Can we have a support group meeting online here?
 

For those of us who have difficulty travelling or for those who do not have a support group nearby. Mods? can this be arranged? We can meet in a chat room or something? What do you think?

Or have sponsors online. have someone to talk to when you are feeling down/scared. what does everything think?

I vote yes!! for both!! there are some on here that would be great chat moderators or sponsors and it's not me lol!! but I would certainly chat

Although my hands (and my brain , for that matter) don't really move quickly enough to participate in an online conversation, I think this is a good idea.

The site's existing chat room function could be used. However, with us all in different time zones, coordinating a "meeting" will have its challenges.

Still, while a real time, anytime, go to place, strikes me as problematic, an online get together, at a set time, is feasible.

My suggestion would be that it be held, as much as possible, on a regular schedule. Let's face it, if the time and day are fluid, many of us will forget.

I would also suggest that a referee might be desirable. I think most of us TBI folks can admit that we can be a bit, at times, um, hot headed and subject to bouts of rutted, inflexible thinking. Add that to using a "tone deaf" medium, without any means to convey inflection, emphasis, body language, etc... and the potential for misunderstandings is significant. Just a thought...

We do have Social groups that can used , it's a bit different from the open forum and different than chat. It might be worth a try..
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/group.php

FAQ-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fa..._social_groups

I think chat would be better (real time response/the notion of getting together). I was thinking rather than just posting whatever we want, we can have a topic for each chat session like(how to deal with family members who are having a hard time)something like that. As Hockey said if we set a time, and just use the chat function? Also I agree, that we need someone as a referee, the discussion leader, if you will. Mods?

I would like this too, mind you I might not be able to type fast enough or think fast enough some days but that's okay and I'm up for it.

Good idea to have a set schedule, most will have to write it down somewhere they will definitely see it.

This site helps me so much as I know I'm not alone. :)

Forum guidelines still apply in chat, but due to scheduling/timezones it would be difficult to have a dedicated moderator available for chats.

You can PM admin or mods if needed, but generally if a chat gets out of control best to just leave the chat, then they will have no one to chat with til they cool down..

Alright, so we have 4 people(including myself) interested in a chat meet. Please provide a time window that works for you(in EST)What does everyone think of having a set topic, so that the conversation is somewhat structured. We can take turns setting the topic? Has anyone been to a support group? how do they run these things?

Keep me in the loop please. I may join. Another option is voiceover internet like skype. Requires more trust...so maybe down the road. But easier for me to listen/talk than type/read

in some support groupse they let one person at a time speak about what's on their mind and then others respond. But I'm down for whatever set up. As far as the people who type slowly. Who better to understand then this group and we will be a very patient. I am thankful to be on this board as no matter how tough times. I know im not alone

actually skype might work better for those of us who have trouble typing/reading fast. We do not have to do video. Just voice for now and see what happens? What does everyone think? I feel like we need a structure though. will try to find out how support groups are run.

I don't know about you others but for the last 2 months, I have had a chat room bar at the bottom of my NT screen. Is there a way to establish a specific chat room using that chat system ?

Personally, I think the time limitations of a chat room limits the number of participants. Starting a topic in the main forum provides a greater opportunity for participation. The responses may come a bit slower but from a wider range of perspectives.

Social chat is a different issue. I just created a Public Chat Room labelled PCS and TBI.

Feel free to use it as a gathering place.

Tell us if you can see the PCS and TBI chat room.

I have been in a bunch of support groups for different things. There are different ways of doing them. One is to have a theme for the night and then each person speaks and then others reply and the next person speaks and others reply etc. That is a commonly used one and the topic is usually set by the moderators but in this case maybe one can share Their idea for the week. I have to find out what Skype is lol I hope I have it I haven't been in a house a lot of years and have fallen behind on technology lol

Skype requires a lot of bandwidth. Many may not have adequate bandwidth. I know I don't.

mark I like your ideas. Thanks for setting up that room too

Thanks MarkNeil for the info re: support group. I think, having a topic then having one person speak to which others would respond is great.

