Charlie's notebook
This thread replaces my feed, which I hardly ever used. No restrictions on commenting.
In future, readers might not remember what a feed was. It was like a Tumblr blog but within 7 Cups. You could post stuff and your followers would automatically see it, and you could repost stuff that other people had posted, adding your own comment. We were told it was only used by a few people, it had bugs, and it was expensive to run, and then a few months later, with hardly any warning, it disappeared.
On reflection, I realise this notebook is more private than the feed was. Everyone who looked at my profile saw my feed whether they wanted to or not. This notebook will mostly be seen by people who subscribe to it or who deliberately choose to read it. So I'm thinking I might post here more often than I did in my feed.
Anyone at all is welcome to read, to subscribe and to comment. Tagging everyone who was following my feed when its closure was announced:
@2JoDuTyJo1 @AbsurdBook399 @affableHouse4580 @AffyAvo @AiluraBlaze @AllAboutEmotions @alostsoul1 @Amadeo @AmalieAnne @ambitiousNest5807 @Amie7 @AmityLagniappe @Annie @Anomalia @Anonymous100o1 @ApatheticApple @ArtGirl513 @Ashu303 @AtheneNoctua93 @Avaray @Ayla @BananaskinsXx @beccacats @BipolaryetAlive @biskygirl @blossombreathe @blueoblivion96 @bouncySeal96 @BrightRedFlower2322 @BrooklynM @Butwhosavesyou @Cadence @calmSoul60 @CaloenasNicobarica @CaptEmerald @CaringBrit @Cathlisa @Cathy111 @CeeDee32 @Celaeno @CharlieHasArrivedd @Charliepeachey @Chillymine03 @cloudySummer @comealongpond1988 @Compassionatelistener108 @confidentMoment82 @conscientiousDay8459 @Crinklefreak1990 @Dancelover2002 @dancingStrawberry34 @Dandelion358 @Darkpelt11 @dbubblepuff @deadcrybaby @DeathNDecay @decisiveHouse5960 @delightfulDragon87 @DesireeDescalza @Dibly @Dishamotwani @dogswinenetflix @DysphoricMe @Eduardo1901 @ehChihuahua @eleesy @elfdog @Emily619 @emotionalDrum6717 @emotionalTown1440 @EmperorRusty @emsworld @Equanamous13 @Eunoia @exquisiteDreamer32 @fearthevindd @Fei @FinleyTews @FlowerInDisguise19 @Flycat01 @ForeverInvisible @FrlsTonks @funnyPlace4222 @Gcat3000 @GentleLily20 @GlassStar @Glue @Hakunamananna @HappyCycologist @helpfulDog3487 @HeyItsRoo @Hiris @honestCurrent1031 @Hope2502 @HumanEars @impartialPineapple9240 @incognitoknight0101 @IndecisiveClementine186 @intelligentWheel627 @intuitivePrune6869 @inventiveTortoise3477 @itsahellofadayatseasir @Iza1 @izzie3000 @Jakeeee @JakobLopez @jennysunrise8 @Juniter @Justbeyourself3 @Kahilum08 @Keewee0701 @kikachu @kindDay4067 @KrinkTheMellowUnicorn @Laura @lauren1999xx @lavenderMelon6325 @Lilania @Lilylistens @lonelyandsickFede @LovingSparkle @loyalPark3943 @Lucilleball @Lucy @Lyra @Lyraaa6 @Lyth @Maenadia @MagAlves @ManandaPanda @Maryjean @melonMeloncholy @MidniteAngel @MistyMagic @Mittymouse @Mtude @myth276 @N221B @Nobody4367 @Nononoyesyesyes @Nottikas @ocdMedstudent9 @OceanRest orangeBalloon2097 @otapato @PandaK @peacefulSoul8 @peacefulWords45 @PedroMAlves1992 @progdreams76 @quietCloud22 @quietKite1932 @RaCat @radiantstele @Rainbow15 @Raspberrycheesecake @rationalTangerine5279 @Reboot85 @ReclusiveDoge @RedMeeko @roseMelody95 @sadalpaca @scarletPlum6501 @Scourge @ShaneKyleForever2017 @shawwesley @shiningLove72 @ShubhendraPandey @Siba @SomebodyyouKnow @SongsOfNerd @SouthAfrica2019 @StacyT @StormySmiles17 @Strawberrycake23 @SufferingAsh @sunDog64 @SunshineCat @sunshineDew66 @SunshineOnYourShoulder @SupportiveTruth43 @ThankYouForLettingMeTryingToHelp @themainjane @TLC2U @turquoiseHuman4131 @UncleIroh21 @Uncomfortablegeek @undefinednikki @underthemoonlightdust @Ushatar @VeeStarr @viciimperium @VickyP @Wanderwoman14 @warmheartedPrune8612 @WaterfallLily @WhimsicalDancer @Wittie96 @wizeakre @wontsleepwontwake @yaindrila55 @YyuunKaiight
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
