The mental health of this community [Read Staff Post Before Posting]

[Masoyama]

Fucking vile honestly.

Coming in to declare how you don't care about people that are suicidal, that you find them a bother and then to whine about a forum ban.

Click to shrink...

I care about suicidal people obviously. My best friend killed herself 3 years ago this past December and it wrecked me for a whole year. That is absolutely not what I am saying.

With that experience I learned that what you think helps and what actually helps are two drastically different things. And you can only help people you really know and care about. Platitudes mean shit. So, I internalized the lesson. Giving empty encouragement to someone that is suicidal is either useless or in some cases detrimental to their health. Mods should know this and enforce this.

Also, I am not really whining about the ban. Its whatever, I just find the explanation hilarious.

 

[Matrix Monkey]

As someone that suffers from depression I've started to visit here less often because of the frequency of the depression threads.

Yes I can ignore them but even reading the thread title can be something that gets me thinking about my own depression.

I think they should be merged into a mega thread or the Mental Health OT.

Alot of them don't even meet the posting criteria for threads in terms of fostering discussion.

 

[Landy828]

The fact that people feel safe telling us/ posting on this form is a good thing!

Listening and offering help is what we need to do. Even if our ability to help is limited, something is always better than someone having no one.

We should never discourage anyone from reaching out, and we should make every person that needs it feel safe about making a thread.

the only thing I could suggest that might could change is that we have an entire section for it. a single thread where each person's individual voice would be lost iS NOT a good idea.

 

[Doggg]

It is a serious issue, but I'm not sure what to do about it.

 

[Ashlette]

For those of you saying that Resetera is joyless and negative, have you found a better alternative? Another place to discuss video games and geek culture that is positive and inclusive?
because I do not disagree with you, but I haven't really found another place where I can read about my hobbies and discuss them in an inclusive environment.

Click to shrink...

Any forum that stays away from politics will have members who show their true colors when a political topic eventually pops up.

It seems impossible to have an inclusive and apolitical forum. But I could be wrong.

 

[jph139]

Suicide rates have been climbing in general, not just here. I imagine internet negativity can exacerbate the situation for people, but I don't think any one website would be significantly worse than any other.

I imagine the fact they're tolerated and in a way, even encouraged by the amount of attention they get is probably a bigger issue than anything else. Self-harm can be viral that way.

 

[Aldi]

I'm glad this thread was made because iv'e seen a lot of suicide threads recently so its great that you guys are putting your heads together for a solution.

My wife works in Mental Health and iv'e have had a few loved ones commit suicide or attempt to, so this is something that hits close to home.

I wish i could help more myself, but i never know what to say and i have a habit of coming across insincere.

 

[Kyuuji]

I care about suicidal people obviously. My best friend killed herself 3 years ago this past December and it wrecked me for a whole year. That is absolutely not what I am saying.

With that experience I learned that what you think helps and what actually helps are two drastically different things. And you can only help people you really know and care about. Platitudes mean shit. So, I internalized the lesson. Giving empty encouragement to someone that is suicidal is either useless or in some cases detrimental to their health. Mods should know this and enforce this.

Also, I am not really whining about the ban. Its whatever, I just find it hilarious.

Click to shrink...

Sorry for your loss first of all, that is rough. Thanks for clarifying, the posts in addition to "I mean I don't really care about helping anyone out so I ignore it" made it seem like it was more about brushing people under the carpet than trying to remedy a solution from this. I disagree with only being able to help those you know and care about though; demonstrably false in my experience around this.

 

[Xando]

Would be interesting to hear what mods think of the situation considering there seems to be more and more of these threads popping up

 

[Kittens McMittens]

ERA is not a healthy place to be, especially for people who have anxiety, depression and other issues that are exacerbated by an endless flood of nihilistic shit that people post.

I'm extremely concerned that suicide threats aren't instantly locked and reported on, especially when you factor in that people who are making suicide threads are very likely being influenced by what they are consuming on ERA as well. It's beyond reckless that mods let these threads stay open and let untrained professionals deal with someone who may or may not be having a "cry for help".

Not to mention, it isn't healthy for the community at all if suicide threads are just allowed to be on the top of the OT page for an entire day, it's not fair to people who suffer from suicidal idolization if they see a thread about self arm get flooded with support, and not fair for people who are just on ERA to see a thread where someone is threatening self harm. There really seems to be a complete lack of regard for basically everyone else and the impact these threads have on others in the community.



