www.incontinentsupport.org

Schoppy - that's why I stay. In my search for a support site after my accident everywhere I looked it was a fetish site. Maybe I was searching for the wrong words but I had no clue what to look for I just needed help. Since then because of this board I have gone from embarrassed and not wanting to leave the house because I knew the crappy attends I was wearing were gonna leak to finding protection I can be confident in. Thanks to you all. It hasn't been easy. I've had my moments and freak outs. And schoppy you have helped me off the board too and I'm forever grateful. I'm so happy this site exists and does not cater to the abdl crowd. I'm not a fetish

I joined this site in 2010. I’m a former admin and I have a pretty good understanding of the product Schoppy is trying to provide. I have fought the battle before to keep this site clean. I have seen many people come and go in the last 8 years. I never see any of the original people I met when I first joined. I’m hoping they have all found peace and are successful. In my thoughts, I’m hoping that they found solutions to their incontinence so places like this are no longer necessary. But for many people, me included, there is no solution. My condition has no cure and defies medical treatment. I’m glad I can come here. I’m not near as active as I used to be which is part of the reason I chose to step down. Sometimes my health issues get to me. I just need a break every now and then. But it’s good to come here and discuss these issues with other people who face similar challenges. I have had many questions answered here and have learned so much. I try to pass that knowledge on as much as possible. Take care.

Back to original topic. Yes, it has been slow here. A few discussions as people plan travel with family. Other discussions about how hard it is to be incon when you are short of funds. That seems to be uniquely (or at least mostly) a US problem. Long timers checking in occasionally. Yeah, that's about it.

Spring is coming- it's hard to tell if you have been snowed in in the last week. I feel sorry for you if that is the case. On the Left Coast, it's raining and 45 degrees. Maybe mid 60s if you are lucky. Definitely great weather if you are a duck. My magnolia tree is in full bloom, and it looks wonderful. Daffodils have come and gone, and tulips are nearing their end too. Camellias are blooming nicely BTW.

Where am I? I flew to Boise for a few days, then I go to South Bay and back to Seattle for the weekend. I fly for work for the next 5 weeks. Never more than 2 time zone away though and always home for the weekends.

_________________
- Tom

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to say I am one of those that fell off the radar. I can't speak for anyone else but my reasons are personal and not reflective of anything done wrong by anyone, especially you schoppy.
This site was a God send to me when I needed it most. It helped me see I was not alone in having a leaky bladder but more importantly I was not alone in the emotions I was having. I could vent about something and have several caring friends come into the thread and tell me, "I know what you're going through" and "you are not alone". It was the support I needed while I was adjusting to a new life.
I have been able to pay it back by helping others the same way I was helped before and that too has a therapeutic effect on your own self esteem. I have also been blessed to serve as a mod here to help keep schoppy vision on course for those that are struggling to find their own confidence.
But the truth is there comes a point where surrounding yourself in what causes you so much grief and stress has to be let go of and the only way to move on is, well, to move on. The way I see things is if someone that has been here for a long time and been part of our online family fades away, it's a good thing. It means we helped them and got them to a point where they no longer need help and they have their confidence back. I look at it as a success story. I only hope that those people will at least drop by every now and then to let the newer members see there is hope in getting a normal life back and to at least let us know they are doing ok.

Rope

I continue to be very grateful for the existence of this site and for its professional culture. My health issue is relatively rare here (prostatitis) so I find I do not have a whole lot to contribute to various discussions.

I think Rope (hi Rope!) has made a very good point that many incontinents, having learned enough to cope, just decide to get along with their lives and drift away from our group. That is to be expected. However, it is good to see our "alumni" check back in!

Although I already have learned a lot here, I find that I continue to learn a surprising number of new things. Also, I enjoy the support and the opportunity to vent from time to time to an understanding group of listeners who know exactly where I am coming from. Personally, I have not felt that participation in our group emphasized the negative aspects of being incontinent, but I may have reached a point of acceptance where I am not so sensitive about incontinence as I once was.

