Traumatic Experiences Community Daily Check-in: Thursday, November 8th

Happy Thursday Trauma Support Community!
One way to help with trauma is to be able to identify how you are feeling. Sometimes it is not that easy and so we may use mood charts or even a feeling thermometer to assist. If this sounds like a helpful idea, this Pinterest post might have some helpful content.
Have you ever used similar models to help figure out how you are feeling?
If so, share how it worked for you, and if not, maybe let us know if this is something you think might help?
Tell us how you are doing today or you may also just say hello!
I hope you have a wonderful day! 
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@SouthernFlame
I've tried to use mood charts or feelings wheels to help decribe how I'm feeling. Most of the time when I look at them the words all seem wrong. When someone asks me how I'm doing or how I'm feeling I usually say I don't know. I can say I feel okay, bad or that I don't like how I'm feeling but putting other words to it is hard and I don't know if the words I pick are accurate.
@practicalIdeal2007
I can understand how putting words to your feelings would be hard! Sometimes the words in the charts don't exactly fit to what you may be feeling and that's okay. Can you relate to some of the faces on the mood charts?
@SouthernFlame
even the with the pictures of faces I find it hard to identify the feelings. Numbers or colors are a little easier, but others don't know what that means.
@practicalIdeal2007
as long as you know what it means that
@SouthernFlame
I think this color

@practicalIdeal2007
looks intense. Like an intense feeling.
@practicalIdeal2007 heyy deal i understand choosing the right words on how we feel might be tough im sure your not alone in this aspect
@SouthernFlame not in a good place at the minute so will just say hi and sit in the corner hiding in a blanket for a while
@crimsonLime6525 aww lime would you like me to come sit with you or even offer a hug
@CaringBrit I will take the hug if thats ok, very emotional right now. Not very good company for anyone to sit with me
I use an emotion wheel that my therapist gave me, and it's really, really constructive when I feel like I can't express myself.
@betterchoices thats awesome that its constructive for you when you struggle to express yourself
Please join me, @Heather225 and her bird Tuna tonight at 7 pm ET for Trauma Open Chat! Hope to see some of you there. 
@Kate
Ah wish I could but I have class at 7 pm. Are these always at 7 on Thursdays?
@Lexloveslife I'll also be hosting a special discussion on Monday at 10 am ET on PTSD and Veterans for Veterans Day if you'd like to come at that time.
@Kate you mean sunday the 11th november Armistice day US call veterans day is Sunday
@CaringBrit
you are right about that however Monday is when a lot of places are observing for it for some reason.
@SouthernFlame oh unheard off in the uk
@CaringBrit
its cause vet day fell on Sunday.
@SouthernFlame ah
@SouthernFlame
hello love,
yes i have used a few. im probably a 6 right now but im managing. At the doctors she felt my stomach and went into my waist band i panicked and moved. then i had to fill stuff out about my depression. i had to lie completely about my suicidal thoughts so i wouldnt get into trouble. i said a zero that i dont have them or think about death or dying and i should have been a 3 or 4 for how much i have them. It sucks having to lie how i feel. my trauma is hurting me recently. Can I show you a poem i wrote about it?? i am trying to believe there is a god. But i did talk to my mother(not really but is more than my moms) and sarah. i was smiling so much. i love both of them so much. i am trying to feel greateful for things.
@Hope7879
i can understand lying to try to keep yourself safe. Sounds like the visit with the doctor was a bit jumpy. Of course you can share the poem with me, love. And I
@Hope7879 I would love to hear your poem.
@Kate
i died inside
the moment I felt him
forcing himself on me
i died trying to figure if
i was loved,
it was love
what is love?
my innocence left me
like being poured out slowly
yet painfully.
like being stabbed multiple times
not bleeding
just a stab to the heart and soul
over and over!
but the hurt flowing out the stab wounds
i died inside when
he claimed he loved me
but forcing his hallowing fingers in my body
forcing his pain into me
with each move he did
his pain transferred
to my pain filled heart.
i didnt die just once
but on a daily struggle
i died to many times
piece by piece
hollowing my broken
heart and soul further
But dying on a couch
wasn't what a little girl should
have to cope with
or learn to get what she
can later to feel loved...
that little girl
still in my heart trapped
i need the little girl back
revived and healthy,
full of love!!
@Hope7879
oh hope :( so much pain in those words. -hugs-
@SouthernFlame
its how i feel plus there is so much more
@Hope7879
im so sorry Hope. No one deserves that amount of pain. We are here for you.
@Hope7879
I've been there so I really feel for you. It makes me sad you have to lie about how bad you're feeling, you should be able to get good help and I hope you can get it!
