#Causes of Joint Dysfunction

[fridgevespidae]

honestly, i dont really know how any of the language around dermatographism works. esp since the like cute 'skin writing' stuff that shows up when i look it up doesnt quite match my experience or even what the allergist told me was going on. i mean i think its the same thing still but i think i just got an unlucky edition of it so i dont know how to even word anything bc looking things up for it is challenging. either way, its acting up rn and just more often lately and i frankly have no clue why

[equilibriumfamilywellness]

Taking Care of your TMJ

Trouble with your TMJ may lead to problems with eating, speaking, yawning and sneezing! If you are experiencing pain in your jaw joint, here's what you need to know about chiropractic treatment. Learn More

[iccmo]

How Does TMJ/TMD Impact You Emotionally?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can be painful and discomforting. This condition not only affects a person physically but also emotionally. The constant discomfort, difficulty in jaw movement, and several other regular activities can make a person feel frustrated. Imagine a person having issues with chewing, sounds terrific right? However, recognizing the symptoms of TMJ/TMD can help you recover with proper treatment. In this article, we will take a dig into some crucial aspects that affect a TMJ/TMD patient emotionally. Let’s explore more below.

The Basics of TMJ/TMD

TMJ/TMD can be caused by various factors, including jaw injury, arthritis, or excessive teeth grinding. The temporomandibular joint acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. When this joint and its surrounding muscles experience problems, it can lead to pain and difficulty in jaw movement.

The Emotional Toll

Living with TMJ/TMD can take a toll on your emotional health. Let's delve into some of the ways this condition can impact you emotionally.

A. Chronic Pain and Stress:

One of the primary emotional consequences of TMJ/TMD is chronic pain. The constant discomfort can lead to stress and anxiety, affecting your overall mood. As you navigate daily life with persistent jaw pain, it's common to experience heightened stress levels, which can contribute to a cycle of emotional distress.

B. Impact on Mental Health:

The emotional impact of TMJ/TMD goes beyond physical pain. Individuals with this condition may find themselves dealing with mental health challenges such as depression and frustration. The limitations imposed by TMJ/TMD can affect daily activities, leading to a sense of helplessness and emotional exhaustion.

Social Challenges

TMJ/TMD can also influence your social life, as the emotional toll may affect your ability to engage in various activities and maintain relationships.

A. Communication Difficulties:

Individuals with TMJ/TMD may experience difficulties in communication, especially if talking or even smiling induces pain. This can lead to social isolation as affected individuals may avoid social situations to minimize discomfort.

B. Impact on Relationships:

The emotional strain of TMJ/TMD can extend to personal relationships. Partners, family members, and friends may struggle to understand the challenges faced by those with TMJ/TMD, leading to strained relationships. Effective communication about the condition and its emotional impact is crucial for maintaining healthy connections.

Coping Strategies

Managing the emotional impact of TMJ/TMD is essential for overall well-being. Here are some simple coping strategies that can help:

A. Seek Professional Help

Consulting with a healthcare professional, such as a dentist or a specialist in TMJ disorders, can provide valuable insights and treatment options. They can help manage the physical symptoms of TMJ TMD, which in turn may alleviate emotional distress.

B. Stress Management Techniques

Since stress is a significant contributor to the emotional impact of TMJ/TMD, incorporating stress management techniques into your daily routine can be beneficial. This may include activities such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga.

C. Support Groups

Connecting with others who share similar experiences can provide emotional support. Online or in-person support groups for TMJ/TMD can offer a platform to share feelings, coping strategies, and advice.

D. Communication

Openly communicating with friends and family about your condition is crucial. Educate them about TMJ/TMD, helping them understand the challenges you face. This transparency can strengthen relationships and provide you with the support needed during challenging times.

Join ICCMO Today 

Living with TMJ/TMD goes beyond the physical discomfort; it takes a toll on your emotional well-being and social life. Understanding the emotional impact of this condition is the first step toward effective coping. At ICCMO, we teach dentists about TMJ/TMD and their treatment. Even if you are a patient, you can visit our website to find the best dentist who can help you with the right guidance. If you are a dentist, become a member at ICCMO and see how it makes a big difference in your medical career. Remember, you're not alone, and with the right support, you can manage both the physical and emotional aspects of TMJ/TMD.

[thebibliosphere]

Hello (good morning?)

I have a question about your chronic illness. We are suspecting that my kid have a form of eds, and we're dealing with recurring presence of mold in our bathroom. Since you live in an Old House™️, I was wondering if you can tell something about wether mold can cause sudden (inexplicable) flare up's? My teen's doctor shrugged it off.

We're calling professionals about the mold regularly, it's not going to completely go away and moving is not an option, so i would need to know if i need to fight this fight more consistently.

Thank you and i hope your migraine is ending soon!

It's 12:30 am and I have post-migraine insomnia, so yea, good morning!

So, here’s where mold could be triggering an EDS flare up. Mast cell instability (there are several types, the type I have is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS) has a high rate of comorbidity in EDS due to weird connective tissue issues and mast cells being present in every part of the body.

Mold is a huge mast cell destabalizer and can lead to degranulation, and when mast cells degranulate they dump an inflammatory cocktail into the surrounding tissue.

Closer to the skin this looks like hives or other typical allergic responses, but as previously stated, mast cells are in every part of the body including deep connective tissue and that's when mast cells flaring up can exacerbate the symptoms of EDS.

