Here from B4um + A young MAP story

[Orry]

Hi all, my name is Orry.

I'm a friend of PorcelainLark and Fragment. I'm also fairly new to MAP spaces, it's been about a year now I think... in that time, I've gotten pretty heavily invested in MAP advocacy, especially from the mental health and peer support side. As of a few months ago, I'm the lead moderator of B4um, B4U-ACT's peer support forum. I really love B4um and that's where most of my MAP activity goes, but I would like to talk with some folks on MU, too.

Oh yeah, and I also have a story to share about being an AAM... I realized I was a MAP around age 13. I was really impassioned by what I saw as an injustice, of MAPs being hated for things they can't control. In my freshman year of high school, we were doing presentations in class and I asked my teacher to present on MAPs. I described my view plainly, but she said "Ohh... so you want to present about child abuse, right?" I realized then that I should probably stay closeted. I still am closeted, except for a few close friends who are also MAPs. I might have changed some young minds if I did that presentation, but I'm glad I reconsidered, for my own safety.

I still don't feel comfortable coming out, but I hope to do some good behind the scenes. I respect everyone here who has the courage to share parts of themself and advocate for MAP causes.

[PorcelainLark]

Hey, how's it going? Good to see you here.

[Orry]

Hiya Lark, good to see you too.

[Jim Burton]

Welcome.

I rarely use the B4U-ACT forum, but it is useful to have overlap of users and some topics. We are planning to restructure the forums somewhat here, so there is a clearly navigable private peer support experience, rather than just one or two private forums.

Some users here might also value the idea of attending a conference in the future.

[Officerkrupke]

The more the merrier! I have an account there too, lots of people there.