Anyone else find AIBU helps you find your way even without posting?

[namechange0998776554799000]

I often have a dilemma and type out a long AIBU post, but before I actually post it I hear the collective responses in my head, realise I've answered my own question, and never do. I find it a really helpful way of getting things out and working through them. Anyone else do this?

Most recent example: I found out last week my cancer is likely back, I wanted to vent but didn't want to tell friends & family because I'm so often bringing bad news and bringing everyone down. I felt like most of the responses would be telling me to reach out to them anyway, because if you can't lean on people when you have cancer when can you? So I did, and I felt better for it.

Am glad you've got the mumsnet support group in your head, they can be the ones to lift you when you're down.

I hope you're doing OK, and the reaching out went OK.

Not really, I find most people just attack the OP and most views here are so weird/outrageous I rarely encounter them in real life.

I do this quite a bit too, write a long post and the collective answer becomes quite clear. I end up not posting because I worry about being identified.

Ha @SerenePeach that's a good point, in fact I often amuse myself imagining the snarky comments too

Thank you, I'm doing fine, reaching out definitely helped

❤️❤️

I've often found this at work. In explaining a technical problem to a colleague, because I'm stuck, I'll suddenly realise, ah, I haven't checked X, or I missed Y. I think sometimes it's the thinking process of having to explain it makes you think more logically about it.

I don't even have to type out the post before the collective responses start to appear in my brain! I've found that just thinking about making an AIBU post is an excellent method for problem solving and/or seeing things from other people's viewpoints.

Glad to hear that the AIBU voice in your head was correct and that you're feeling supported by friends and family 🤗

I have a massive AIBU post i wanted to post but there's so much history, i don't want to be accused of drip feeding, and there's so much content I don't want it to be unreadable! I keep going over and over it in my head but in reality I know I'm NBU, the reality is i don't know how to deal with it lol and that's the crux.

So yes, being on AIBU is helpful, reading the comments (shit, attacking ones included!) helps me to have a more balanced view of situations

Yes @toomuchfaff exactly, I've often felt like this too. And then I think well instead of just venting I should post on some other more specific board, asking for a specific bit of advice, but nowhere else is as active as AIBU and everyone just gets too bogged down in the back story or sidetracked by little details