I know for me when I’m around mold, my joints become excruciating. Like it just feels like I’m grinding glass into the sockets and I’m either stiff as a board or like a puppet with my strings cut. I also become listless and more disposed to idiopathic anaphylaxis, but that's due to my mast cell dysfunction which, when we unknowingly had mold in our house, went from moderate to severe.

So your kid might not have a full-blown mast cell disorder, but if they’re having EDS flare-ups around mold that’s a red flag you need to be watchful for and fighting pretty regularly.

We ended up having to rip out our entire basement after we found black mold in the walls. (I could smell it. The mold remedial company said we had “a bit of damp, nothing to worry about” but my partner believed me and started cutting into the walls and what we found was a nightmare that spanned the entire finished basement 😱. There’s pics somewhere in my blog.) and a few weeks after we did my health began to stabilize.

So yeah, get on top of that as best you can. Mold is a bitch at the best of times, but it’s even worse when there’s weird health stuff already going on. Good luck, you’ve got my sympathy.

[theambitiouswoman]

A REGULATED NERVOUS SYSTEM = SUCCESS

This is list of some of the diseases and conditions a women can get due to chronic stress. I have said it before, messing with someone’s nervous system is a form of abuse because it not only deliberately disrupts your mental and emotional stability, it can cause long term harm to your health!!!!

Cardiovascular disease

Hypertension

Stroke

Diabetes

Obesity

Depression

Anxiety disorders

Gastrointestinal disorders (IBS, ulcers)

Autoimmune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis)

Thyroid disorders (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism)

Infertility

Menstrual irregularities

Osteoporosis

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Sleep disorders (insomnia)

Migraine and tension headaches

Fibromyalgia

Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline

Eating disorders

Chronic pain disorders

Endometriosis

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Heart arrhythmias

Metabolic syndrome

Adrenal fatigue

Hair loss (telogen effluvium, alopecia)

Chronic inflammation

Eczema and psoriasis

Acne and other skin disorders

Urinary incontinence

Osteoarthritis

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)

Chronic pelvic pain

Sexual dysfunction

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Weakened immune system (leading to frequent infections)

Vision problems (stress related blurred vision)

Hearing loss or tinnitus

Substance use disorders

Increased risk of cancer (breast, ovarian)

Hormone imbalances

Gallbladder disease

Hyperprolactinemia

Chronic kidney disease

[3liza]

i went to an in-person dr appt yesterday and although my liver and kidneys are not doing their jobs correctly (bad, although not yet urgent), apparently i have grown yet another half inch since i was measured last yearish, and am now fully 5'6.5". which means i have grown a full inch and a half (3.81cm) in vertical height since i stopped growing in a normal way when i was a teenager. i shot up to 5'5" when i was 12, which is normal for afabs with the tall genes + middle school menarche combo, and stayed there according to occasional doctor measurements until a few years ago, when i apparently started growing again.

i've fully aged out of the "long tail' some people have with height, like it's pretty normal to put on another inch or more after the main puberty until your growth plates fully fuse in your early 20s and your body kind of settles. but putting on an extra inch and a half at my age is, i think we can all agree, pretty weird. and when i haven't been to space or been in traction or been pregnant. my feet have also gone up 2 sizes in the last YEAR, which is again normal for pregnancy or weight gain but neither of those things has happened to me.

i keep asking doctors what could possibly be making me get ever taller and more beautiful but they 1. dont seem concerned and 2. say something vague about "it can be lots of things" and then change the subject back to my failing organs which i think is very boring

it's currently biologically impossible for normal human growth plates to unfuse, although the bad kind of short man (not the kingly variety) and medical science generally has been desperately trying to find a way around this for centuries. astronauts tend to be an inch+ taller when they return from space missions because zero gee lets your ligaments decompress and you just sort of expand a bit, but they shrink back down when they get home. pregnancy hormones will also loosen joints, especially the pelvic girdle for obvious reasons, and cause permanent skeletal effects, although in earth gravity i dont think this would cause height INCREASE normally, although i could be wrong. it does cause your feet to widen and lengthen, usually.

so something is making me taller and my feet bigger despite not having any known osteogenesis abnormalities or pregnancy or zero gee time. my best guess is hypermobility disorder/collagen dysfunction combined with ongoing inflammation may be forcing my joints apart strongly enough to make me taller despite the downward gravity pressure. it could also be an effect of corseting if the corset is pressing my ribs and pelvis away from each other and decompressing my vertebrae, essentially a form of traction, but again that would be a LOT of decompression on one short section of my spine to occur without causing noticeable pathology. and im fairly positive my posture is not better now than it was when i was 20.

however i already have all the joint problems of a much taller person so i think it should just continue until im an even 6'. lets just fully commit. see where it goes

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Chloe Cole

Published: July 28, 2023

On Thursday, her 19th birthday, Chloe Cole testified to Congress with a “final warning” that medical treatments to change the gender of confused children is horrific. Cole, who was given surgery as a teenager to become male and soon regretted it, said what she needed most was therapy, not a scalpel. Here is what she told lawmakers:

My name is Chloe Cole and I am a de-transitioner.

Another way to put that would be: I used to believe that I was born in the wrong body and the adults in my life, whom I trusted, affirmed my belief, and this caused me lifelong, irreversible harm. 

I speak to you today as a victim of one of the biggest medical scandals in the history of the United States of America. 

I speak to you in the hope that you will have the courage to bring the scandal to an end, and ensure that other vulnerable teenagers, children and young adults don’t go through what I went through. 

