Drop-In Chat Room

Schedule

We host a text-based internet chatroom some Saturdays between 3:00 and 4:00 PM, US Eastern Time. The chat room is for peer support by and for people with TMS (The Mindbody Syndrome). Days when there will be a chat room will be announced in our General Discussion Subforum.

Guidelines:

1. Use “I” language: Because we do not participate in support groups as credentialed professionals, we do not instruct or advise.
2. Rule out serious conditions: Only licensed professionals can rule out serious medical conditions and provide diagnoses or medical advice.
3. It's o.k. not to share: People do not have to share if they do not wish to
4. Anyone is welcome to join these chat rooms. It's everyone's responsibility to make the chats a safe place to share: we respect confidentiality, treat each other with kindness and respect one another's opinions.
5. We advise against sharing any personally identifiable information and encourage you to use a screen name or pseudonym if doing so makes you feel more comfortable.

Instructions/How To Join

• Days when there will be a chat room will be announced in our General Discussion Subforum.
• To join on a day when there is a chat room, click on this link between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM US Eastern Time. The current time is ET. If you click the link when a chat isn't active, you'll get an error.
• You'll need to log in or make an account to participate. It takes less than a minute and will make it possible for you to post in the forum. Click here to make your account and reserve your anonymous username. (Previously, we had thought that guest accounts might be available, but unfortunately they won't be, so everyone will need to make an account.) Please register your account in advance in case there are any problems.
• The basics of the chat room are pretty straightforward and can be seen from the image below. You type your own messages where it says "Write a Message," at the bottom in very light grey. Press Enter or click the submit button to submit your message. You read other people's messages on the left and you can see a list of participants on the right. At the top are some helpful links in orange and at the very bottom are some buttons for formatting and smilies. Note that the chat room is only available when a scheduled chat is in session. That's all you need to know!
• Regular visitors may wish to learn more about the chat room from our Chat room FAQ.