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  Sites 2B Seen:
Sixteen Great Mental Health Sites for Patients- John Grohol's "Best of the Web" Award Winners

Many thanks to John for permission to reprint his reviews below. For links to the sites, and for John's complete listings, see psychcentral.com/web.htm

Andrew's Depression Page
A depression page I can whole-heartedly recommend to those suffering from this disorder. The site is brimming full of poems, stories, and many helpful links to depression resources. A lot of other pages point to the stories and poems found here, but this is where they reside, in a sub-section called "Voices of Depression." (produced by a self-helper)

The Anxiety Panic Internet Resource (tAPir)
The definition of what a self-help resource on the Web should strive to be! Everything is here, right down to the choice of what kind of page to load (graphics-intensive versus plainer text). It not only offers comprehensive lists of links to information on panic attacks and anxiety information online, but also has more personal touches, like peoples' individual stories in grappling with these disorders. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated in ages. (produced by a self-helper)

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD), a sometimes-controversial group, was created to help those with attention deficit disorder find support and treatment in their community. While I sometimes disagree with some of their views, their Web page is well organized and easy to use. It offers a great deal of useful information to those suffering from ADD or ADHD. You'll find diagnostic and treatment information here, as well as addresses and phone numbers of community resources. (produced by a self-help group)

Autism Resources
Doesn't pretend to be anything more than a listing of autism resources online. And it offers them in straightforward fashion, without any bells or whistles, in an easy-to-use manner. Newsgroups, Web resources and mailing lists are all here and are worth looking into. (produced by a self-helper)

Bipolar Disorder (Manic-depression) -- Pendulum Resources
One of the oldest mailing lists on this topic also has a Web site which is a very comprehensive resource on bipolar disorder, offering online resources, symptom lists, book lists, medications, treatment options, etc. (produced by a self-helper)

Blain Nelson's Abuse Pages
Offers a load of information and resources on domestic violence and other types of abuse, although it's emphasis seems to be on the former. I liked it because it was written from the side of a former abuser, and so has a lot to say to those who may also be abusing their significant others and suggestions about how and where to get help. While the producer could do a better job of presenting information and checking for broken links, this is still a top-notch resource. (produced by a self-helper)

Crisis, Grief & Healing -- Tom Golden LCSW
Devoted to helping people understand and therefore better be able to deal with their grief, paying attention to the different ways the genders grieve. While Tom is selling some booklets here, he does provide extensive excerpts from them on-line and puts a great deal of work and effort to make these pages useful and helpful. Most touching, however, are the dozens of personal stories placed here, for everyone to read and share. (produced by a social worker)

Depression Resource List -- Dennis Taylor
The most comprehensive and easiest to use of the half-dozen or so Web sites devoted to depression and mood disorders online. Picking the premiere depression link among these wasn't easy, as it came down to three that were almost equally as good, yet this one by Dennis Taylor took our prize because it was easier to use and friendlier than either of the other two. While certainly not the oldest or full of the most content (it is, after all, just a list), it is the most updated, has the cleanest look while offering the most links to everybody else's mood-related sites with useful comments beside each link. (produced by a self-helper)

Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia
Something Fishy's Eating Disorders is a blow-your-socks-off excellent site that has oodles of information about eating disorders, links to the Eating Disorder FAQ, and numerous poems and stories from others suffering from bulimia and anorexia. If you have an eating disorder, or know someone who does that you care about, this is the site to check out and read thoroughly. Updated frequently, well-designed, and a pleasure to visit time and time again. (produced by a self-helper)

Facts for Families
This is the most useful part of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Homepage. It offers easy-to-read and understand information presented in a brochure-style for parents and families dealing with children with a mental disorder. All too often the Web is content-free, but here is a lot of content for parents looking for some answers online. (produced by an organization of child psychiatrists)

Go Ask Alice -- Columbia University Health Service
Chock full of health education and wellness tips. They will answer any health question on sex, relationships, drugs, general health and emotional well-being. Best of all, they archive their responses so you can search their extensive archives for your topic of interest. The advice provided is reasonable and sound, so you know you won't be misled. It's much easier to get an answer here than by writing to Dear Abby. (produced by a team of health educators at Columbia University's Student Health Center)

Mental Health & Society -- 'General Hospital'
Not your typical mental health site, this is a multimedia poetic experience examining the depths of mental illness and how society looks at those with mental disorders. It offers a unique approach, combining art and information about mental health in society today. Worth a visit for a completely different look at mental health. Graphics-intensive, so be prepared. (produced by two San Francisco artists working with researchers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.)

Sexual Assault Information Page -- Chris Bartley
For sexual abuse victims, this site is comprehensive in the level of information for all sorts of victims adults, children, men, women, and has many links to other useful resources online for recovery. (produced by a self-helper)

Trauma Info Pages -- David Baldwin, Ph.D.
A great set of resources that focus primarily on emotional trauma and traumatic stress, including PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), whether following individual traumatic experience(s) or a large-scale disaster. I liked them particularly well because they are kept up-to-date regularly and the amount of useful information found in them is sometimes overwhelming. But with a simple and logical organization combined with a pleasant reading background, they are a joy to discover. The information is written by a licensed psychologist, so it's trustworthy and accurate. A search engine and mirror sites complement this wonderful resource. (produced by a psychologist)

Web of Addictions
A wonderful, thoroughly thought-out page that offers numerous links and content in one site. Produced by Andrew Homer and Dick Dillon, it offers information about not only online resources such as Web pages and mailing lists, but off-line, real-world organizations where more help can be obtained for individuals suffering from a substance or alcohol abuse problem. If either you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction, this is the first place to turn to online. (produced by two self-helpers)

The WholeFamily Center
I don't usually give out Grohol Best of the Web awards to newcomers, but this site is so fascinating, I couldn't resist. Real-life dramas are scripted and provided for your enjoyment and education via text or RealAudio playback. Categories include parental, marital and teen/child issues. Each section has a number of "plays" which address real-life issues. For example, under the marital category, issues such as money, exhaustion, sex, and discipline are addressed. One of the few really unique and valuable additions to the Web I've seen lately. (produced by a team of psychologists and their associates)

Published in The Ferguson Report, Number 5, July 1999



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Copyright © 1999-2003 Tom Ferguson, M.D. The Ferguson Report is a free e-mail newsletter published at unpredictable intervals for the friends and associates of Tom Ferguson. ISSN 1520-5487