If your average internet poster can talk someone out of suicide, then a trained professional will almost always have the toolset to do that. And what about the flip side? How can you be sure that random people on the internet aren't going to say the wrong thing and cause far more issues than just locking the thread, contacting authorities if needed, or posting a the suicide hotline? This blind faith on the general ERA posting population to handle suicide threads is insane.

There has been a lot of talk about moderation of the last few months, and by far the lack of any action on suicide threads is probably the most reckless shit I've seen in regards to the mods choosing to do nothing and letting the threads stay up and have untrained people openly comment and "help" OP's who are claiming to wanting to self harm or end their lives.

Click to shrink...

So, while I think the threads could be handled better, I think what you're suggesting is incredibly harmful.

In my experience of being depressed and knowing many other people with serious depression, the thing that ended up helping the most was being able to talk to other people and realise I wasn't alone. Locking threads and telling people they can only speak to a professional about their problems just makes them feel more isolated. If someone wants to make a thread expressing their isolation and others have the time to post and express solidarity and support, that's actually really helpful.

Personally, I think what might be best would be for there to be a depression/suicide OT (if there isn't?) which is carefully moderated. There is always a danger with online communities of depressed individuals that a culture of suicide can develop, so that should be avoided. However, if there's a place where people can post and receive encouragement from other people that they aren't that weird and to seek help, that's a good thing.

 

[Uncivilized Elk]

Oh my god are people really arguing amongst themselves here in a thread about the problems of mental health and negativity in this community lmao?

Click to shrink...

The thread is about the uptick of suicide threads. People trying to steer the thread into the topic of cancel culture, or the opinion that suicide threads should be locked and deleted on sight, are contentious issues. Of course there will be arguing. The notion that this community exacerbates people toward committing suicide is also one I personally find laughable (as someone who occasionally struggles with suicidal thoughts). And some responses in this thread have come across as veiled, "Eww suicidal thoughts are icky I don't wanna see that."
So yeah. People are really arguing.

 

[Kyuuji]

A lot of them don't even meet the posting criteria for threads in terms of fostering discussion.

Click to shrink...

Really?

 

[Sec0nd]

I'd be good for people to realize the effect of the negative comments they post. Even all the funny quips that are meant as jokes about how life is dire and everything is fucked quickly add up. While on their own they are harmless but reading similar sentiments in pretty much every thread really takes a toll.

The world's news isn't always very uplifting. But reading and discussing them often makes stuff seem way more dire. Constantly piling up on them with self-deprecating and defeatist comments aren't helping. And is creating some sort of negative feedback loop.

So please be aware of the (unintended) consequences of your comments. You might be intending to make a joke. But it all adds up, making life seemingly a lot worse than it actually is.

 

[Famassu]

Cancel culture is problematic.

Click to shrink...

Internet culture altogether has that problem. Personal boycotts, holding people accountable for their words & deeds and critique of public figures (which is what this "cancel culture" actually is) is not in itself problematic and has been a thing for about as long as human societies.

 

[Shining Star]

I think there should definitely be a separate politics and world news forum. I think it would do some people good to be able to avoid all that stuff.

 

[Masoyama]

Sorry for your loss first of all, that is rough. Thanks for clarifying, the posts in addition to "I mean I don't really care about helping anyone out so I ignore it" made it seem like it was more about brushing people under the carpet than trying to remedy a solution from this. I disagree with only being able to help those you know and care about though; demonstrably false in my experience around this.

Click to shrink...

Its not that I don't care about anyone. Its that I don't know you. I can say "Don't do it" as much as anyone else, but that doesn't help someone thats really on the line. That only really helps people that have started their process. Others that are worse off might go into those threads and actually get more encouraged to commit suicide based on the responses they read. Even, if they are all positive. The mind is tricky.

I ignore thread for those reasons. I don't actually know the poster and I don't really care about them. Not in the way I care about my actual friends and family. They need to be out of the thread and looking for real help.

I think there should definitely be a separate politics and world news forum. I think it would do some people good to be able to avoid all that stuff.

Click to shrink...

World news and entertainment is politics. You can't separate the two. Just this year you had a reality show host get impeached because he pressured a comedian to look into his political rival.

