Curious

[OrangeCountry]

Has anyone ever tried like an email pen pal type situation to help with their anxiety/depression & overall mental health? I’ve learned it is so much easier to open up and talk when it’s not face to face.

[Hb2003]

yep it helps a lot 🙏

[Isinatra]

This community doesn’t communicate face to face so that’s covered. Communicating through this venue could be likened to a pen pal situation. Welcome to the community and remember…..safety first. 😊

[JasmineJaz]

I'm using Slowly.app to write to pen pals, it's indeed much easier to communicate virtually than face-to-face. The app allows users to select topics of interest, and pairs up users with similar interests. For me, it has proven useful in reconnecting with others, to talk about movies and books, sharing daily life, etc.

"Depression" is one of the topics of interest, but I'm not sure about writing about it. It seems to me that by opening up, you're putting yourself in a vulnerable position, and it's up to the other person to consolidate or beat down. Sometimes people say hurtful words because they can't relate, sometimes they mean well but the words come out in a wrong way. It might be best to not be exposed to that risk. I agree with Isinatra that this group is a good place to open up while staying anonymous. Still recommend Slowly to write about other topics though.

[Hidden]

I did an actual mail pen pal a few years ago. It was fun waiting to receive post. Nothing like sending or opening an actual letter. Lasted about a year or so then the letters stopped coming, not sure why. But it was pretty cool while it lasted