Gransnet for Emotional Support

Oh I agree with this.
Sometimes I just want a ‘I know what you are saying’ or ‘I can’t imagine what you are going through but just want to send hugs’.
As a full time carer for my DH there is a forum that gives good advice but sometimes I just want to say ‘this is really hard and I just want to cry’.

I have reported TaraBylba

I think it's a good idea to have a specific forum.

Family & friends can give hugs & company but there's something about venting to people you don't know, where you can say what you're feeling at that moment without fear of it coming back to bite you later, where there aren't pre-existing expectations & dynamics to navigate. & replies on here are usually very empathetic & validating when someone's obviously worked-up.
Dedicated forum might help all posters to keep it 100% constructive for the first page of comments, rather than someone being triggered by something in the OP & coming back with some scathing remark.

But once that support is offered there’s always the risk of another comment that disagrees or contradicts and the thread takes a turn from support towards debate……..just saying. Human nature I guess.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

petra

butterandjam

That depends what you think "emotional support " is. I don't think Real emotional support can be found on a screen.

If a few lines of honeyed sympathy from an unseen stranger amounted to any meaningful "emotional support", there would be no need for trained counsellors and psychologists. That work could all be done by AI, totally impersonal. AI would resolve all the emotional needs of lonely sad depressed people. Free at no cost. Saving the state millions in medications and the social fallout from personal crises IRL.

that work could be done by AI
It already is. There are a lot of people with mental health problems talking to ChatBots and very happy with the outcome.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002k3hk

I know, Petra.
And Grans ,despite being faceless online people ,are nevertheless people and by and large are people with a lot of lived experience under their belts.

butterandjam

That depends what you think "emotional support " is. I don't think Real emotional support can be found on a screen.

If a few lines of honeyed sympathy from an unseen stranger amounted to any meaningful "emotional support", there would be no need for trained counsellors and psychologists. That work could all be done by AI, totally impersonal. AI would resolve all the emotional needs of lonely sad depressed people. Free at no cost. Saving the state millions in medications and the social fallout from personal crises IRL.

that work could be done by AI
It already is. There are a lot of people with mental health problems talking to ChatBots and very happy with the outcome.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002k3hk

Real emotional support can and has been found on GN when friendships have developed. It can be obvious from the content of the OP if support or advice is needed and the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

That depends what you think "emotional support " is. I don't think Real emotional support can be found on a screen.

If a few lines of honeyed sympathy from an unseen stranger amounted to any meaningful "emotional support", there would be no need for trained counsellors and psychologists. That work could all be done by AI, totally impersonal. AI would resolve all the emotional needs of lonely sad depressed people. Free at no cost. Saving the state millions in medications and the social fallout from personal crises IRL.

Wouldn’t this be better under Site Stuff rather than Education?

As long as people are happy to vent publicly - or ask for advice on a public forum, which is what this is.

Personally, I'd be cautious.

Good idea. Sometimes you just need to vent and not look for advice, can make you feel much better.

Why not? With the aims clearly stated.