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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Maxime on December 20, 2010, at 23:53:39
SANTA CLAUS
NORTH POLE
H0H 0H0
CANADAChristmas 2010
Dear Santa,
Wow, it has been ages since I last wrote to you. I am sorry for losing touch. Life can get so busy cant it? Thirty five years just zooms by!
I am sure that you remember me. In 1973, you gave me a Light Bright when I specifically asked you for a Big Wheel by Mattel. But no hard feelings, eh? For the record, I am sorry about the cookie and milk incident of 1974. I thought I was putting chocolate in your milk. I had no idea it was a laxative!A lot has gone on in my life since 1974, but if I were too relay it to you it would be longer than your naughty and nice list, so I will spare you details, all except one. I have bipolar type 2 disorder. It has wreaked havoc on my life in so many ways. Again, I will spare you the nitty-gritty details.
When I was in my teen years suffering from depression, there were no resources available where I could freely talk about depression. When I was in my twenties I had my first manic episode. After that I only had hypomanic episodes and I was diagnosed with bipolar type 2 disorder. I lived on my own, and I was able to seek treatment. Sounds like a happy ending, doesnt it? Far from it.
In the 1990s whilst doing my Masters Degree I had access to the Internet. Back then there was no Google, just groups called Listservs . I found one for eating disorders (thats another story) and one for depression. Since then, I have received and given so much support from these groups.
In 2003 I found a group called Psycho Babble. It was an awesome group! So many people with answers about medications, and so much peer support as well.
Fast forward to now (you thought I would never get here, eh). Psycho-Babble is not the place it was in 2003. Its not even the place it was two years ago. Yes, there is still support, and help regarding medication, but there is so much discord as well. So, so, so much! A support site for people with mental illnesses needs to be calm and STABLE refuge for those in need. The last thing someone with a mental needs is instability. The leader and creator of the group, Dr. Bob, is very stuck in his ways on how he manages the group. It has caused so much bickering among members that going into the Administrative part of the board gives me the shakes (really, you should check it out when you have the chance, its not a pretty)
My Christmas wish is that Psycho- Babble will once again become the place it was. That Dr. Bob will see that he is not always right and that things have to change in order to restore order and stability. That censorship is not always the best way to go. That members wont be scared of posting just in case their wording is not perfect and they break a civility rule. That members will not be asked to reword their post so many times that the idea they were trying to get across is lost. That members and Dr. Bob will see that they are making things more complicated than they need to be to fix Psycho Babble. I could go on, but I am sure you get the point Santa.I wish for peace.
Signed,
The once red head girl in Montreal, and the now red head woman in Montreal
Posted by Dr. Bob on December 22, 2010, at 2:07:32
In reply to Dear Santa, my Christmas wish list, posted by Maxime on December 20, 2010, at 23:53:39
> SANTA CLAUS
> NORTH POLE
> H0H 0H0
> CANADASanta's Canadian? That's the perfect postal code for him. :-)
> In 1973, you gave me a Light Bright when I specifically asked you for a Big Wheel by Mattel. But no hard feelings, eh? For the record, I am sorry about the cookie and milk incident of 1974. I thought I was putting chocolate in your milk. I had no idea it was a laxative!
His Administration board must be a doozy. And he's Santa!
Bob
Posted by Maxime on December 22, 2010, at 23:57:59
In reply to Re: Dear Santa, my Christmas wish list, posted by Dr. Bob on December 22, 2010, at 2:07:32
That's the address they give to children in Canada. The programme is in its 26th year.
More than one million children write to Santa at his NORTH POLE H0H 0H0 address. Each letter that includes a return address receives a reply from Santa.
More than 11,000 current and retired Canada Post employees, affectionately called Postal Elves, help Santa to ensure that every childs letter gets an answer in the language in which the letter was written, including Braille (emails are answered in English or French).
It's pretty amazing!
Posted by SLS on December 23, 2010, at 3:53:56
In reply to Re: Dear Santa, my Christmas wish list » Dr. Bob, posted by Maxime on December 22, 2010, at 23:57:59
> It's pretty amazing!
I think you are pretty amazing.
How about a Christmas wish that you and I get well and bring everyone else with us.
- Scott
Posted by Maxime on December 23, 2010, at 8:12:04
In reply to Re: Dear Santa, my Christmas wish list » Maxime, posted by SLS on December 23, 2010, at 3:53:56
> > It's pretty amazing!
>
> I think you are pretty amazing.
>
> How about a Christmas wish that you and I get well and bring everyone else with us.
>
>
> - Scott
>
>Excellent wish! I will email Santa on that one. Did you know that you can Tweet him?
Posted by Maxime on January 8, 2011, at 9:19:20
In reply to Dear Santa, my Christmas wish list, posted by Maxime on December 20, 2010, at 23:53:39
Well, clearly you didn't think I was good enough this year to get my wish. Bacause PB is still a bleeping mess right now. I've been to hell and back this year with my mom, and you can't grant me one wish?
I give up. I give everything up. I would have the same usefulness if I spent my days in bed than I would trying to please the people around me. I opt for bed.
Posted by PartlyCloudy on January 8, 2011, at 11:04:11
In reply to Re: Dear Santa, my Christmas wish list, posted by Maxime on January 8, 2011, at 9:19:20
> Well, clearly you didn't think I was good enough this year to get my wish. Bacause PB is still a bleeping mess right now. I've been to hell and back this year with my mom, and you can't grant me one wish?
>
> I give up. I give everything up. I would have the same usefulness if I spent my days in bed than I would trying to please the people around me. I opt for bed.I wouldn't take Santa personally, Maxime, just as we can't take Bob here personally (can you imagine if he was NOT doing anything out of dislike for us? Shudder).
Staying in bed, though, on a wintery Saturday, to me sounds less like uselessness and more like restorative self care. Even the "normal" - and I use that term very loosely - people I know are struggling with the denouement after the holidays. It pretty much sucks.
pc
This is the end of the thread.
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