Exentrik

hey-hey all,

regarding some recently-deleted posts, please be mindful that the staff team is all for showing love and support for others. we want you guys to be there for one another, and recognize the value in having a community you can fall back on for reassurance through highs, but especially through lows.

but, we also need to be mindful of how we communicate our support for others. it's easy to fall into some bad habits that can, maybe counterintuitively, hurt more than they help. that's not to say that the term "suicide" is forbidden. i know it's a touchy subject, and the word itself kind of sticks to the roof of your mouth, but september is suicide prevention awareness month and it's good to be up front, and to use the proper term for this particular type of crisis scenario.

the problem (if you can call it that, but i don't think of it as a "problem" so much as a "misunderstanding") isn't that you guys are trying to help, or that your vocabulary is crass or offensive. please know that. i love that you guys help each other through rough patches.

our team is just worried for the possibility that users may feel pressure to act as crisis councilors, as opposed to as friends or those who would like to show support. this kind of pressure can have a negative effect on other peoples' mental health, especially in those individuals who do not have professional training in crisis counseling.

if you feel a fellow PMC user is in genuine crisis, that is, you believe they're in danger of harming themselves and/or others, please contact our team before you contact anyone else. report the comment/wallpost/forums post, or else make a private ticket and/or send a private message to our team. we regularly connect people with resources for help.

if you have any questions, please reach out to me or create a support ticket. Below are a couple of resources for those experiencing suicidal ideation or who are otherwise in crisis

https://988lifeline.org/ call, text, or chat with crisis counselors 24/7
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/ call text, or chat with crisis counselors 24/7

regards,
drzzter