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Mike8448 |
Listener - Connoisseur 4

Listener Rating
5.0 star rating
Great! You found me on 7cups! Read more about me below...
Very important! I am on 7cups because I like to help people, I am not at all here to date anyone. My profile picture is not me personally but rather represents self-care. I'm often here in the afternoons Western European timezone.
I speak English - Dutch and German. 

I have personal experience with a number of topics like:
C-PTSD - Anxiety - Depression - LGBTQ - Loneliness - Mindfulness - Kindness - Self-care - Getting unstuck
I might be able to be of use with other topics too, but sometimes it's best to find a user specialized in your topic. I am not very good with 'borderline disorder, so please find another listener if you'd like to talk about that. 
When I am online? I'm online in the afternoons, CET.  Look at the colored ball next to my profile picture to see my status (red - offline / orange - busy / green - online and available) If I'm unavailable at the time you can send me a message so we can reconnect later.
About me:  I enjoy helping people obviously, but also walking my dogs, reading, movies and good food. Personally I suffered a lot of early childhood trauma and was treated for chronic PTSD. It never goes away completely but you can learn to live with it. Although it's become a permanent handicap of sorts it has made me a lot wiser and mindful. I would like to listen to your story, so feel free to chat with me when I'm online. Or leave a message to connect at a later time if I'm offline. It's good that you are on 7cups!
Website: There is a lot I like to share so I created a website for it, find it here.
 
***Tips and Tricks section***
These things help me to keep me feeling good or get out of a bad period:
In a good period to continue to feel good: (General objectives are to let your inner-child play and discover, be a good parent for your inner-child and educate yourself to get better at it)
* Go to bed and get plenty of rest. 8-10 hours. (Feeling tired during the day is the highway to losing your ability to self-care)
* At bedtime brush your teeth. (no need for those nasty bacteria poisoning your body)
* During the day, take one or more times to rest for 20 minutes. (I let my brain focus on soft ambient music, it’s very calming and soothing.
* Play a game. (A happy child is a happy you)
* Cuddle with someone or a pet. (Cuddling sets loos all sorts of beneficial hormones to lift your mood).
* Paint. (It can be hard to express how you feel in words, painting may help)
* Take photos of beautiful, colorful and happy scenes. (You will help your mind to focus on the positive things in life).
* Keep a certain rhythm of anchor moments each day. (having good anchors keeps the train from derailing, think breakfast, lunch, dinner, shopping, cleaning, work, watching tv etc.)
* Be aware of your needs and take care of them. (Move around a bit to drain the toxins that accumulate in the body after a while. Need to go to the toilet? Go! Thirsty? Get something to drink. Need to get out of a bad situation? Take care of it.)
* Keep a diary, even some keywords are enough. (A diary can offer perspective and show your progress)
* Give others the benefit of the doubt to have good intentions. (without becoming naïve) (Most people are inherently good, but flawed, just like you. If you approach them with a positive attitude, they will be stimulated to give you the same courtesy)
* Acknowledge all feelings, observe without judgment and learn from them. (Your feelings are who you really are. Nobody is perfect. Find out what works for you and what does not)
* Play or do sports (volleyball, inline skating, tennis, swimming, whatever gets your energies flowing).
* Talk to a trusted person. (Sharing your experiences makes you less lonely and the other person can comfort you and help you to put things in perspective)
* If the brain is in overdrive tell yourself that Rome wasn’t built in a single day, then focus on what the body needs at that time and take care of that.
* It is okay to escape your thoughts by for example gaming or exercising, as long as you are conscious of the point why you are doing it. You need a break.
* The solution often lies in the compromise. Not in extremes. (If you can find a compromise you will have done something good for you, but maybe also for someone else. And that raises your self-esteem).
* What you give attention grows, the bad but also the good.
Quick fixes: (General objective is to place your attention to pleasant bodily experiences)
* 1-2 minute exercise. Breathe in normally and slowly out. Focus on your breath only. This is a short meditation exercise to bring some calm to your mind. Do as often as needed.
* Focus on smells, take something that has a strong pleasant smell and focus on that.
* Take a shower and feel the warmth of the water on your skin, the smell of the shower gel, the sound of the water falling on the floor.
* Take a walk outside and focus on things you see. Also look at the sky, the light will be beneficial and the scene will help put things in perspective.
* Watch some humoristic movies on YouTube, nothing as healthy as laughing!
* Take a 20 minute rest as described above.
 
