ACC_gal,

It sounds, to me, as though you need to accept the fact that you aren't real good at picking up on other people's emotions. That's a tough "pill" to swallow, but, you can't change that aspect of your world.

Everyone who knows you knows that you have ACC. You can try to be sure to share that you have a tough time reading other people's faces, tones of speech, etc. which sometimes results in hurt feelings. By being upfront about this tendency, people ought to become a lot more upfront with how they are feeling ~ rather than relying upon non-verbal clues to tell you how they feel. I think the brain injury workshop said that 60% of communication is done non-verbally!

If you're hoping to apply tips towards online friends, than I'd recommend adding this disclaimer to your signature. For instance, in the Neuro Talk site, many of the TBI survivors have a brief history of their experience and current troubles written (in smaller letters) below their name on each & every post. That really helps the reader know exactly where they're coming from intellectually and psychologically! That's what I'd advise you to do. I hope this helps you!

Very best wishes and gentle hugs to you....