#Treatment Plan For Drug Addiction

[sumiwarnashamuktikendra]

 It’s also nearly impossible to get rid of this addiction by yourself alone, you will need help and nothing will be more helpful than getting into a rehab center. This step can be the beginning of a new life. However, choosing the best de-addiction center in Patna can be confusing.

[scintillatingshortgirl19]

gee i wonder if the issue could be at all related to the fact that the current treatment plan for his chronic pain consists solely of FUCKING IBUPROFEN

[alluralater]

hey everyone, i won’t be as active for a while. got home last night super late after being on the road for 20 some odd hours. dealing with some family things and as an older sister, my priority of taking care of my siblings comes first before anything else. being on here is amazing for me but i don’t think i’ll have much time for it. reminder to please treat those in your life who are battling addiction with patience and care. i lost my older brother (sweetest person i’ve ever known and he remained that way up until his last night) to suicide and alcoholism, trauma and ptsd, depression and his feelings of hopelessness. talk with the people you care about. another of my siblings is dealing with the same and i refuse to let it escalate to such a terrifying end twice in less than a fucking year. remind the people you care about that there are beautiful things to live for. show them kindness and love. there is all kinds of misinformation out there but know this, you can make a difference for someone. don’t let them suffer in silence.

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #18

May 10-17 2024

The Justice Department endorses lifting many restrictions on marijuana. Since the 1970s marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive classification for drugs that are highly addictive, dangerous and have no medical use, like heroin. Schedule I drugs are nearly impossible to get approval for research studies greatly hampering attempts to understand marijuana and any medical benefits it may have. The DoJ recommends moving it to Schedule III, drugs with low risk of abuse like anabolic steroids, and testosterone. This will allow for greater research, likely allow medical marijuana, and make marijuana a much less serious offense. President Biden welcomed DoJ's decision, a result a review of policy he ordered. Biden in his message talked about how he's pardoned everyone convicted of marijuana possession federally. The President repeated a phrase he's said many times "No-one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,"

The Department of Interior announced no new coal mining in America's largest coal producing region. The moratorium on new coal leases has been hailed as the single biggest step so fair toward ending coal in the US. The Powder River Basin area of Wyoming and Montana produces 40% of the nations coal, the whole state of West Virginia is just 14%. The new rule is estimated to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 293 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, the same as taking 63 million gas powered cars off the road.

Vice-President Harris announced that the Biden-Harris Administration had broken records by investing $16 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Harris, a graduate of Howard University, is the first President or Vice-President to have gone to a HBCU. The Administration's investment of $900 million so far in 2024 brought the total investment of the Biden-Harris administration in HBCUs to $16 billion more than double the record $7 billion. HBCUs produce 40% of black engineers, 50% of black teachers, 70% of black doctors and dentists, and 80% of black judges. HBCUs also have a much better record of helping social mobility and moving people out of generational poverty than other colleges and universities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $30 billion dollars in renewal funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program supports 2.3 million families that are in need of housing with vouchers that help pay rent. This funding represents a $2 billion dollar increase over last year.

The Department of Agriculture announced $671.4 million in investments in rural infrastructure. The money will go to project to improve rural electric grids, as well as drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure. The money will go to 47 projects across 23 states.

HUD announced a record breaking $1.1 billion dollar investment in Tribal housing and community development. HUD plans just over 1 billion dollars for the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program. This is a 40% increase in funding over 2023 and marks the largest ever funding investment in Indian housing. HUD also is investing $75 million in community development, supporting building and rehabbing community buildings in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The Department of Transportation announced $2 billion in investments in America's busiest passenger rail route, the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston. This is part of a 15 year, $176 billion plan to rebuild the corridor’s infrastructure and prepare for increased ridership and more trains. So far investments have seen a 25% increase, 7 million riders, over figures last year. a fully funded plan would almost double Amtrak service between New York City and Washington, D.C., and increase service between New York City and Boston by 50%. It would also allow a 60% increase in commuter trains.

HUD announced plans to streamline its HOME program. Currently the largest federal program to help build affordable housing, the streamlining of the rules will speed up building and help meet the Biden Administration's goal of 2 million new affordable housing units. HUD announced last week $1.3 billion dollars for the HOME program, which built 13,000 new units of housing in 2023 and helped 13,000 families with rental assistance

The Department of Interior announced $520 million in new water projects to help protect against drought in the western states. The funding will support 57 water related projects across 18 western states. The projects focus on climate resilience and drought prevention, as well as improving aging water delivery systems, and improving hydropower generation.

