Hi there! I am so happy you have found me here on 7 Cups of Tea! The one thing I have learned about this website since becoming a Listener is that everybody is willing to help others; no one is left behind or criticized, here on 7 Cups of Tea.
I remember when I became a member of 7 Cups of Tea back in October 2014. I was going through some family issues and the depression was dragging me down, the blood running down my arm from the cuts on my wrists. I Googled "free counseling help" and fell upon this website. I talked to 3 different Listeners and they all opened my eyes to an amazing opportunity. I loved how you could just tell your problems anonymously to these Listeners, and they gave you the help you needed. Well, ever since middle school, I've always liked listening to my friend's problems; I was there for them, but they weren't always there for ME. I didn't mind, though, because I found help online.
Anyways, I became a Listener because I am on the track of becoming a professional Counseling Psychologist. I want to mainly work with troubled adolescents, but if there are a few kids here and there throughout my career, that's okay, too. I chose 7 Cups of Tea as a learning experience to start off my career. I recently just became a 7 Cups of Tea intern, and I'm very excited about it!
However, I know exactly how most of y'all feel when you stumble across this website and are too shy to tell your problems to random strangers. I felt the same way. "Should I tell them what's going on" ran across my mind too many times. But I decided to tell those 3 Listeners because I knew, in my heart, that if I didn't get help, then it would become more trouble than it already was. Thus, you can trust the Listeners of 7 Cups of Tea. We are here to help and guide you in the right direction, and give you references to keep you from going down those wrong paths again.
Here's a little fact that I've gathered from what I've seen so far: If you're dealing with depression, get the help you need NOW. Depression is a serious thing, and if it's not looked upon, it often turns to suicide. And the suicide rate is increasing day-by-day. We are here to try to take the suicide rate and dwindle it down from 12.6 deaths per 100,000 people to absolutely nothing. However, we understand that you can't always prevent suicide, but suicide prevention IS everyone's business!
A little quote that I just (it might be a real quote, I'm not sure) made up: "Don't be afraid to try new things, because in the end, they're probably the things that helped you become a better person."