A Peer to Peer community

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:51 am

Open Arms Virtual Drop-In Center is a peer to peer online community where people diagnosed with a form of mental illness or psychiatric disorder may come and share their experiences regarding treatment and recovery journeys without fear of judgment, stigma or discrimination. Our goals as peers should be to serve one another in such a way that we may be able to feel empowered to change the quality of our lives; to listen to one another and let each one here know that they are heard, respected and validated. We should all offer supportive and constructive feedback and help one another to gain greater insight and understanding. Let us encourage independence in personal goal setting, decision making and problem solving. May we work in partnership with one another as guides, advocates and as critical friends.

We are not mental health professionals, but rather people who have diagnosable, yet treatable illnesses. We aim for recovery in all aspects of our being and strive to improve our condition and wellbeing, as well as work toward improving ourselves in the many roles we take on in our personal lives. We hope you find this a safe and comfortable place to share and look forward to meeting you all. Please drop in any time, and welcome to Open Arms.

Respectfully,
LeahZee