The bipolar board says I should be more clear... By whereabouts, I mean when people make posts like "HAS ANYONE SEEN ___? SEND PRAYERS". And by self treatment, I mean the things people in pain will do to feel pleasure; things that reinforce pain; things that are very familiar to, but not exclusive to, borderline personality disorder.

It's a real commonality in this field. We are* desperate for love, acknowledgement... it's often the only pleasure we can get. And it's dangerous.

I am not sure. For me, I don't want to tell anybody here where I am located. The closest I have gotten is that I'm one of over a million people in Los Angeles. Anybody pushes me for more info and I'll clam right up.

But that may be just me.

Sorry, does this answer your question?

Yeah, I agree with Pepper, I mean what state or country you are in is fine but I don't give out my phone number or street address but to only a few that have know me for years. I gave my number to a friend in England and she called me. I love her to death but we could not understand a word each other was saying. I am from the south, I have a slow southern drawl, she has a fast English accent. So, we just suck with chat or message. We are on FB together too. Some people are more open. It just depends.

I remember asking a girl from Australia where she lived there. Hell, you would have thought I was going to show up on her door step. I don't even know where Australia is. All I know is they have kangaroos, something called an outback and a lot of poisonous spiders. I was really just trying to make conversation. You know like, what's the weather like where you are and so on. So, there is no harm in asking. Tthose who don't mind will tell you. Those who do mind won't tell you. Whatever. You can still be friends with them.

By the way, I live somewhere in Louisiana. I am a transplant, I was born in GA and raised in AL. So, I am southern to the bone.

Well I'm from Ireland and when people ask for more details I say Dublin, I don't normally say more then that, even when I say Dublin I can get paranoid in my irrational little mind lol.

What I meant, by asking whereabouts, was making a big deal about someone in recovery, or someone who hasn't posted for a while after having a crisis.

I am flattered when people think about me. I am so inconsequential
that it amazes me that I ever get thought about, let alone mentioned.

But is it not a short term solution and possibly a destructive one?

I don't really follow how people being concerned about other people is destructive. Unless you are trying to say that people who act out for attention are getting it, thereby enforcing negative behavior? But that's a pretty tough call to make.
Personally I don't respond to "i'm gonna cut!" threads, or "I'm gonna off myself" threads. But I wouldn't tell others not to respond to them. It's just clearly not my calling. I am able to respond to posts like "I don't know what to do anymore", or "I'm just so down, don't know if I can go on.." type threads. People asking for help that way, those I can relate to.

It would be nice to have someone care enough to ask where I've been. I'm on here almost every day and let my close friends know when I'm going out of town so they don't worry. Last week I spent 2 plus days in bed sick. One friend sent a message of worry asking where I was. That was one friend out of 20 some. Did the others not care or not notice? I don't know but it didn't make me feel good.

I think it would be better for someone to know that people care enough to ask where they are when they have been active most of the time and then become quiet. A lot of people on here have exchanged email and phone numbers with their friends. Those friends should know if their friend is ok or can check on them easier.

I chose not to give out my personal information. Some friends know my name but I don't put that information out there all the time.

But it would be nice to have more people care. Makes me sad that people didn't notice that I wasn't on during the week like I always am. We know our friend's habits. We should notice when someone is missing. And we should ask when something is different.

Hell, people don't even care when its my birthday. I'm that much of an unloved person

@heretic, You are NOT inconsequential!
A lot of people on here worry about you, love you and wish that you find away to a better life.
We do hope you will let us know how you are, whenever it is possible.

HUGS

We ask about each other all the time. Gramy even does a list for those not seen in awhile. Heretic, how are you? What happened with your situation?