*following* :) your right it actually is more private because its only seen my people who subscribe not just everyone who goes to your profile and kind of tucked away in this little corner of 7cups i think the feed gave the illusion of being more private just because it was separate from the forum area which is thought of as very public and busy space although this area isnt very busy so maybe people will feel more comfortable starting a feed thread here or if they convert their thread into a feed thread moving their thread here so its not seen by so many people .... glad you started one charlie maybe youll even use it as more of place to put your random thoughts about things although ive always just used my feed to repost what other people wrote or posted i might start doing that too ill see how i feel about that - maybe 🌅
@jennysunrise8 you still can somewhat repost still just copy n paste into your own thread say you saw a quote you loved etc
@CaringBrit
i did my first repost last night from the first feed thread that popped up here called My Personal Space ✏ 🦋 - ahealingEndoftherainbow22 was a picture put on mine and under it said reposted by me lol
Happily suscribed to your feed now 
Responsibility https://www.7cups.com/forum/NewbieHub_27/WelcomeIntroductionsto7Cups_1163/Responsibility_207480/
@RarelyCharlie Thanks! I subscribed.
Listening .... One Step At A Time
@RarelyCharlie subscribed to it im going to post one soon too and your correct forum is more private a misconception many had saying it wasnt
So wait......the feed is no longer available???
@LPyMP
yes unfortunately its gone they deleted the feed and everything on it yesterday :(
@jennysunrise8
Subscribed, thanks. It's dark in here - anyone have a light? 
@quietCloud22
I do!
Hey, just noticed that as a member I can't see any group chat rooms, but as a listener I see the newly configured member rooms and the 2 listener rooms. Does this mean I'm a bad member?
@quietCloud22
No. It means that you have a glitch.
@quietCloud22
Like lots of members do. They cant get excess to the group chats. Some see this change as the end of 7cups
@quietCloud22
No. Do you meet the requirements to view the rooms? Just as the listener rooms, the member rooms are badge-locked, too, based on a number of chats and the like. The requirements are in Glen's post
@quietCloud22 as explained already you need specific badges you must already have tick tock badge to see member rooms on your listener but dont have the member ones you need strong bond 5 chats with 5 listeners and another one you get when you hit 50 compassion hearts
@CaringBrit
Now I'm seeing some chat rooms as a member, so I guess it was just a glitch, as previously mentioned.
It's a while since I was caught by the dreadful chat censor bot. It always makes me laugh when it catches me out.
The most recent one concerned the word "drown". These examples are fictitious. The chat where the censor caught me was about something else.
So it turns out we can describe someone who once abused alcohol like this:
"He bought a bottle of whisky and that night he drowned his sorrows."
Even if he did that repeatedly, we can still say it:
"Every day he would buy a bottle of whisky and every night he would drown his sorrows."
And if he's continuing to do it to this day, we can describe that too:
"Every day he still buys a bottle of whisky and every night he drowns his sorrows."
But if today's whisky has been bought but not yet drunk, there's trouble:
"Today, as usual, he bought a bottle of whisky and tonight he will drοwn his sorrows."
That last one triggers the censor. We can't say "will drοwn".
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie What happens for a listener when it's triggered?
@cloudySummer The message is blocked so that the member never sees it, a report containing the entire message is sent (so the message is no longer completely confidential), and someone evaluates the severity of the incident. Further action can then be taken. The only further action I've ever experienced (on several occasions) is a somewhat mysterious and unpleasant automated e-mail that contains no useful details, but I suppose in some circumstances a listener could be suspended for a time or banned. To prevent trouble I generally report incidents as bugs in the censor, but I'm not aware that any of these bugs I've reported have ever been fixed.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
@RarelyCharlie
Wait what censor bot are you talking about?