Deceit & coercion 

At the age of 12, I began to experience what my medical team would later diagnose as gender dysphoria.

I was well into an early puberty, and I was very uncomfortable with the changes that were happening to my body. I was intimidated by male attention. 

And when I told my parents that I felt like a boy, in retrospect, all I meant was that I hated puberty, that I wanted this newfound sexual tension to go away.

I looked up to my brothers a little bit more than I did to my sisters. 

I came out as transgender in a letter I sent on the dining room table.

My parents were immediately concerned.

They felt like they needed to get outside help from medical professionals. 

But this proved to be a mistake.

It immediately set our entire family down a path of ideologically motivated deceit and coercion.

The general specialist I was taken to see told my parents that I needed to be put on puberty-blocking drugs right away. 

They asked my parents a simple question: Would you rather have a dead daughter or a living transgender son? 

The choice was enough for my parents to let their guard down, and in retrospect, I can’t blame them.

This is the moment that we all became victims of so-called gender-affirming care.

I was fast-tracked onto puberty blockers and then testosterone. 

The resulting menopausal-like hot flashes made focusing on school impossible.

I still get joint pains and weird pops in my back.

But they were far worse when I was on the blockers. 

Forever changed 

A month later, when I was 13, I had my first testosterone injection.

It has caused permanent changes in my body: My voice will forever be deeper, my jawline sharper, my nose longer, my bone structure permanently masculinized, my Adam’s apple more prominent, my fertility unknown. 

I look in the mirror sometimes, and I feel like a monster.

I had a double mastectomy at 15.

They tested my amputated breasts for cancer.

That was cancer-free, of course; I was perfectly healthy.

There is nothing wrong with my still-developing body, or my breasts other than that, as an insecure teenage girl, I felt awkward about it.

After my breasts were taken away from me, the tissue was incinerated — before I was able to legally drive. 

I had a huge part of my future womanhood taken from me.

I will never be able to breastfeed.

I struggle to look at myself in the mirror at times.

I still struggle to this day with sexual dysfunction.

And I have massive scars across my chest and the skin grafts that they used, that they took of my nipples, are weeping fluid today, and they’re grafted into a more masculine positioning, they said. 

After surgery, my grades in school plummeted.

Everything that I went through did nothing to address the underlying mental health issues that I had.

And my doctors with their theories on gender that all my problems would go away as soon as I was surgically transformed into something that vaguely resembled a boy — their theories were wrong.

The drugs and surgeries changed my body, but they did not and could not change the basic reality that I am, and forever will be, a female. 

Depths of despair 

When my specialists first told my parents they could have a dead daughter or a live transgender son, I wasn’t suicidal.

I was a happy child who struggled because she was different. 

However at 16, after my surgery, I did become suicidal.

I’m doing better now, but my parents almost got the dead daughter promised to them by my doctors.

My doctor had almost created the very nightmare they said they were trying to avoid. 

So what message do I want to bring to American teenagers and their families?

I didn’t need to be lied to.

I needed compassion.

I needed to be loved. 

I needed to be given therapy that helped me work through my issues, not affirmed my delusion that by transforming into a boy, it would solve all my problems. 

We need to stop telling 12-year-olds that they were born wrong, that they are right to reject their own bodies and feel uncomfortable with their own skin. 

We need to stop telling children that puberty is an option, that they can choose what kind of puberty they will go through, just like they can choose what clothes to wear or what music to listen to. 

Pseudoscience 

Puberty is a rite of passage to adulthood, not a disease to be mitigated.

Today, I should be at home with my family celebrating my 19th birthday.

Instead, I’m making a desperate plea to my elected representatives.

Learn the lessons from other medical scandals, like the opioid crisis. 

Recognize that doctors are human, too, and sometimes they are wrong. 

My childhood was ruined along with thousands of de-transitioners that I know through our networks.

This needs to stop. You alone can stop it. 

Enough children have already been victimized by this barbaric pseudoscience.

Please let me be your final warning. 

Thank you.

Might as well call her a murtad and kufr.

"The medical industry mutilated me, maybe don't mutilate other kids," shouldn't require bravery or renouncing an ideology.

Reminder: A minor under the age of 18 is too young to agree to a cellphone contract. 🤦‍♀️

[despazito]

what is type drifting in dogs and what does it have to do with the chow?

It's a contentious topic, type drifting refers to the general appearance of a breed changing over time.

I should clarify that it's disingenuous to assert that dogs inherently had better structure 100 years ago, we definitely know more medically and genetically about how dogs work now than we did back then. i'll sometimes see old photos of dogs whose heads i find very pleasing but the postcranial structure is an inharmonious mess (and it's not about what 'looks' right aesthetically, the way joints are arranged decides how efficiently a dog can move which can have some big impacts on working ability and quality of life). we can thank good breeders for smoothing out a lot of those imbalances in their dogs. You know when you see a funny shelter dog that has the proportions of 3 different animals cobbled together? It is the work of breeders that purebreds as a general rule don't have that structural funkiness going on.

Over the years the desired "type" of dogs within a breed becomes standardized (after all the word conformation literally derives from "to conform"), so the population settles for a desired direction to take their breed in. The controversy starts when for whatever reason, usually a variety of factors such as judge preference, breeder preference, whose kennel is bigger or more influential in a given area, etc... that you can see desirable physical appearance drift towards certain traits over others throughout the decades.