The Departments of Agriculture and HHS have stepped up efforts to wipe out the H5N1 virus prevent its spread to humans while protecting farmers livelihoods. The virus is currently effecting dairy cattle in the Texas panhandle region. The USDA and HSS are releasing wide ranging funds to help support farms equipping workers with Personal Protective Equipment, covering Veterinary costs, as well as compensating farmers for lost revenue. HHS and the CDC announced $101 million in testing an monitoring. This early detection and action is key to preventing another Covid style pandemic.

The Senate confirmed Sanket Bulsara to a life time federal judgeship in New York and Eric Schulte and Camela Theeler to lifetime federal judgeships in South Dakota. This brings the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 197. For the first time in history the majority of a President's judicial nominees have not been white men.

Bonus: The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that transgender health insurance exclusions were illegal. The ruling came from a case first filed in 2019 where an employer refused to cover an employee's gender affirming surgery. The court in its ruling sited new guidance from the Biden Administration's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that declared that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects trans people in the work place. These kinds of guidelines are often sited in court and carry great weight.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

After weeks of troubling stories about problematic street drug use in hospitals, parks and at bus stops, the province of British Columbia announced plans to recriminalize the use of drugs in public places Friday — radically altering a pilot program aimed at addressing the toxic drug crisis. In a statement, Premier David Eby insisted that his government is "caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction," but that patience for disorder only goes so far. "Keeping people safe is our highest priority," said Eby. "We're taking action to make sure police have the tools they need to ensure safe and comfortable communities for everyone as we expand treatment options so people can stay alive and get better," he said.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[collapsedsquid]

In a virtual event last week that was billed as a “Latino Town Hall,” presidential candidate and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled his plan to overhaul addiction treatment programs. Speaking during a live recording of the Latino Capitalist podcast, Kennedy described opioid, antidepressant, and ADHD “addicts” receiving treatment on tech-free “wellness farms,” where they would spend as much as three or four years growing organic produce. How to pay for these farms? Kennedy had an answer. With money generated through a sales tax on cannabis products, Kennedy said, “I’m going to dedicate that revenue to creating wellness farms—drug rehabilitation farms, in rural areas all over this country,” he said. “I’m going to make it so people can go, if you’re convicted of a drug offense, or if you have a drug problem, you can go to one of these places for free.”

[yopossum]

HOME

Series Masterlist - Main Masterlist

Summary: Dieter Bravo is sober. For good, this time. He got divorced, got into treatment, and left Hollywood to focus on healing. Moving a couple hours north to the quiet city of Santa Barbara and into a modest recovery group home in the east side of town, where nobody much cared who he was or what he did, brought a calm he’d never known before. It also left him facing down all his demons armed with only pints of ice cream and weepy Murder, She Wrote marathons.

When one of his early-morning walks is interrupted by mysterious (and sexy!) music coming from a street he hasn’t explored before, Dieter stumbles upon a small private pole dance studio, and class is just about to start. He expected, as one does, to find a room full of sweaty, grinding, beautiful people in their underwear - and to be clear, he does. Amazing. What he could not have anticipated was that, inside a random purple strobe-lit garage on a gloomy Sunday morning, he’d find something he’d been searching for all his life — home.

A roommates/besties/platonic soulmates story that honors the journey of coming back to yourself after a very long and painful time away with laughter, chaos, tears, tenderness, sex, and, yes, pole dancing.

Mixed-media fic featuring traditional writing, graphics, and other digital elements, told in non-linear installments. Bravo Bits - images/videos; Dieter Drivel - ficlets.