***Quotes section***
Happiness -
Comparison is the thief of joy. (Theodore Roosevelt)
 
Mindfulness -
Stop and smell the roses.
If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present. (Lao Tzu)
The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long. (Lao Tzu)
 
Getting unstuck -
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. (Lao Tzu)
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. (Lao Tzu)
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. (Lao Tzu)
A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live. (Lao Tzu)
 
Love -
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. (Lao Tzu)
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you. (Lao Tzu)
Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her. (Lao Tzu)
 
Wisdom -
The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth. (Lao Tzu)
Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner. (Lao Tzu)
 
Worrying -
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. (Leo F. Buscaglia)
Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. (Swedish proverb)
People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them. (George Bernard Shaw)
If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die a lot of times. (Dean Smith)
Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.
Number of Ratings: 111
Number of Reviews: 39
Listens to Over 18
Languages English, Afrikaans, Akan, Albanian, American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Assamese, Australian Sign Language, Awadhi, Azerbaijani, Balochi, Basque, Belarusian, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Bosnian, British Sign Language, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese, Catalan, Cebuano, Chewa, Chhattisgarhi, Chinese, Chittagonian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Deccan, Dhundhari, Dutch, Esperanto, Estonian, Faeroese, Filipino, Finnish, French, Frisian, Fula, Gaeilge, Gaelic, Galician, Gan, Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hakka, Haryanvi, Hausa, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hiligaynon, Hindi, Hindko, Hmong, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Ilokano, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Japanese Sign Language, Javanese, Jin, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kazakh, Khmer, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Konkani, Korean, Kurdish, Lao, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Magahi, Maithili, Malagasy, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Mandarin, Marathi, Marwari, Mauritian Creole, Min Nan, Mongolian, Nepali, New Zealand Sign Language, Norwegian, Oriya, Oromo, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Sami, Sanskrit, Saraiki, Scots, Serbian, Shona, Sindhi, Sinhalese, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Sundanese, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Sylheti, Tagalog, Taiwanese, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Toki Pona, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Welsh, Wu, Xhosa, Xiang, Yoruba, Zhuang, Zulu
Listener Since Jan 26, 2016
Last Active over 6 months ago
Gender Male
Progress Path Step 80
Cheers 68,188
People Helped 167
Chats 1,334
Group Support Chats 8
Listener Group Chats 6
Forum Posts 4
Forum Upvotes 7
Categories
Depression
Work Stress
Bullying
Panic Attacks
Anxiety
LGBTQ+ Issues
Family Stress
Chronic Pain
Forgiveness
Social Anxiety
Getting Unstuck
Loneliness
PTSD
Disabilities
Self-Esteem
General Mental Health
Growth Path Timeline
  • Exercise completed!
    Group Support
    Completed step number is 79, March 29th, 2020
  • Exercise completed!
    Listener Oath
    Completed step number is 78, March 29th, 2020
  • Exercise completed!
    Provide 1-on-1 Support
    Completed step number is 77, November 17th, 2019
  • Exercise completed!
    Heart Messages
    Completed step number is 76, November 16th, 2019
  • Exercise completed!
    Take a General Request
    Completed step number is 75, June 8th, 2019
  • Exercise completed!
    Take a General Request
    Completed step number is 74, January 7th, 2018
  • Exercise completed!
    Take a General Request
    Completed step number is 71, May 3rd, 2017
  • Exercise completed!
    Member Welcome Program
    Completed step number is 70, May 1st, 2017
  • Exercise completed!
    Emotional Wellness Test
    Completed step number is 69, July 14th, 2016

