To all Forum Participants

[Philip1815]

If you guys are having a hard time with anyone spamming or flaming the forum. Please let us know. We have several options available to us:
(1) We can block posts from anyone abusing our forums or
(2) We can delete any specific posts that are abusive.

As you may or may not know there are only 2 of us that run this whole site we do it for nothing and donate tons of time to help you guys. That is our mission we are not some big impersonal corporation.

Regards,
Phil
Med Help

[Brighty]

Thank you all for the kind welcome back and all the personal e-mails... I am just a bit behind... so please know I will try to get active again and reply to all of you in e-mail and that I am remembering all of you in prayer. Love, Brighty ...who loves all of you for all your unconditional support when I was so alone and hurting.

[Frank Lee]

Interesting,

I poste a msg. to Phil thanking him for his input and noting that I would remain here as well as the new board and asking for an accounting from Dr. Steve re: his actions.

The post was deleted.

Go figure,

Frank.

[Frank Lee]

My mistake, the post I referred to ended up in another thread. Again, thanks Phil for your work. I would like to have an opinion from Dr. Steve regarding the criticism he recieved the last few days. He deserves to present his side.

F.

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

A big Welcome Back! I missed you. Gosh, it must have been six months since you last visited us.

As for me, I haven't been arrested, ticketed, yelled at my wife and kids, beat the dog, wrecked the car or any stupid stuff like that.  No, I didn't die!  I'm just learning how to live one day at a time.

J.B.

[Philip1815]

Thank you guys for the kind words.

FYI:

1- I have temporarily disabled the ability of posts to be deleted.

2-We will contact Dr. Steve and sort all of this out.

3-Again, if there are specific problems with posts email us at
***@****
and let us know which thread and which person

4-Keep in mind the intent of these forums is for a patient to ask a question of a doctor. This forum has indeed expanded beyond that intent and has provided a lot of patient-to-patient support.

Regards to all,
Phil

[jule1]

Phil, I would just like to echo the comments of my forum family, this forum saved me.  I came to this forum after not receiving any help from professionals and it was the good old common addict that saved me.  But I do thank you for making this available to us the love and support here is unlike anything I have ever seen.

To my forum fanily - just a little hello to everyone.  I have been pretty busy and pretty naughty and not to happy with myself it just reminds me how much I need you all.

Brighty - Boy am I an oldtimer here to still be here after you being back after such a long time (does that make sense?)  Anyway good to see your name here I hope you are doing ok!!!

[cindi]

Thank you Phil for your help and prompt action and answers,,,JBear,,ok girl,,,being naughty?  I hope you mean as in Naughty nitey parties....if you need me I'm here cuz i get the feeling naughty nitey is not the answer...love to all  cin

[Wizard]

Good Morning people! WOW I had this dream that I was in a land with little people and scarecrows and flying monkeys and lions and tigers and bears oh my. I clicked my heels 3 times and said there's no place like the forum, and then I woke up this morning and here the Ole Wizard is and he finds JB,Cin,WW and Brighty all posting in a row!  I gotta quit eating Captain Crunch before bed..........geeeze..........Welcome back JB. I missed you. Hope you are feeling well my friend. I've been thinking a lot about you. Stay strong Bro, and know that we are with you in spirit. I don't know Marty but pass on my best please.
Power & Magick 2 All,
Peace & Light 2,
Wiz

[cindi]

God,  I am in tears here,,,call me a sentimental old fool  or call it OMS but seeing Brighty and JB together again does somethng like pull on my heart strings,,,it just reminds me of so much     so many memories here,,,so much love here....love you both   cin

[Brighty]

I have missed you and now I know why. Love to Marty. Love, Brighty

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

Well, maybe this board can get back to what it was intended for.  Personally, I don't think we need a figurehead here that causes an uproar every 14 days.  He offends all of us in the end and that is not therapeutic. Like all people, we addicts respond to a loving care and freedom of expression in order to heal ourselves.  It will be "us" and not the physicians that will bring about any recovery from addiction.  

Really people, is there any better source of information than the horses' mouth?  This is a multi-faceted board chock full of information and support for those of us who have been so ill that we could barely be on line let alone ask a question. I, for one, have benefited here!

J.B.

[Witchywoman]

Phil, I echo the thanks offered by everyone else so far. This board saved my life, and gave me the chance to meet some of the finest human beings I'll ever have the honor to know.

Little did I know, that in the depths of my shame and humiliation over my addiction, I'd find more love and support with a cyber group of other addicts than I've found ever before.