These changes can be structurally harmless, the roman nose of the bull terrier doesn't cause any dysfunction and boils down to personal preference of what folks think a perfect bull terrier should look like. Other changes can pose more harm, such as the preference for a french bulldog to have a completely flat face+meaty neck+wider skull+pinched nostrils together creates a dog much more prone to breathing issues.

As a trend though I do feel like a handful of breeds have drifted towards a cobbier build, reduced muzzle length, a more domed head shape, more skin, and more bone. which like, isn't inherently cruel or anything, but i think we should ask ourselves why some dogs are drifting that direction because there also isn't anything to be gained from it beyond aesthetic preference.

Chow chows have gotten quite a bit meatier and stockier, here's some top chows of 2024

compared to prized chows at the turn of the 20th century when they were still novel dogs to the west, there's definitely structural differences and the dogs just looked more moderate overall.

I think where folks get confused is that it's not so much saying that meatier chow are all diseased and should cease to exist, we can still have those chows (within moderation lol), it's the frustration people like me have that the old type champion dogs if shown today would not get praised as good looking chows even though they're still purebred chows and there's nothing wrong with them! I wish clubs were more flexible in this way and were more openminded on what a purebred should look like so long as the dogs are healthy. And i don't believe drawing a line in the sand to call it a different breed is the solution either because on average purebred populations are in need of more gene flow.

How this ties in to china is that chow chow originated in china. the meatier and western type chows can be found there but so can the more moderate old type that has become harder to source from a western breeder nowadays. When you search chow chow on chinese social media (i can't read mandarin but i've copy pasted various terms from chinese dog sources) you will find a more diverse range of dogs. there are dogs that look closer to the ancestral landrace songmao, more western-style dogs, and a wide spectrum of stuff in between (unfortunately extreme breeding happens over there too, i've seen dogs with CRAZY amounts of skin that are even more exaggerated than western type).

If you're like me and have a strong preference towards the old style of chow and the native songmao i think you can understand why we have some strong opinions on the direction that western lines went lol. I'm just absolutely in love with these guys that you can still find in china, I want to meet some so bad!!

(songmao dogs)

[phightingheadcanons]

Fictional inpherno diseases. Some are based off hcs I adopted from this blog and I lowkey don't remember the tags of those anons so apolocheese. A lot of those are based off the hc that inphernals convert sleep and food straight to energy without any waste except time

1. DEG(Dysfunctional energy generation) is a chronic disease inphernals have a chance to get upon spawning. The disease causes the inphernal's body to convert more amount of sleep and food resources into less energy. Common symptoms include: an overly increased appetite, somnia, constant fatigue, constant headaches and non age-related horn discoloration(horns generally become a duller color with age unless certain medicine is used) Some characters with this disease include Spray Paint, Medkit and, to some extent, Lightblox

2. Horn overgrowth, also one you can get upon spawning. It has similar symptoms to DEG but they are caused by the body putting too much of the generated energy into growing horns. It comes in two varieties: spiked and ringed. In the spiked form the imphernal grows many, many small horns on the head. In the ringed form, the horns grow way too much and require very frequent trimming. No characters in the game have so many horns to have the spiked variety but Pwnatious have the ringed variety in a reduced form.

3. Energy hypergeneration, also known by some as nuclear reactor syndrome. It comes on a spectrum of severity and is the opposite of DEG. The body produces more energy with less sleep and food resources. This may put a toll on the body because it isn't designed to handle that much energy. Depending on the severity, some symptoms include: hyperactivity, constant fidgeting, insomnia, muscle and joint pain and headaches. Some characters with this may include Coil, Boombox and Subspace.

4. Glass horn syndrome. If an inphernal doesn't get enough energy aources in their early childhood, their horns may become fragile and transparent. Although it can be fixed if treatment gets started in childhood to mid teen years via extra energy sources.

5. Overgrowth syndrome/curse, when an inphernal's body gets overtaken by a tree. Not very common, but not rare either. It is, in some cases, lethal because of the tree room system damaging of hijacking the brain or attacking the horns and often leads to paralysis. Vinestaff got the long end of the stick as her plant part doesn't spread farther than the arm and tail.

Das all for now

- star wars anon

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THATS SICK AS FUUUUCKCKKKKKK I LOVE FICTIONAL DISEASESSSS

i love how some of them arent immediately fatal <<333

sounds weird but like a lot of ppl when making fictional diseases theyre like super fatal for whatever reason but idk no hate to the fatal diseases i love fictional diseases :3

[fawnlotties]

band nat x groupie reader!! she’d probably spot you at one of her shows and would let you skip the line to meet her

but anyways she’d 100% sign your boobs if you asked her - 🍒

YES. YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES.

she knows that it’s against her best interest to involve herself with any fan. her management has told her countless times that her flirting will get her in trouble someday - but she’d risk it for pussy, honestly.

you hadn’t exactly intended to leave this gig as one of her band’s groupies but the moment you lock eyes with nat from your place in the queue along the sidewalk, it’s become your ultimate goal. you were waiting with a smaller group of fans to see the band’s van pull up behind the venue, and maybe it’s the mass hysteria or your hormones but you swear that nat stares at you for a good ten seconds. others around you claim the same thing but you know it was meant for you.

you weren’t anywhere near the front for the actual gig, meaning that waiting out front of the stage door was your last chance. it didn’t matter that you were towards the back of the crowd, because the moment that the group of girls emerges, there’s a guard clad in all black ushering you right to the front.