Thanks Mark for letting us know. Chatroom it is!

I think we should set up a time as I would like to have more people participate(I just checked the chatroom no one was there :( ), and I can see people losing interest quick if we leave it up to chance. I think having a structure(set time/topic/taking turns, etc) will help the quality of the meet.

Personally, I cannot go to social gatherings due to PCS, so weekends work better for me, when I do not have docs appointments.

I'm nut much if a party animal anymore either lol. so anu time is pretty much good for me I just have to find the chat room I didn't see it. and somebody please do the next word in the puzzle :)

I haven't got a clue how to set up and use Skype. I don't do well with new things.

I think it might be the case that a new chat room disappears when its creator leaves. Accordingly, I don't know if it's possible to establish a standing, separate TBI chat room.

chat room info thread on our Community & Forum Feedback section --
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread204829.html

How to find chatrooms & chat toolbar -
The chat tool bar is at the bottom of NT screen pages- it might be a full length bar across the bottom - or it could be minimized and all that shows is the little bubble Icon at the bottom of your screen. click that to expand the toolbar.

The right side is for IM messaging and the left side is the chatrooms and games.

I hink if we friend each other we will see each other in the chat room at the bottom of the page and then we could just make a time for all of us to meet

I'd be down for sometime on weekends because of Dr appts, but if others are more comfortable at another time/day that's okay too.

As soon as I read someone starts a topic or such like I got nervous! lol

Thing is my mind goes blank, I know you all understand though, some days are better than others but I can always just say that.

what do we do next lol. we need a leader to guide us

The way many use the chat is to post a good day & time for you to chat and your time zone, so others can figure out if their time zone will match up ..

Or if you see others logged on just post that you can chat now-- or PM them and suggest chatting right then.


In the past others will start a thread and title it "chat now?" if they want to chat very soon and others are logged on..

thanks jo mar. I guess we have to all link up as friends first. if I am incorrect please let me know. I have already friended a few people and feel free to friend me if you want to be in the chat group. how is some time Saturday evening? 7 or 8 pm eastern? pacific? lol. I am eastern but I am easy, just throwing ideas out there. If you want to be part of this I guess you should friend everybody who has said that they want to joih. then we will all show up in the chat room at the bottom of the screen.

I would be up for this, I have been trying without success to find a support group in my area so I could really use an online one!

Saturday or Sunday 7 Eastern works with me.

PLEASE POST THE MOST CONVENIENT TIME, FOLKS!

unfortunately either one is good for me :) let me know if you can see me in the chat room at the bottom of screen

i'm an idiot..just saw pcs chat room on left side of screen
 

lol. I could blame that on the brain injury but...

Sat 7pm eastern works for me. If i remember/am around. I like the idea of chatting about how its affected our friend/family/significant other relationships.

Oh yeah! Had a brain is working moment when i finally remembered where i'd heard the name will gardner. Tv show Suits. How much easier this would have been if i could have netflixed my way thru these months

that would be a great topic.

No, Will Gardner was a law partner on The Good Wife. He got killed off last year. I noticed the same issue.

Hahaha yes, the same name in the good wife. great show BTW.

So, 7pm (EST) on Saturday? Topic: how the injury/condition has affected your relationship with family members/friends/significant others/those around you. Any issues you have regarding this. I am looking forward to this!

I will try to be there.

It will depend upon whether or not my husband is home and/or paying attention. :hit-safe: He's in major denial about my injuries and doesn't like me hanging with my TBI peeps, online or otherwise.

Yes, it's very isolating - and ironic, given the proposed topic of the first discussion. :ROTFLMAO:

you wouldn't believe how ridiculed and isolated I've become. I don't believe it. my own mother says yeah yeah your brain injury whatever. old friends all gone, called a bum for not working. etc. wow!!