Administrators and General NMP Points

[Pipkin]

All members,

You may have noticed that there has been a lower than usual admin presence on the forums over the past couple of weeks. The admins are still active on the forums but have had less time to spend reading through each thread as we would normally do due to various personal circumstances. After all, we are all sufferers of anxiety ourselves and sometimes need time out, as I'm sure you will appreciate.

You will now see a heightened admin presence but please consider that it is still very time consuming to read through the hundreds of posts made each day on the various forums. If you feel particular posts need to be brought to our attention, please use the 'report this post' option and we will be instantly alerted to your concerns. We'd ask that you explain as clearly as possible what the issue is so that we are able to investigate it thoroughly. However, we feel that members themselves are often very adept at resolving problems between them in a sensitive and considered manner which is often more effective than admin intervention. Just because we don't intervene immediately doesn't mean we're not watching carefully.

The real strength of this site is its members, some of whom have been members for a long time, others have joined more recently. What we all have in common is our suffering from a variety of anxiety conditions which have led us to joining to seek support and/or to support others. Even just a general light-hearted chat can do wonders sometimes. It is important to remember that at any one time, different members are dealing with different issues and we must all respect that. If a member asks for help, they are looking for our support. Some issues may seem relatively minor to others but we all have such issues at one time or another and they are no less serious to the original poster.

Some members' current state of mind results in their inability to accept support and advice constructively as they are unable to see beyond the difficult position (and doubtless panic) they are in. In most cases, this isn't a rebuff, just anxiety at its worst doing what it does best, leading us down a path which sends us into a vicious circle of doubt and fear. Try not to take such perceived rebuffs personally and, if you feel that your input at that time is not helping the OP, it's often better to offer future support but to step away from such threads for a while.

If you feel you have become frustrated or upset to the point that you feel your only option is to leave NMP, we will always respect your decision after a 24-hour holding period. However, we would rather you took time to consider and perhaps take some time away from the site for a while if that would help. If you would like to discuss any such concerns with the admin teams, please contact one of us and we will try our best to help and advise. The list of admins can be found here:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32647

The list of chat room moderators can be found here:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32646

I have to add a personal note to say that this site has helped me beyond anything I could have expected. It's easy to feel that you're on your with your anxiety and this site showed me that I am not. It also helped me to come to terms with some aspects of my anxiety which I previously denied were anxiety related. I know I am far from alone in feeling this way. I have achieved things in my life over the past 4 years that would not have been possible without the support I received here, both personally and professionally, and I find it difficult to know how to repay Nic for the tireless work she commits to the running of the site. This isn't meant in any other way than a heartfelt thanks to her from me.

A final point which I find very useful for me. If you feel upset or annoyed by a post and feel you need to respond immediately, don't. It's easy to take a little time to get things into perspective and reply more calmly later. It's impossible to take back comments which you made in haste and later regret. They will have been read by others even if you later delete them.

Take care everyone and keep up the great supportive environment that you all play a part in creating and maintaining.

Pip