Cognitive functions not working

[Nasturtium]

I can feel myself spiraling and it sucks.
I feel very dumb that I can't seem to figure out how to navigate this Forum. I tried to find a reply from Kizzie telling me where to look for the directions, but I can only find my post and not her reply. I am trying but not at all succeeding in not letting  this stress me out completely.
I really want to start a Journal but i don't see where to add my New page so I can start.
Trying not to cry though that is easy because crying or showing vulnerability were not safe things to do in my FOA or in my former marriage.
I would so appreciate some help with navigating this.
Thank you

[Armee]

hugs if it feels safe. This stuff can be so overwhelming especially when we are triggered already. You'll figure these things out easier once this passes.

For now, for recovery journals...navigate to that section of the forum:

https://www.cptsd.org/forum/index.php?board=61.0

Then somewhere toward the top of the page you should see a menu called "user actions." Click on that and there will be an option to start a new topic. Click that give your post a title that you like for a journal name and there you are...your own forum journal. 

If that isn't clear I'll try to do a better job explaining. I'm not sure what it looks like on a desktop computer since I use my phone. 

All you do is create a new topic just like you did here, except you title it with the title you want for your journal.

[Nasturtium]

Thank you -it was so kind of you to respond and give me directions on finding the journal section. I was afraid to even check for hours to see if anyone responded. Big abandonment triggers for me. For now it's too late for me to begin journaling here but tomorrow for sure. Again, gratitude for your kindness.

[Armee]

All of us here have the same reaction to feeling abandoned. It's easily triggered for sure. If I can, a point of mild advice? Write your journal for YOU. Imagine if people read and respond that is great, but the main purpose is for you to put it out here for your healing. People WILL read and relate and hold you in their thoughts.

But unfortunately everyone on here is overwhelmed and plagued by self-doubt and a million other weird symptoms of lifelong trauma. It does happen, often, that few or sometimes no one has the bandwidth to respond. That's OK. Because it's YOUR journal. For you. Any of us on here will respond when we are mentally able to but we are all depleted and trying to heal...all in the same boat.

It WILL feel personal if you write something and no one responds, but I guarantee you it is only because we are overwhelmed by our own issues. All just trying to make it through hour by hour. Not because we don't like you, or don't believe you, or you did something wrong. Just because we all have cPTSD.

It may be people respond to one person's post and not another. For me that's typically because one post may take little mental energy to respond to while another stirs up all sorts of thoughts and feelings that are hard to put into words adequately. Or perhaps a post is longer or more compelx than I can digest at the time and so I mentally make note to go back to it but forget to.

I hope that helps when you start a journal. We all worry about these things and more especially when we are newer. But even after several years.

[Bermuda]

I second all over the above.

I hope it worked out for you Nasturtium. If not, you can always ask again. We won't judge.

[NarcKiddo]

I hope you have found the journal section now. And as the others have said, feel free to ask again, or ask about anything else you need to.

I would agree with the point Armee made that journal entries do not always get many (or even any) replies. You can always say in a journal entry if you would particularly like feedback on anything. However if there is a particular point you would like to discuss you are probably best off starting a post in the relevant area of the forum. Especially if it is something you might want actual advice on, or other points of view, because journals are very much a thing where you can express yourself and be heard. You will probably have noticed that already if you have had a look in the journals section.

Forums are not always easy to navigate, especially when you are new. We understand.