Helpful Chatrooms Online For Mental Health: Chat Room Guide
- For those experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988
- For those experiencing abuse, please contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- For those experiencing substance use, please contact SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357
An affordable online chat room for mental health
Advances in technology and expanded connection to the internet have put more mental health resources in reach for some — including formats such as online chat rooms and forums, texting, and video calling.
This hike in online communication has led to the creation of helpful online communities and the ability to participate in therapy from the comfort of home.
In this article, we will explore a number of free or affordable online resources for those seeking mental health support or guidance. We’ll also be exploring the role that online therapy can play in one’s mental health.
Helpful online resources for mental health
Understanding the type of support you’re looking for can be a helpful first step when it comes to finding the right online resources for mental health. While there are quite a few online therapy websites available at varying rates, seeking support from a community of people who can relate to your specific criteria can serve as a helpful starting point or as a complementary addition to therapy.
Often, the simple act of browsing a mental health-related chat or a forum can remind you that you are not alone in your experience. Many people who participate in mental health communities online may welcome one-on-one conversations and can indicate if they are open or available to chat or provide support at a given moment.
Community groups and chatrooms online for mental health
Below are a number of community groups and online resources that focus on mental health and may offer support, friendship, or connection.
HeyPeers chat room app
HeyPeers is a video and chat room-based app that allows people to join support discussions with others on similar journeys. All chats and meetings are generally led by site-qualified peers. While chat rooms on HeyPeers are free to join after registering, there is a small cost associated with certain group meetings.
You can visit www.HeyPeers.com to explore topics and find what you are looking for.
Mental Health America
Mental Health America (MHA) is known by many as the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit, dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental health conditions. You can find several mental health-related resources on their official website.
Additionally, you can visit their community forum here.
Reddit is a network of communities where people are able to dive into their interests, hobbies and passions. While Reddit is not a mental health-based community, there are a number of communities on the site centered around mental health discussion. The site is free to use and offers the option to browse topics without registering or creating an account.
Some of Reddit’s helpful mental health-based communities include:
r/mentalhealth
r/selfhelp
While many of these communities are moderated, we do advise proceeding with caution to ensure that you have the safest experience possible. There may or may not be certified professionals available to support you, as this is primarily a peer-based site for general discussion topics.
Discord
Like Reddit, Discord can serve as a hub for people to connect with a wide variety of communities that focus on various interests. You can sign up for free, unlocking Discord’s native communication suite — featuring text, voice, and video chat capabilities.
While you can find a variety of mental health and support-based communities on Discord using the search function, The Comfort Spot may be a great place to start.
YouTube
Though YouTube does not focus on direct connection and chat features, there are many free videos and resources offered by licensed mental health professionals on the site. Typically, videos from licensed professionals will include an indicator or verification in the form of a checkmark or disclaimer underneath the video.
If you are unsure of where to begin, licensed therapist Emma McAdam has a channel that offers guidance on a number of mental health topics.
Lifeline
If you’re in distress, there are resources available to you that can help. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and discreet emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
You can call or text the lifeline at 988 or find additional resources and chat features on their website.
Staying safe when using chatrooms online
While the internet can provide a variety of available resources for people seeking mental health support, it can be important to consider your safety and well-being when participating in community chats or forums.
When entering a public community online, it is generally recommended that you keep your personal details concealed— such as your full name, where you live and your contact information.
While most sites that include community chat features appoint moderators that work to keep mental health communities safe, it is possible for people with malicious intent to make their way into these spaces. If you are being harassed or bullied online, it is often best not to engage and to immediately report the activity.
If you or a loved one is experiencing abuse, contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Support is available 24/7. If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
Additionally, it can be important to remember that the majority of support offered in online communities is not coming from certified and vetted mental health professionals. It is not generally advisable to take medical advice or guidance from public forums or peers online.
How can online therapy support those living with mental health conditions?
Participating in online chat rooms or communities centered around mental health can create a sense of community and peer support and serve as a reminder that you are not alone in your struggles and experiences.
Still, it can be helpful to receive one-on-one support and guidance from a mental health professional. Many online therapy providers offer available, and verifiable sources to get professional assistance from licensed therapists and counselors, all of which you can connect to from the comfort of your own home.
Effectiveness of online therapy
According to research, the increase of approach to strong digital mental health intervention has been shown to have significant and meaningful positive effects on the well-being of those who participate. This success was seen as comparable to in-person therapy when it comes to the reduction of symptoms of depression, anxiety disorders and other mental health conditions.
Takeaway
What is key advice when using chat rooms?
Likely, the most important advice when using chat rooms is to protect your safety. Chat rooms are a great place for relating to others and talking about things that are important to you, but they are also places of anonymity where it may be challenging to recognize unsafe people. As a general rule, you don’t need to worry if you never give personal details to anyone with whom you don’t have a preexisting relationship.
Below are a few common guidelines you can follow to protect your safety in an online chat room:
Protect your identity in an online chat room
Don’t use your real name, and never give information that can be used to discover your identity or location. Don’t send photos of yourself to people you don’t know.
Trust no one when you chat online
People are not always who they say they are online. Keeping your guard up and approaching potential chat partners skeptically can keep you from trusting too quickly.
