[Duke]

The Idea:

One of the most depressing periods of my life happened to coincide with my registration at a certain gaming community where I met a number of you; Weiser, NoTargeT, Wapwap, Mondo, GamerGal, Fireblade, etc. (I apologize to anyone I missed). At this time I was dealing with major changes in my child's visitation schedule (twice/month) as well as dealing with a recurring dependency on alcohol, drugs and women.

This gaming community embraced me and I'm thankful for the many great folks I met through it as well as the great folks I continue to keep in touch with (I've never said it out loud to you fellow gamers but THANK YOU!). This community was really my first experience in an online forum and it was truly great but at the same time, there were things that I found I didn't like about "community living".

As my depressive state worsened I started looking for outlets that would afford me a vehicle to purge my inner demons rather than habitually internalize them and punish myself in the process. Now I'm no doctor, shrink, therapist nor do I hold any degree in sociology, psychology or psychotherapy but I can honestly see where these professions leave gaping holes when it comes to dealing and healing.

I really don't think a person can ever truly heal unless they are honest with themselves nor do I feel that talking helps either if you don't feel comfort with whom you're disclosing your most intimate thoughts with. I acknowledge that my point of view may not be totally on the mark but it rings true in my ears.

In fact, I think just learning that your not the only one is half the road to healing and having generous amounts of love, support and understanding represents the other half. Again this may not be the assessment by a mental health expert but it is the seeds from which Lifesupporters.com were sewn and the main reason we're all here.