There are some nice people on there but the mods, despite having mental health conditions themselves, are not that understanding.

About a month ago, I got 3 day banned for having a learning difficulty, which got shortened to 2 days after I pestered the absolute daylights out of them in email about having it lifted early because another member had sent me some information that was helpful and I'd of been helped much quicker by it if they'd let me back on much earlier.

One of my problems is I have a learning difficulty which makes it hard for me to understand what's said to me sometimes, which the moderators knew about but they punished me for not understanding what they were trying to explain to me, instead of putting it another way, which would of been more helpful to me.

About 9 days ago I got thrown into moderation over a freakout I had, yes I did wrong but since then I have not had a single post held back from appearing but yet they won't give me a chance outside of moderation, despite the fact I'm approaching a painful anniversary and absolutely have to be able to post about it and get immediate support, which won't happen if I'm still in moderation by the time that anniversary arrives. I am so close to giving up there, it's unreal. I've already started giving my email address out to a few members there so they can keep in touch with me for in case I don't go back there. I'm seriously considering not going back after the weekend if the main admin there doesn't let me out from moderation considering everything I have posted there since getting put in moderation has been allowed through. My understanding was that if a member behaves, they get let out of moderation but this is clearly not the case. As I said, yes I made a mistake being logged in during a episode of paranoia but even after it had clearly settled and I said as much, they wouldn't let me out of moderation nor would they even think about letting me out despite me following every instruction and keeping every single post of mine within their rules.

At one point, I did request to be put in moderation because I felt at the time that my ability to post within rules was slipping but when I asked they refused because I hadn't yet crossed the line at that time, yet when they threw me in moderation for my behaviour even though I feel I'm ready to come out they won't even consider that idea.

Yes, they need to be sure that those of us in moderation are going to behave outside of moderation but how long does it take before they give someone that chance? For me, it's been 9 days and counting and I'm being driven over the edge about it. I need something to be done about it. I emailed the main admin while I was at work as well but he wasn't helpful about it, despite my desperation to get given one chance.

Getting thrown in moderation on there is basically a jail with no chance of "parole".

This is honestly causing me to feel trapped and there's also a safety issue as well that I explained to the main admin but did he care? Nope... Even though I said that I was going to be forced across to another forum that I had a online stalker on if this wasn't sorted out, he would not even consider promising to let me out of moderation by next month. All he said was that I might get let out before the end of the month. I need it to be a definate "if you continue to behave on psych central we will definately let you out by next month". That's what I need and that's what I told him but he does not give a crap.

If I'm not out by the end of the month I will be permanently leaving the forum.

I don't like leaving "negative" reviews for anything but I am honestly being driven to leaving this up as a review and not removing it or editing it, I would rather say positive things about places etc but the only time I was ever listened to on there was when I left the original review on here, that was the only time anything was done about what had happened.

Update: Finally, after 12 days, they decided to let me out of moderation. I was going into a really bad tailspin through stress from about day 10 and needed to be out on that day but it took them an extra two days to decide to let me out. I suspect the main admin maybe saw my freakout in the comment I left (since removed) on this review. I listed the multiple reasons why I should of got let out and was so stressed out that I really went off on one. I also remember saying there was no reason to keep me in moderation for that long and I made a comment that it was getting to the point of cruelty, interestingly hours after saying that in the comment they decided to take me out of moderation.

Oh and I forgot to say, moderators on there are allowed to have episodes of mental illness while logged in with no consequences to them, this courtesy (sp) is not extended to members. Other thing I wanted to say is they can and do read private conversations on there just because they can.

Edited to add: it's interesting that the only people who are actually sticking up for the forum are the lurkers and the moderators. Read into that what you will.

My other edit: I insisted in email in the middle of last month that I wanted my account deleted, which was ignored. I did not want to have to log back in but in order to have it deleted (which it was deleted yesterday after I sent a PM insisting upon it getting deleted). It was finally deleted. I heard that they normally delete accounts once a week but mine was not deleted for at least 2 weeks, possibly 3, I wasn't really properly counting for a change.