Rating: M/E 💖🌈🔥⛈️

Pairing(s): Dieter x BFF (I mean, it’s Dieter, there’s gonna be some friendly banging), Dieter x OMC, Dieter x OFC, Dieter x nonbinary OC, Dieter x group, Dieter solo, Dieter x a powerful vision of his younger self, etc etc etc

EXTENSIVE EXHAUSTING YET INTRIGUING LIST OF WARNINGS AFTER THE BREAK 🚨🚨🚨

Warnings: BUCKLE UP I’m gonna do my best to cover everything I currently have completed, in progress, and planned. Inevitably there will be more, because Dieter. Innuendo, exotic dance/pole dance, masturbation, like a LOT of masturbation, pornography references, sexting, PIV, grinding, butt stuff, mouth stuff, hand stuff, boob stuff, you’d be shocked at all the kinds of stuff, toys, group sex, sex work, sobriety, addiction (drugs, alcohol, sex, fame), regret, shame, self-loathing, shitty families, bad relationships, abuse, body image, mental health, trauma responses, loneliness, housing access, friendship, self care AND community care, subby D, voyeurism, exhibitionism, Dieter is still a horny conspiracy theorist and bisexual chaos demon that has nothing to do with substances he’s just Like That, his bff loves him as he is, gratuitous use of 🍆🍑👄👅💦 and literally every possible vaguely sexual emoji, texting with one hand For Reasons, nicknames, good-natured teasing and exasperation, desperate need for little treats, Dieter’s filthy robe needs its own warning, belly worship, kissing, snuggling, jumping on the bed and laughing til you cry and cuddling through a sleepover with your bestie cuz it’s you two against the world, there were actually two beds but Dieter needs to share sometimes anyway, Baby Beluga, emotional breakthrough singing along to Steve Winwood’s ‘Higher Love’ while using an enormous dildo as a makeshift microphone, being banned from Target, pup cups, and Cabot Cove’s prodigal idiot nephew Grady motherfucking Fletcher

Bravo Bits

(all 🔥💖 unless otherwise noted)

Grocery Run - text thread (scrolling video)

Grady Fletcher Night - text thread (scrolling video)

Target Trip - 1 - Impetus - text thread (scrolling video)

Target Trip 2 - Aftermath - text thread (scrolling video)

You up? No. - Roomie’s screen, Dieter’s screen (images)

Dieter Drivel

Dietergesis - M - our introduction to HOME’s Dieter

Dietergesis Part 2 - NEW 9/14

[senkusimper]

katsuki bakugou x addict!reader headcanons

TW: Mentions of drug use, relapsing etc.

ignore most of this, it's just me projecting i guess !!

Bakugou is incredibly perceptive and notices the signs of drug use early on, even before you openly admit it. He confronts you directly and forcefully, demanding to know what’s going on.

Initially, Bakugou reacts with anger and frustration. He hates the idea of anything or anyone having control over his loved ones. He may yell, curse, and vent his feelings, expressing his disappointment and fear through anger.

Even if he is angry, his primary concern is your safety and well-being. He becomes extremely protective, monitoring you closely and trying to keep you out of situations where you might be tempted to use drugs.

Despite his usual disdain for studying, puts in the effort to understand addiction and the best ways to support someone through it. He reads up on withdrawal symptoms, treatment options, and ways to offer emotional support.

Bakugou offers tough love. He makes it clear that he won’t tolerate excuses or lies, but he is also unwaveringly supportive when you genuinely try to quit. He helps set up a structured environment, eliminating triggers and creating a routine that keeps you busy and focused.

Bakugou stays physically close to you, knowing his presence can be a grounding force. He takes you to your therapy or support group meetings, waits outside if necessary, and ensures you follow through with your recovery plan.

If you relapse, Bakugou reacts with a mix of anger, disappointment, and renewed determination. He doesn’t give up on you, but he makes it clear that you have to keep fighting and that he will be there every step of the way.

Bakugou encourages you through his unique brand of tough love, pushing you to be your best self and not let the addiction define you. He celebrates your victories, no matter how small, with genuine pride, albeit in his own gruff manner.

He sets firm boundaries to protect both you and himself. If you are high or lying about your use, Bakugou distances himself until you’re ready to be honest and seek help again. This boundary is not out of spite but a tough reminder that trust and honesty are crucial in your relationship.

Bakugou constantly reminds you of your strengths and potential, motivating you to overcome your addiction. He may share stories of his own struggles and how he overcomes obstacles, using his own journey as a hero to inspire you.

Bakugou involves trusted friends and professionals in your recovery process, ensuring you have a strong support system. He recognizes that he can't do it alone and encourages you to lean on others as well.

Over time, Bakugou learns to be more patient and empathetic, understanding that recovery is a long and challenging process. Your relationship with him grows stronger as you navigate the ups and downs together, building trust and resilience.

