"One thing I've been afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here is..."
We know that 7 Cups is a very unique and special place where many find a sense of safety and understanding. Our empathy-and-inclusivity-powered community encourages us to be our whole selves, including the parts you feel are broken.
It's often in sharing those very parts, the thoughts, feelings, and experiences we've held close out of fear of judgment or vulnerability, that the most powerful moments arise.
I'd like to remind us how deeply connected we are with a prompt! Members, if you're comfortable sharing, please allow us the privilege of knowing a little more about your journey:
"One thing I've been afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here is..."
@Heather225
One thing I feel afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here is, I am glad I have the ability to help my family, but I wish they didn’t have to rely on me so much so I could focus on my own healing & building my own life.
@TealPhotog
You're carrying a lot, and it's understandable you want space for your own healing. It's gottabe so tough balancing family support with your own needs. I'm so glad you've joined us and hopefully our community is providing you some validation and relief <3
The community here has been so supportive and helpful! My family does try to makes sure I take care of myself a little bit, it’s not always draining, but sometimes it does get to be a bit much.
@TealPhotog
I am sorry that you are feeling overwhelmed by your family's needs. Always remember to carve-out time for self-care and be sure to take care of yourself. That's not selfish, it's actually doing something good for them as well as yourself. The EMTs always used to tell me only to try and help if I wasn't creating another victim (myself). Take care! Hugs! 💛
@HiddenSwan25. “Creating another victim” interesting concept. Thank you for sharing that encouragement!
@Heather225
trigger warning
one thing we not openly share with most think only one of the therapist we had we shared this with offline. is that we was raped not just by males but by one very mean girl that was within what we was told is seen as a cult due to what was done within the group mostly of boys. this would also be seen as satanic abuse too. we still have very hard time when people do chants and few other things.
we have shared this with friend that a therapist online. there a lot of fear in our system of others not believing in this and shame due to this was done by our brothers and their friends. was big secret even being done.
@stormieandpaws hugs you tightly 💗💗 thank God we have this site💖
@Tinywhisper11
thank you
@stormieandpaws
Wishing you blessings and peace. 💔 🫂
@HiddenSwan25
thank you
@stormieandpaws
I'm honoured you shared this with us.
@Clio9876
for a time due to being abused by females we thought we was bisexual. a group of people online in a chat we no longer apart of played a role in us thinking that. but we know understand that if abused by females. your not bisexual so that why we not talk about it openly but we feel safe here at 7cups
@stormieandpaws
I'm glad it is a place you feel safe. I see you have come a long way. 7 cups is a place that has done a lot for me also.
@Clio9876
yes we feel accepted and safe here we can say we do not feel safe at other places online that we went before. so this place has helped a lot so far
One thing I've been afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here is work, life, married to someone with CPTSD is overwhelming. Overwhelming to the point of guilt if something slips. Anger, resentment can build but I know lots of things are out of my spouses control due to anxiety and CPTSD.
@Coco4345 it's not easy, please make sure you take time to look after yourself too 💗
@Coco4345
It's hard, and we are all human so liable to become frustrated. Just take care of yourself and be compassionate with yourself as well! 
Sorry my ignorance, but what's CPTSD?
@Coco4345
CPTSD stands for Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It develops after experiencing prolonged or repeated exposure to traumatic events, such as abuse, neglect, or war.
@Heather225
One thing I feel afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here, is that I have a lot of difficult and anxious thoughts that push me down. I have some bad habits. It's hard for me to tell someone about that kind of thing in person, and the closer the person is to me the harder it is because I don't want to make them sad. My situation is complicated, but I think it's nice to have someone who you can vent to and trust even if you don't really know them.
@Lovingflower2141 it's not easy to open up to the ones we love cause yep! We don't want to hurt them or make them sad/worry. That's the beauty of a anonymous site like this, where everyone seems to understand us 💖
@Lovingflower2141 hello, and thank you for sharing this. It's the same for me, that's probably the main reason I'm here. This is my first day in the community, and reading this made me feel less alone🙂
Mistake. Second guessing me and straight ahead. I am torn. Quit or go. What to do? All one or all none. Ughhhh.
@PeaceSought to many questions racing around our heads is just so draining🙁 I'm glad this site helps you with this💖 gives you a giant tiny hug 💗
I was raised by a white supremacist that abused the family. I've always believed that more people are good rather than like my biological family. That belief has helped me survive with CPTSD but I lost faith in that with the election. Not being political however seeing the worst of us in power has me broken. It's like the step father that raped and beat us is now in charge. I just don't know how to handle this. I'm trying to learn how to love being alive when all seems dark.