nat stands in all her smokey-eyed glory and even though she’s shorter than you, you feel like you could die. nat isn’t being coy about things either - her eyes are all over your chest and your neck and you don’t think it’s just ‘cause of her height. so with the last of your confidence you tug down your all-too tight tank, nipples dangerously close to flashing both the other girls and the crowd, and ask as sweetly as you can for her signature.

nat is thanking her lucky stars as the cool sharpie scribbles across the skin of the top of your breasts, not able to help her smirk. you’re too stunned, gaze trained entirely on how close her face was to your tits - then she was pulling away with a wink. you’re disappointed at the lack of a selfie or even being able to introduce yourself, but as the crowd swallows you and you finally gaze down at the markings on your chest, you notice a group of numbers scribbled hastily underneath her signature. oh shit.

nat was more than pleased to see how eager you were to adapt to the lifestyle. the first time she sneaks you onto her tour bus the other girls freak, lottie jealously exclaiming that none of the other girls were allowed to bring someone back, why was she?! but you were a sight for sore eyes, so their complaints soon faded. especially when lottie gained a soft spot for your best friend who you’d bring along to gigs…

you were nat’s shadow, almost. anywhere she was you were. tour bus, green room, backstage, even at airports disguised in a stupid all-black outfit that made you look like some kind of weirdo spy. but it was all worth it when nat would drag you back to their hotel after a gig, sweaty and worked up, claiming that she only has eyes for you as she bites at your neck. her makeup is even more smudged than usual as she details how fucking good you looked in the crowd lighting, lipstick smeared on the joint you share, and on your lips when you shotgun into her mouth.

of course you get shit from other nat-obsessed fans. your paparazzi pictures snapped with the girls at clubs were like some 2000s tabloid cliche but honestly? it made things even more fun. it didn’t matter how whirlwind or dysfunctional being nat’s groupie was, every single worry simply ceased to exist when her face was buried between your tits :3

side note - @deerlottie ‘s rockstar nat bot was the first ever nat bot i spoke to and im convinced it changed my brain chemistry. genuinely So Hot i think abt it Daily 🎀

[certifiedposeidonhater]

Im bored so here is an analysis of how G*be Uglyano affected the way Percy would feel, behave, think, and basically live forever.

TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!! abuse, mention of sa, g*be uglyano, suicidal ideation, etc.

First up, financial abuse:

In the first book, G*be says something along the lines of “this is coming out of your clothing money” when Percy and Sally are leaving for Montauk. This is an example of financial or economic abuse, where one partner in an intimate relationship has control over the other’s finances and economic resources, causing the victim to lose their capacity to support themselves and forcing them to rely solely on the partner.

G*be also steals Percy’s money, which is also another form of financial abuse, although not intimate. This most likely affected Percy’s view of his own money, and how to share his money with others later in his relationship (i.e. whether or not to have joint checking accounts with annabeth, buying a house with annabeth, etc.) It also could affect how he views the money he has in general. He often does not feel like it’s actually HIS money, or feels like he is supposed to give his money to somebody. The way G*be took over Percy’s room with his stuff also affected the way Percy would view his own place and things. He feels almost possessive of his stuff, he feels like the things he owns aren’t really his.

Next, mental/emotional abuse:

G*be makes fun of or humiliates Percy at least 3 times in the books, but based on the knowledge we have and me having basic media literacy skills, it happened a lot more than those few instances (Percy and G*be don’t exactly interact very often in the books.

This is emotional or psychological abuse.

Emotional and psychological abuse can include purposely humiliating, trying to scare, isolating, neglecting, or debilitating a child (we see Gabe humiliate, neglect, and debilitate Percy.) Emotional abuse can also include constant criticism, rejection, dismissing a child’s feelings, calling the child names (which Gabe does), yelling or swearing very often, threats, and allowing the child to witness domestic violence and abuse.

While any child can be a victim of child abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize that children living in poverty (which Percy was) are at greater risk.

Signs of emotional abuse in children include watchful demeanor, aggression or anger, overly passive or compliant behavior, nervousness around certain people, a tendency to avoid being around certain people, withdrawn or unresponsive demeanor, and low self esteem. All of these can apply to Percy. Children in dysfunctional environments such as Percy’s can believe that everything is normal because that is all they have ever known

Emotional abuse can also lead to cognitive abilities such as trouble focusing, learning, and remembering; academic issues; mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and low self esteem; emotional difficulties such as interpreting, communicating, processing, and regulating emotions; substance use such as nicotine, drugs, and alcohol abuse starting at a young age; and behavioral issues such as acting out, behaving weirdly, and trying extremely hard to please others.

Changes in weight (such as eating disorders, nutrition deficiencies, and malnourishment), sleep issues (such as insomnia, night terrors, or nightmares), physical aches and pains (they don’t have any other discernible cause and don’t seem to get better with treatment), career issues (as a result of lower educational attainment, limited employment opportunities, and an increased risk of delinquency), and relationship issues due to mostly unhealthy dynamics being modeled.

Children with abusive role models are more likely to seek out others who are abusive because it is the dynamic they are used to seeing, or they become abusive themselves. (This is known as the intergenerational cycle of violence.)

All this being said, most of these behaviors and effects can be applied to Percy and we can see the effects of Gabe’s abuse in Percy’s actions and thoughts later in the book.

Percy and Annabeth (while they have an awesome relationship and they REALLY love each other) do not have the healthiest dynamic. Annabeth can often neglect some of Percy’s needs. I AM NOT ACCUSING ANNABETH OF BEING ABUSIVE OR CALLING HER A BAD GIRLFRIEND, HER ACTIONS ARE ALL BECAUSE OF HER OWN TRAUMA. And Percy can sometimes get a little overprotective (caused from having to protect his mom from Gabe) and put himself down (from Gabe constantly criticizing him and putting him down.)

