I spend time reading posts and TA's and feel very humbled by the responses from the ladies and gents that have taken the time and effort to reply with such compassion and empathy for the writer, despite having there own cloudy days !!

Each time i read a post or TA i slowly begin to realise that i am not alone in the way i feel, and the way that i lead my life is not weird or ' different'..

I can read a post and feel i have a million and one ideas on how to help but then others i feel my advice would be  inexperienced or unhelpful and this has stopped me posting replies many a time.. this reaslisation alone has helped me identify an insecurity issue or lack of self belief which i shall work on improving..

Does anyone else out there feel the Wall has helped or is helping them understand themselves a little better ? and if so how ?

Thank you Wall and all those on here ...

Long may it continue ...

Hi, Cherry, Ant,

I'm happy to know there are so many people who view this site - even if they do not post a reply, a thoght or suggestion - I like knowing someone has been there, seen another's brick or words posted in a TA, and have left their initials, or a smiley or a hug, just something I think is better than a person posting a brick or saying sonething from deep within on a TA and NO one (apparently) having seen it. The person themselves might conclude that no one has seen it, or cared or felt they were able to cope with it, or were not willing to listen - I think it is important therefore, to leave a mark, to say you are there...

because we are all ordinary people out here - it is sometimes hard to keep that in mind, weird but true, it seems - maybe that is why it comes as a surprise when something in our 'real lives' looks so like something here, and we feel sunc commonality with people here...this is a subject I find difficult to find words for, but is very interesting all the same.

-Mebenji

Great TA Cherry.

I think the reason many people here have, as you say, 'compassion and empathy' is that most if not all of us have experienced many of the problems which people write about. Maybe not exactly the same in detail or intensity, but none the more for that whatever the issue, it's fairly certain that someone here can identify with it.

That's what makes this place so bloody good and, dare I say, unique. It is not populated by professional therapists waiting to test the latest theory, it is instead populated by real people who have, or have had, all sorts of emotional problems. Those with problems want help, those who've had problems want to help them - ideal mixture I think.

Any and all advice is given freely and can be accepted or ignored without any ill feeling.

Because of that you should not think that you have nothing to give because you never know when one small phrase might change someone's whole attitude. I have often been surprised at the reaction I've had to things I've said and I bet I'm not alone.

Being on here has taught me a lot about myself and at nearly 59 I didn't think there was anything new to know. I have also changed the way I handle situations, I tend to question more rather than jump straight in with advice. I've also come to accept that many of my personal problems are of my own making and that although I could change situations, to do so would hurt too many people. So, I accept that and hope I can use that experience to help others.

When I first posted on here I knew what the ultimate suggestions would be and I knew I would never take action on them, but just being able to unload many years of upset in a safe and anonymous way helped a great deal.

I hope you enjoy your time here.

Swon

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