Traumatic Experiences Community Daily Check-in: Thursday September 20th
Hi, everyone! My name's H, and I'm one of 7Cups Safety Coordinators! Some of you may know me better through my parrot, Tuna. :) He has been my best friend and companion for six years of my journey with mental health.
Do you have any pets? Do you think animals can play a part in our coping and recovery?
I'd love to hear what you think, and how you are all doing. It's nice to meet you!
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@Heather225 used to have a dog and definetly helps with recovery animals are awesome pet therapists
@CaringBrit
This is one of my favorite doggo gifs XD Don't forget to pamper yourself!
@summertimeSamness cute
@summertimeSamness
that absolutely cracked me up!!! 
@Heather225
Hi.
I don't currently have any pets, but I've had a few over the years. They were definately helpful in coping.
I'm doing okay. Some difficult stuff with my family came back up. I'm trying to process that. They have a way of making me question my worth. It's really a lot more than that, but I won't write a book right now.
@practicalIdeal2007
Seeing your check-ins puts a smile on my face because you're a friendly face in the community!! Awesome to have you here! I hope this gif makes you smile today too!
@summertimeSamness
Thanks, it's nice to be here. The check-in is sort of my way of breaking my isolation. Even if I don't say much.
That dog, who could not smile after seeing that. 
@summertimeSamness
😆 love that gif
@sensitiveShade5337
Hi Shade
How are you?
@LoveFromSara
im still not well
@sensitiveShade5337
Im sorry to hear Shade, hope you will be better soon
@LoveFromSara
thanks
@practicalIdeal2007 I
@Kate
Aww thanks Kate. My family's opinions shouldn't mean that much to me anymore, but for some reason they do. Knowing I have a place here makes a difference.
@practicalIdeal2007
Family are important to us so it's natural that we care what they think. As much as we love our family they are not always right tho and it's totally ok for us to be different and still loved.
P.S. Your trauma family love you just as you are 
@practicalIdeal2007
Hi Ideal
Nice to see you. Im sorry things are hard with your family. Hope the prosessing goes okay. And just for the record, if you feel like it, you are more than welcome to write a book, either here in the check in or in your diary, whatever you feel like
@LoveFromSara
I'll work through it one way or another. My family just has a way of cutting deep. It's 2:15 am and I'm supposed to be getting up for work in 2 hrs, so I'm going to give sleep 1 more go.
@practicalIdeal2007
https://www.7cups.com/exercises/mindfulness523/
^I love that mindfulness track. she talks about breathing for two minutes and then for 17 minutes describes a city landscape and her voice is relaxing. it helps me sleep
If i wake up i just restart it because it helps me tune out thoughts then i go back to sleep
@summertimeSamness
Thank you.
@summertimeSamness
That kitty is me with my monster teddy
@practicalIdeal2007
Hope you got some sleep, Ideal.
I know its not the same, but you have a family here that want you, value and appreciate you just the way you are, with all your imperfections and struggles, because we all share them. Im glad you are able to use this place to come out of isolation, it can be so very hard when the world (and especially our families) makes us feel unsafe and all you want is to retreat.
I have a cat. But it is not trained as assistance pet for PTSD. He still helps me but not as much as a animal trained for assist specifically with PTSD.
There are definitivly dogs and other pets trained specifically for help someone with PTSD or other medical or health related issue and help with things such safety, coping and reduce symptoms. I encourage you to do some researchs on it. What is the most interesting with pets specially trained is that you can have them even in places and appartments that don't accept pets, because charters of rights include the right to every person full and equal recognition and exercise of his human rights and freedoms, without distinction, exclusion or preference based on the use of any means to palliate a handicap, which include Service Dogs for PTSD.
@TortueDesBois - What is your cat's name? :)
@Anomalia we spend a lot of time trying to find a name for our pets, but finally we use a lot more nicknames than their real names.
@TortueDesBois - Very true :)
@TortueDesBois
Thanksies for sharing about PTSD service animals! I'll research more about it! It's so cool you have a pet cat. I have a cat named Socks because he is mostly grey with white socks on his feet
@Heather225 I don't have any pets right now. Where I live you can't have pets, I have had pets in the past. I do believe that pets can help in day to day life. I miss having a pet, thanks have a great day/night !
@MelanieDaniels63
*hi paw*
I hope you have a great day / night too!
@summertimeSamness Thanks !
@MelanieDaniels63
me too 
and I want all the kitties.
