Message Boards Regarding Psychotherapy Topics

[keolu hills]

Do any of your patients regularly get support from psychotherapy message boards? If there are any, are you in support of this or not? Members discuss therapies, problems with therapists/psychiatrists etc.

While I was doing an internet search, I ran into a message board like this. I perused the board, and saw that patients often encourage each other not to bring up certain things to the therapist. In one instance, a woman was very attached to her psychiatrist too the point were she would drive past his house. Sometimes she would park on the same street and just watch his house. She asked if she should tell her psychiatrist what she was doing. Other members encouraged her not to. I didn't think this was very good.

So, I got curious if any of your patients visit these types of boards on a frequent basis. I didn't even know they existed. If you have, what are your thoughts about them?

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[FatherPsychiatry]

I have some borderline patients that are apparently in some big Facebook group for borderlines. My impression is the group does provide a strong and constant source of validation for them, but a lot of that validation ends up reinforcing bad patterns and potentially losing out on good parts of their life and opportunities for growth.

For example - a patient's partner is late coming home from work and it throws the patient into a crisis of abandonment and paranoia the partner is actually with someone else. Patient posts on the Facebook group about this and gets an immediate stream of "you deserve better! You're way better than him/her! LEAVE THEM!" I guess if it stops them from cutting or ODing well that's great... but with a good relationship with a therapist (especially someone experienced with DBT and crisis management), not only can they validate but also focus on chain analysis and learning/utilizing skills to hopefully grow from this experience (and not end a relationship due to transient, stress related paranoia).

 

[Sushirolls]

Internet forums, even this one, can be great/neutral/bad. No different then friends, family, or people at social venue saying, "dude(tte) you soooo should do XYZ!"

They don't replace professional advice. We have professionals for a reason.

 

[hebel]

I have some borderline patients that are apparently in some big Facebook group for borderlines. My impression is the group does provide a strong and constant source of validation for them, but a lot of that validation ends up reinforcing bad patterns and potentially losing out on good parts of their life and opportunities for growth.

For example - a patient's partner is late coming home from work and it throws the patient into a crisis of abandonment and paranoia the partner is actually with someone else. Patient posts on the Facebook group about this and gets an immediate stream of "you deserve better! You're way better than him/her! LEAVE THEM!" I guess if it stops them from cutting or ODing well that's great... but with a good relationship with a therapist (especially someone experienced with DBT and crisis management), not only can they validate but also focus on chain analysis and learning/utilizing skills to hopefully grow from this experience (and not end a relationship due to transient, stress related paranoia).

Those BPD Facebook group do have some great memes.

 

[keolu hills]

I think I wasn't clear in my first post. In some of these boards, the patients are very educated (some are therapists at the Masters level in therapy themselves), and the discussions are about therapy, theories, and individuals whom are having problems with their therapists/psychiatrists/MSW social workers. They don't discuss family or friendships with members because the forum is specifically about problems with their therapy sessions or therapist.

Many times patients are obsessed with their clinicians and stalk them online or actually go to their homes. Members seem to enable one another by stating that it is not good to let their therapists know. That is why I think these forums are not too good.

 

[Sushirolls]

Freedom of speech. Amen, God Bless America. Probably not a whole lot can be done to change these forums. So you can possibly contribute and advocate for the perspective you wish to see ... or not?

These educated people may actually not be as you suggest, are they some how verified and their identities clearly labeled? I mean, heck, I could be an 11yo boy with an iPhone board in his social studies class.

There are conclusions you could even draw from this Psych forum. Some that people might consider less than ideal. ARNP as inferior to MD/DO? For profit hospitals as bad? Rounding on an inpatient unit expediently? Etc.

Simply put, I'd say focus on what you have a sphere of influence over and that is your actual patient encounters, and if asked about online support forums encourage, but note that they will find good and bad advice on those forums and should still seek the direction of the professional. What else can be said or done?

 

[Mass Effect]

Many times patients are obsessed with their clinicians and stalk them online or actually go to their homes. Members seem to enable one another by stating that it is not good to let their therapists know. That is why I think these forums are not too good.

All 50 states have stalking laws, so people bragging about this in an online forum are taking one hell of a chance.

There are conclusions you could even draw from this Psych forum. Some that people might consider less than ideal. ARNP as inferior to MD/DO? For profit hospitals as bad? Rounding on an inpatient unit expediently? Etc.

I have faith if people knew what actually goes on in for-profit hospitals, they'd be shut down or at the very least, severely penalized (perhaps even legally) and those in charge would lose their jobs.

 

[keolu hills]

Freedom of speech. Amen, God Bless America. Probably not a whole lot can be done to change these forums. So you can possibly contribute and advocate for the perspective you wish to see ... or not?

