Reel in Support, Keeping it Reel

     Reel in Support is a fantastic concept. The aim at those affected with mental illness is a very good cause. Those affected with mental illness are almost always looked over because nobody understands the struggles of dealing with these diseases. I personally know a few people that are affected by these diseases, and they are not something to be looked over. I am glad that this project is aimed towards helping those people with misunderstood illnesses.
     The use of anonymous support groups for this issue is an excellent concept. Support groups are an effective way of helping those people with mental illness. Sometimes talking about your problems with people who also understand your issue can help to alleviate some of the pressures of the illness. My main concern with this project however is the fact that these groups are full of anonymous people. One problem that can arise from this concept is that there is an issue of people who just want to cause trouble. These people can make accounts and join a group just to mess with others and potentially harm other people online. While you can ban these people from using this site, they can make multiple accounts over and over again and there would be no stopping them. If they continue to cause harm online, they could potentially cause so much harm to another person they may eventually attempt suicide which is a common problem among people with mental illness. Another problem that comes with anonymous group chats is when it comes down to these group leaders. These group leaders are here to help individuals with these mental problems and one of the ways that these people can be helped is through individual care and treating them as their own person. When they are anonymous, they can only get generalized help for how to help their illness which might not be the best way to deal with the problem. While they can individually be messaged by the people in their group, I don't think everyone will take the time to individually message their group leader. This concept reduces individuality which could make someone feel like nobody really cares about them and its just a way to vent instead of actually getting the help they might need. That being said, besides those problems, I believe this project is a great step toward helping those who have these mental illnesses.