I really would like it if you could answer our question about why some posts get deleted.  I have had posts get deleted where I thought I had only been contributing positively. Early this summer, when I was trying to stay on a taper to go off the meds, I wrote a long heartfelt post about relapsing, and it was deleted.  I didn't understand why.  This has happened to others here too.

Overall though, your labor of love by hosting this board is something that I commend you for and thank you for, from the bottom of my heart.

love,
WW

[cindi]

You are so right   about everything,,,and as usual so eloquent...I remember not only with Luke Spook but with one or two other posters that would come here and post under a different name...and we all had a big problem with that..i also recall you posting about it,,,Brighty,,I can't tell you how nice it is to read your words again...you turly are hat this fourm should be about,,how is your daughter?   hey BTW did you ever get the pics developed?   remember our little talk about laundry?  well, I'm as bad with pics as i am with laundry  LOL   Love ya  cin

[Brighty]

So good to be back here Cindi.. and thank you for your support... that is right... we are addicts ( or family members as in my case and others) and not morons. The most valid point I see here is not so much Dan keeping his identity personal but using another identity to cover his original identity. This is what Spook did, with multiple sign in names. It is very misleading and deceptive. And also it's very different from remaining anonymous. We come here with an identity for the board and our thoughts, problems, fears and hopes are reflected through that identity that we present ourselves with here. Others come to know us and depend on us for support... some of us are friendlier with particular people and none of us agree about all things all the time... but we should have enough respect to simply post as ONE identity and not several in order to deceive or gain support for our point of view by pretending to be several people or even 2 different people. There are many paths to healing and if I find one I will share it with you but not cram it down your throat as you may be destined for a different path. I think this is what we are all about here. I hope we differ with love and forgive ourselves and others who make mistakes here or get overy opinionated... like I do as well. Love, Brighty

[katie r]

ps....thanks to both you and Cindy for all the work you put into this forum. I truly appreciate all your efforts. This forum is great and I owe a big thank you to both of you for starting it.
With the exception of danielincc and Dr Steve....everyone here has been a life saver for me. Thanks to all of you!

[Milo]

Hi, first, my heartfelt thanks to you and Cindy for the work you've done keeping this board up and running. It has been a lifeline during an extremely difficult period of my life. Thank you very, very much.
I'm glad you clarified that you and Cindy are the ones who decide if a board stays. I agree with everything the previous posters have mentioned. To develop an online support group, a kind of cyber-family if you will, is a major life experience. Then to have it threatened in an offhand way because of a vague complaint about "tone" was shocking to say the least. I think it's safe to say that many people on this board are in a vulnerable state, and this kind of added anxiety can be devastating. I too have posted on threads that have disappeared without notice or reason. (The thread where someone offered to sell drugs was an obvious exception, and Cindy explained why the thread was deleted.)Unfortunately, the complaints about Dr. Steve are all too valid in my opinion. I have read one or two useful comments from him, but nothing compared to the help I've received from other forum members. For everyone's sake, I hope a positive resolution can be achieved.

[katie r]

In my opinion, this whole thing got out of control because of a guy that posts and for some reason has it in for Thomas, whom by the way, the rest of the people in the forum look up to Thomas and are crazy about him. First of all, I was under the impression that this addiction was open to people even if they are using, trying to get clean, already clean or relasping. The trouble maker seems to think that if we aren't clean,we're too stupid to live! When we share stories about how our drug abuse started...he accuses us of "glorifying drug use."  Then there was the time he went into a rage because we "hijacked" someones thread....which as you must know, in order to interact with each other we have no other choice. It's rare to be able to post a new question. We usually try to help the original poster till Steve shows up...which is about every 3 weeks...then eventually one of us needs to make a comment or share a story and have no choice but to use a thread started by someone else.And why waste the one question that is allowed to be posted when we just want to talk to each other? Then one day the trouble maker managed to start a new thread and yabbered on about people "gloifying our drug use" and he made a few other comments. That is when Steve said he may have to close this forum down if the tone didn't change. Sharing our stories about what got us to this point in life helps us to help each other. Some of the stories we shared were things we did in the past.....I guess that is considered "glorifying" our drug use?
The trouble maker also made rude comments to a woman in this forum who works in the mental health field. I can't recall his comment but it was downright rude and uncalled for.
So...in my opinion, that is how this whole thing spun out of control.....one jerk who thinks we are all scum and is under the impression he can walk on water.
When I come to this forum, it's to talk to the many friends I've made here. If this forum is supposed to only be about posting a question..then wait 3 weeks for Steve to tell me to see an addicion specialist in my area.....then I don't need to be here.
And if you look back at the old questions in the archives, Steve used to put alot more thought in his answers. Now he pretty much gives the same answer to every question. The only help I got here was from the other forum members. Everyday, I thank God for them and this forum. I was never judged or criticized by them for being an addict. None of us were judged till the trouble maker showed up and started spewing his insults.

