Originally Posted by
Gforce23 
Emphasizing personal control above all else can discourage people from identifying the external issues or situations that might be contributing to their problems and that might need to be addressed.
I absolutely agree. A professional should never do this. For one they're just simply never gonna get anywhere. Most people shut down in the face of criticism.
But with your peers... I got a swift kick up the behind by just being here, never mind what anyone said. Just being around sober alcoholics made the act of me drinking ridiculous. I think it should be taken for granted that people here know exactly what a poster is going through and what they say is said for what they think is the best, which means it comes from a place of love. There is nothing like another alcoholic to cut through the crap.
Of course there are people who are just bullies. But I don't think the mods here would stand for anything that was really inappropriate.
Sometimes I see posts that are a bit harsh, sometimes I write them. Mostly it'd be because I'm having a bad day. If I respond badly to someone who has relapsed it is usually because I am scared of that myself. But it's hard to know what someone will respond to. Tbh, I am grateful to people who kick me up the arse. Being all fluffy all the time isn't very productive.