For the readers....

[lulubelzzz]

Yes you know who you are out there. All you fishies :bluefishy :greenfish who are always reading other people's post and never posting themselves.
Maybe it's me but I feel like I read so many posts that :ummm that begin with "I have never posted before only read....", and then they ask for some sort of advice.
Don't get me wrong, I think its great that you are reading as fishy is there for all of us on many levels, but you really aren't helping anyone else. Posting is a great form of support to fishies and if you only read other people's stories but don't reply, you really aren't helping anyone. And, by not expressing your own feelings and issues you really aren't helping yourselves. :ugh Think about how much we could all benefit more if more people posted. :touched
:challenge This is my open challenge to see more diversity amongst the posting fishy names recently in this forum :challenge Who's up for it?
When you post a new topic of your own think about taking a minute to reply to someone else's. :touched I fno one responded to your post; How would you feel :sad
:edbgone
Laura :sun

[MrFishy]

L,

Im gonna point something out that you may not have thought of....

Amy and I have gotten email from fishys who have recovered who ONLY read the forums. Who never posted once :winky

For some fishies....its EXTREMELY hard to post publicly and admit that they have a problem.

Also while it is GREAT that people come here to support others, FIRST AND FOREMEOST they are here to help themselves.

I understand FULLY where your comming from....I just feel the need to qualify some of the statements you are making. Your "approach" to this post can be taken a tad offensively.

I DO understand tho ya meant no harm. :winky

Just offering you and others who will read this post a few things to think about.

Good Luck!

[Rosey]

Amy and I have gotten email from fishys who have recovered who ONLY read the forums. Who never posted once

:zoinks

That's really thought provoking, and makes me feel better about the times that I only feel like I want to 'lurk'. It doesn't mean my recovery's stopped - :idea just taken a different direction.

I like the challenge thought Laura - so many out there who may be just on the verge of posting, asking for something, offering something. Why wait?

I strongly believe that there's no 'give and take' systme operating in the :bowl. If you don't want to respond to others, then don't, and don't feel bad about it. But I do often find that responding to others makes me feel good, and helps unravel my own life too.

:love Rosey

[ribbon]

I found that recovery worked better for me when I was concentrating on what I was doing, not what everyone else was :muhaha. Why is it important to you that lurkers post? I think that individually everyone should do what's best for them.

[bumblebee]

Hey :hugon Laura :hugoff

I can see your point - I agree with what the others said too but sometimes it IS frustrating when you write loads of replies (and not just to GET replies yourself but because you genuinely care) - and then nobody bothers to answer you....:ugh

I haven't had this prob myself as I know some wonderful :fishy s but I completely see what you're saying.

I like to post but I always make sure I answer others - I think you get out of the :bowl what you give.

Sometimes people aren't in a place to answer - they're screaming out for help. And that's really ok. But I'd like to think that sometimes they may come back when they're doing better and pass on what they've learnt and offer some support too.

Good topic. Brave! :grin

Much love :love
:beefishy Debbie

[lulubelzzz]

Ok, so this post came out wrong :ugh
Mr Fishy,
I am glad for your insight. :happy
Like Debbie I was thinking that you can only get out of the fishbowl :bowl what you give to it and you have shown that this is not necissarily the case. :idea
It was also meant to be a challenge :challenge for so many of those people that are on the verge of posting but are scared to :scared I wanted to make them feel a little more at home in the bowl :bowl and a little more welcome.
So many people seem scared to post, and I wanted to try and eliminate some of their fears and show them that posting can help.
:edbgone
Laura :sun

[MrFishy]

Lu,

As I said.....I DEFINATELY understood where you were comming from and i KNOW it was meant with WONDERFUL intentions :winky

I just wanted to clarify thats all :winky

Good Luck!