Percy also has trouble trusting and being extremely intimate with Annabeth (as does she with him), reflecting his attachment issues. His emotions and feeling were neglected when he was a child, so he now cannot express or communicate them healthily (or at all) as an adult.

Percy also often puts himself down before others get the chance, because he automatically assumes everyone will. This happens both in a joking manner to others and in his own thoughts, and reflects his low self esteem. It also affects his sense of identity and who he is as a person, leading to him questioning whether or not he is a good person (as we see his do on multiple occasions.)

These effects can result in negative coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse or self-harming. This ties into my stress smoking and smoking in general headcanon that i have for Percy (because we all know that he would not touch a drink after Gabe.)

Then, physical abuse:

In the first book, there is a quote of Percy saying that if he told his mom about Gabe’s financial abuse, Gabe would punch his lights out. Now, anybody with any media literacy skills at all can tell that this is referring to physical abuse. (Sorry, that was a bit intense and offensive.)

Okay, so Percy was physically abused by someone who was supposed to be a trusted parental figure (even though g*be definitely wasn’t trusted.) This, just like with most children, DEEPLY affected Percy. He has trouble maintaining relationships, he doesn’t trust or respect authority figures, and he doesn’t feel good about himself or see himself as worthy.

These are just a few of the effects the physical abuse he suffered gave him (most overlap with emotional abuse.) Many physical child abuse victims become aggressive themselves and “act out.” Personally, i don’t think this applies to Percy because he didn’t exactly “act out,” the trouble usually just found him. Others will become numb and withdrawn, they don’t seem to care anymore whether they are hurt; they lose the ability to process danger. They also may stop trying to socialize or succeed at school. I feel like this one applies to Percy the most, as well as children becoming more fearful and anxious.

The unpredictability of the abuser can result in a child constantly being in flight or fight mode, which i think we all know Percy lives in. But the constant survival state that he is in didn’t start after the war or after his first quest, we saw traces of that before he even found out who his father is. This can be tied back to Gabe.

This unpredictability and lack of control can also lead the victim to look for control in other places, such as controlling their food intake (developing eating disorders where the person restricts their intake as a way to feel more control), sleep patterns, and can lead the victim to substance abuse. (I reflect most of these in my headcanon videos.)

Low self-esteem:

One of the biggest signs of Percy’s childhood abuse is his low self esteem. I talk about this all the time but Percy absolutely HATES himself. He believes that he is a terrible person and is not worthy of anything. He does not believe he is smart, good looking, or an above average warrior (all of which he is.)

This all stems from so many people telling him that he’s annoying, or not a good person. He was ignored and bullied as a kid from both his peers and G*be (that bullying didn’t stop once he came to camp.) This low self esteem is shown in his thoughts and actions.

He has significantly less regard for himself or his health than he does for anybody else. He has what i would call passive suicidal ideation. He is not actively trying to kill or hurt himself, and he doesn’t have any intention of making a plan, but many of his thoughts surround the idea of him being better off dead, or his family and friends being better off with him gone.

Growing up around dv:

While Percy experienced lots of trauma from G*be, he also experiences trauma from witnessing Sally get trauma from G*be (if that makes sense.) Children who grow up experiencing domestic violence or abuse are often impacted. A few of these short-term impacts are anxiety, PTSD, and frequent headaches and stomachaches. (That can tie into my hc of Percy getting super bad migraines.)

Long-term effects include depression and health problems such as a poor diet. Trauma can also be misdiagnosed for ADHD (not saying Percy isn’t ADHD cs he totally is, a few of his ‘symptoms’ might js actually be his trauma.)

Sexual abuse hints:

This is an extremely sensitive topic so i’m not going to dive too deep into it, but with many abusers that are mentally, physically, and financially abusive, the abusive often extends to sexual abuse, as well. The book says that “He [G*be] called it our ‘guy secret.” The idea of keeping a secret from one’s parents can usually be tied to something sexual, although in this case it was literally referring to financial abuse.

Again, this is an EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AND REAL TOPIC (not saying that the other ones i have talked about aren’t, i js have more evidence for those. this is more far fetched) AND I AM NOT OFFICIALLY HEADCANONING THIS OR ANYTHING. I am simply saying that there may be some hints.

this thing is super long so i hope this makes sense lol

Overall:

G*be sucks. Percy’s traumatized and it affects his actions, thoughts, and relationships (romantic, familial, and platonic.)

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

If you have access to the paywalled study this write-up is based on, I would love to read it.

Brigham researchers have found that people with wide-ranging long COVID symptoms were twice as likely to have SARS-CoV-2 proteins in their blood, compared to those without long COVID symptoms.

A persistent infection could explain why some people experience long COVID symptoms, according to a new study led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The team found evidence of persistent infection in 43% of participants with multiple symptoms of long COVID. Results are published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

"If we can identify a subset of people who have persistent viral symptoms because of a reservoir of virus in the body, we may be able to treat them with antivirals to alleviate their symptoms," said lead author Zoe Swank, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The study analyzed 1,569 blood samples collected from 706 people, including 392 participants from the National Institutes of Health-supported Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, who had previously tested positive for a COVID infection. With a highly sensitive test they developed, researchers looked for whole and partial proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They also analyzed data from the participants' long COVID symptoms, using electronic medical chart information or surveys that were gathered at the same time as the blood samples were taken.

