGRs #mhsm #mentalhealth
@petequily .@MHSMchat @markvanbaale labels are neutral. can be used for good ie find diagnosis, treatment, resources or for harm ie stigmatizers #mhsm
@esmeralda73 Proposed a paper to counselling class re: socmed for mental health... response ...will encourage isolation and "pseudo" relationships #mhsm (want to touch on this topic again!)
@mentalhealthpro @MHSMchat social media gives us a bigger voice and more choice without the fear of stigma. #mhsm
These are just a few of the tweets that stood out to me, but they were all important and added to the conversation. You can find a complete archive of the chat at http://bit.ly/aKdOjV so kindly created by @petequily. You can also find a wrap up post by @moritherapy at http://tinyurl.com/ykvnqz2. You can see a few key contributors really made this first chat work and I am ever thankful for their participation. I look forward to their continued participation and for others to join in!
My vision for this chat is to bring the entire mental health community on Twitter together so that we can raise awareness, end stigma and continue our education process together. This means professionals in the field, activists, advocates, and those who struggle with mental health issues themselves are all welcome and part of this effort. We are all working towards the same goal, better health, and together we can create something very special.
Please join us at the next Mental Health Social Media chat Tuesday February 16th, 2010 at 9pm CST. Don't forget to use the hashtag #mhsm and connect with me on twitter at @MHSMchat and @Abeeliever.
Feel free to send emails regarding the chat, feedback, ideas, etc. to mhsmchat@gmail.com.
I began the chat with the question:
"What are your goals for using social media in regards to mental health?"
And the conversation easily flowed from there...
Topics such as stigma, support and awareness were brought up, but plenty of room left to delve into them further. Some of the tweets that made the greatest impact on me personally follow:
@markvanbaale I could really see where talking openly about one's struggles using tools like Twitter, blogs, etc. makes one not feel alone #mhsm
@moritherapy @markvanbaale the transparency of social media is a wonderful antidote against the stigma associated with #mentalhealth #mhsm
@markvanbaale @moritherapy Amen! I really think social media has its merits when used to connect those who are struggling with depression, etc. #mhsm
@markvanbaale Question for all on #mhsm chat: With openness of Twitter and other SM channels, do you ever feel "labeled" if you share about ur struggles?
@petequily @markvanbaale yes there can be stigma attached but sometimes you also find unexpected support. Also important to call out stigmatizers #mhsm (I especially liked this one)
@moritherapy @markvanbaale no, i actually find being open about #mentalhealth freeing. #mhsm
@MHSMchat RT @moritherapy yay! @petequily says it's important to call out stigmatizers on social media. #mhsm
@moritherapy another question: how can social media help bring more awareness and less stigma to mental health in the work place? #mhsm
@petequily 12 Ways to Fight Mental Health #Stigma With Social Media corrected link http://bit.ly/UAGRs #mhsm #mentalhealth
@petequily .@MHSMchat @markvanbaale labels are neutral. can be used for good ie find diagnosis, treatment, resources or for harm ie stigmatizers #mhsm
@esmeralda73 Proposed a paper to counselling class re: socmed for mental health... response ...will encourage isolation and "pseudo" relationships #mhsm (want to touch on this topic again!)
@mentalhealthpro @MHSMchat social media gives us a bigger voice and more choice without the fear of stigma. #mhsm
These are just a few of the tweets that stood out to me, but they were all important and added to the conversation. You can find a complete archive of the chat at http://bit.ly/aKdOjV so kindly created by @petequily. You can also find a wrap up post by @moritherapy at http://tinyurl.com/ykvnqz2. You can see a few key contributors really made this first chat work and I am ever thankful for their participation. I look forward to their continued participation and for others to join in!
My vision for this chat is to bring the entire mental health community on Twitter together so that we can raise awareness, end stigma and continue our education process together. This means professionals in the field, activists, advocates, and those who struggle with mental health issues themselves are all welcome and part of this effort. We are all working towards the same goal, better health, and together we can create something very special.
Please join us at the next Mental Health Social Media chat Tuesday February 16th, 2010 at 9pm CST. Don't forget to use the hashtag #mhsm and connect with me on twitter at @MHSMchat and @Abeeliever.
Feel free to send emails regarding the chat, feedback, ideas, etc. to mhsmchat@gmail.com.
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