These educated people may actually not be as you suggest, are they some how verified and their identities clearly labeled? I mean, heck, I could be an 11yo boy with an iPhone board in his social studies class.

There are conclusions you could even draw from this Psych forum. Some that people might consider less than ideal. ARNP as inferior to MD/DO? For profit hospitals as bad? Rounding on an inpatient unit expediently? Etc.

Simply put, I'd say focus on what you have a sphere of influence over and that is your actual patient encounters, and if asked about online support forums encourage, but note that they will find good and bad advice on those forums and should still seek the direction of the professional. What else can be said or done?

1. Freedom of speech is a ludicrous response! THAT WASN'T THE POINT AT ALL!
2. I know they are educated. I have met a couple of people on the forum. Also, if one claims to be a provider, proof is required.

 

[keolu hills]

All 50 states have stalking laws, so people bragging about this in an online forum are taking one hell of a chance.



I have faith if people knew what actually goes on in for-profit hospitals, they'd be shut down or at the very least, severely penalized (perhaps even legally) and those in charge would lose their jobs.

Now that is an important point to make. Hmmm I should register on that site and mention that. Thank you.

 

[Ceke2002]

Do any of your patients regularly get support from psychotherapy message boards? If there are any, are you in support of this or not? Members discuss therapies, problems with therapists/psychiatrists etc.

While I was doing an internet search, I ran into a message board like this. I perused the board, and saw that patients often encourage each other not to bring up certain things to the therapist. In one instance, a woman was very attached to her psychiatrist too the point were she would drive past his house. Sometimes she would park on the same street and just watch his house. She asked if she should tell her psychiatrist what she was doing. Other members encouraged her not to. I didn't think this was very good.

So, I got curious if any of your patients visit these types of boards on a frequent basis. I didn't even know they existed. If you have, what are your thoughts about them?

If it's the board I'm thinking of, Yikes! I was a semi active member on possibly the same board for a few months on and off. I eventually left because of the disturbing nature of the obsessive and stalkerish behaviour that seemed to not only be openly discussed but encouraged in some quarters. As for warning about stalker laws, yeah people tried that, they even pulled up different cases and case law to show how seriously stalking a therapist was taken, but, ya know, these guys were in lurve. <insert massive eye roll>. If it is the same board there was also several cases of patients recording their therapy sessions without permission and then posting the recording to the forum, again without consent, so they could point out how bad and horrid their therapist was and how they should totally be given permission by everyone to quit therapy, because listen to how nasty they're being to me (blah blah baulderash). Surprising no one the taped therapy sessions consisted of the patient being manipulative and baiting, and the therapist being completely professional and trying to help. Yeah, not a place I'd recommend to anyone. These days most of the good forums for therapy discussions, and the like, are very small, very private, often invite only groups on Facebook.

 

[deleted480308]

There are conclusions you could even draw from this Psych forum. Some that people might consider less than ideal. ARNP as inferior to MD/DO? For profit hospitals as bad? Rounding on an inpatient unit expediently? Etc.

Are you proposing otherwise?

 

[keolu hills]

If it's the board I'm thinking of, Yikes! I was a semi active member on possibly the same board for a few months on and off. I eventually left because of the disturbing nature of the obsessive and stalkerish behaviour that seemed to not only be openly discussed but encouraged in some quarters. As for warning about stalker laws, yeah people tried that, they even pulled up different cases and case law to show how seriously stalking a therapist was taken, but, ya know, these guys were in lurve. <insert massive eye roll>. If it is the same board there was also several cases of patients recording their therapy sessions without permission and then posting the recording to the forum, again without consent, so they could point out how bad and horrid their therapist was and how they should totally be given permission by everyone to quit therapy, because listen to how nasty they're being to me (blah blah baulderash). Surprising no one the taped therapy sessions consisted of the patient being manipulative and baiting, and the therapist being completely professional and trying to help. Yeah, not a place I'd recommend to anyone. These days most of the good forums for therapy discussions, and the like, are very small, very private, often invite only groups on Facebook.

I don't think we are not talking about the same board. First, the one that I read through consisted of posters telling a poster how creepy it was for the person to be stalking their therapist. In fact, there were a couple of situations were posters were told not to engage in this behavior.

Also, I find it interesting how one person may talk badly about their therapist, and after reading about what happened, many of the posters don't agree. Often times posters suggest and encourage other posters to discuss upsetting situations with their therapists.

No one has ever posted audio recordings.

It is a pretty interesting site. Quite a few of them are interested in research, theory, and treatments. Although, the site is really to discuss therapy occurrences.

 

[Sushirolls]

Are you proposing otherwise?

No. That was a counterpoint post.