Compared to people who didn't report long COVID symptoms, those who reported persisting symptoms affecting heart and lung, brain, and musculoskeletal systems were twice as likely to have SARS-CoV-2 proteins circulating in their blood. The research team was able to detect the spike protein and other components of the SARS-CoV-2 virus using Simoa, an ultrasensitive test for detecting single molecules. Commonly reported long COVID symptoms included fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain and headache.

Specifically, 43% of those with long COVID symptoms affecting three major systems in the body tested positive for viral proteins within 1 to 14 months of their positive COVID test. But only 21% of those who didn't report any long COVID symptoms tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 biomarkers in this same period.

It's possible that a persistent infection explains some—but not all—of the long COVID sufferers' symptoms. If this is the case, testing and treatment could aid in identifying patients who may benefit from treatments such as antiviral medications.

A condition with more than one cause One of the questions raised by the study is why more than half of patients with wide-ranging long COVID symptoms tested negative for persistent viral proteins.

"This finding suggests there is likely more than one cause of long COVID," said David Walt, Ph.D., a professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Principal Investigator on the study. "For example, another possible cause of long-COVID symptoms could be that the virus harms the immune system, causing immune dysfunction to continue after the virus is cleared."

To better understand whether an ongoing infection is behind some people's long COVID symptoms, Swank, Walt and other researchers are currently conducting follow-up studies. They're analyzing blood samples and symptom data in larger groups of patients, including people of wide age ranges and those with compromised immune symptoms. This way, they can also see if some people are more likely to have persistent virus in the body.

"There is still a lot that we don't know about how this virus affects people," said David C. Goff, M.D., Ph.D., a senior scientific program director for the RECOVER Observational Consortium Steering Committee and director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH. "These types of studies are critical to help investigators better understand the mechanisms underlying long COVID—which will help bring us closer to identifying the right targets for treatment."

Goff added that these results also support ongoing efforts to study antiviral treatments.

The SARS-CoV-2 blood test developed by Brigham and Women's researchers is also currently being used in a national study, called RECOVER-VITAL, that is testing whether an antiviral drug helps patients recover from long COVID. The RECOVER-VITAL trial will test the patients' blood before and after treatment with an antiviral to see if treatment eliminates persistent viral proteins in the blood.

The idea that a virus can stay in the body and cause ongoing symptoms months after an infection isn't unique to COVID.

"Other viruses are associated with similar post-acute syndromes," said Swank. She noted animal studies have found Ebola and Zika proteins in tissues post-infection, and these viruses have also been associated with post-infection illness.

More information: Zoe Swank et al, Measurement of circulating viral antigens post-SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multicohort study, Clinical Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.09.001 www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.com/article/S1198-743X(24)00432-4/abstract (PAYWALLED)

[scimare]

Sanses Disabilities pt.2 stars (and Fresh)

Dream - chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and hypothalamic dysfunction (can cause temperature regulation problems, appetite and weight changes, sleep disturbances, is worst symptom is temperature regulation a slight change in positivity or negativity will cause him to overheat or become too cold respectively)

Ink - autism spectrum, tourette's syndrome, apraxia (trouble starting purposeful movement without his vials) POTS or cyclic vomiting syndrome causes nausea and vomiting due to emotional stress or excitement. (please note that cyclic vomiting syndrome is more complicated then this description)

Swap - ADHD, dyslexia, hearing impairment (why he talks so loud) chronic joint hypermobility (physically agile but pain-prone)

Fresh - Dissociative identity disorder (fresh is the mask, the host struggles) motor control disorder (due to the parasite occasionally struggling with the host) sensory processing disorder (overwhelmed without his glasses) visual or cognitive distortion (Fresh sees with warped vision since is "soul" is in his "eye")

[thebibliosphere]

😭 Hey Joy, i know youre no medical professional & you probably get a MILLION of these a day, but uh... my neck goes back as far as yours with no issue, & i always hear this tiny squishy crackle when it does. i also have to crack my neck side to side daily & have constant back/shoulder/neck tension, have been casually told i have hypermobile hips, and i can uh. crack my elbows just by straightening them out (and it relieves discomfort to do so).

how fucked am i 😭😭 is this why i used to get chronic tension headaches

Neck instability or any sort of muscle dysfunction in the shoulders and neck regardless of hypermobility can cause a lot of headache and migraine issues.

I obviously can’t comment as a medical provider, but it sounds like you’d benefit from some PT that focuses on stabilizing those areas.

Which, frankly, given we’re all on phones/computers these days, a lot of people could do with learning how to take care of their necks better!

Also fwiw, when I tip my head back I don’t hear anything. I’ll sometimes get a loud “crunch” if something was subluxated and then I’m fucked for the rest of the day/week.

But most of the crackling and popping noises people talk about in their neck are harmless and caused by tendons siding over each other.

That’s actually what a lot of the impressive cracks and pops chiropractors make a big deal out of are. It’s not bones or joints it’s soft tissue siding over itself. They just tell you it’s joints because it sounds more impressive and they’re full of shit. (I say, bitterly having had the muscles in my neck torn and ruptured by a chiropractic adjustment that has absolutely ruined my neck.)

If it were me, I’d ask about some PT so you can learn to stabilize the areas you’re talking about. It’ll save you some problems later in life.

[misscalming]

What would happen if Robeston had children? Danton had, like, three children after all, I think.