 

[Secretofmateria]

This forum has gotten pretty toxic, however im glad that some people are crying for help instead of just acting on impulses. I think the mental health ot shoul be stickied at the top of the ot, and gaming forum

 

[Matrix Monkey]

Really?

Click to shrink...

Correct.

 

[Kinggroin]

Click to shrink...

Amen.

Can't believe they're consistently locked.

 

[Deleted member 5086]

I came into this thread to weigh in as a staff member, but see there's unfortunately a lot of posts using the thread to complain about how strict moderation is or 'cancel culture'. This is a serious and sensitive discussion that should not be hijacked in such a way, and to do so shows an incredible lack of empathy and self awareness. We're going to lock the thread temporarily while we evaluate the reports.

 

[aerie]

Let's try this again. As stated before, hijacking this thread to complain about the strictness of moderation or cancel culture will not be tolerated. More broadly, this is a very serious discussion that warrants sensitivity, empathy and a responsible approach. You have no compulsion to post if you don't care about the subject. The team will be reading the thread and discussing suggestions that come up, as well as responding to constructive feedback. We want the forum culture and community to improve, just as much as you all. But insensitive, dismissive and inflammatory posts will be subject to moderation.

This seems like a good moment to clarify the steps we take for 'cry for help' threads, as well as the Mental Health community as a whole. When we are alerted to a member making a post or thread that suggests depressive or suicidal thoughts, we try to give them an alert/notice with resources that they can use in their country. Whether that's telephone helplines, or websites. This is accompanied with a supportive message. This message can only be disabled on our end, until we're sure the user is safe or feeling better. We also have a staff member reach out via PM, and give them further resources such as the Mental Health OT, and an invite to the Mental Health discord. In extreme cases where we believe a member is in danger, we take further steps as we are able to.

We have had two meetings with the Mental Health community, and also have two staff members involved in running the MH Discord. As a result of those meetings, the MH OT has been moved to the main Etcetera section for visibility. The thread would not be stickied without involvement and discussion with that community. What we are currently discussing as a result of the feedback in this thread, however, is a pinned thread with resources (including the MH OT). This is a topic that we take very seriously, and have expended a lot of effort on. This is a personal and important subject for us as well. We appreciate the constructive feedback that has been given so far, and promise to take it into consideration.

The thread will be opened momentarily.

 

[Deleted member 1478]

Let's try this again. As stated before, hijacking this thread to complain about the strictness of moderation or cancel culture will not be tolerated. More broadly, this is a very serious discussion that warrants sensitivity, empathy and a responsible approach. You have no compulsion to post if you don't care about the subject. The team will be reading the thread and discussing suggestions that come up, as well as responding to constructive feedback. We want the forum culture and community to improve, just as much as you all. But insensitive, dismissive and inflammatory posts will be subject to moderation.

This seems like a good moment to clarify the steps we take for 'cry for help' threads, as well as the Mental Health community as a whole. When we are alerted to a member making a post or thread that suggests depressive or suicidal thoughts, we try to give them an alert/notice with resources that they can use in their country. Whether that's telephone helplines, or websites. This is accompanied with a supportive message. This message can only be disabled on our end, until we're sure the user is safe or feeling better. We also have a staff member reach out via PM, and give them further resources such as the Mental Health OT, and an invite to the Mental Health discord. In extreme cases where we believe a member is in danger, we take further steps as we are able to.

We have had two meetings with the Mental Health community, and also have two staff members involved in running the MH Discord. As a result of those meetings, the MH OT has been moved to the main Etcetera section for visibility. The thread would not be stickied without involvement and discussion with that community. What we are currently discussing as a result of the feedback in this thread, however, is a pinned thread with resources (including the MH OT). This is a topic that we take very seriously, and have expended a lot of effort on. This is a personal and important subject for us as well. We appreciate the constructive feedback that has been given so far, and promise to take it into consideration.

The thread will be opened momentarily.

Click to shrink...

When these threads occur is it best for us to report it?

 

[BAD]

I think people should Report suicide threads. I messaged the mods about them earlier when this thread was locked:

"I think there needs to be a new policy on suicide threads. They should be locked. They are not helpful, they are a risk to other users who are already in a fragile place, and they make it look like the site lets people who post these thoughts dangle as they listen to users scramble for ideas.