[cindi]

I did talk to Cindy last week and did get a respoinse from her which was very helpful,,,,,she had stated that she was waiting for a reply from Dr. Steve re: his ridiculous comment...Brighty and the others are so right in telling you about what has been going on....how Dr. Steve threatened to shut down the forum if the tone didn't change...everything was going along fine until DOC DAN started posting under the name of Danilelincc and thought we were too stupid to know who he really was..he never let us know he was at one time Doc dan,,,we are addicts,  not morons.....anyway,,his identity is not as important as the way he talks to people,,ridiculing, scrutinizing,,literally "picking" on addicts,,and the one person he has choosen to single out has been a very active member of this board at least for as long as I have been coming here,,,,I see no reason for his behavior.....a sheer arrogant, pompous ass is what he is making himself look like....You and Cindy have done a wonderful job with this forum,,,,,it has saved many  many people from going over the edge...the forum and it's PARTICIPANTS...not the medical staff,,,I owe alot to the two of you for allowing us to participate on this board and we feel very welcome here and enjoy being a part of all this  until posters that feel they are one step above God start acting Holier than thou....we are not blaming you and Cindy for any of this,,we are however looking for a solution to the problems....we can ignore them,,,especially dan   he is a mere acorn ot all of these Oak trees that display such strength and grace, actually he is really a thorn,,,,,that tries to stick it to us any time he gets a chance,,,not remembering himself he is also an addict....like I said,  we can ignore him but unfortunately like a fungus he will only get worse over time,,,I understand why he can't be banned,,,but can we at least ask him to refrain from being a hinderance to our recovery?  can we at least get him to understand that we do not have to live life on Dan's terms,,,but on life's terms?  he seems to think we are all big dope heads because we enjoy it,,,that we are jusifying and glorifying the opiates  when that is clearly not the case and this irritates him and causes him to become hostile and aggitated...it seems to really be a control issue but one person ends up getting hammered,,,,oen person that does not deserve any of this,,,so,,Phil,,your input and assistance would be greatly appreciated....and this time Dr. steve cannot tell us to go to an addiction specialist in our town,,,,,Thank you for listening and thank you for your concern and help  it is greatly appreciated......cindi

[cindi]

Ahhh Brighty,  just like old times,,,how wonderful to see those letters  BRIGHTY...I am so overwhelmed....one of my first forum friends...love you  cin

[kstuebin]

The only help I've ever gotten on this forum was from the other users.  Dr. Steve never gives any useful advice....just tells everyone to seek a medical opinion.  What's he afraid of?  A malpractice suit? Then, in response to another user who is just a thorn in everyone's side, he says he will shut us down? Well, we have an alternative now. Thank you for all your hard work keeping this site up and running.

[SHOTSY]

Could you also address the problem of posts being deleted or not posting?I personally haven't had trouble but some have. And don't know if it's on our end or the forum's. And would there be reasons why a post would be deleted. Thank you, Shotsy

[Brighty]

This is really interesting !! I returned today after 6 months off the forum and posted that you and Cindy have been totally responsive anytime I sent you a personal concern. I was glad to see your comments that YOU and CINDY alone decide if this forum is to stay open. Personally, I realize a physician often can clarify medical points and that is all he/she ought to be doing. However, the medical information he provides here is so limited that we all agree the doc here is busy with real life and often leaves a very active forum feeling undermined. Maybe it ought to be a patient to patient support forum in light of the fact that the medical replies generally are not too helpful. I hate to be negative but it has been the case. Best wishes and it's good to be back. Brighty

[Frank Lee]

My thanks to you both for your work. I will continue to come back. I guess you can see there was some legitimate confusion about who runs the forum and how. Hope you understand my reaction.

Frank

[Wizard]

Phil, I would like to mirror Skipper's post to you and Cindy. I also owe a lot to the people of this forum and to you and Cindy for providing the space to use. I thank you and I thank them.
Power & Magick 2 U,
Wiz