I used to thin that 7cups 1on1 chats ere private, thought their privacy policy was vague and dicey about it
@IntrovertedDreamer73409 As far as I know, chats at 7 Cups are private. But a bot checks every message. If the bot doesn't like the message, then the message is not sent and it does not become part of the chat. The person who tried to send the message gets a warning.
For members, there is nothing more to be said.
For listeners, any messages that the bot censors are sent to some person within 7 Cups for evaluation. This means the entire message is no longer completely confidential. But remember that these messages do not become part of the chat! The chat remains confidential, but the censored messages are not. You might think this is sneaky 
The people who evaluate censored messages sign a confidentiality agreement. So the censored messages cannot be seen by anyone else (unless a mistake is made, which has sometimes happened in the past).
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
That is very sneaky, though potentially understandable.
How did you get to know this stuff?
@IntrovertedDreamer73409 It has been discussed in the forum from time to time. For example, at one time 7 Cups banned the word "asleep", which caused a lot of upset and discussion. They eventually fixed that bug, but other bugs remain unfixed.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
Oh yes I do remember the asleeep controversy. Didn't follow in to much detail though because those were college entrance prep days..
@RarelyCharlie
Oh yes I do remember the asleeep controversy. Didn't follow in to much detail though because those were college entrance prep days..
@RarelyCharlie, and anyone else that might know something.
Any word how the "Empower" initiative is working out on the 7cups.org side?
I finally announced A reading list for listeners, which is a project I was working on while I was on a partial break recently. I've been re-reading some books I read long ago, and reading some new ones.
Currently re-reading Robert Pirsig's Lila, which won't make the list because it's not really relevant.
I haven't yet been able to find a good but simple account of how CBT really works. There are some heavy academic textbooks. I really want something that starts with active listening and the therapeutic alliance, and covers the art of formulation (or conceptualization) well, with examples. Any suggestions?
And I haven't yet found any good stories of recovery from mental illness. There are plenty of stories by people who talk about recovery but remain seriously disabled. Oh, typing that caused me to think of one possible candidate. 
Any suggestions?
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
Regarding recovery from mental illness, from what I've read, there is a lot of disparity in defining the word "recovery". Does that mean you learn to being normal without psychotropic drugs and therapy, or continuing on your treatment path? I've heard the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step process terms used with mental illness, as in "he is a recovering schizophrenic."
There is of course the story of John Nash of "A Beautiful Mind". Interesting what he thinks about evolutionary psychology. Seems like insight is key to recognizing what kind of thinking gets in the way of achieving your goals, and social support is also highly important.
There is the intriguing Mad in America website. There is Elyn Saks.
My own son was diagnosed as a schizophrenic straight out of high school, then while on treatment (drugs, therapy and occasional hospitalization), managed to graduate from a highly ranked engineering college with a degree in aerospace and minor in math, cum laud. He now has an engineering job in a space center - but I do worry about him, still. A lot. No doubt that conventional psychiatry helped him, but I can't help wondering if there was/is another way around drugs and hospitalization?
What is recovery? Our society needs recovery from the way WE think about "mental illness" and people that are different than ourselves.
@quietCloud22 I consider it learning to manage the condition rather than recovery. (Just like someone with diabetes or high blood pressure does).
@quietCloud22 Yes, that's what I meant by "people who talk about recovery but remain seriously disabled". It seems to me there was a time when everyone had the same understanding of what recovery meant, but now it has become very unclear. I'd be interested in stories of both old-fashioned recovery and also the postmodern kind.
I follow Mad in America and I agree that it's intriguing. John Nash and Elyn Saks are good tips! Thank you
There seems to be some evidence that the drugs typically used for schizophrenia prolong the illness, but I don't have the expertise to evaluate it. The only person I know who has recovered (in the old-fashioned sense) from schizophrenia stopped taking the meds, but it was not an easy journey.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
Perhaps "recovery" is not the best term. Some people make a perilous climb to find themselves, at great physical risk. Some people make the psychological trip from inward to outward, at no lesser risk. Maybe a better way to describe it is outside the mental health model; call it a "journey."
@quietCloud22 I think that's a very good point. I would prefer it, too, if some other term could be used, but "recovery" has definitely become established.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie Me, I've recovered. I have a good story. Writing it now. It's got a lot of twists and turns to it, as any good real story (not fiction) has. I have decided to publish it posthumously, it's in an addendum in my will. (Saving this message in case it is flagged and deleted.)