--John

I’m still here as a lurker. I have reached a point with my issues that I’m pretty well established with a routine and products that work. I don’t comment on every post unless I feel like I have something specific to offer. I’m still upset for the lack of help the medical community has provided me and will forever be scarred that the insurance company that provides my health insurance (which I pay BIG $$ for out of my paycheck every week) will not cover diapers in any way, shape, or form, because they are “convenience items” so I’m on my own for those.
I will always be bitter for the complete lack of compassion I’ve been shown and the obvious greed and brokenness of our nation’s healthcare system.
Though, I think very highly of you folks here for always being there with a supportive word when needed most.
I will always be a part of this forum even though I’m not posting every day.

Where is everyone?

This is a commonly seen question in many groups that have been around a while...let's say five to ten years or more.
In a way, it's a maturing process. Some of us joined long ago when there was little information available. So, those charter members
quickly built up a data-base where none had existed in the past. That accounted for a LOT of activity.

Remember, it was only a little over 20 years ago that most of us were climbing onto the Internet just as the WWW took hold. Here and there,
we began to see issues such as incontinence being discussed for the first time, sometimes mixed with the fetish element, however off-putting
that might have been. Since, that element has found its way; we have sectored off to find our way.

Over time, membership grew amidst a steady stream of regular and very activer posters. Much was written and archived. Many questions and
concerns have now been addressed in detail. We've expressed many of the emotions and social concerns over incontinence, spanning young
and old alike. Though predominantly male, a number of females have become contributing members here, too.

So, for someone who has more recently joined, there may be that tendency to simiply remain passive and yet benefit from all the past discussions
to find situations suited to them without ever even asking or posting one word. Search and ye shall find...anonymously.

Of the 1303 current listed 'users' of this forum, only around 200 have posted here more than ten (10) times. Basically, the regular posters have
boiled down to a core group of about 20 to 30 names (approx).

I don't fault the lurkers. If they are earnest and sincere, there's tons of informaton archived here for them to seek and none of us will be the wiser.
We don't even know what exact gem of wisdom they caught from us, or what magic post caused that valued 'AhHa' moment to jump out at them.

More power to them if we helped; if they benefited.

So, I think we should expect less volume of input as a forum like this achieves a more tenured status. This is not to say we don't welcome input
from those recently joined. No Way! Do speak up when you want answers or seek support. There are many understanding and sympathetic folks here who have
long since 'found their own way' in managing incontinence on a daily basis. We no longer respond to as many posts as we once did; nor do we tend to re-state so many
of the ideas we talked of earlier at the risk of being inordinately repetitive or boring.

I'd also assume that some members have established (by mutual consent) private lines of communication over the years. That option certainly is their choice
and can be quite helpful for some, too. It's a sub-channel of interaction that cannot be tallied in terms of message count.

Finally, there are now many competing venues for incontinence matters, both on dedicated web sites and in the social media. Even incontinence products
vendors offer dedicated forums for blogs and consumer interaction.

The ISC member list still shows new members joining here at least monthly. Not all will post, for a varied number of reasons, nor are these new members asked to
do so. As it should be.

I conclude that this well established group, the ISC, has now reached a leveling of daily member input. That in no way means it's no longer successful. Probably, just
the opposite! Quantity of daily input has yielded to quality, from my way of thinking. I don't mind that one bit.

John.

I think you made the correct decisions on the site and are doing a great job and wonderful service to those that need answers to often very personal questions. The ABDL people have separate needs I think, and no doubt have their own site that addresses them. I must admit that I am not on the site as often as I would like, but I have so many interests and hobbies, as well as on going education for my Doctorate, that I run out of time. Bet I am not the only one either. We all come back though to see what is happening and add our perspectives.

Hi all,

Sorry for my absence. I won't go into why I haven't been posting as I don't think discussing the details will be of any benefit to the community. All I will say is that I have been in a bad place and I am thankfully now out of the worst of it, I think...

I have come on here occasionally just to see what's being said but I just didn't feel up to posting because of my situation. I realise that might sound daft considering how understanding everyone here is, but that's just how I've been dealing with things. It's not just here that I cut myself off from, but friends and family too. But like I said, thankfully, I am over the worst of that situation.

As for my incontinence, nothing has changed. I am still in nappies. And to add for those who have any problems with seeing medical professionals who might see your "protection," seriously do not worry about it. A good few doctors have seen mine and they have been very professional and barely blinked an eye. Which is exactly how they should act.

Hope you're all well guys

JakeJames