Some members the main admin emails when they leave, trying to talk them into going back, I heard this on the grapevine. Others he doesn't. I was one of the ones he didn't, which I'm reading into that the fact that he never wanted me on the forum so I was not welcome there from the start.

Further edit: another reviewer said that moderators regularly talk to members like they're children. This is so true. I was talked down to by the main admin there over being in moderation (granted I was struggling to understand due to learning disability) but even so talking to someone like they are a child is not helpful to anyone.

And saying people WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES have to show good behaviour for WEEKS if they get thrown in moderation/forum jail is cruel. How many people with mental illness can honestly show perfect behaviour for weeks at a time? Not many!

And just in case my above comment gets removed, here it is:

"The main problem with psych central is they will only listen to their own side of the story (the mods and admins I mean), they refuse to listen to the member they are dealing with. That happened to me several times, they would decide on what to do to me without even listening to my side of the story, no less! Then spring action on me simply for not even knowing what I did when they hadn't even tried to explain to me what I was in trouble for. As a result, I honestly believe my 3 day ban was for having a learning disability (as I said in my own review) and I got thrown in moderation for having a episode of my other mental health issues. Not a supportive way of treating someone, in my opinion."

Notice the ratio of bad reviews to good ones here. That should tell you everything. Here is my story.

For 3 years and 9 months I was an active, daily poster on Psych
Central. The first year was so-so; there were a few long-time members
Who were not welcoming; they clearly didn't want new people entering the closed circle. Those members often claimed that they were easily
Triggered. They used the "ignore" option to excess, I thought. But, okay, I respected their decisions, so I avoided them and focused
On establishing connections with other members. I achieved that; I found some members who were kind. Unfortunately, many of them didn't stick around long. Most didn't post regularly, but would "drop in" now and then. I wondered why they weren't on the forum regularly - or why so many left altogether; sadly, a couple of members suicided during my time on the forum.

About a year into my membership the mods began harassing me. I'm a
Supportive person. I truly care about people. I believe in self-growth
By learning to cope with my mental illness, and I believe that when appropriate, I can
Support others in their healing and self-growth by kindly challenging them. But on PC the only type of posting permitted is to provide robotic support.

Each board is moderated by a specific person or team. If a certain
Member (almost without exception someone who is a creative and independent thinker) offends a mod the harassment begins. There is no one on the site who "moderates the mods", therefore any one of the mods can take any action s/he wants to towards any member.

Into my second year on PC several mods began bullying me
And threatening me with forum punishment on a nearly daily basis. Whenever I saw that I had a PM I would feel anxious... is it a PM from a mod, please, don't let it be another PM from a mod...
But because I had made some friends (many who came and went, and two who
Turned out to have fake identities - not exactly helpful for someone
Struggling with mental illness) on the forum I remained.

By the time I had been a member for a bit over 2 years bullying by the
Mods (mods are peers - they also have mental illnesses) became nearly
Unbearable. I felt specifically targeted by 4 mods. I say "targeted" because I
Frequently saw posts that were crude (sometimes sexually),
Inappropriate, and - worst of all - posts that were made by members with
Fake profiles and stories. Those posts usually went unchecked.

The "frauds" were usually on the forum to scam concerned, naive, and
Lonely members out of $$$. For example, there was one very obvious scammer in
Particular; when I brought the situation to the attention of the mods
AND to the forum CEO, one thread by the scammer was eventually closed, yet the person's account remained open. The scammer had stolen a photo from a news story
About a teen girl who had been murdered in Texas, and used that photo on her
Profile page, claiming that the photo was of herself. OH MY GOD. Horrific, correct?

Although another member actually provided a link to the article about the murdered girl NOTHING WAS DONE. That profile pic remains on the scammer's page to this day. Yes, horrific - and typical of the way PC is mis-managed.

Annnd... the mods continued to bully and harass me by removing
My posts, threatening suspension, or of being banned from the site. I was regularly placed on "moderation" (i. E., none of my posts could appear without a mod approving them).