[robertseanleonardthinker]

HOUSE OC MOMENT!!!!!

me making my first oc in years at 1:30 am

name: domingo estrada

age: 25 (january 18th)

race: latino (guatemalan)

gender: female to male. he/him. outside of work, his trans identity is very important to him, but it's something he prefers to not bring up in the workplace.

sexuality: uhh.... yes. he prefers to not label it, as he feels it's very fluid. crushes SUPER easy, though. watch out, if you be nice to him, he'll swoon.

physical apperance: tan skin, hazel eyes, long, brown hair with a slight wave to it. he usually wears his hair in a bun. he is man bun supreme. loves having his hair up. he's post top surgery and has been on testosterone for a couple of years. he's a little below average height and has a fairly average build. he likes wearing soft, comfortable clothes (usually in pastel colors, as those are his favorite). he also usually wears slip in shoes with no laces on account of the psych ward.

role at ppth: social worker on the adolescent unit of the psych ward. he's newly graduated and pursuing licensure (licensed clinical social worker). what his job entails is creating treatment and discharge plans, finding placements for those who need them, coordinating appointments, and assessing patients in the emergency room (those who come in for mental health reasons). he tries to spend as much of his free time on the unit to be there for patients. if needed, he'll sit and talk to a kid for hours.

about: domingo is a laid-back person. he's pleasant to be around. he's usually calm and collected and is good under pressure (great trait for a social worker!) he connects well with the teenagers he works with, easily gaining their trust and allowing them to open up. he's a good listener and tends to remember lots of minute details about people. sometimes he freaks people out with that ("how did you even remember that? i mentioned it once!") he is very passionate about his work and would fight endlessly for his patients. he cares deeply about the teens under his care and works tirelessly to make sure they get what they need.

domingo, though good at his work, also tends to be a bit absent-minded and forgetful. he has adhd and has yet to find a medication that works for him. his phone is full of endless reminders and there's random post-it notes all over his office. if he isn't moving, he feels like he'll explode. something the teens he works with enjoy is that he's always got a fidget and a pack of gum on him. something that helps him the most is using an oral fidget, though he doesn't like to use them in front of his coworkers. outside of his office, he chews gum.... or less preferable, his nails. a habit he's had since childhood.

domingo also has dyslexia. he has learned ways that help him with reading, but still struggles. though he's spent years in therapy working to decrease his shame, it's still something he occasionally feels embarrassment about. he has excellent listening and speaking skills, it's just reading and writing he has a hard time with. he uses a screen reader on his computer most of the time.

backstory: domingo is a twin. him and his sister (teresa) were born to a mother struggling with drug addiction. once she discovered she was pregnant, she tried her best to quit. she was sober for pretty much the entire pregnancy, and a few months after that. however, she fell deep into postpartum depression and turned back to drugs. at first, she hid it. she hid it well. her boyfriend, their father, didn't know until he came home early from work one day and walked in on her popping a pill. he tried to be supportive, but he was so angry at her. he tried his best to help her, but she didn't want it. she was deep into her addiction. one night, he had enough. he gave her an ultimatum. get clean, or he leaves. he gave her a month. she tried her best, not wanting her children to lose their father, but she couldn't do it. addiction had dug its claws too deep into her. she couldn't do it alone. he left her like he said he would. of course, this loss only drove her deeper into her illness.

it wasn't until 4th grade that someone finally realized what was going on in their home. a teacher called cps, but they did nothing. cps would be called over a dozen more times, yet nothing would be done. they remained in that house until they were adults. this is what inspired domingo to pursue social work. social workers had failed him. he didn't want other children to go through that.

his sister also fell into drugs in high school. she spiraled and spiraled for years until she overdosed one night. this was after she graduated. she was supporting herself as best she could. she was taken to the emergency room, where they managed to save her. that was what she needed. she didn't want to be like their mother. she decided to go to rehab, and committed herself fully to recovery. she's had a couple slips along the way, but has gotten fully sober and now lives a wonderful life. she works at a community outreach center as a peer support specialist and advocates for harm reduction.

in the past couple years, his mother finally began getting sober. she committed once more to recovery, and so far, it has stuck. domingo and teresa have a lot of feelings about it. of course, they're proud of her. they're happy to have their mother again. but also... why couldn't she have been there when they were younger? why did it have to be now? that they were both on their own? domingo struggles heavily with this outside of work.

uhh anyways..... that's all for now :3 i'll write more + make him a blog tomorrow.