Feedback & Reviews
Very supportive and kind.
Best listener I have had! Patient and wise. Made me feel and at ease as if I was talking to a friend
After a chat with Mike I always feel like I’ve learnt something about myself. That’s a good feeling 😊 Thank you
Like chatting with a friend that only has your best interests at heart. Gives questions and answers that always make me think. I always feel better after a chat with Mike than I did at the beginning.... so patient and understanding. An absolute ⭐️
A very warm and caring person who understood my issues so well. I felt comfortable talking to them. Thank you!
Feels like chatting with a Knowledgeable old friend. So understanding, kind and thoughtful. Never fails to lift my spirits 😀Thank you
Very nice and kind listener. I recommend him!
Very nice person who also knows some tricks to make you feel better
Certainly gives some food for thought... Such an incredible listener. I'm always grateful for his time. Never fails 😊
Aardig persoon die goed advies geeft!
Such a wise, enthusiastic, understanding, caring listener. The list could easily go on. Always coming up with good responses that make a whole lot of sense. Forever grateful 😀
The best listener ever! Really helped me with my problems and made me realize a few things. Thank you Mike!!!
I am so grateful for your kindness and support today. Thank you for restoring my faith in this site and making me feel better about my situation.
Such a thoughtful, positive, caring listener. They don't get any better. Thanks for giving me so much time 😊 Always appreciated
An excellent, understanding human being. Understands where you *are* in your head, and capably walks you through figuring out where you'd *like to be* and how to get there.
Simply amazing.... The safest hands there are on 7cups. Can never thank him enough. Forever grateful 😀
He kills em' with kindness.
Such an intelligent, compassionate listener. Never fails to make logical sense of situations. So professional yet easy to connect with. One of a kind 🌟
very kind and supportive person and very inspirational,talking to him was a relief
A great guy and great listener :)
Great person ☺
Cannot thank him enough. Helps me makes sense of my problems in a logical, helpful, professional manner. The tips and advice were just what I need. We still have (lots) of work to do but baby steps in the right direction. The best listener on here without a doubt. Thank you!!!!
I could not recommend this listener more. He was empathetic and even shared similar experiences that related to my issues. He talked to me for over an hour without making me feel like he had other things to be doing or other people to be talking to. He was gently critical of my own contribution to the situation - which I value and appreciate. Mike8448 keeps it real, great person to talk to.
Very good listener understands well
A brilliant listener. It was great to have someone who showed a true interest in my problems and the possible causes. Very inspiring 😃
Best listener experience I have ever had on this site. Drink all of the kofffie!
Need more Mike in my life.
Great listening! Very caring and thoughtful responses which really helped me to get some perspective. One of the best!
One of the best listeners I have found! :)
Mike is the best listener on this site he really understood my situation and listened without judgement and was very caring I will be always greatful to you. Thankyou for being here at a time I really needed someone.
Take care!
Mike was amazing. He really listened and helped me work through what I was feeling.
I really enjoy the talk between us. When I first came her I was very insecure but talking to you helps me to find myself again. You're really wise and you helped me a lot understanding many things by learning this on my own. You're a very good listener. Thank you very much. :)
Great feedback, warmth, and support. Highly recommend!
Supportive. Great listener. Non-judgmental. Lets you see all angles.
Mike took time out of his day to quickly and professionally help me with a relationship issue. He offered great advice and then offered even more great advice when I didn't think I could handle the first option. I feel incredibly improved in mood and motivated to work on my problem.
Very good Listener made me feel alot better
Mike was one of the most insightful and professional people I've ever had the privilege to speak with (on or off 7cups). Genuine and attentive with a good sense of humor. Thanks!
Very friendly, very active listener. Very relateable, also.
Very good, very responsive.
Badges & Awards
Listening Ear Long Ears Magnet PenPal Jester of Smiles Clerk of Bear Hugs Piper of Dedication Ellen Jump Start Listener Oath Verified Listener Love Bug Affirmative Reflection Chat & Text Listening Ace Active Listening Loyal Friend Tick Tock Fellow Friend Steadfast Soul I Steadfast Soul II Steadfast Soul III Reconnection Hero I Reconnection Hero II First Chat First Post Five Steps Hang 10 Open Door Thankful Heart Gratitude Abound Continuing Education
Questions Answered
What does depression feel like?
January 31st, 2016 2:42pm How do you deal with depression after a breakup?
January 31st, 2016 2:45pm I feel like it will never go away. Will it really?
February 4th, 2016 6:07pm Can I be depressed and not know it?
January 31st, 2016 2:49pm How can I stop being a pushover?
January 31st, 2016 2:39pm How do I know if I'm sad or depressed?
February 4th, 2016 6:02pm Why does no one care about me?
January 31st, 2016 3:04pm Why do i feel depressed all of a sudden out of no where?
January 31st, 2016 2:59pm Why do I feel like a failure?
January 31st, 2016 2:52pm I need help with my life
January 31st, 2016 2:50pm Who can I talk to about depression?
January 31st, 2016 2:43pm who do you talk to about depression?
February 4th, 2016 6:08pm I think I'm depressed but I don't want to tell anyone?
February 13th, 2016 1:48pm What's the difference between anxiety and just being nervous?
February 4th, 2016 6:14pm Does anxiety run in families?
January 31st, 2016 2:55pm My mind is always racing with thoughts. What should I do?
January 31st, 2016 2:56pm Constantly Thinking Disorder: is it a real thing?
January 31st, 2016 2:47pm Does everyone secretly despise LGBTs although many openly claim to accept and love it, including LGBT members and allies? Are there really people who see LGBT as of equal worth as heterosexuals?
August 19th, 2016 12:51pm