Welcome to Bipolar UK’s eCommunity, our online discussion forum for anyone affected by bipolar.

Introduction

New members should read the eCommunity house rules before creating an account.

The eCommunity exists to help people seek and share lived experience and to support each other in managing the condition. Please note the eCommunity is not a crisis service, it provides information and peer support from those who know it best – people with bipolar and those closest them.

The eCommunity is a secure and safe environment and is one of the largest mental health discussion forums in the UK. It is available 24/7 and moderated between 8am and 8pm daily. You can ask questions, help others and share the challenges and the impact of bipolar.

If you are feeling unwell, please seek urgent help from your GP or mental health team or call NHS 111.  If you're not feeling safe, contact the Samaritans (116 123 or [email protected]), call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department.

When you register with the eCommunity, you are asked for brief information including your email address. This is held by Bipolar UK and is not shared with any third party. For details on how we store and use your data, please read our Privacy Notice

When you register with the eCommunity, you agree to the relevant policies, procedures and house rules of Bipolar UK listed below.

Role of the moderators

The eCommunity is hosted and moderated by Bipolar UK. Our moderators are there to support the thousands of eCommunity users in using the forum and ensure everyone abides by the rules. Please respect the role of the moderators. The aim of the eCommunity is to provide a safe space for peer support for anyone affected by bipolar. Bipolar UK reserves the right to remove or edit posts that do not do this.

All eCommunity members can support each other by reporting any issues or concerns using the “Flag” button under each comment or by direct message to the moderators.

The house rules determine when forum members are asked to amend posts.  When this happens the moderators will explain which house rule applies. A moderator may in some cases remove a post or conversation first and an explanation will be given privately. At busy times moderators maybe dealing with situations behind the scenes and so notifications may be delayed. 

If you disagree with any moderator decision, we will always try to resolve this informally. You can also pursue any dispute, through our Complaints Policy

House Rules

1. The eCommunity operates on an anonymous basis, so please do not post any personal details that identify you. Any such posts will be removed for your safety and peace of mind.
2. Similarly, because the forum operates anonymously, house rules do not permit photos or links to photos or images that show anyone in an identifiable way, this includes your avatar. Forum members should be aware that it is not always legal to share images online and any posted on the forum, unless they are owned personally, should include a credit (url or reference as to where they originate).
3. To ensure the eCommunity is inclusive and safely moderated, all posts must be in English.
4. The eCommunity is intended for people aged 18 and above. If you are aged between 16 and 18 you can use the eCommunity if you have the support and expressed consent of a parent or guardian. We will write you about this when you apply to join.
5. To keep the eCommunity inclusive and safe, all forum users must keep to the following rules:

It is expected that you will

• always show respect and allow others to have their say and be courteous to others
• never use offensive - including sexually explicit or suggestive language
• never use sexist, homophobic, transphobic or racist comments
• never attack, provoke nor incite others
• never use language which is likely to cause offence

6. The eCommunity is a service for individuals affected by bipolar, it is not a marketing or communication medium for authors, companies, researchers or products. Any requests like this can be sent to the moderators for consideration
7. We are aware that some people with bipolar are prone to overspending, so moderators may remove references, which they feel may encourage or lead to this behaviour. This may include (but is not exhaustive), photos of branded products, retail items sold on or off line when accompanied by links to items for sale or promotion of commercial websites and manufacturers. All posts of this nature will be removed and explanations given.
8. Bipolar UK is not able to recommend individual doctors, psychiatrists or other medical professionals, nor their writings or broadcasts. This applies equally to clinics and hospitals. Information produced by broadcasters or academic institutions and peer reviewed research is acceptable.  We ask that members of the eCommunity do not make recommendations except according to this guidance.
9. Sometimes forum members may discuss difficult, highly personal feelings and experiences. Thoughts of suicide are, unfortunately, a challenge many of us face. Each discussion differs, but general speaking it is not Bipolar UK’s intention to remove posts because they refer to suicide. We absolutely will remove postings when for example, they refer to methods of suicide or promote self-harm. As a consideration to more sensitive eCommunity members we ask that you post thoughts of suicide or self-harm or any subject that may trigger others only in the ‘Contested’ category of the eCommunity.
10. Similarly in order not to trigger others, images of alcohol or drugs and discussion of excessive quantities of these are not permitted.
11. Moderators routinely visit the eCommunity completing a range of tasks, including supporting individual users.  However, as mentioned in (rule 9) above, people will at times post difficult, emotional and highly personal feelings.  Therefore, we would like to draw your attention to our core moderating times, which are between 8am and 8pm.  We also remind you that Bipolar UK is not a dedicated crisis support service.  So, if you are in crisis at any time, please reach out for help offline, via our Crisis support page .
12. Bipolar UK is non-partisan in matters regarding religion. The topic of religion can be triggering for some people and for this reason we do not allow discussion of religion on the forum. eCommunity users can refer to themselves as belonging to a particular religion or belief, but it should only be for information and not to promote that religion or suggest that their beliefs make them a better person than others. We ask that all members of the forum respect our position on this.
13. Bipolar UK is non-partisan in matters regarding politics. The topic of politics can be triggering for some people and for this reason we do not allow discussion of politics on the forum. eCommunity users can refer to themselves as supporting a particular political party or viewpoint, but it should only be for information and not to promote that position. We ask that all service users respect our position on this.
14. Confidentiality. Where Bipolar UK has a concern that an individual’s health and safety is at risk or we believe criminal action either has been committed or there is an intention to undertake a criminal action, we will remove the post and take appropriate action making a referral to or seeking advice from the police or another front-line service including for example, paramedics or social services. If you consent and provide enough information so that emergency services can find you. This is in line with our Privacy Notice
15. The views of individuals expressed on Bipolar UK’s eCommunity do not represent the views of Bipolar UK.
16. There are times when posts don't explicitly break the house rules but might be extreme in nature. In these cases, we will always let the user know this is happening and offer support through private messages. In rare cases, if users are unable to take on this feedback, we may suspend access to the account.

(House rules updated July 2021 following consultation in January 2021)