[infinitecyanroses]

I can't believe that the whole Federation drug arc is happening at the same time I'm taking an addiction therapy course. One of my future assignments too is to watch a movie where a character suffers from substance abuse and present a treatment plan for them. Too bad I don't think my professor will count minecraft vods as a movie

[kabie-whump]

Whump Series: 'Ripe, About to Fall'

Current word count: ~33000

Tags: hurt/comfort, whump, dub-con, non-con, drug addiction + withdrawal, trafficking, romance, explicit sex, soulmates, nsfw, emotional manipulation, (somewhat) complicit main character, pet whump, contented pet whumpee, nonhuman (humanoid) whumpee, branding, whipping, sedatives, intimate whumper, whumpee x abusive whumper, endgame whumpee x caretaker

Playlist!

The plot: Onthyes just started working for an influential merchant as a guard in his manor. The merchant has a genasi pet (Ventis) who Onthyes is immediately drawn to for some reason. Onthyes notices that, although Ventis is basically treated like an object, he seems happy with his position as the merchant’s slave. Believing Ventis to be a victim despite the contented act he puts on, Onthyes makes it his personal mission to save him (and oops! also falls in love with him).

Ventis:

Onthyes:

Warnings: While this is a whump story I don’t see it getting super bloody but there is going to be non-con. No super explicit non-con is planned at the moment (this is subject to change but I will warn ahead of time). There will be explicit consensual sex. Also there will be needles, drug use, forced addiction, and drug withdrawals. *Safe for emetophobes!*

More detailed warnings containing spoilers below for people who don’t like surprises!

Prologue

Scene: Obedience

Scene: Not Allowed to Die

Scene: Drugged Overstim

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

(Art of Part 3)

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

(Recovery arc starts here)

Part 13

If you’re interested in being on the taglist for this story let me know!

Warnings (Spoilers!): Ventis is forced to use a sedative-like drug via injection every day to keep him compliant and docile. The merchant uses this addiction to control him and sometimes withholds the drugs as punishment, causing Ventis to go through withdrawals. The merchant uses Ventis for sex (again, I don’t currently plan on writing graphic non-con scenes) and sometimes allows others to do the same. Ventis pretends to tolerate this treatment but he has no control over what happens to him. I do plan on this having a happy ending.

Picrews are Bright’s Picrew Hell !

[cadmium-free]

thinking about how having celiac disease encourages developing an eating disorder, and how little is done to combat that. we know, we know, the likelihood of developing an eating disorder is doubled after a diagnoses but, unavoidably, the entire treatment plan for celiacs encourages disordered eating. the absolute mistrust in food prepared by others, the difficulty of obtaining safe food, the ritualistic and justified obsession with cleanliness and what other foods have been in the kitchen and can i see the label and where did this come from and who touched this. the fact that any mistake can mean anything from days of pain or vomiting to hospitalization depending on the person.

the obsession is so justified and so dangerous. i love food, i love eating, and even i fall into the traps. i’ll decide, especially if traveling, that skipping meals is less effort than trying to eat. i’ll sometimes refuse to eat with friends and family because trying to accommodate myself is too much work for even me. i don’t want to go places or travel because it makes eating too hard.

i don’t know. I’m just thinking about that post about how anyone can develop an addiction (to more than just drugs) and it’s important to recognize what it looks like & thinking about how many celiacs i meet whose relationship to food is even more abysmal than mine

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Writing Resources: Chronic Pain and Illness

Sp's resources for Content Creators Materialist

Trigger warnings for discussion of chronic pain and illness. Other authors are more than welcome to add their own points and I will update the link in the masterlist as more is added. Alternatively, send me an anon ask or DM if you want to remain anonymous. I have more than one chronic issue myself, I will use the block unbutton if you're an ass about this.

Chronic pain and illness have little to no representation in fanfiction. If you wish to add these to your story and you don't experience the subject yourself, please do research using medically accurate sources.

Patient Care and Health Information - The Mayo Clinic. Look up the condition in the search bar.

The NHS website Look up the condition in the search bar.

Another good resource is forums and subreddits.

2. Even people with the same condition have different experiences, be careful not to make blanket statements.

3. Women, POC and members of the lgbtqia+ community are less likely to get treatment, more likely to be treated like drug seekers and are more likely to be misdiagnosed or have to wait much longer for an accurate diagnosis. Similarly, their issues are more likely to be blamed on mental health issues and hypochondria.