@losttexan I'm so sorry sweetie 🙁 I know politics right now in your country are bad, you are in my prayers 💖 gives you a giant tiny hug 💗
@losttexan
I've been out of work for a very long time. I'm scared to go back to work. Times have changed. I don't understand all the new technology. I don't know if I can work fast enough at my age.
@WharfRat anxiety around this is very very scary, but you can only try, maybe things won't be as bad as they seem right now💖 good luck sweetie 💖
I was jobless for 6 years straight. I was very nervous on the first day of my job. But I said to myself I need to do this , even if I embarrass myself I need to do this for me . Take a chance and who knows people might still support you.
One thing I've been afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here is that as a child and young adult I had an on and off relationship with my mother. Now that I am married I am learning a lot about my parents marriage and the choices they made when I was a child. The more I learn the less respect I have for my mother. Now I get angry when I talk with her and always feel frustrated by the end of the conversation. I live in a different state, but I feel obligated to call her on a regular basis but the conversations never go well. She is incapable of having a serious conversation, or taking someone's feelings seriously so I don't feel like setting boundaries is even worth the time. I'm leaning towards talking to her 1x a week. However, that feels so hard to do. I'm trapped in this loop.
@Milkshake2025 that's a tough situation 🙁 I'm sorry sweetie 🙁 boundaries are very hard to set with certain people, I hear you there. Some times saying cut toxic people out of your life is easier said than done. I'm not sure what to say to comfort you best, sorry 😕 so I'm just gonna give you a giant tiny hug 💗💗
@Milkshake2025
It's a difficult situation. I don't know the details of your relationship with your mom, but from my own experience, my mom was very controlling and very much manipulative. Basically stole my life from me. But now that we are both what is considered "elderly" I am making a great effort to reconcile and forgive. That path is not for everyone, however, I've been told I should go no-contact and just forget it. It depends on your situation and what you decide to do I guess. But know you are not alone.
How do you feel about the no contact idea? For me I find it impossible because my entire family is super close so it wouldn't work which is why I'm thinking maybe just setting limitations on my part. She never calls me only I call her. How did you start breaking the controlling cycle with her? @HiddenSwan25
@Milkshake2025
I went thru a phase when I couldn't talk to my mum without loosing my temper. I didn't like being unkind, yet I managed it anyway. I massively reduced contact for a while. Almost thought it would be no contact for ever. But it turned out to be a good thing. Because it gave me time to sort myself out. The active listening courses here gave me the tools to listen and not get involved. And lots of lovely people validated my anger until I didn't need it so much. I can now accept that she will never change and never be the mum i needed. We recently met for a weekend for the first time in years, and it went OK. It is possible to respect yourself and the person who wronged you.
This truly hit home for me. Thank you so much for sharing.
@Heather225
One thing I've been afraid to share, but feel safe sharing here is without smartness, i'm useless
@KiminoSuizouwoTabetai gives you a giant tiny hug 💗 it's not that being smart is the only thing going for you, but how you decide to use that💖
@KiminoSuizouwoTabetai
I believe all humans have a purpose beyond intelligence, all humans are worthy because they exist-if they weren't, they wouldn't. If that makes sense. 
@HiddenSwan25
arigato for the kind words arigato. i guess it's js a belief i have and not ready to change it now gomen nasai gomen gomen. here it's either be smart or homeless, but i rlly rlly rlly appreciate ur kind words arigato gozimsue arigato arigato arigato arigato 💜✨
translation: arigato gozimsue - thank you gomen nasai - sorry
I have told some people in my life, but I wouldn't tell everyone...
I'm afraid/wary of men now (while still having guy friends; it doesn't make logical sense), because of the guy who physically threw me out of his car and tried to break my finger 2 years ago.
Men may act nice, but I'm watching them warily, waiting for them to show their true, abusive, angry selves.
#metoo.... Not all men... But we don't know which men.
@jesusredeemedme2425 you know I love you, and I'm always here for you 💗💗hugs you tightly 💗
I love you too, and thank you <3
@jesusredeemedme2425
I was sexually harassed by men when I was younger so now I don’t trust them.
I get harassed mostly by older men. Not guys my age. It’s creepy and sick. :(