How would you define a social network?

In light of my recent recovery star update i am interested in people’s views. They scored me a 6-7 for social network on the basis of stepping outside my comfort zone a couple of times with support, and attending a group(now stopped) for 2 hours a week.
The reality i have major problems with social interaction, no friends in 3D, and spend over 95% of the time on my own(most of that time indoors). My main contact with others ,by a large margin, is via the internet.
I struggle to see how this rates a 6-7 but they were adamant and i wasn’t up to arguing(they’d come early and i was still wiping the sleep out of my eyes).

I think a big part of social networking in today’s society is internet based. When I talk about my own social networking it is Facebook, LinkedIn and other online networking sites. Most of my socializing now is actually this forum. So even though you may not be socializing in the 3D world you may be socializing at 6-7 rate online meaning that you are able to navigate or understand it very well. From my point of view you communicate very well on these forums.

Just found this ’ Learning 8
With support, we overcome some setbacks and learn more about what helps to keep us on course in
difficult times. However, dealing with difficulties is quite challenging and sometimes it can be tempting
to give up and go back to the old ways of doing things. It helps to have someone to talk to about how
we are managing things to help us recognise what we have learnt.
7
This experimenting leads to learning and we start to get a sense of what helps us move towards our
goal in this area of our life. This is really motivating and helps to strengthen our belief in ourselves and
our ability to achieve our goals. For this reason we start to become more consistent in doing things that
are helpful for our journey and get us closer to where we want to be. However we still need quite a lot
of support to keep things going and without it setbacks can knock us off course.
Believing
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We start to build on this belief by doing things differently in the world. We are experimenting, trying
out new ways of doing things. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t, so it’s a difficult stage to
be in and we need a lot of support to ride the highs and lows and keep the belief alive.

So it has nothing to do with the quality of your social network. That means nothing so long as you are’progressing’ along prescribed lines. Me- cynical?

@BarbieBF It’s supposed to be social network off internet.

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Opps… sorry, I was going to post something, but I realize I was confusing social network with support network, not the same at all… sorry.

What i posted was mental health criteria for recovery star . Specific to social network i would agree 4-5 as i have little or no social involvement outside of things connected to services or connected to mental health charities.

This is what it says for 4-7:



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I’m developing interests, networks and friendships. May be volunteering
Spending more time engaged in activities outside the service – certainly a significant number of hours each week, such
as courses, volunteering, club or social network or faith group: any social activity that is not directly geared to paid work
Building a social network and/or friendships
Benefiting from a positive feedback loop – enjoying activities and/or being appreciated which reinforces progress



6
I’m meeting people and going places – but sometimes feel uncertain
The “feel the fear and do it anyway” stage, beginning new or re-establishing old involvement with activities or groups
outside the service
More sure of likes, dislikes and what you want and don’t want from networks
Actively addressing social skills or anger management, if this is an issue
Feel vulnerable and need lots of support – an interesting but difficult place to be



5
I believe I can be part of a community and have a role
Appetite for engaging in social networks outside the project but probably not clear exactly what form this should take or
how to make it happen
Actively involved in looking at options for networks outside the service, maybe alongside involvement with activities in
the service
This is likely to feel challenging and self-belief may waver


4
I’m involved with people and activities within the service
Engaging fully with workers and probably also peers in a mental health service context but have little or no involvement
in the wider community
Have moments of awareness of personal interests but not sustained enough to act upon
If anger management or other social skills are an issue, will discuss them