4. Someone living with a chronic condition may not have a 'normal', or what they consider normal may be disordered. Some people with chronic conditions may not know what not being in pain or being well-rested is like. When I was younger and before my current treatment, I was never hungry or out of pain, this shocked people when I told them, it was as normal as breathing to me.

5. Doctors can suck, some people are outright terrified to get treatment due to past experiences. I was treated like a drug seeker once and now get the shakes before seeing a new doctor for fear of being called an addict.

6. The things people experiences do not care what you have going on. They can steal happy moments in a flash and render someone unable to leave their home, it's common for someone with a chronic condition to need to plan everything down to the second (or feel like they need to), cancel at the last minute or worry that they won't be able to enjoy something they have looked forward to.

7. We are not looking to be babied, I know my own limits and will express them. There is a line between a character being caring and infantilising. Having said that, there are times when I haven't expressed my needs for fear they will be ignored. If you are writing a caretaker scene or character be careful to ensure the other person still maintains their autonomy.

8. Empathy, not sympathy. Sympathy is looking down at someone in a hole and telling them they can climb out, empathy is getting in there are helping them out. Sometimes the best thing someone can hear is "I have no idea what you're going through."

9. Chronic conditions are systematic, it's not just pain, it's also brain fog, being unable to sleep or stay awake, having problems controlling emotions, and changes in appetite and sex drive.

10. There is never a magic cure, chronic conditions are a part of someone. Making them disappear doesn't mean a happy ending because, in real life, they don't disappear. It doesn't make someone less than others if they don't get better.

Part Two: Chronic migraines

[plantwriting]

hi :D bitb is taking over most my thoughts again, u have any kian thoughts? /nf (i forgot abt timezones at first sorry abt that but if i dont send it now i will 100% forget to later)

Hellooooo sorry im responding a bit late BUT YES ABSOLUTELY!!!!

Right now. Kian thoughts about when he was a kid. We know his parents weren’t good, we know they were cultists and drug addicts and almost definitely very neglectful. And to me this works very interestingly with Kian’s lying tendencies. Because I feel like he originally learnt to lie for his parents.

Kids with abusive or neglectful parents will almost always try to justify the treatment they face to both themselves and others (speaking from experience), and it makes sense that Kian would learn to lie to protect his parents. That he’d come up with pre planned excuses and answers to any questions people might have that he couldn’t respond honestly to.

And one possible example of this that I can think of is Kian’s last name. We know his parents didn’t give it to him, because they “wanted him to choose his own identity” or something. But the thing is, we can’t really even know if that’s true, because Kian is saying it. And he’s saying it to Rand’s dad, not exactly a person he’d have any reason to be honest with. To me it’s entirely possible that his parents really just couldn’t be bothered to name him and Kian came up with the “finding himself” excuse to defend them. Maybe even to justify their behavior to himself.

And can I say that for sure? No. Obviously not. But that’s one of the parts of Kian that are the most fun, we DON’T KNOW. Because he lies so much that there’s barely anything that we can know 100% to be true. And those are mostly things that Grizzly has confirmed later on (like Kian’s sexuality for example) because nothing Kian says in the actual campaign can be trusted. And I love it so so much because it means we get to speculate and have headcanons and project whatever issues we want onto him <3

[pure-ablution]

How would you go about planning a glow up if you were starting from scratch?

Step 0: getting ready to start

If you’re starting from scratch, then before you do anything else, you need to be at a point of physical and mental fitness to proceed. There’s no point in diving into a makeover head-first if you have crippling agoraphobia or can’t walk 5m without ending up breathless. You need to get yourself to a very basic level of physical fitness; by this, I mean able to keep up on a short hike without needing a break, able to run for a bus, and able to dance with friends or at a nightclub. You need to be drinking enough liquids, and eating relatively healthy; not necessarily daily green juices and salads or whatever, but just not daily takeaways and oven pizza. Some people use this point to detox, and if you want to try that, then I personally recommend the 3-day cleanse from R’s Koso, but it’s not all that necessary at this point. You need to be free of addiction—whether that’s smoking, alcohol, drugs, gambling, social media, sugar, whatever—and taking your medication for whatever conditions you might have; you can take this opportunity to have a medical checkup, if you like, and get diagnoses for problems that were concerning you. I’d also suggest getting a full blood and hormone panel done at this point, and taking your measurements for weight, height, body fat percentage, cholesterol, etc. You need to be sleeping a good 6–8+ hours every night, and your mental health needs to be at a point at which it doesn’t seriously hinder you from participating in life; so book an appointment with a psychiatrist, therapist, or pull out your journal, whatever works for you, but by the end of this stage, you can’t still be at the point where you don’t leave the house and just rot in bed. In order to execute a sustainable glowup, you have to be at a point of physical and mental health to keep up with it.

