Guidelines

🌿 Mental Health Haven — Community Guidelines

1. Be Kind and Respectful

• Treat everyone with compassion and empathy.

• Avoid judgment, sarcasm, or dismissive language.

• People are here to be heard — listen actively and respond supportively.

2. No Hate Speech or Discrimination

• We do not tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any form of discrimination.

• Everyone deserves to feel safe and included.

3. Protect Privacy (Yours & Others')

• Do not share personal info (full names, addresses, social media, etc.).

• Respect the anonymity and confidentiality of other users.

4. No Triggering or Harmful Content

• Avoid graphic descriptions of self-harm, suicide, abuse, or violence.

• Use [trigger warnings] where appropriate (e.g., [TW: Self-harm]).

• If you're in immediate danger, please seek professional help or emergency services.

5. No Medical Advice

• You can share your experiences, but do not give medical diagnoses or treatment plans.

• Encourage users to speak to professionals for medical or psychological concerns.

6. No Promotion or Spam

• Do not post advertisements, affiliate links, or promote products/services.

• You may share resources, but only if they are non-commercial and genuinely helpful.

7. Respect Forum Sections and Topics

• Keep conversations on-topic.

• Use the correct categories (e.g., anxiety, depression, general support).

• Use clear, descriptive thread titles to help others find relevant posts.

8. Use Content Warnings and Spoiler Tags

• If your post could be upsetting or triggering, label it clearly (e.g., [TW: PTSD]).

• Use spoiler tags where appropriate to hide sensitive content behind a click.

9. Support, Not Solutions

• Offer supportive comments, not solutions.

• It's okay to say: “I’m here for you” or “That sounds really hard — you're not alone.”

10. Report When Needed

• If you see harmful or inappropriate behavior, report it to moderators.

• Don’t engage in arguments — let staff handle violations.

✅ Encourage:

• "What helps me is..." rather than "You should..."

• Sharing your journey without giving direct medical advice

• “Venting posts” tagged with [VENT] and “no advice wanted”

⛔ Discourage:

• Comparisons of suffering (e.g., “others have it worse”)

• “Toxic positivity” (e.g., “just think happy thoughts”)

• Minimizing language (“you’ll get over it”)

⚠️ Crisis Support Notice

Mental Health Haven is not a crisis service.
If you or someone you know is in danger, please contact a local crisis line or emergency services.