Solace Offerings Thread

Hey folks

I know quite a few people on this forum going through some rough shit of late, and we have FTFO+2am despairlogs for people to vent their frustrations. Screaming into the void is good and useful! but! if you're like me you may prefer one-on-one conversations, either because they can lend a fresh perspective or help you unpack your feelings on an issue.

If you're even more like me, you may feel bad striking up conversations where the subject matter is how sad/stressed/overwhelmed you are, because who'd want to bother people with negativity, right?

In spite of those misgivings, talking to people is really good! Support networks are great! Taking care of each other is cool and good! I acknowledge that a lot of people are dealing with shitty situations that can't be fixed by some nerds on the internet, but we should help each other out where we can.

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If you post in this thread, let everyone know if you're Offering or Seeking. Feel free to edit your posts to update your status at any time!

Offering help

• Let folks know what mediums you prefer! (Forum PMs, Discord, IRC) Time zones and estimates of general availability are decent too.
  
• If you've got relevant experience with Shitty Life Things (depression/mental health problems, bad family situations, moving out, jobhunting, grad school, being a Creative, anything else you care to mention)
  
• Are you a Constructive Advice type or a Sympathetic Ear? I'd like the thread to cater to both, but this'd help Seeking folks to find the right person to talk to (provided we get enough people Offering).
  

Seeking help

• Preferred mediums, timezones, general availability. If your situation is urgent, ask on IRC or Discord directly (if you can't for whatever reason use IRL services.)
  
• What you'd like to talk to someone about (as much as you feel comfortable sharing. If not, PM someone suitable Offering Help directly)
  
• Whether you want advice/suggestions/a second opinion on your situation+options, or just need to vent
  
• Come back and edit your post if you managed to chat, so we're not kept worrying about you!

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If anybody wants to link free/low-cost hotlines and other services, they'd also be great here! Our diverse geography might reduce their effectiveness, but if they help one person in a shitty place then I figure they were worth posting.

Offering help

I'm in Japan so timezones can occasionally be a pain in the ass (esp. because I do prefer IM-style chat) but I have Discord so fuck synchronity! Forum PMs, discord, IRC if I'm about are all cool as well.

I barely scraped through university (in NZ) and am reasonably clued in on gender+sexuality stuff. I'm pretty decent at looking things up given a solid internet connection so I'm decent at advice, but understand if you just want to talk. Let me know if a feelings jam would help you out!

I'm always willing to let people vent in my direction if they think that will help. I don't feel as confident on the advice side of things, but I can make an effort at that too if that's what you want.

I can also probably help you with math homework, if that's a particular stress source.

Hello friends

Im offering; im in new zealand so i have similar timezone things to schaz but im awake at weird hours and am usually pretty good with replying quick, so.

Ive got pretty severe depression, largely from my dad and stepmum being abusive? Its seriously impacted my studies (failed out of high school, finished two tertiary qualifications and currently studying a third) and have gotten pretty good at doing damage control on my life. I just moved out with one of my partners (in a planned move) and previously grabbed all my shit and literally escaped my dads house. Im a lesbian poly ace so im all g to talk about queer stuff! Im cis, but v willing to listen re: gender stuff too. Im in one long distance relationship and another that used to be long. Got experience there in terms of immigration stuff.

Oh i also make comics; studied fine arts and graphic design and am studying animation. Ive also somehow managed to network myself inside the local art scene.

Im down to talk on discord, skype, pms, email, even tumblr or twitter. I havent got proper internet for the next week or so but i always have my phone and its data connection on me.

Im good to talk whenever assuming im not having a major depressive episode of my own! Even then, i do far better trying to help someone else other than myself. I am v here for listening and can give some halfway decent advice, i think.

Offering: prefer to use Discord (tirefire) or Skype (snidelydame), odd Alaskan hours, PMs are welcome

Experience with depression, anxiety, anorexia, school woes, art school woes, nonspecific art woes, typical post-undergrad issues, relationships, self-confidence, and seeking therapy/counseling. I can offer advice or just listen, it's your choice.

I will do my best to compile a list of resources for people seeking low-cost mental health support and assorted other goodies.

Offering help

Don't necessarily feel super confident on the advice-giving front but up for trying, otherwise perfectly happy to just lend an ear to venting/thoughts/whatever you need to get off your chest if you need it.

Feel reasonably informed on relationshit, (undergrad) university things

Can communicate via whatever (discord, skype, PMs, IRC, whatever else).

This thread would be more useful if it didn't give the illusion of silence?

I don't know if any of you have been taken up on your offers, and if you have, I wouldn't assume the seeker doesn't want to stay anonymous.
But it does sort of look like this thread is old and useless if you just read it as it stands. Are any of you *still* offering support? Does anyone actually use this? Maybe this is stupid and I should just go away and keep my hurt to myself (thinks the hypothetical thread-visitor.)

So if there's actual activity based on this thread, maybe some way of making sure that impression gets across, just so people it might help don't human-psychology themselves into not using it? And if not... uh... I guess it doesn't really matter anyway.

My offer certainly still stands.