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Comments

Due to the fact that this website gets a large number of daily comments, it’s difficult to approve them all.  That said, I’d love to be able to approve every single one.  The problem with an overwhelming number of comments means yours may have gotten weeded out.  Leaving an unedited, misspelled, sloppy or text-speak comment is a poor reflection of the website, and may actually lead to penalization by search engines.

Therefore I have endeavored to come up with some specific criteria that you can follow to increase the likelihood that your comment will get approved.  In the past I made a lot of exceptions, but have recently started getting a number of emails from people wondering why their comment hasn’t been posted or approved.  Below are some guidelines that you can follow when submitting a comment to increase the likelihood that yours will get approved.

Comments Criteria:

  • Correct spelling: The comment section has a built-in spell checker… not spell-checking your comment means extra work for the moderator.
  • Correct grammar: Do your best to use proper grammar and punctuation.  I realize that not everyone is perfect, but at least make an effort.
  • Directly related to article: If you are commenting on an article, please don’t leave a comment that is unrelated or asking a question about something else.  I’ve had many people comment on a particular article asking a question about an entirely different topic.
  • Replies: If you are replying to someone, there is a specific “Reply” link underneath their comment.  Avoid posting an entirely new comment thread to reply to someone.  Simply click on the “Reply” link under the particular comment to which you’d like to respond and then submit.
  • Spacing: Try to space your comment so that others have an easier time reading it.  Avoid plastering a huge block of text with no spacing.  If in doubt, place a space every 3-4 sentences.

Avoid the following:

  • Asking for medical advice: As was already mentioned in the “About” section and “Disclaimer” – the advice written on this website is NOT by a medical doctor.  Therefore it is important to avoid asking for medical advice.  If you have a medical question, discuss it with your doctor.
  • Asking for speculative advice: The articles related to medication withdrawal were written for specifically people that have completely 100% discontinued their drug; exceptions will be made for those that are currently “tapering” off of a drug. Exceptions will NOT be made for people asking: “What do you think will happen if I quit?” or “How will it affect me?“… If you read the articles, you should understand that withdrawal is subject to significant individual variation.  Therefore it is nearly impossible to predict how severe the withdrawal will be and how long it will last; you will need to discover this for yourself.  Sharing a comment once you’ve begun the withdrawal or are tapering is acceptable.
  • Dropping links: One or two related links in the comments section is fine, especially if they are related to the article and from a quality source.  However, if they are links to random information that isn’t scientifically sound or something questionably related, they may get removed from the comment before it’s approved.
  • Life stories: While it is perfectly acceptable to give some background on your situation, telling your entire life story in the comments section is not necessary.  I realize a lot of effort is put into these comments, but sometimes only a few sentences end up being related to the actual article.  I’ve had comments that were 3-4 pages long and much of the information was unrelated to the article.
  • Personal attacks: Those that clearly attempt to attack others leaving comments or the author will be flagged as spam.  There’s no excuse for direct personal attacks.  Keep in mind that constructive criticism is welcomed, but snarky remarks will not be tolerated.
  • Text-speak: “Plz” avoid using any “txt” speak when typing your comment.  While this may be convenient for you, it makes it difficult for those who are less proficient in this lingo to understand.

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