Thursday, November 6, 2008

To blog or not to blog- avoiding pitfalls

Wondering how long sleep will evade me, I'm starting to feel a little tired but have dinner to cook and then off to gym at seven. Reading back last nights comments they do seem little bizare- maybe I should have seperate subsection for bizare posts written when not in good frame of mind- but then most of this blog would end up there

I thought I would touch on a comment I made on Mandy's blog earlier about whether blogging and blogland is a positive thing. It all depends how we look at it. For me, before I was ill I never knew such a thing as a blogging community exhisted, I stumbled upon it by googling something like 'living with mental illness' or 'acute care'. Since then I have spent many an hour of most days and weeks browsing, commenting, and writing in this sphere. It has been positive for me because In my 'real life' I do not know anyone who is suffering from a mental illness and it is difficult for 'lay' people to understand the frustration and problems 'illness' causes. I feel it is a place where I can say exactly how I feel with little repercussions and sadly a place where I am more accepted than I am in my real life where not all but a lot of friends either fear or don't understand what is happening with me.

However, I think there can be a danger about blogging. I think these are as follows:

1. The Living in blogland and procrastination trap
As the title suggests, I think it can sometimes become a bit of an addiction where a lot of time is spent updating and reading other's updates checking for comments etc, etc. Remember everything in MODERATION. Thinking and reading predominently about mental health and other's problems can be a downward spiral. Blog only when you want to blog and don't let it overide living in the realworld. Yes it is safe here but you have to face the bigger picture sooner or later.

2. Be True to yourself

It can be easy to write with an audience in mind or because you belong to a particular 'group' who have set views. Sometimes this can be done without even realising it. You may inevitably have blog friends and certain blogs you regularly read but I think it's important to remember this is YOUR blog and YOUR views. views on mental health should be as varied as the illness itself that is the whole point.

3.Do not feel the need to compete

This is something my therapist said to me about her view of mental health blogland. She said from what she has seen, a lot of bloggers not all whether deliberately or subconsiously seem to be competing against eachother. Who is the illest? Who is having the hardest time? who can be more personal and prevocative?, I'm not sure I whole heartedly agree with her, bt she has got a point. I would hope no-one out there would deliberatly join this race, it is a no-brainer in which no-one wins and a race I will stay well clear off. And then of course I know there are blogs who writer's are extremely concerned about stats and rating and awards, and again content is specifically geared for this purpose only. Again in my opinion goes against the proncipals of PERSONAL blog for PERSONAL benefits.

Anyway that is my view. I don;t intend to disappear from blogland, but I try to make sure I blog my own views, as and when they are appropriate. My reasons for blogging are selfish, because I get something from it and because I like having a record of how and when my mood and events shift. Not that I don't like that other people read, I do- if I didn't I would make it private view, but I try to put that to back of my mind and just plain and simply blog.

1 comment:

That's not my name! said...

Just gotta get it out honey :>)

xx