After four years of putting blood, sweat and tears into the online otherkin/therian community, I think I’ve finally reached a point where I can no longer continue this cycle of toxicity and drama. I have tried to overlook the negatives, ensure the education of the newer and mistaken members and focus on the good things about the community. And while I’m not saying that it’s not enough to make me stay or that there is more bad things than good, I’m just looking for a change. I have run this course a million times and I am just so exhausted. No matter how many steps forward we make, we always end up in the same place as before. It’s an endless roller coaster. We have our ups - our good times when we come together to fight misconceptions and trolls and really try to make this a better, safer environment with the upmost accurate information possible - we have our downs - the physical shifters, the fluff and people thinking this is just a way to describe connections and passions toward animals, bullying and just general negativity - and we have our spirals - we’ve got a little bit of both happening and we’re split down the middle; good against bad. But we always end up right back where we started to do it all over again. We’ve been stuck in this loop for at least a decade as far as I can see and at this point, I’m starting to question if there is even a point in trying to change it anymore. It’s annoying to think things are just starting to improve around here only to look back over your shoulder and find the same bullshit you just cleaned up waiting for you to pick it up again. We really do make progress sometimes and I wont ever deny how far we have come, but I also refuse to stunt my growth as a person and as an otherkin for the sake of staying in a community that has shown no growth itself and be another “teacher” whose “students” dont have any interest in listening. I’m not going to live that way for another four years just because I don’t want my past efforts to go to waste or feel like I have to because no one else will. I’m not going to keep putting myself in situations where I feel stuck simply because I’ve grown attached or because I can’t stand the thought of no longer being part of something I put a lot of my time, energy and emotion in. I’m just not going to do it anymore. And I’m sorry if you can’t understand that or you think I’m quitting or giving up on the fight. But please ask yourself if you have never felt the same, if you’ve ever felt like maybe this just wasn’t worth it. And be honest with yourself because one of the main issues here is that people lie to themselves and others to feel more accepted and validated. I have tried my hardest to make this community better, maybe not on here and maybe I haven’t done as much as others, but I’ve done what I can and it’s just not enough. It’s never enough. No matter who it is or how hard they try, it’s never enough to make a real change. And so I’m making my own change and finally saying a farewell to the online otherkin/therian community. I’m finally cutting ties and found new words to describe my experiences. I am breaking free of these shackles and being all I can be without this communities restrictions and nonsense drama and negativity pulling me down. I’ve done all I can, many others have done all they can. It’s in the hands of those still left to decide the fate of the community. Let’s pray they don’t destroy it.
