Please delete reported posts

[Jo-Anne]

Please could the moderators and/or administrators act promptly on the posts that are being reported. Allowing these to remain on the site must be really confusing for new members! as well as increasing my anxiety levels just a little bit.

[pamela]

Jo-Anne I havent seen or heard from a moderator in ages..its like we are on our own

[Jo-Anne]

Hi Pamela.....they have sent me a couple of private messages saying they are working on a solution to the unethical posts. I have reported some more that have not been deleted yet! Once they deleted my report but not the actual post??!!

However I too am getting a little concerned that the counselling support here is getting a little ad hoc lately. When I look back to last year, I can see so much more moderator input. It is such a shame.....I have already put my two cents in with the VRG Foundation and I thought that may change things. Two new moderators have joined but only posted a couple of times each. I really hate to make this public here, but I have tried other more direct ways which have not improved things. As you say......we feel alone, and as this site is being funded, it does not seem that fair to tell you the truth. We do have each other which is so helpful and we have this fantastic forum so let's hope that many others will be assisted here in the future :)

[pamela]

Absolutely Jo-Anne..we are doing a great job on our own but sometimes I feel cheated that we are doing all the hard work without some input from the moderators..however.I am doing ok and so are you without it so I will continuevto post here and give and get the support I need to stay gamble free

[Miette (facilitator)]

Hi Jo-Anne and Pamela,

We really appreciate your concern. thank you for your feedback. We have had some organisational changes and as you have noticed moderation has not been as consistent as it has in the past. This is something that we take seriously, and we are working on rectifying this problem currently. We understand the need for consistency and support.
We would like to thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement and discussion in the forum. You enhance the experience of others members, and help to uphold a supportive and open community. It is really great to see the inspiration and backing that is provided.
Thank you, and we wish you all the best on your journey.
Miette.

[Jo-Anne]

Hi Miette...We really appreciate your prompt response. Thank you for letting us know what is happening with the online support team. I understand staffing and funding pressures will affect things from time to time. I'm sure a facilitator comment will really help the members, along with peer support, and may keep them coming back to the forum as long as they need to.

Many thanks for deleting those posts as well. They seem to start popping up on the weekend when they know it is a vulnerable time for people (and they won't be deleted over the weekend)

Many thanks again Miette and I appreciate your encouragement and support :)

[Miette (facilitator)]

Thank you Jo-Anne. I agree with you, comments can really provide that supportive nature for new and existing members - and it is important for both facilitators and peer support to be upheld.

Your active participation is very much valued - thank you!! It is such a shame that not everyone uses these forums for the right reasons, it is frustrating and disrespectful when inappropriate posts pop-up! I acknowledge how triggering this may be, particularly in vulnerable times. Thank you for taking the time to flag them.

Thank you again Jo-Anne, your contribution is fantastic.
Have a lovely weekend :)
Miette.

[Jeddie]

Here we are December 2017 and I have not seen any facilitator support or any official support at all


64 day GF

[Dave68]

I haven't been as active on this forum as a poster in recent months, although i probably check in every week or two because i was a gambler for 28 years, horses and pokies and finally had the sense to stop in 2014 after probably being at the lowest ebb, with huge debts and not even earning enough to cover them.

In that light i see the odd post by a moderator/facilitator but i reckon in any case we the recovering gamblers might be almost as effective collectively as catalysts for people to stop. We all have that experience of losing, debt, anxieties etc which weave a rich tapestry of situations that would surely resonate with almost any type of gambling situation. Many here have families, kids which amplifies problems, mine was my own, being single and thus a burden at least that wasn't conveyed to others.

Just a personal opinion, a friend of mine who has had many sessions of psychiatric treatment over many years to help him overcome issues he feels that have caused him problems from an early age, i am not sure it even works anyway to be frank. None of the sessions have fixed his situation, and the feelings he has about the issues from his early years (adoption and stuff) remain embedded, coming out every now and then in frustrations with his life now. No psychiatrist can undo what was done, and no facilitator can pay back what we've lost. We have to do it ourselves, we need to get the strength and ability to realise that only by stopping can things gradually improve. We have to write off our gambling chapters, that money is gone, the time we spent gambling is gone, and NOTHING will get that back. Future time may help pay back debts, but it won't bring house prices back to the early 90's when maybe i could have bought, or my age back to my 20's when i might have used my money much more wisely. Our gambling is a sunk cost, gawnski and only ruling a line under it and ceasing to do it in future can do anything. That's something we just have to find deep down within ourselves.

[Jeddie]

I agree with all that Dave68. We are each other's best help. Encouragement and helpful suggestion, and ear to listen and great advice. Thanks for stir being here to help us all Dave 68


65 days GF