@SouthernFlame
I have trouble understanding and expressing my feelings. My therapist had mood faces and it was tough for me to tell what they were. It seems weird to me as an adult I have trouble with this. Having some difficult thoughts today.
Everyday i wake up alone afraid and helpless, to a devastated life after years of merciless stalking and harassment, waiting for word of help ive cried out for for so long to return to me humanity, dignity, respect, my precious daughter kristina and safety at home.
@SouthernFlame
I am so tired of the few but still awful trolls on this site who just use the chat rooms to purposefully distress people
They'll just say words or phrases that could clearly trigger sexual assault survivors, and laugh about how they can pass the censors
Don't get me wrong I think sex can definitely be discussed for mental health in a good way but that's not why they do it
They know what they're doing even when ppl blatantly say "Hey we r in this room/on this site to be in a good mental state and you are reminding me of said trauma or mocking it" and they don't care
Then there's the neo-nazi jokes, for the love of God
I have seen so many trolls joke about different genocides
Today even saw jokes about the sterilization of Jewish women without their consent
And it just kept going with sex, genocide jokes, homophobia
A) what even are those people, how does one lack such basic empathy?? and how are there so many of them? it's disgusting how are they living real lives
B) how do the censors not get it
C) I understand mods can't always be there and everything but dang every day there is at least 1 chat room like the one above just awful
That's the 1 main issue I have with 7cups is the trolls like that who make the site the opposite of what it's intended for
And yea I'm getting personally heated, and im glad I am bc I am so tired it is amazing the amount of men and people I've been around in my life who have openly joked about violence against women, and rape Or genocide/sterilization jokes , how us queers are ruining the world, how disabled people have no use how poor people are useless and dumb
All these things and more and they're "just jokes" to some people, but I am not overarching when I say that is a pathetic joke.
And i think people want me to be all calm and empathetic to these jokesters or sometimes actual neo-nazis and if I'm not in a crazy feminist in their eyes
Believe me I have been calm, most of my life, I do have empathy even for those disgusting people
But just why do we live in a society where it ok for someone to openly joke about something horrible that happened to me, my family, my community or my ancestors?
Oh rape didnt happen to anyone in the room where they made the jokd, it happened to me. Oh, domestic abuse didn't happen to anyone in the room, it happened to my mom and me. Oh, no one in the room has been discriminated for being queer, we were. Oh, no one in the room has a disability, I do. Oh, people dont get experimented on, well my family was. Oh, no one in the room was burned so we can joke about it? My family was
We exist. And our terrible memories aren't a joke. After everything the world has taken from us i will not let them take that too.
At least let us have our pain. For the love of God why do their jokes have to be so cruel?
And then I think people may be like "ugh stop harping on the past, on the holocaust, on who abused you 4 years ago, everything you have that's bad you don't want us to label you like that right? Get over it"
Well let me tell you I've seen people "get over it" they didn't feel like they could stand up for themselves when people made threats or just jokes they didn't talk about it. And I wish every day that their lives were not as trapped as they were and are.
Jokes take away peoples lives. Little parts of it maybe but it is just another punch in the gut every day that I have to sit silent about and be mature and calm and take it and chalk it up to "they're just immature" and move on with my day like nothing happened. Go on with my day and work really hard so I overcome what people like them expect of us, so no one can put me in a box just for the way I was born and exist.
That was long and I know not everyone who says certain words are all the same
@wittySpruce8187
hey! I just want to let you know I hear you. Ill reply to your entire post once Im home
@SouthernFlame
Thank you 💜
@wittySpruce8187
I am so sorry to hear of those horrible encounters. The rooms should definitely be a safe place and I am sorry that you have run into several users who do not care or have the empathy that you expect on a website like this. I want to say that even if a moderator is not there, mute them after taking a screenshot if possible. You can reach out to @Power or @Heather252 who are the Safety Coordinators and they can look into the troubling accounts.
I can totally understand how it would be a huge issue for you to have people joking about things that were honestly one of the worst moment in your life. It is never okay to be made to feel like that. It is up to you when the things stop affecting you and there's nothing wrong with you if you get affected by a crude joke on the site.
If you can't get a reply from the two listeners I mentioned, I encourage you to reach out to @Kate if it is urgent.
@wittySpruce8187
so glad you spoke up, thank you...
I see it to, its happening again on chat right now...
Hopefully there is a solution to help it be a safer place for all
@Forgive2Live
I am so relieved it helped people and glad you're glad I spoke up!
💜 lets hope it gets better thanks for being here