Welcome to 7 Cups! Introduce yourself here!!

Hello, I just joined the other day, mostly because I was looking for support since I'm queued up for my new therapist but it'll be 2 months before I get to see her.

I'm a 28 bloke from Northern Italy, I had a really awful 2025; it started so well, I truly fell in love for the first time — it's so difficult for me to do so and I thought was impossible before meeting her. However this girl led me on for months and she ultimately ended up abandoning me for a (now former) close friend who took advantage of the situation and acted unfairly at my back.

It's not just losing her but the betrayal, the humiliation as well as losing the only person who ever came so close to my archetype and feeling like I'll never find love again after her, because if it took me 27 years to find it once and it was such a close match, how am I going to be so lucky again?

I'm not going to bother you much further but I'm just trying to survive day after day, I wouldn't call this life but survival. I'm going to the gym thrice a week, I found a coping mechanism in martial arts, yet I also feel extremely guilty because I don't feel like I'm being a productive member of society and I generally feel behind my peers, let's say my already ailing self-esteem took a hard blow this last year.

Anyways this is me, don't expect much from me, and apologies if this message isn't well organised or thought out, I can't sleep and it's super late as I'm typing this.

@Heather225 Hello! I am HoosierBookBabe. I signed up to be a listener in preparation for a career in chemical dependency counseling. I have experience in listening from service on a suicide prevention hotline.

@Heather225

Hi all,

I joined 7cups because I recently went through a breakup. Very, very recently. Before that breakup, my partner at the time said he needed a step back, and requested I leave the home I moved into with him last year, and back in with my mother. It took some time to realize that this isn't really a thing that should happen, let alone so quickly. I don't want to get completely into it yet, until I really know what I'm going to find in this space, but the summary is I realized that I was in a co-dependent relationship with someone in recovery that was not capable at this stage in his life of putting me as a priority. His defense mechanisms and emotional immaturity paired with myself being stuck in fawn mode made a toxic mess of us both. I'm still trying not to blame myself.

Through this process of finding myself without the future that I had been planning, without the partner I had been planning them with, I realized I had lost my identity. Everything I did, I had done with him in mind: I wore my hair a certain way because he preferred it. I wore makeup in the way that he said he liked. I set up my new room at my mother's wondering if he would like it when he came to visit, or whether he would say "why did you do it that way, and not this way?" I would put makeup on before he'd video me, because I knew he would be upset if he thought that I was crying, since that meant that I wasn't giving being separate a chance.

I don't have many friends IRL - the ones I do have are amazing, but they have their own busy lives, and I want to build new memories with them. But right now, I don't even know who I am. The prospect of trying to build a future along at age 37 is absolutely terrifying. I had a bonus kid who once asked if he could call me mom, and I don't have that anymore. I'm trying to move forward and not focus on what I've lost, but try to reach into myself and discover who I am. I've been reading books on codependence recovery so I can have meaningful relationships in the future, and avoid falling in love with someone who is going to make me feel small. Avoid going back to him if he asks me to come back.

I'm looking for a place that I can vent, share, acknowledge my emotional needs, take up emotional space, and discover who I am with support, instead of just reading these books and feeling lonely. I know I have a lot of emotional intelligence, and I just need a safe space to unpack it all. Right now I feel like my sadness would bring others down. I don't want to make others feel helpless. I know that these are just symptoms of a deeper issue I'm trying to address, that I don't need to make myself smaller in order to make others feel comfortable. But this is all so new, I need the safe space to take the right steps.

Welcome all!

If you are a new member and struggling, you've come to the right place. You can make a general request, or you can Browse Online Listeners and look for one that you think matches your needs best.

If you don't vibe with a listener, that's ok. Talk to at least 3-5 people to find someone you really like.

Finally, if you're a listener (or even if you're a member!) this list of curated resources is excellent and I use it often in my conversations.

Hello, I am a recently joined listener who joined because I would like to gain experience in the counseling field and serve as a person for others to talk to. I want to help people and make them feel heard, but I am also very new to this and still trying to learn how to best support people. Nice to meet everyone!

@Heather225

Thats right, to anyone reading this..welcome to 7cups! lets connect and have a great time!!

Hey everyone 💙

I’m Lauren, a listener here on 7 Cups. I’m really glad to be part of this space.💙

I came to 7 Cups with a background shaped by lived experience with trauma, disability, and navigating high stress situations. Because of that, I approach conversations through a trauma informed lens, prioritizing emotional safety, trust, and respect in every interaction.

What I hope to find here is continued growth as a listener and meaningful connection with both members and other supporters. I’m always working on strengthening my skills in active listening, grounding, and supportive communication.

My goal is to offer a calm, nonjudgmental space where you can share at your own pace. I focus on validating your experience, helping you feel heard, and, when appropriate, gently supporting grounding during overwhelming moments. I understand that reaching out can be difficult, especially in crisis, so I aim to meet you with patience and care.

I signed up to listen because I believe everyone deserves to feel supported, especially during moments that feel heavy or isolating. You don’t have to go through it alone.

If you see me around, feel free to reach out 💙

Welcome to cups everyone!😊

Hi! I came here while looking for ways to get experience helping people with mental health. I hope to have a positive impact on people’s lives by providing a listening support. My goal is to become a better listener and to provide support for those who need it.

Welcome all