New and not sure where to start

@Mogity Welcome to 7cups! I'm sorry to hear that things have been so difficult for you lately, but I'm happy that you got the courage to reach out (even if so far you haven't been seeing the impact yet)--I agree, I think talking to someone is an equally important part of mental health.

As for where to start here, there's lots of different ways depending on what you're looking for :)

There are two main ways to connect to someone one-on-one: waiting in the queue and having a random listener pick up your chat, or looking through the listeners list to find one that you think would suit you and messaging them. I think you have a better chance finding a good listener with the second method :) My recommendation would be filtering for a topic such as depression, as well as selecting verified listeners (in this link here, I've done that for you). Also keep in mind if their profile says they're on break, or double-checking they are still active and online :)

If talking to many people at once interests you (listeners and fellow members alike), then "group support" might be worth looking into. There are many different room designed for different topics, so for example there are 2 depression rooms, one for casual chat ("Depression Chat") and one for more serious questions/discussions/conversations ("Depression Support"). You can find the full listing here.

You've already found the forums, which you have used perfectly :) They're a great place to ask questions, get different perspectives, and just generally share things, all without the pressure of immediate replies. This (and the feed) is the only place where all people on 7Cups can interact together (members & listeners, teens & adults).

And lastly there are "self-help" guides, which give you more insight into certain topics and offer suggestions on ways you can tackle your feelings on your own time and in everyday life, as well as understanding what you're going through a little more. You can find them here as well as some guided meditation recordings (called "mindfulness exercises")

I hope that helps break down what this site offers, I really hope being here can give you the support and help that you're looking for

Hey, my name is Mike nice to meet you!:) Well if you're looking for someone to talk to you've come to the right place. I am not clear wether you are a listener or a member, but either way if you head to the browse listeners tab you can find a long list of people who are happy to listen. Personaly I like to make a personal request becuase I can tend to find someone I might feel more comfortable with or have things in common with and that is always helpful. Hope this helps!@Mogity

@Mogity

Hi there, @Mogity.

Welcome to 7 Cups. Here you can find support through talking to someone through 1-on-1 chats. This will be with someone who is referred to as a 'Listener' - they are here to listen to you and offer you support but cannot give advice as they are not trained to and it the advice given may not be helpful/useful.

You can also talk to fellow Members of the 7 Cups community through forums. Here, people discuss anything they want to and you can find great support here from people who might be going through the same issue as you.

There is also a Q&A section where you can ask any questions and have them answered.

There are also group chats. Some are centered around depression, anxiety, loneliness and so much more. You can get quick responces for any question you ask here as all messages are recieved live.

There are also guides and minfulness exercises.

Hope you find the support you are looking for here!