The Living Well forums are intended as a place to share information, promote understanding, and provide and receive care and support. It is designed to be a safe space where members can talk openly, name difficulties, explore concerns, ask questions and offer assistance. When making a post, members are asked to be thoughtful and respectful, to consider their own and others’ well being and not engage in behaviour that might confuse or distress.
Basic Guidelines
In order to keep Living Well forums and discussions safe and secure for all users, we have established some basic guidelines. Please take a minute to read the guidelines listed below and click on "agree" at the end of this page if you agree to abide by them.
- All communication is to be respectful.
- Personal attacks and name calling are not to be posted.
- Threats of harm, illegal statements and offensive behaviour is not to be posted.
- Explicitly sexualized or suggestive sexual content is not to be posted.
- Tone is to be polite, even if you disagree with the beliefs and opinions being expressed.
- Someone’s choice to refuse to answer questions or interact is to be respected.
- Personal information (i.e. full names, phone numbers, email addresses, mailing or residential addresses, whether your own or someone else's) are not to be posted.
- Participation in discussions whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol is to be avoided.
Note: Forums and discussions are not designed to manage suicidal thoughts. Therefore if you are feeling suicidal, considering self harm, in an unsafe situation or aware of someone at risk, we urge you to contact a support person or local agency, and visit our crisis page.
The basic guidelines are not designed to be all inclusive and may be modified and updated. Please be aware that not adhering to the guidelines may result in loss of participation privileges.
Issues of Concern
If you feel a post or comment is of concern, abusive or belongs in another forum, please report it to a moderator. If you receive a private message you believe is abusive or inappropriate, please contact a moderator and include a copy of the contents of the message.
- For the purpose of maintaining order within the forum, do not respond publicly if something is triggering you. It is best for you to bring your concerns directly to a moderator. Be advised that information affecting site administration or site safety will be shared by the moderator with their supervisor.
- Please try to avoid strong reactions to triggering content. Likewise, if you know you are posting triggering material in your posts please put in subject header "Trigger Warning."
- Please be mindful of the fact that when we react to something it can be due to being triggered into a memory of abuse or harm you have experienced and may not be wholly about what someone is posting now. We ask that you please take responsibility for your feelings and step back to check that out. Send a private message to a moderator and get someone else's take on the issue before posting your own "feelings" response to the post that triggered you.
- If you do post a reply, try to write your response with "I" statements and without saying "YOU..." If you notice yourself attacking, you're reacting! Survivors come from all nationalities, faiths, sexual orientations, and racial groups. Respect and compassion must be the cornerstone of how we respond to one another.
Names, Images and Avatars
Please use a first name or a nickname when you post something on the forum, so that people can know where the post has come from. This helps people feel safe, as anonymous posts can be disturbing. We ask that you only use one name, and the same name at all times. Although this can be difficult, it can help in developing understanding of the totality of person’s experience.
It is our belief that sharing of art or photographs can be a validating, even healing experience for many. Users are encouraged, if they wish, to produce and post their own images and avatars. These must adhere to the following standards:
- All individuals or characterizations depicted in an avatar must be fully clothed.
- No political content or contentious religious content.
- No use of a photo of someone other than the user, unless the photo is of a well-known public or historical figure (e.g. an avatar of Ghandi would be okay; one of a high-school classmate would not)
- No images likely to cause stress or anxiety (strobing images, tortured figures, etc.)
- No images likely to give offense (e.g. swastika, etc.)
- No weapons
- No portrayals of anything that is explicitly or implicitly sexual or violent
- No images that suggest or depict addictions or addictive behavior
- Nothing that would compromise or reveal your personal contact information
The moderators will retain sole review and discretion rights concerning avatars and may from time to time remove or ask a user to remove an image that in their opinion violates the above guidelines or is in any other way triggering or unhealthy to the welfare of our community.
Communicating with Moderators
Private messages to the moderators about your concerns are appropriate. We can then explore issues with you and take appropriate action.
Please understand that actions are often based on information which cannot be shared publicly without harming other members on the site. Our decisions are often impossible to make without offending someone and therefore our primary goal is to promote healing and increase safety.
Please remember that:
- Issues that moderators determine are beyond their responsibility will be taken to their supervisor(s).
- Moderators are here to keep posts and responses balanced and in keeping with these Site Use Guidelines.
- Removing posts is an action of last resort. If something that you think is objectionable is left on the board, make your comments privately to a moderator, but respect that moderator’s decision not to remove the post
- Closing discussion in a string of posts will result if we feel that it contains a potential trigger – please respect this decision and do not carry the discussion to a new post.
Remember: If you wish to complain about any aspect of the service or wish to express a grievance or concern about any action taken by a moderator or agent of the Living Well Forums we encourage you to contact us.
Off Site Contact
In order to keep this environment safe and welcoming for all users, we monitor content. While we cannot completely guarantee safety on site, we strongly recommend that you do not give out personal information or involve yourself with anyone off site. While we can't control anyone's off-site activities, it is our policy to discourage it and to urge anyone beginning such communication to proceed with caution. Your safety is paramount. It is strongly recommended that you:
- Do not give your full name out to anyone who asks for it.
- Do not give out your personal email address or phone number to anyone here.
- Do not give anyone your mailing address, home address or location; even which city you live in.
Someone who may appear well-meaning may ask you to email them your picture. We ask that you not do that.
Multiple Accounts
In the interest of keeping this site and its users safe from fraud, single users establishing multiple accounts will not be permitted. In cases where apparent multiple accounts appear, all such accounts will be blocked, pending clarification of the situation. If this happens to you, please do not be offended or think that this means you have done something wrong or are under suspicion. All we are doing is verifying the situation for the sake of the security and safety of the website.
We understand that in some circumstances there will continue to be cases where entirely legitimate use of the site will still give an impression of use of multiple accounts, for example, when a user and their partner are using the same computer. If you are approached about this we would appreciate your support and assistance in clarifying the matter. We are anxious to work with all of you to maintain your ability to access the site as safely and freely as possible.
Disclaimer
Considering the nature of the Living Well discussion forums, it is impossible for moderators to immediately review messages or confirm the validity of information posted. Please remember that we at Living Well are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not the views of Living Well or any entity associated with Living Well. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact a moderator immediately by private message. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary and according to the website guidelines.
Agreement
You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use the Living Well discussion forums or chat to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually inappropriate, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violating any law or regulation. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or you have permission from the copy right holder. Please note that advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate and not allowed on the Living Well website.
Living Well retains ownership of all content posted on the website and also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove any message. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages.
Living Well also reserves the right to reveal your personal information in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you.
BY USING THIS SITE YOU AFFIRM THAT YOU ARE AT LEAST EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE AND THAT YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD LIVING WELL AND ITS AGENTS HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY AND ALL CLAIMS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS SITE.