Don’t open attachments or links from people you don’t know
Chat rooms can be used to spread viruses or other malware. Some programs can find your location, determine your identity, or even take control of your webcam. Unless you are certain of the source of a link or file, don’t risk opening it.
Keep your guard up even when chatting one-on-one
Large chat rooms with many members may seem less safe than interacting with a single person, but some dishonest people will try to start chats away from the eyes of moderators or others who can intervene.
What should you avoid doing in chat rooms when you chat online?
In all chat rooms, avoid giving away personally identifying information. It includes any information that can be used to determine your identity or location. Examples include your name, age, address, phone number, SS number, school you attend, or organizations you are a member of. Don’t give it away even if you are sure you know the people in the group. It is possible that someone may be pretending to be a person they are not, and it is possible for unknown individuals to join chat rooms without being detected. Always assume that the risk is there.
If you need to give sensitive information, consider setting up a separate e-mail account from your regular one. Use that email address only for chat room-related communication, and remain highly skeptical of anyone trying to obtain your personal details. Anyone claiming to be someone you know, like a boyfriend or girlfriend, should prove their identity to you. You can exit the chat and use your new email to get an understanding from the other person about why they are requesting your information. While some requests might be benign, like a classmate asking for your phone number to collaborate on a class project, always approach requests for personal details with suspicion and skepticism.
How is a chat room used as a way to communicate with others?
Chat rooms provide real-time text-based communication between two people or a group. Chat messages from others in the chat room typically appear sequentially, with the most recent message pushing older messages back in the chat log. Chat rooms also typically provide a significant degree of anonymity; people may be identified by little more than a user name. While that makes chat rooms excellent venues to talk about sensitive topics in life like relationship problems or substance use, it does mean that it is relatively easy for a person to misrepresent themselves or lie about who they are.
Why is it difficult to manage a chat room compared to a forum?
One of the main differences between chat rooms and forums is the pace at which communication occurs. In a forum, a user or moderator begins a “thread” about a specific topic or point of conversation. Commentary from forum members typically appears at the end of the thread; the oldest posts are at the top, and the newest are at the bottom. There may be minutes, hours, or days between posts as members wait for others to respond.
In contrast, most chat room communication takes place in real-time. Messages are often shorter and resemble in-person communication, while forum posts may be longer and written with enough detail that a person needs to take time to consider their response. Because the pace of communication is much quicker in a chat room, it is likely more difficult for moderators to respond to and address concerns as they occur. In a forum, a moderator does not need real-time vigilance to recognize harmful or disallowed content.
Why should users be careful in communicating through chat rooms?
Chat rooms allow a lot of anonymity, and it is relatively simple for dishonest people to misrepresent themselves. The relative anonymity may also lead some users to make comments that would be inappropriate in any other context, such as making sexual comments directed at adolescents. A malicious user may also try to scam other chat members and may try to obtain personal details. While many reputable chat rooms are moderated, it may be difficult to manage a busy chat room and catch threats or offensive messages immediately. Because of the relative lack of safety, it is important never to communicate information that can be used to determine a person’s identity or location.
Why is live chat etiquette important?
Live chat etiquette is important because it provides structure and guidance on how people should behave in chat rooms. A chat room is a highly anonymous place, and research in other domains indicates that anonymity can lead to unkind behavior. However, research also indicates that anonymity can increase adherence to group rules and values. Therefore, strict guidelines that direct interactions between chat members serve to set a standard of behavior that enforces respect and safety. Concrete rules also make it easier to moderate the chat and identify those threatening the space for other users.
What are the main dangers you will face while using a chat room?
The greatest danger most will face when using a chat room is a breach of personal details. Personal details is any information that allows a chat member to determine another’s identity or location. It might be used to steal a person’s identity or to earn their trust for a scam. It could also be used to stalk or contact them in real life without their consent. Most of the dangers of chat rooms can be avoided by refusing to give out any personal details, choosing a nondescript username, and leaving a chat room if a person makes you uncomfortable.
How do you protect yourself in a chat room?
Likely, the best way to protect yourself in a chat room is not to give out any information that allows other chat members to determine your true identity or location. Chat rooms are based around anonymity, which can make it easier for people to come together and have a conversation about similar struggles or embarrassing topics that might be harder to talk about in person. However, if that anonymity is broken, you could be exposed to malicious and dishonest people who now have some information that can be used to contact you in real life.
What safety concerns should you be aware of with internet searches, email, chat rooms, and social networking websites?
The most significant concern you should be aware of when using any internet service is divulging too much personal details. In areas with high anonymity, such as chat rooms and email, it is relatively easy for malicious actors to disguise themselves and obtain information that can be used to contact you in real life. If using a service with a high level of anonymity, make sure never to reveal any information that can be used to determine your true identity or location. If someone makes you uncomfortable, you can leave the chat room or report that user to the service provider.
Social networking sites typically do not have the same level of anonymity as chat rooms, but it is still important to protect your personal details. Make your profile hidden to anyone not on your friend list or social network, and consider removing your profile from public search features. Do not add anyone you don’t know to your network, and be wary of requests for personal details from someone you don’t know well. If you decide that all or part of your profile will be available to the public, avoid posting personal details or updates meant for those you know personally.
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