Finally, 3 years into my membership I was given a temporary suspension
(two weeks) without a valid reason. When I returned I was placed
On indefinite "moderation". The bullying continued. My posts were
Deleted, again without valid reasons. One mod told me that my "bipolar
Disorder" was causing me "to break forum guidelines" (!). But the truth
Was that I was stable- at
That time.

Long after I should have left the forum, long after the bullying by mods
Had become abusive, I was permanently banned at my own request - a
Request I insisted on so that I could entirely break connection with the
Cult that is PC.

Unfortunately, the way I had been treated by PC admin so obviously
Replicated my own childhood abuse that I became panicky and depressed:
IRL I began to unravel. I had not been inpatient for 28 years, but 3
Weeks after being banned from PC I became suicidal and was hospitalized.
Far too high of a price to pay for a little bit of online support.

In addition to the horribly insufficient mod situation the CEO misleads
Members. He claims to be a psychologist. The truth is this: he has never
Been a practicing psychologist. His REAL business is BUSINESS: he is an
Entrepreneur. After graduating college, he founded
PC and holds his position on his forum as CEO. In other words, the man
Known as (I cannot use his name) pulls his salary as CEO of a website he created by duping
Members
And prospective members into believing that he has been, or is, a
Practicing psychotherapist.
Creepy. Wrong. UNETHICAL.

If you have a mental illness I strongly suggest that you stay away from
Psych Central. Seek support elsewhere, in some other way. Getting hooked
(addicted) to the forum is too easy and you will eventually emerge from the place
With serious problems. The best action that happened for me was when I
Found the inner strength to demand to be banned from that nightmare
Forum. I emerged with some serious psychological damage as a result of
How badly I had been bullied by mods, and how the CEO refused to take any
Action against that mistreatment.

Finally, after almost 4 years, I have lost that source of horrible stress.

Someone in power needs to intervene, even remove, the site. Oh- and
Don't be duped into donating to the forum to receive "special
Privileges". I did. What a foolish mistake.

If you think help is taking your troubles to a crowd-sourced group of wannabe therapists, this is your forum. The game here is competing who is sickest (members brag about their diagnoses and medication), who had the most abusive childhood and who is neediest.

Youre also encouraged to share idolizing fantasies about your T (their shorthand for therapist) and count down the hours until you see the T-god again. The crowd is certain how therapy, healing and even life work and often preach that being obsessed with and attached to your therapist is the healthiest thing that can happen to you.

Another popular game is psychoanalyzing you, blaming, and shaming you. The more youre hurting, the more the crowd who consider themselves masters at therapyseem to pile on with self-righteous accusations. Though diagnosing you technically is against the rules, that doesnt seem to discourage anyone. Theyll declare your pathological flaws with great enthusiasm over your painful protests. Ad hominem attacks are selectively moderated, with the most enthusiastic therapy boosters allowed free rein to bully others.

If your therapy is going poorly the frequent consensus will beits your fault. No matter how your therapist abuses you, he really didnt mean it, or meant something else, or punishment is good for you, or youre the sort whos never satisfied. The gallery has great confidence that they understand what your therapist meant, particularly if that excuses the therapists poor practice. Or like a bad therapist, theyll invalidate your perception by attributing it to transference. You dont know whats good for you; this mob of sanctimonious strangers does.

If this is your idea of support, youll likely find it at Psych Central.

The Psychotherapy forum is frequently a horror show. Dissent is not tolerated by the aggressive main clique. You can call out a "bad" therapist, but talk about basic pathology in the system and you'll likely be shouted down by the angry mob, or censored by the overbearing and heavily biased moderators. Even well-reasoned criticism or questioning brings out ad hominem attacks and childish tantrums.

Critical thinking is not encouraged. Instead there is rampant groupthink and sheep-like adherence to pro-industry orthodoxies. The doctrine of psychotherapeutic "transference" is accepted as gospel. Everyone agrees it must be worked though but nobody can quite explain how or why. No matter how badly therapy is harming someone, there will be chants of "more therapy!". Devotion to psychiatry's magic pills is likewise fierce and frightening. Many members appear to be therapy and/or pharma addicts.