Era users are not trained therapy professionals or support staff, and they should not be let loose to try and be that. No organized community or forum should let general members sit there saying "your feelings are valid" and "tell is about it" if untrained to try and prevent a suicide. They'd be fired from any company if that's how staff handled a colleague or visitor instead of getting help from administration and HR to find a professional channel of help.

If I were your team, I'd have a serious discussion on new policy to stop these threads, protect your members, and support the vulnerable people posting suicidal thoughts in a way that doesn't amount to letting their life dependon the tact of untrained strangers on a social media platform.

I'd lock a suicide thread and post a staff note saying:
"This user is in need of professional assistance and we have reached out privately with a message containing supportive resources and are standing by. We put the safety and mental health of our members above all else, and we strive to direct users to the most useful channels to facilitate their well-being while maintaining concern for the other users on site. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX in the USA, or check your country's resources online. If you are not at immediate risk, you may also message staff for a list of resources and we will respond as quickly as possible. Thread policy is intended to protect all members and their well-being, but we encourage everyone to be compassionate and engaged with your community including those who may be vulnerable. For ongoing user dialogue around mental health, visit the Mental Health community thread."

I hope you consider this. It is not healthy for someone to stand up in an auditorium and say they are going to kill themselves, and the hosts staging the event let them stand there while everyone around them desperately watches or throws ideas at them to try and manage it."

 

[AliceAmber]

When these threads occur is it best for us to report it?

Click to shrink...

Yes please! This is always helpful to make sure we see these threads or suicidal posts ASAP. And thank you for asking.

 

[stump sock]

I'm extremely concerned that suicide threats aren't instantly locked and reported on, especially when you factor in that people who are making suicide threads are very likely being influenced by what they are consuming on ERA as well. It's beyond reckless that mods let these threads stay open and let untrained professionals deal with someone who may or may not be having a "cry for help".

Not to mention, it isn't healthy for the community at all if suicide threads are just allowed to be on the top of the OT page for an entire day, it's not fair to people who suffer from suicidal idolization if they see a thread about self arm get flooded with support, and not fair for people who are just on ERA to see a thread where someone is threatening self harm. There really seems to be a complete lack of regard for basically everyone else and the impact these threads have on others in the community.

Click to shrink...

I don't really have a lot to add as I'd really just be restating this post. This forum is demonstrably exhibiting suicide contagion symptoms and that's incredibly troubling. Leaving the threads open to be handled by untrained professionals, open to to the world, and vulnerable to bad actors is so utterly irresponsible that it's shocking.

 

[Rosebud]

Sadly, it's not "this community", it's the world.

Suicide more prevalent than homicide in US, but most Americans don't know it

A new study delves into public perceptions of gun violence and the leading causes of death in the United States.

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[CloseTalker]

Suicide threads should be locked immediately, and mods should have a standard post with resources and numbers to call. No one here is equipped to deal with it

 

[Azerach]

At least the people feeling under the weather feel this community is worth reaching out to. Hopefully they find some comfort from the posts and seek help also elsewhere.

 

[MJForum Poster]

Let's try this again. As stated before, hijacking this thread to complain about the strictness of moderation or cancel culture will not be tolerated. More broadly, this is a very serious discussion that warrants sensitivity, empathy and a responsible approach. You have no compulsion to post if you don't care about the subject. The team will be reading the thread and discussing suggestions that come up, as well as responding to constructive feedback. We want the forum culture and community to improve, just as much as you all. But insensitive, dismissive and inflammatory posts will be subject to moderation.

This seems like a good moment to clarify the steps we take for 'cry for help' threads, as well as the Mental Health community as a whole. When we are alerted to a member making a post or thread that suggests depressive or suicidal thoughts, we try to give them an alert/notice with resources that they can use in their country. Whether that's telephone helplines, or websites. This is accompanied with a supportive message. This message can only be disabled on our end, until we're sure the user is safe or feeling better. We also have a staff member reach out via PM, and give them further resources such as the Mental Health OT, and an invite to the Mental Health discord. In extreme cases where we believe a member is in danger, we take further steps as we are able to.

