Well I always avoided forums for the same reasons I avoid Twitter, I think it can bring out the worst in some people, but I don't find that here. Yes on occasion I've thought blimey that's blunt, but generally I realise that writing styles are the root of it. I tend to be quite flowery, and try to avoid being critical but I may well have written something that irritated another person. In fact I'm sure I irritate some people, but different strokes for different folks. It is hard when you're new to understand what's going on, and it's hard when people here say something different to what your medical team are saying, but that's fine with me, because that's why I came here. I didn't come for sympathy and hugs (although that's nice too), I came because I felt isolated, different and unhappy with the medical advice I was given. On the flip side though, it's hard when you're not new too, because you lose connection to how it felt to be so bewildered and raw, and we all deal with things differently. I see this place as a haven where I can ask a question and I will get honest answers, I might not agree with the answer, I might not like the answer, but then if I don't like it I can ignore it. i found this thread useful, because it reminded me to try to remember that newbies in particular can be on their last nerve (a raw, overexposed and very painful nerve at that) so I try to be as gentle as possible, but it's also useful to remind me that we all interpret words through our own personal filter, and sometimes the offence taken is more about the person taking it than the alleged offender, sometimes it's six of one half a dozen of the other, and sometimes it's just someone having a bad day at the end of their fuse.