Okay my very long unfiltered thoughts for anyone interested (some minor hypothetical mentions of the possibility of bio kids but it’s nothing much)

They’d be THE nepo babies of France, all with patriotic revolutionary names of course. Charlotte is the best aunty ever and is ecstatic to be one. They probably hire her on as a nanny. The kids r sent away to be raised by whatever relatives r around until things calm down. They’d send them gifts and letters all the time. Maxime would write them and Danton would take them to send and secretly write footnotes at the end poking fun at him or smth else silly. Robespirre’s quite funny when he wants to be but he’s not crude and kids love fart jokes and whatever so Danton was the funny one.

Robespirre’s the strict one, he would run a tight ship, he’d take on the task of directing most of their education, And down to what everyone ate. Danton would obviously sneak the kids sweets “here’s some Deniers, go get yourself some ice cream I’ll distract him, oh and grab me some wine! I’m dying!” despite this Danton would be the one the kids were truly afraid of. Robespirre would be all about gentle parenting and never raised his voice. The fact he worked so hard and did so much and was often unwell meant that the kids were well behaved for him, if they weren’t it was Danton to tell them off. He scared the shit out of them once when Robespirre was unwell, yelling at them to “shut the fuck up, your fathers trying to sleep” he wouldn’t fuck around when it came to Maxime. They could get away with practically anything but the moment they were too much for Maxime that’s when they’d actually face any real consequences.

Now I don’t see WHY on earth they’d ever have kids in the first place. If we’re talking a sex/gender bending universe here in which bio kids were possible. It would have been a mistake. Either during their honeymoon phase or when their relationship started to break down. (Hate/makeup sex) and I think that whole experience would most likely bring Maxi to the brink of death which would freak Danton tf out.

Now revolution. And Dantons involvement with the joint stock company and being a generally sleazy pig. In this scenario I highly doubt Robespirre would have been allowed to stay on the committee. When they can’t convince him to attack Danton (maybe he would have if they didn’t have a family, as dysfunctional as it was) they deem him compromised. Maxime would keep a lot of the committees plans a secret from Danton, scared he’d do something brash. He didn’t want Danton to cause some sort of uprising against the committee or get himself killed . This is probably the point where I’d guess they’d split. Robespirre can only compromise his morals so much. But here obviously keeping Danton safe is a high priority. If not for him for their kids. If Robespirre died Danton could probably handle it. If Danton died it would be catastrophe. So Robespirre would be sitting in the convention. Probably at a distance from Danton. And just praying to god he’d be alright. At this point he needed them both to survive this. He’d eventually snap and beg Danton to leave Paris along with anyone else who liked him even just a little. But Danton is a stubborn mule and I doubt his fate would be averted. Past that point? Robespirre would jump right back into it. He’d probably be even MORE consumed by the revolution. He had kids to fight for now. But his self preservation skills might have been stronger.more willing to compromise if it meant keeping himself alive for his kids. (However he definitely felt somewhat murderous towards a few for killing his ex husband, no matter how much he despised the man for what he did and the fact if it weren’t for the kids he’d probably of done the same thing he still CARED even LOVED the man once and you can’t undo that)

If we’re talking idealistic world, the revolution is just peachy. I still think Danton and Robespierre wouldn’t last, kids or no. Although I can see them splitting yet staying together to keep up appearances and providing a relatively stable home for their family. At least until they all left home which I mean back then was basically at 15 to go study. They could put up with eachother until then. Just imagining a bitter sweet romcom from the kids perspective of them trying to get their parents to fall in love again. Forging love letters and buying them theatre tickets and spying on them to see how it goes. They probably convince Danton he can win Maxime back but most likely it’s simply too late and was doomed from the beginning.

Anyway, appreciate the ask! It was fun to think about :3

Edit: idk why, but this part got deleted - Dantons kids love Robespirre and start calling him papa within a month (Maxime definitely doesn’t soak Dantons shoulder from crying over it)

[ashswordsman859]

the effects of the gases used by the bigger bodied smiling critters

Bobby bear hug: rose helps with stress, seizers, aging, and diabetes. (Nurse?)

Hoppy hopscotch: peppermint helps with pain management, digestive issues, common cold, sinus infection, and headaches. (Child care?)

Kicken chicken: ylang ylang is good for anxiety, depression,mood enhancement, and cognitive function. (Councilor?)

Craftycorn: jasmine is useful for immune support, blood circulation, optimizing hormone levels and relieving stress. (Nurse?)

Picky piggy: citrus is useful for heart health, help maintain cell health in brain tissue, prevents heart disease, kidney stones, brain dysfunction, and emotional regulation. (Food?)

Bubba bubbaphant: lemon grass helps with menstrual issues, improve digestion, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps, spasms, rheumatism (joint pain), high cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, bloating, and boosting red blood cell counts. (Child care for kids with chronic issues?)

Dogday: vanilla as said before helps relax and calm people by reducing anxiety and calms the nerves but also helps with fevers, spasms,blood clotting, although from what I found large amounts can lead to sleep issues but I don't know how accurate that is so take that with a grain of salt. (Kid care?)

Catnap: poppy flower as known does cause a fatigue affect but also has traces of opioids, along with that it also analgesia (inability to feel pain.), euphoria (the laughter), respiratory depression (breath shallow leading to build up of carbon dioxide in the blood.), decreased gastrointestinal mobility (digestive problems resulted when nerves or muscles in the gut do not work in a coordinated way.), and physical & psychological dependency.

eat your heart out au makers!