We have had two meetings with the Mental Health community, and also have two staff members involved in running the MH Discord. As a result of those meetings, the MH OT has been moved to the main Etcetera section for visibility. The thread would not be stickied without involvement and discussion with that community. What we are currently discussing as a result of the feedback in this thread, however, is a pinned thread with resources (including the MH OT). This is a topic that we take very seriously, and have expended a lot of effort on. This is a personal and important subject for us as well. We appreciate the constructive feedback that has been given so far, and promise to take it into consideration.

The thread will be opened momentarily.

Click to shrink...

Has the team discussed closing suicide threads at all? Is there a rationale for letting them run their course?

 

[B-Dubs]

Depending on tastes, some people could run a guild for some MMO for only Era members, others could maybe host some regular fighting game tournaments/training sessions, maybe play some MOBA or something like that together, or maybe just do a movie night each week where everyone would watch the same movie on netflix and talk about it on discord or stuff like that. I know that a lot of people are into TTRPGs here, why not host some sessions on roll20 ?

It isn't much, but if it could help people forget their worries for some hours each week, it would already be great imo

Click to shrink...

We actually do have some stuff planned for the coming weeks/months that should be a lot of fun. Actually, one or two of the things you mentioned are on the list of planned events. Beyond that, I hope we'll be able to have another Thanos-style event in the next month or so. There are a few different things like this running right now, if you wanna go check out the nextgen thread and the World of Warcraft OT.

It's just that this kinda stuff takes a lot of effort on our part, so it can take a bit.

 

[carlsojo]

It's a minor thing but I would like to see that some "stupid threads" be kept open for dumb fun mindless conversation. One was recently locked as it was "unlikely to generate good discussion" or something. I don't think a thread necessarily needs to have a purpose sometimes other than to let people chat.

Another suggestion is to limit the Trump threads. I don't think we need a new thread every time he opens his mouth or drops a tweet.

 

[Deleted member 8561]

Has the team discussed closing suicide threads at all? Is there a rationale for letting them run their course?

Click to shrink...

Yea for real, I would really like some reasoning on why threads stay open, let alone for days.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

I don't see the problem. If people are crying out for help there is a whole community that will support them.

 

[Mass_Pincup]

Eh? Most if not all of the suicide threads I've seen are mostly or almost entirely about personal issues like financial & health issues in addition to extreme loneliness, not nihilism or doom & gloom about the rise of fascism (though those can be).

Click to shrink...

But that sentiment of helplessness can be increased by the way Era focuses more on the depressing side of the world today. There's obviously some problems in the life of the people having suicidal thoughts but coming to a place that should/could be a way for you to escape that reality and only seeing how everything is bleak can't be helpful.

 

[Deleted member 1478]

I just feel like locking suicide threads immediately is a bad idea. You rarely see people trying to be keyboard psychiatrists in them, more just trying to give the OP someone to talk to. Closing them can't always be the right call. Some people may just need somewhere to vent or talk things through and are not ready to just call the numbers you give them. As with yesterday which I mentioned earlier, just the outpouring of well wishes seem to really help that poster. We shouldn't be making people feel more isolated.

 

[MJForum Poster]

I don't see the problem. If people are crying out for help there is a whole community that will support them.

Click to shrink...

You don't see the problem with a thread inviting anybody and everybody to come say their piece to someone in a vulnerable state? Will it take one member here saying the wrong thing and actually driving someone to act on their impulses to make people realize the potential danger?

 

[Rosebud]

Yea for real, I would really like some reasoning on why threads stay open, let alone for days.

Click to shrink...

Sometimes people just need to talk

 

[Deleted member 8561]

I don't see the problem. If people are crying out for help there is a whole community that will support them.

Click to shrink...

Nothing can go wrong!

Unless a cry for help gets lost in the shuffle, and someone hoping for an outpouring of support finds an empty thread because they posted at the wrong time of day, during a major news event, and now are suddenly thinking and reinforcing how nobody gives a shit about them, because they saw a bunch of other threads where people were kind, supportive over dozens of posts with only like half a dozen posts.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

You don't see the problem with a thread inviting anybody and everybody to come say their piece to someone in a vulnerable state? Will it take one member here saying the wrong thing and actually driving someone to act on their impulses to make people realize the potential danger?

Click to shrink...

That could happen in every single thread on the site regardless of what the original content was. People who need help shouldn't be locked out from it.

 

[Deleted member 4367]

I can't even go into the mental health thread without triggering my own bad thoughts. Suicidal threads are bad for a lot of people in my opinion.

