Hi there! Welcome to the Internet!

Boy, you sure can do a lot of fun stuff on the Internet. You can read articles, download cute images of cats, watch cute videos of cats, and also talk to people all over the world through a variety of communication platforms! That's amazing! I bet you can't wait to talk to other people and share your unique, and I'm sure, perfectly logical and reasonable views with other people!

So you're about to send that message to that other person over the Internet? Great! But wait: before you do, there's one important question you should ask:

Should I type that?

Now, before you start on me, I'm sure whatever you have to say is super important, and the world can't live without it. Really! Honest! But maybe, just maybe, before you hit that Enter key, you might want to ask the following questions:

Is this message meaningful and constructive?
Am I providing proper context for my message, so that I know it's understood and received appropriately?
If attempting to provide factual information, have I verified its accuracy with the appropriate sources?
Am I letting certain personal biases, whether they are conscious or unconscious, influence my message?
Am I being respectful and considerate of the other person's feelings?
Is it possible that, for some reason or another, I am being influenced by external factors in such a way that my message may be compromised?

Well, if you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, I would like you to consider the following:

Maybe don't type that.

Maybe, just maybe, whatever you're going to say, isn't going to be helpful, constructive, or appropriate. Maybe what you have to say is more appropriate to your friend group, and not to a wider audience. Sometimes things we think are like that! Maybe what you have to say doesn't have to be said at all! Imagine that!

But maybe, just maybe, consider this little fact before you send that message:

The Internet is not your personal dumping ground.

Now, I'm sure whatever's going on in your life, there's good reasons and probably sad ones behind it, and honestly, I do feel sorry for what you're going through. However, I think that maybe you should consider the following options instead of dumping your trauma onto unsuspecting strangers:

Reach out to a trusted friend or family member for support. (Assuming family isn't who put you in this position in the first place.)
Consider speaking with a mental health professional. Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or visit the NAMI Helpline for help and resources.
Take some time to reflect on your feelings and experiences.
If you are in a crisis and in the United States, please call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741.

Thank you for reading this website and listening to what I have to say! However, I understand that most likely, the people who really need to read this all the way through probably aren't going to. So I've left a special message at the bottom of this page:

Hi, Mom! I'm on the Internet!

Have a nice day.