Reading this website has damaged my mental health during Covid

[Outseyeder]

Firstly I am 100% aware that it is a choice to read any of this website including the Coromavirus section. A short while ago ai posted about mental health difficulties I was having due to lockdown. Amongst supportive posts I was also met with a torrent of patronising, unempathetic messages telling me to get a grip, NHS, WW2 etc. I just want to say to the people that posted this stuff that you made an awful time even worse for me. I would also like to say to the administrators of this site you should have been far quicker to step in before further damage was done. When the nature of some of the posts and their effect on me became clear, I completely stopped reading it myself. Other than this post and possibly follow ups if the thread does not do what so many have done and turn toxic I have not come on here for 3 weeks and will extend this period indefinitely. I dont know any of you and I will never meet you but I wanted to say that amongst positive and helpful posts, this website has allowed some of the absolutely vilest, most sanctimonious and self-righteous toxicity to poison people's mental wellbeing at a time when this was the very last thing many needed. I used to find this a place of enjoyment and support, now, just like the village I live in, it has become a poisoned place full of bitter and aggressive people taking it out on each other.

🌻💐hope you are in a betted place now, please try to ignore the toxic what is coming through at the moment xx

MN is not a good place to post if you are feeling vulnerable and is risky even if you are not because there are always people looking to make themselves feel better by being mean. Especially at the moment people seem angry and bitter and primed to snark about anything. Sorry you had a bad experience OP.

You have to take the good with the bad on here, some people are just nasty and enjoy hurting others.
Try not to take it to heart.

Did you post in the Coronavirus topic? You might have got more responses from people who understood in the Mental Health topic.

I’m sorry for the hard time you’re going through

Prob best to hide the coronavirus topic completely or just read / post on the good news thread is my advice

I’m sorry that the first person who responded to you on this thread failed to read your mood correctly, and carried on the pile-on. I don’t feel as bad as you do, but I completely recognise what you’re saying about this place at the moment. Probably best to stay off here and find more supportive and empathetic company at the moment.

Its not a good place to be posting when you are feeling down, I learned it the hard way. Hugs xx

There is a mental health section where you could have posted to gain support from others in a similar situation. I agree though mumsnet can be horrible at times.

you posted 11 days ago, not 3 weeks. was that thread deleted?

I'm sorry you are having a horrible time. I agree this place can be completely toxic and you need to have robust mental health in order to deal with some topics including this one which has been entirely nuts for months. Unfortunately some people seem to get a kick out of frightening and depressing others.

If you recognise your triggers you should be able to steer clear of topics which upset you.

All the best.

I posted the previous time I was referring to under a different name. As for this thread I read the comment about the first comment being continuing the pile on and decided not to read the first comment. I would like that poster to know that I haven't read your post, I won't read it, and you cannot therefore get to me

There are some pretty awful people on here but there are a lot of kind and caring people too. Sadly you have to pick where you post very very carefully. Mental health, general health type topics seem of little interest to the nastier types. You may not get as much traffic or posts but you’ll get better support.

Sorry you've had a tough time. There are some very nasty posts on here sometimes, really senselessly brutal. There is some good support too though.

I agree with you OP.

I thought mumsnet would be supportive and full of good ideas .

But I see cruel , judgemental and personal posts .

I still come in here but am careful about which posts I go on .

The Negativity is overwhelming sometimes .

And if people wrote about women the way men are persecuted on here there would be an outcry .

I agree, op, there are some real arseholes on here, I really am perplexed and disappointed at times about why some people feel the need to be so downright nasty...it baffles me, there must be something very wrong with them and they must be very unhappy people. I also see sometimes that one or two start and then others pile on..it’s almost like bullying..interesting but sad behaviour.
BUT...I have also had some amazing advice and there are lots of very lovely, kind, funny and super smart posters on here. For that I’m very grateful and I only listen to them.

I’m so sorry you were feeling so shitty and felt even worse afterwards, please don’t let faceless people behind a keyboard/phone upset you 💐

sorry OP - I know for a fact that me venturing on MN is phase one of my anxiety starting to spiral again. For every very positive, grounded and constructive interaction, there is another less fortunate one.

I hope you can find more supportive networks, or focus on the more supportive boards of MN (there is a way to block certain topic on the web version! it improves it a lot)

There's no doubt that on mumsnet as well as on other types of social media there are some nasty people as well as some nice people. I'm sorry you've been further distressed by the nasty ones.

Sorry to hear you have been having such a tough time, OP. 💐

I agree with pp saying to hide difficult topics. I clicked into this thread from trending, but normally post in Style and Beauty, The Litter Tray, and sometimes books/TV - all are full of helpful, friendly posters, with lots of “regulars”. I would never, ever start a thread in AIBU or Coronavirus, but I have started loads looking for advice on a cat question, or a beauty question, and got kind, useful, supportive posts in return.

Sorry @Outseyeder some people can come across quite nasty on here. You should have reported the thread of you were unhappy or emailed them as I find the couple of times I’ve got in touch they have been very helpful.
Mental health is a hard subject I don’t suffer from it myself so I wouldn’t comment but unfortunately it is a topic people have very strong opinions on.
I hope your feeling better in yourself.

Hi op, I suffer from MH problems too op, aswell as physical issues and I’ve found this place to be an absolute lifeline at many times since I joined in 2014.

If you’ve decided to leave then there’s not much I can say to change your mind but bear in mind that you’re in charge of what you look at, the topics that interest you and what can help you.

Don’t let a minority of nasty posters ruin it for you

I posted in AIBU once and got some truly horrible remarks. I expect a bit of a hard time on AIBU, but sometimes people go too far and just keep poking. It really rocked me for a while. I think in the covid pages you shouldn't get as much of a hard time as on AIBU, but I have noticed some really vicious posters on here. A lot of people seem to think they r virtuous gods! who can do no wrong and have a right to berrate and tear others apart.

Just ignore the idiots OP. Never stoop to their level.

Take care of yourself.

@Outseyeder I totally get where you are coming from. I too have taken long breaks from mumsnet as it is just so toxic and scare mongering sometimes. Some folk seem to take joy in kicking others when they are down and obviously struggling. I hope you are feeling better

What are you hoping to achieve with this thread OP? It seems a bit like you are poking a wound.