YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I just registered here today, and found that there is already someone else I know who I have been able to identify. I know that this is meant to be an open forum for people to feel safe talking about their struggles with mental illness in, but now that I know that the person I know is here, I feel inhibited about what I post. I would not have been able to know for sure that it was him, had he not posted his real name.

Since this is a forum that is visible to anyone not registered, I worry about what should happen if people post their real names and are discovered sharing their struggles by coworkers, friends or family members who would be lurking secretly and happy to out the sensitive nature of their illnesses to others. There is still a terrible stigma attached to mental illness, and it could very well cost someone their job if they were caught telling stories (especially involving their workplace or coworkers!) by the boss, not to mention other kinds of havoc within their families or among friends...or enemies who'd like to humiliate them!

I just wondered if it would be a good idea to have people create some type of handle to protect themselves in the event that someone up to no good should be lurking, looking to dig dirt. There are certainly those kinds of people in the world, and what happened to me here today proves that the world is just small enough for two people who know each other to turn up on the same forum...and be able to find each other.

Hopefully that way we can all truly feel free to post here and be totally honest, without fear of being "discovered."
I realize some probably don't care, but for those who do, and just want an oasis to be able to escape to for some support, it might be helpful.

You make a good point, and I think this is an issue anywhere on the internet. Anonymity is valuable. There is something to be said for trust, though -- many people feel more comfortable interacting with someone with an actual name. It's more important for me to be open and honest with the people here and make connections that enrich the souls of both parties involve than to be paranoid of what someone I know might think. I'm sad that you feel inhibited by this person you know and hope you can still find this forum helpful for you in some way.

I stubbornly use my real name, because I decided not to be ashamed of mental illness. Frankly, I am mentally and psychologically healthier because I am treated, and I am mentally and psychologically healthier than almost every person who claims they will never need or use evidence-based mental health treatment and who negatively judge people who use such.

Requiring someone not to be honest is sort of against the point isn't it? Personally I'm using first initial and last name. anyone who knows me knows I've used this identity since being on the internet. They all also know why struggles so nuts to them if they want to start judging me for talking on these subjects. If someone wants to use their name all power to them. If you want to judge someone do that somewhere else. If you can't feel comfortable because someone you know reads your posts then use the messaging function in your user profile. Problem solved