 

[Deleted member 8561]

Sometimes people just need to talk

Click to shrink...

Making a suicide thread is not "needing to talk". If you walk into a therapist office and say the things people write in OT in their suicide threads, I'm pretty sure there is a higher chance of dealing with a crisis center than just going on with a normal therapy session.

People are obfuscating threads where people are down, lonely, filled with anxiety, to threads where someone makes a sentence or two and outright declares "I'm done with everything I think I'm going to kill myself tonight"

Again, if people need help mods need to show them resources with people who can actually deal with this shit and not hope randos online are the solution. It's fucking dangerous and the mods choosing to let threads stay open are creating more issues than they are solving with little regard to the people who are being forced to go into OT and see suicide threads.

 

[CloseTalker]

Sometimes people just need to talk

Click to shrink...

There are numbers and resources for that. This ain't the place, we aren't equipped to handle it

 

[ZackieChan]

Do you have anywhere forum based you'd recommend that centres around games with as inclusive an atmosphere as here, that's positive?

Click to shrink...

This is the only game forum I go to

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

It's a minor thing but I would like to see that some "stupid threads" be kept open for dumb fun mindless conversation. One was recently locked as it was "unlikely to generate good discussion" or something. I don't think a thread necessarily needs to have a purpose sometimes other than to let people chat.

Another suggestion is to limit the Trump threads. I don't think we need a new thread every time he opens his mouth or drops a tweet.

Click to shrink...

We've been trying to keep "stupid threads" open as long as they aren't harmful or gross. Though lately it seems like most stupid threads involve someone's bathroom habits.

 

[Deleted member 31199]

there's a lot of pessimism, cynicism, fatalism and defeatism going around here though. Just randomly browsing era makes me feel depressed. I don't think it's unique to this forum though.

Click to shrink...

I have a lot of this contained in me but I think what drives me is dark comedy such as Bill Hicks, George Carlin, and Doug Stanhope. Yes I know the former two are long dead but a lot of their stuff still has a strong bond. Humor with cynicism is by no means a cure-all but it does help for being coping mechanism.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Nothing can go wrong!

Unless a cry for help gets lost in the shuffle, and someone hoping for an outpouring of support finds an empty thread because they posted at the wrong time of day, during a major news event, and now are suddenly thinking and reinforcing how nobody gives a shit about them, because they saw a bunch of other threads where people were kind, supportive over dozens of posts with only like half a dozen posts.

Click to shrink...

I never claimed it was a perfect solution. If someone is having suicidal thoughts they should obviously seek professional help.

 

[mutantmagnet]

Being banned for awhile and looking at other online discussion boards, and Resetera from a distance, it's atypical and I do think it indicates a problem.

The only thing I could think of as far as a solution would be to have 'mental health moderators'. For them to direct people to the thread, and to be qualified to help and provide resources, maybe even paid for their time.

Click to shrink...

This is a solid suggestion. There are non-profits and for profit groups we could invite to work with us, or directly help out or indirectly help by training our dedicated mental health moderators. But a burden like this shouldn't be on the moderators alone.

Maybe we can implement some type of rotational system where forum members are working hand hand in hand with specific mental health threads in some fashion.

 

[Deleted member 19070]

Threads like that should be locked, and moderator should PM the person with phone numbers and links for self help.

Click to shrink...

yes this or respond with helpline and lock the thread. These people need professional help and sometimes the advice of a random person in a thread can not be helpful and actually harmful.

 

[Rune Walsh]

I just wanted to say that every thread I have seen on this forum that deals with suicidal thoughts/major depression has been met with a lot of compassion and empathy. Nearly everyone here has, at some point, dealt with depression and some of us with suicidal thoughts or actions. It's not for me to say whether this is the place to have that discussion but I understand why some would want to seek help here.

 

[Violence Jack]

I've noticed this too as of late. I try to offer words of encouragement and advice in those threads, but I think we're seeing the continuing effects of the lack of mental health resources notably in the US. That's not just been evident on Era, that's been on social media a lot from what I've seen. I don't necessarily think the threads should be locked since that might lead the to OP thinking they don't matter when they cry for help, but mods should be alerted ASAP and be on the lookout for snarky posters who might say something that could push an OP over the edge. There should be a balance between letting them know they aren't alone in their troubles as well as not letting the thread stay active for too long.