The fact that it’s difficult to talk about mental health problems can be one of the hardest parts of having a mental illness. We want to break down this stigma by getting people talking about mental illness in all walks of life.
That’s why personal stories are at the heart of our campaign. The bravery of individuals willing to speak out on our website, in the media or on Facebook about their own experience of mental illness is a powerful and inspiring way to break down stigma and encourage other people to come forward and share their stories.
Why do you moderate comments?
Comments, debate and different perspectives are welcome and encouraged. We want people to feel they can discuss personal experiences in a safe, respectful environment.
In order to ensure that people feel able to enter discussions online though we do moderate comments on our blog posts and our social media channels such as Facebook.
Our commenting rules
All comments should be considerate and respectful and we may remove comments (or, in the case of our blogs, not publish comments) that:
- are offensive, threatening, vindictive, abusive or make personal attacks of any kind
- are unlawful e.g. content posted in breach of copyright
- are overly repetitive or irrelevant to the main thread of the conversation
- are triggering or explicit with regard to suicide or self-harm
- advertise commercial products or services
- talk about ongoing legal cases with employers
- promote specific treatment types or therapies
- contain an email address or any other sort of contact details. Remember that social media is open to all and that you should be careful who you give your details to. In the case of blog comments, if you would like to get in contact with someone, please go through the Time to Change Digital Team.
- in the case of blog comments, approach people for media work, school projects or research. If you would like to contact a blogger, about something, please go through the Time to Change Digital Team
A note on blog comments: It can take us up to five days (longer during holiday periods) to read and publish blog comments. If you have asked for support or guidance in your comment, you may wish to check out our support links page.
Do you contact people to let them know their comment has been removed?
Sometimes we will contact individuals privately if it is likely to be unclear why we have removed a comment.
What if somebody is commenting when they are unwell?
It can be difficult for us to know how someone is feeling when they write a comment. So we will apply the exact same principles to moderating all comments. This is to protect the individual as well as the community.
However, if someone is clearly in distress or crisis we will contact them to let them know contact details for appropriate support services.
Is there a word limit on comments?
Comments on our blogs have a character limit of 1500 characters.
How do I comment on blogs on your website?
Scroll down to the bottom of the blog you wish to comment on. In the “Post new comment” field you will be asked for the following information:
- your name – this will be published with the blog but you can post under a pseudonym
- your email address – this will not be published but is to allow us to contact you about the comment if necessary
- your comment.
The comment will be moderated so will not go live straight away.
How can I blog for you?
Read instructions about how to blog for Time to Change >>