posted on Apr, 9 2015 @ 02:33 PM
I wasn't sure whether this should be here or somewhere else, but I figured this was an adequate place to raise this subject.
Obviously, as ATS is a conspiracy forum, there are always going to be a lot of varied discussions relating to fears and paranoias. That's fine, I
think we all expect this on ATS, it's healthy to question things and it's why I originally signed up. However, no matter how much some might want to
refute the notion, or dismiss it as an attack on someones opinion when raised in a thread (which is why I chose to create this one rather than bring
this up elsewhere) there are absolutely members here showing considerable paranoia and delusion.
This is not about discrediting an opinion, it's not about mocking anyone, this is a genuine concern I have and something I am seeing from several
members.
Over the last couple of months I have seen at least five different members displaying real and genuine mental health issues, from schizophrenia to
depression to extreme paranoia. This ranges from people hearing voices, to expressing themselves through floods of nonsensical and confused words, to
people actively seeing conspiracies in every story they read.
The thing that really concerns me the most is that I believe a lot of these people are only teenagers, or perhaps in their early 20's. Whatever their
circumstances, they are clearly not getting the obvious help they need, and being here on ATS is most certainly not going to help them. The things
they are reading and discussing here are only serving to reinforce their paranoias and delusions.
So, what can we do?
This is why I wanted to start this discussion. I feel it needs to be done. Mental health is vitally important and significantly overlooked, and I
believe it's about time ATS confronted this rather than ignore it. There are people here displaying mental health issues, stop ignoring it.
It doesn't mean that there should be shame, and it doesn't reduce the credibility of the site to confront it or deal with it. I think it's about
time ATS started to address this imbalance and at the very least offer a link somewhere to mental health advice and services.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions for how ATS can perhaps assist members who might need a little assistance in this regard?