It is considered "supportive" to encourage other members to accept whatever pathologizing and stigmatizing diagnoses they've received, no matter how dubious. It is considered "unsupportive" to deconstruct this corrupt paradigm and suggest other possibilities. Something as basic as good nutrition or self-care is considered subversive. Its also considered supportive to openly contradict and reinterpret what other members say, if it's not in line with majority thinking.

The moderators carry out de facto censorship via selective enforcement of vague and draconian rules, under the guise of keeping the forums safe. You keep people safe by allowing free expression, not by looking over their shoulder and editing their thoughts like big brother. Threads are closed without warning, and posts silently deleted (down the memory hole!). Moderators do not accept challenges and regularly admonish users as if they are children. Members are coddled and controlled and taught to be timid and compliant, thus reinforcing the powerlessness and deferral to authority that is the hallmark of therapy itself.

The site's owner and daddy figure John Grohol, the mods, and long-time members behave like wannabe therapists. They are often irrational and lacking self-awareness and equanimity. All are prone to pompous moralizing and patronizing lessons that probably reflect the warping influence of years in the mental health system. This sort of therapizing is commonplace in therapy culture, but in other contexts is the domain of insufferable nags, boors, and scolds, or people with distorted interpersonal boundaries (ironic, since therapists preach endlessly about boundaries).

Members struggling in therapy who show any sign of doubt are often scolded or bullied by the true believers. It's like a kangaroo court. Client blaming is the norm. The rules of engagement reflect therapy itself: contrived authority, imposed hierarchy, aversion to scrutiny, aggressive squashing of dissent, deception and dishonesty, covert narcissism, delusions of omniscience.

If you are a survivor of psychotherapy abuse or harm, and want to talk openly about it, this is the not the place, unless you go underground with closed groups or private messaging. The biz in all its manifestations does not want to hear from its casualties.

Holy crap! I didn't realize so many people had such similar terrible experiences with the "moderators" at this place! They're a bunch of bullies who stick up for the cruelest members of the forum, truthfully. They claim to be a place where people suffering from emotional and mental illnesses can come for support, yet they are anything but.

On one occasion, I mentioned that I felt I really needed help with my depression but didn't have the money to afford therapy. Some old woman (who, to be fair, admitted to having schizophrenic delusions) completely attacked me, telling me I was an entitled young person who wanted people like herself who were "more sick" than me to pay for my therapy with her taxes. I never even mentioned wanting my therapy paid with tax dollars! As someone who suffers from extremely low self esteem, this was very upsetting to me, so I mentioned that her words were hurtful to me. Within minutes, I received messages threatening the suspension of my account because my response "wasn't supportive." Oh, but nothing was said to the psycho who blatantly insulted me; apparently calling others "entitled young people" is supportive! This was just one of many instances that left a terrible taste in my mouth. One night, a forum user asked me why I didn't feel that I deserved therapy. I responded saying that I had to be careful about saying things like that on the forum because I had been accused of being entitled in the past. The mods suspended my account for THAT. You can't even answer another user's question about your self esteem in vague terms like that without being bullied by the Nazi moderators. Good grief. Way to suspend someone who has openly stated that she has severe depression and NO support system elsewhere while allowing the rude, insulting forum members to run around hurting more people.

A lot of the forum members themselves will make you roll your eyes into oblivion, too. There are a bunch of bored, rich, old folks in the psychotherapy subsection who have nothing better to do with themselves than spend thousands of dollars on therapy and then over-analyze every last thing their therapist(s) says. I've literally read posts that said things like, "What do you think my therapist will think if I wear shorts to my next appointment?!" and "OMG! My therapist drives a Subaru! What do you think this means?" Not to mention the majority of the users literally stalk their therapists by emailing them all throughout the day, and they dare to ask their therapists to do things like hold them and rock them back and forth while they cry. They claim it's "therapeutic." State psychology boards would have a field day suspending licenses if they knew about half of the stuff these people talk their psychologists and counselors into doing for them.

These people are disgusting. Seriously, stay away.