How does the eCommunity support MDF and its users?
The online nature of the eCommunity means that even people who need help in the middle of the night, or those who are suffering a severe depressive episode and can’t leave the house, are able to benefit from support and encouragement when they need it most. Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be very frightening, and talking to other people who are sharing the same experiences can be a huge relief.
Discussion boards are divided into a number of different topic areas including General Discussion, Medication and Friends and Family. There is also a special board for those aged 18-25, where younger users can seek support on issues like coping at university. MDF can communicate directly with its users too, on Ecom notices.
eCommunity features can be tuned to the needs of each client. MDF requires people to create an account before they can read or take part in discussions.
Use of the MDF site, and the profile of MDF, is at an all-time high: over 16,000 people visited the site in March 2008. However, the best evidence for the success of the eCommunity comes from the positive experiences of its members. The following post from July 2007 sums up its benefits nicely:
“This site is brilliant for making you realise that you… are not in this alone, nothing you experience is [truly] abnormal and that diagnosis is not a death [sentence] on the rest of your life – you are still the wonderful you!”
Visit the site at www.mdf.org.uk
