I didn't know people could read personal messages.  Perhaps it would be better to email then. 

Milly, Mods/Admin can't access PMs exchanged between Members. The content of PMs is entirely between whoever is sending and who is receiving.

PMs arrive as an email too, so I suppose you have to be aware of that if you share an email address with others in your family. I expect you can block them arriving in email form if you wish to but I find it quite handy.

I like PMs as you can still preserve your anonymity in them or you can choose to reveal more personal details. It's such a good way to show concern for, and support to, other posters here.

Absolutely, MJ. It's a really useful facility. It can also help prevent misunderstandings ( about tinkliness, say  ), and provide all manner of mail order services, as many of us have appreciated many times! (thanks big Ron.)

Thank you all again (seem to be saying that a lot these days)
I've been asleep for most of the day and feel a bit more human now, which is a start.

First, I just want to echo all the good wishes sent to Jonathan at this very difficult moment. I very much hope things will resolve themselves, and new work will come your way, soon.

I thought I would update people on the situation I was informing you all about last week. Things are better - my friend M has finally been given the all-clear by her doctors, which is an incredible relief. As you can probably imagine, she's elated though also rather shell-shocked by the whole thing. And S is receiving proper and sustained treatment now - it's clear to all that this was the outward projection of earlier traumas, and she was really in a highly unbalanced state. The treatment will take some time, but will be for the good. And there is no bitterness on anyone's part; furthermore, S's mother, who's gleaned just a little of what's been going on, has been in touch with M to send her deepest apologies and concern for what her daughter has done. And I've been able to talk to K quite a bit, trying to reassure her about the lack of bitterness on any of our parts - she's a very good friend to S, for whom she should be so grateful.

But I wanted to thank all of you again for listening when this situation was at its peak before, and offering helpful advice - sometimes just being able to talk about these things is what's needed. As I think I said before, this is a strange and rather mysterious world about which not a great deal is more widely known, and many prejudices exist, but the people in it are no more or less decent or otherwise 'normal' than in any other field of life.

I've never been personally involved with a situation with a stalker before, but have learned something from this: it's all far too easy simply to demonise those who do stalk (and this should be borne in mind with respect to male as well as female stalkers), when often they are disturbed themselves for reasons they either do not understand or are powerless to do anything about. All necessary measures have to be taken to protect the victims of stalkers, for sure, and that needs to be a first priority, but hating or becoming vindictive towards the stalkers achieves nothing (nor do other forms of vindictive or vengeful behaviour).

Thank goodness for that!  I'm glad it all seems to be settling down. I don't pretend to understand some of it actually but as long as things are improving that's all that matters.  Glad that your friend has the all-clear and that S is having treatment anyway.