by Seepi27 on December 10th, 2012, 12:12 pm
As someone who has also said negative things about the chat in recent weeks, I feel that I should also put the record straight. I've made it clear that chat is not for everyone, and in the state of mind I am at present, it is certainly not for me.
But, and it's a BIG BUT: the Chat room can be of immense help, and it was of immense help to me, for at least the first six months of my BFS journey.
More importantly, my criticisms of chat should NOT be construed as criticisms of its founder, Leanne. During the eight months that I was in chat, Leanne was part of my mental and emotional furniture, so to speak. That is, she was ALWAYS there. When I needed information about BFS, when I needed someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on - literally and metaphorically - she was there, unconditionally. Nothing was, or is, ever too much for her, and I certainly agree with the other posters here when they say that she puts her chat members certainly before herself and often before her own family too. I've lost count of the times that I've interrupted her meals or the time that she was spending with her kids in order to 'freakout' and wait for her to talk me down. I've lost count of the number of times that she's explained the same things to me, over and over again, always with compassion and never with impatience. And I've lost count of the number of nights that I've only been able to sleep after hearing her words of wisdom and encouragement.
Leanne, we may agree to disagree on various things, but I need you to know that I admire you greatly for your dedication in helping those who are new to BFS to understand their condition and not be afraid of it. You have a lot of valuable information, tons of compassion and a heart as big as Indiana itself. I am sorry if my dismissal of chat *as a concept* was misconstrued as an attack on you, because believe me, that was NOT my intention. Like many more here, I have known nothing from you but kindness, compassion and friendship, as well as an invaluable source of information on this condition that frustrates us all so much.
And to those who are new to BFS, I would say that while chat may no longer be appropriate for me, almost a year down the line, for you who are just weeks or months into it, then chat - and, in particular, Leanne herself - may be the Godsend you need.