Thank you for starting this thread and sharing your experience. Very meaningful. I really like the idea of the "7 cups experience"

When I started, I was really terrible at knowing how to take chats. I wasn't good at open questions and I didnt know how to greet people well, because...well I didn't have any experience. I try to keep this in mind when I do VL chats because everyone was new once, even me....a long time ago in a world far away. I also used to fall asleep during conversations...which is evident by my response time star rating. I promise I don't do that anymore, but at the time I would take chats and accidentally fall asleep. But hey, at least I can admit it and learn from my mistake :)

I first started as a Member because I was feeling really sad one day (I forget why) and I remember my first chat with a listener was awful. They didn't help me at all and they were pretty rude! So that event (and the fact that I love helping people) made me decide to become a listener myself. I wanted to be much better than the one I talked to, so more people could have a good experience from this website.

And now I love being a listener! :)

I first started here...

After researching Psychology.

I was looking up all these questions, because I had decided that Psychology was a field I was interested in. I love helping people. So, after a while I looked up how to help people NOW as a teen. And that's how I came across 7cups.

My first chat.

I was so nervous to sign up as a listener. So, I signed up as a member. I came into a group chat and there were maybe 20 people on it. It was before we had different chat catagories, so it was just a flurry of members talking about everything, from potatoes to deep social anxieties. I wondered if that was how all chats were and was a little overwhelmed. But after coming back two days more and seeing how the Listeners really helped people, I knew I wanted to do that too.

My first time listening.

I was so nervous to actually listen to someone. But, they gave me a chance, and they said that I had helped them so much. They said that they really appreciated how we connected. At that point, I was hooked. I felt so good and so accomplished to help someone. And, I knew I wanted to do that often.

​It's really nice to get to look back like this on my personal journey. 7cups has definitely been a positive experience. Getting to know my regulars, and the other listeners has been so beautiful, and I hope to do so for a long time after. Great Thread idea! I loved it.

HAY GUYS

I'd like to share my story

i first found 7 cups in the year 2014 when i was depressed and unable to do anything. i don't remember how o found this place but i do remember how scared i was. the first chat i had made me smile so then i left for around 9 months. after a while i stumbled upon it again si i decided to speak with another listener because it was a difficult time for me. now thi time it was not so pleasing. the listener was rude and didn't want to listen and pointed me out as the cause to all my problems so then i left and forgot about this site for about 3 months. once i came back i had realized that i could become a listener so i did and ever since i have met lovely people in a beautiful place.
just to name some

@cielxblu @irekat @aj98 @jadey1888 @charli @newromantic667 @bunnyfrufru @sherlock @arxxxh @pray4theheartless @ace13 @julescena @221skye @amazingrea @beccaboo98 @amy and many others

every story must end and mine may end very soon (nah nah this isend a death letter i know it sound like one but nah) guys thanks for being there for mee and for being sooooooooo awesome too and cool dont ever forget that. ad i love all of you guys!

thanks for reading XD

How I found this site

A year ago (I think) I searched for depression on the App Store so I thought let's try this what have I got to lose and I won't know them so it's like talking to a stranger who I can't see (I didn't like having face to face convos even with friends) anyway I made a member account and I don't think the first listener even responded but that's maybe because I wrote all my life story so she probably didn't know what to ask because I said everything back then I was a little disheartened as I talked to my second listener that person changed my perspective of live and made me realise that I'm not alone and also she made me realise that there is a thing called social anxiety I wasn't the only one who just thought it was "shyness". There was a whole world out there who suffered from social anxiety and thought it was "just shyness" I went on to the chat rooms which I didn't talk much in as it was daunting and I didn't think I would be heard or even seen but there were so many friendly people. I did some research and found a few interesting books and I realised I had to decide I had to do something with my life so I came back on this sit now as a listener (I still use my member account sometimes because hey everyone has problems no ones perfect) even as listeners there's always room for improvement.

My first chat

when I began my first chat, all these emotions were going through my mind "(what if) I don't know anything about the subject", "(what if) I come through to the person as aggressive and demanding", "(what if) the member doesn't like me?" These are a select few that were going through my mind there were much more I felt so inexperienced but as I got more comfortable I began doing the guides, replying in forums and the biggest one was to go ask for help or just have a general chat in the listener rooms I'm not that social but since I went in the chat rooms I've met some really great people :)

How I found this site

A year ago (I think) I searched for depression on the App Store so I thought let's try this what have I got to lose and I won't know them so it's like talking to a stranger who I can't see (I didn't like having face to face convos even with friends) anyway I made a member account and I don't think the first listener even responded but that's maybe because I wrote all my life story so she probably didn't know what to ask because I said everything back then I was a little disheartened as I talked to my second listener that person changed my perspective of live and made me realise that I'm not alone and also she made me realise that there is a thing called social anxiety I wasn't the only one who just thought it was "shyness". There was a whole world out there who suffered from social anxiety and thought it was "just shyness" I went on to the chat rooms which I didn't talk much in as it was daunting and I didn't think I would be heard or even seen but there were so many friendly people. I did some research and found a few interesting books and I realised I had to decide I had to do something with my life so I came back on this sit now as a listener (I still use my member account sometimes because hey everyone has problems no ones perfect) even as listeners there's always room for improvement.

My first chat

when I began my first chat, all these emotions were going through my mind "(what if) I don't know anything about the subject", "(what if) I come through to the person as aggressive and demanding", "(what if) the member doesn't like me?" These are a select few that were going through my mind there were much more I felt so inexperienced but as I got more comfortable I began doing the guides, replying in forums and the biggest one was to go ask for help or just have a general chat in the listener rooms I'm not that social but since I went in the chat rooms I've met some really great people :)

I'm so happy I found this site, helping others has started to help me!