I want a black one that I will call lucky and a white fluffy one that I will call marshmallow ... one day
@LifeIsMyCanvas - Those are super cute names for cats! I'm excited for when you're able to get them :)
@MelanieDaniels63 - I haven't been able to have a pet for a while either...but I have a couple well loved stuffed animals! And I've been known to occasionally go to a pet shop to play with animals there :)
Hey H,
I have 2 kittens :) they are adorable! But it's taking me a while to get accustomed to them. I find new things hard and they are very bouncy. They can be very comforting though when I have had a bad day. Though they can trigger my PTSD by running around the house at night xD. They make my partner so happy though that it makes me laugh :) he adores them :).
I am feeling on edge. Chiro yesterday still has me feeling unsettled and I am getting scared of doing it again though I will. It was an exercise in control for me not to slap the woman's hands away at times. I'll see. I guess feeling hopeful that maybe this will help my migraines?? Idk.
@Lilibuth12
Awwwies, congrats on the new kitties! I understand how they can set off fears though. Sometimes my cat scares me at night when he swats my foot or jumps around randomly. He also made a kitty fort under my bed and crawls up in my mattress :') Do any grounding techniques help you when it gets triggered?
@summertimeSamness - OK, all the gifs and pics are adorable, but I just can't with this one - it's too stinkin' cute!!!!!!!!
@Lilibuth12 - I'm proud of you for making it to (and through!) the chiro even though it felt pretty overwhelming. It can be hard to make scary choices even when they're for a good / healthy reason and that took courage and determination to face. I hope that the next time feels a little bit easier for you
It's interesting we are talking about pets
I was just thinking about our dog yesterday when writing about him for an essay and how he changed my life
I loved him so much and still do, as he is no longer with us
💜💜
@wittySpruce8187
aww sorry your doggy isn't with you any more
I'm actually scared of dogs, lots of trauma things, but my mum got a dog and it has changed her life and I can totally see how animals unconditional love can be healing for trauma
@LifeIsMyCanvas
💜
@wittySpruce8187 - He sounds like a really special dog, and one who will always be with you in your heart even if he's not physically there anymore. Did you learn anything as you journaled about him?
@Anomalia
Yea I learned a lot I'm glad I felt it again even if it was painful
@wittySpruce8187
Thanks for sharing about the memory of your doggo! I am sorry he passed away. Even though there's much sadness, I bet your paper is a beautiful story of doggo friendship and love <3<3<3
@summertimeSamness
Thank you 💜💜
I have 2 dogs, Jack and Maude. They help me by giving me purpose throughout the day and Maude snuggles with me at night while Jack guards the door. I used to rescue and rehome dogs, but it started to become too much a few years ago.
@affectionateNorth4018 - I love that you have two such loving dogs with you who you take care of, but who also help take care of you :)
@affectionateNorth4018
Thanks for sharing about your doggos Jack & Maude! What type of dogs are they?
@summertimeSamness
Jack is a 55# 6 yr old border collie/blue heeler mix and Maude is a 7# 4 yr old pomchi/rat terrier mix
@Heather225
i think animals are good for recovery in the hospital they had a dog come in and now my animals are always around me my cat tigger layed with me for 2 hours last night and slept for a while then he would make me pet him he loves attention. then this morning i was sitting my the porch he saw me and ran towards me. he then jumped on the rail and ran to me so he could be at my level. I acted like i was going to give him a little kiss and he put his face to the screen. I smiled. Yesterday i came home from school because my tooth hurt and my dog zoey saw me and started wagging her tail and didnt leave me pretty much until my sisters got home.
im doing pretty decent i have been thinking a lot lately. that when i say im okay or happy something bad happens so i dont let myself feel happiness.ive been pretty hard on myself recently. im eating at the moment. i cant stop thinking about calories. my dad still talks about weight and calories and diets when my doctor told him not to its not going to help. I have been thinking about when i move out i cant wait it probably will be over a year or more away. i turn 17 in 10 days ... wow.. i have been pretty depressed and tired. i talked to my doctor and she is going up on my antidepressant for anxiety .. plus ive been more irritated i dont know why either. but i hope i can have a good day
@Hope7879 - The love and joy that animals can bring is so magical :) I'm proud of you for eating something even when it's hard - that's an important step and shows you're challenging those thoughts and fighting back! I hope that today is a little bit of a better day <3
@Anomalia
thank you love
@Hope7879
Happy early birthday!!!!
Hi
I have a rabbit called Cleo, I had 2 other bunnies but they have passed away. They definitely help me cope, they don't judge the way people do and they love you (most of the time 
)
I've moved into a new flat now, and my bunny has to stay with my parents so I don't get to see her until christmas :(
@FloweringBunny Cleo is a great name for a bunny! It sounds hard to not be able to see her until christmas
@FloweringBunny
Awwwies bunnies are so cute! I hope yours aren't too far and that you get to visit them while they are at your parents house. I hope you get them back soon!
