Are any of the chat rooms serious?

@DalkomhanInsaeng

All the rooms are 35+ inclusive! One thing that may help is going into a room that says "support" sense support rooms are supposed to be for support and should be number one before chit chat.

It just depends on who's in there. I mean, it's still the internet, after all.

There are guided discussions from time to time so those might be worth checking out (although the calendar isn't always right?)

@DalkomhanInsaeng hi! It's great that you're seeking support for depression. You could also try finding a listener to talk to. Many of them specialize in depression. Just check out their stats first since a lot of the listeners are kids or aren't super serious. I'm a listener and I'd be happy to listen to you. Feel free to leave me a couple messages and I'll be very happy to listen or try to find you another listener myself for you to click with. :)

Recovery is possible!!!

@DalkomhanInsaeng

If you'd like you can chat with a listener 1 on 1 to have a more focus chat on your personal issues! If you feel like receiving professional advice instead, please do also consider connecting with a licensed therapist instead.

Chatrooms are more of a general chit chat places, and do keep in mind that almost everyone(unless they are a listener/mentor) who ventures into the chatrooms are in need of emotional support and everyone has their own different issues. Say, if there's 10 people inside 1 particular chatroom, it might mean that there are at least 10 different issues that people wishes to discuss. It's highly unlikely that we'll be able to focus on any one of those issues, especially when there's no mentor or listener guiding the conversation.

Keep in mind also that almost all the members who venture into the chatrooms are not trained professionals, but rather people who require emotional support just like you and me. To you, it may seem like talking about TV shows is not "serious" and "unfocus", but to some people having a general chit chat with someone they're close with about TV shows or movies might take their minds of their issues, and for some others dealing with issues such as social anxiety or loneliness, chit chatting about TV shows with people of common interests online might be the only social interaction they get when they are having none offline, so for them it might actually be doing them a whole lot of favour.

All-in-all, if you want a focused chat about issues that you are concern with, 1 on 1 chats with a listener of similar interest will be most recommended. You can visit the "Browse Listener" page and filter listeners by their age, topics they are familiar with and also gender and many others to find a listener you feel comfortable chatting with.

In addition to what has been said,

Don't give up hope on the chatrooms just yet.

Sometimes I enter the depression chatrooms and am delighted and surprised to see a discussion happening between anonymous members about depression. People relate to each other. Share with each other. Help each other as best as they can.

Yes, I feel your frustration about conversations about TV or food in the support rooms, but it doesn't necessarily mean that those are the only conversations that will ever happen ever. Our depression can make it easy for us to judge a few experiences as all we can expect, or to discard a possible resource as unusable, but keep giving them a chance, and maybe one night you too will be surprised by an amazing display of compassion and understanding about depression from complete strangers in those rooms. Chatrooms are admittedly hit-or-miss, but if we ignore them entirely for the times that they miss, we'll miss out on the times that they're full of supportive people.

It's also completely okay to interject a new subject and see if someone is as brave as you are in that present moment. Like, "Is it okay if I talk about how depressed I am feeling lately?" I'm sure someone will say that you can go ahead and you will find like-minded people who relate to you and can share their experiences with you too.

I'm sorry your first few experiences with the chatrooms have not been good for you, but I hope you give them a few more shots. In the meantime, even if you do give up on the chatrooms forever, I hope you do not give up on yourself, and keep looking for some sort of resource that helps you, such as the 1-on-1 chats, hosted group discussions, self-help guides, or participating in the forums.

No I kinda feel the same way. :(

Many of the chat rooms may seem not serious, but usually what I see happening is people start on a serious topic and it evolves into chit chat. Dont hesitate to join in on the conversation or even just say, Hey, I dont feel well, can I have some support? They are support chat rooms before chatter.

If this scares you, I recommend finding a listener. There are many out there willing to help you. Check their ratings, and if they seem good, go with it. Dont bias on age, though. Yes, some on here arent really helpful, but Ive met people my own age who are serious, and they can really help you. All you have to do is request help, and one should come and talk to you.

If you wanted a group chat, though, and that makes you more comfortable, maybe find a few listeners who are willing to chat. Maybe invite some members along.

If you want, you can message me. There are many better listeners than me, since I just started today, but Im still here. If you ever want to talk, just message me, and I will reply as time permits. Like I said, Im not the most experienced, but Ill talk anyways. I want to help as many people as possible so they dont feel alone :)

@DalkomhanInsaeng irt is great you have reached out for support, it isn't easy. I agree the chat rooms seem just chat but if you ask a question, generally someone will respond. Alternatively contact a listener for a 1-1 chat, particularly if you have a pressing issue. Keep working the growth path and keep asking questions.