Step 1: making major changes

This is the point at which most people would benefit from weight loss, weight gain, or just general body recomposition. A change in body composition will drastically change your face—I’ve known obese girls lose weight only to find that they had an absolutely gorgeous bone structure lurking under there! My own face changed when I lost weight and gained muscle; my face shape changed from an oval to a heart, my cheekbones and eyes became more prominent, and the creases of my face around my mouth and nose totally disappeared. For this reason, I highly recommend working on attaining your dream body before you even start thinking about surgery or procedures such as filler. You have no idea what you’ll look like at your goal weight and body composition, so wait a little while before you decide.

This step can take up to a few years, depending on your goals when it comes to your body. In the meantime, though it might feel as though you’re in limbo, you can actually do a lot to multitask. I highly recommend booking an appointment with a well-regarded orthodontist, and having your bite realigned and your smile adjusted, which can also take a few years but, in my opinion, is one of the most important aspects of a makeover. Most people’s teeth, even if they look ‘good’ from the perspective of a layman, are actually misaligned in some way, and undergoing orthodontic treatment can entirely change your face all over again; my upper lip suddenly appeared much fuller once my overbite was fixed, and my jaw seemed slimmer with a wider palate to fill out the empty space. I always recommend getting your teeth fixed before you try any kind of surgery, especially, because the last thing you want is to pay for an expensive nosejob or whatever, and then find that your braces have shifted it out of joint later down the line.

You can also use the time in this step to begin really taking care of your skin and hair. I strongly believe that clear skin is attainable for everyone with the right treatment and approach, so book a consultation with a good dermatologist—preferably one who specialises in your skin type and concern—and start taking your skin seriously, whether that’s using prescription topicals or undergoing regular clinic treatments. Hair is another one, everyone can take care of their hair and I suggest doing some research to find a routine which works for your unique hair type. My method for improving my hair is detailed here, but your hair might require a different approach, since nobody’s hair is the same as another’s. In any case, consistency is the most important thing, and if you can stick to massaging and oiling your scalp 2–3 times a week, oiling your hair’s ends, sleeping on silk satin, and so on, you’ll find that the health of your hair will drastically improve. This step can also go for fake hair; if you want to invest in extensions or a wig, then go for it! Healthy-looking hair is healthy-looking hair regardless of whether it’s growing out of your own head, but do try to invest in the best possible extensions/wig/weave you can afford, or make it yourself if you can.

Lastly, I suggest taking this time to improve your skills, habits, and lifestyle overall. If you want to make that move to the big city, figure out a way to do it, and do it. If you want to start journalling, then start. I recommend using this time to improve your makeup and hair skills, gain qualifications which will open more doors for you—go back to school or enroll into university if that’s what you need to do!—improve your posture (book an appointment at a podiatrist!) and physical fitness, and begin understanding what you want in life, and where you want to go. You don’t have to wait until the ‘end’ of your glowup to begin mingling in a new social circle and making new friends; start now, so that you have time to figure people out and settle on what makes you happiest whilst you’re continuing your journey.

Step 2: refining what God gave you

At the end of the last step, if you’ve done it right, then you’ll have hopefully come out with clear skin, healthy hair, straight teeth, and a body to die for—as well as some truly excellent lifestyle habits! With all of the basics out of the way, you’re now able to see the wood from the trees, and properly analyse what God/nature/whatever gave you. Beforehand, you might well not have been able to see your face for acne, or been able to make out your features under a layer of fat, or just been too damn depressed to pick up a mirror, but now you can properly see what you naturally look like, and begin to make informed choices about what to do next.

This is the point when I’d suggest: getting your hair cut and dyed into a style that truly brings out the best in you; working out your style, investing in a high-quality (not necessarily expensive) wardrobe full of clothes that you love, and getting everything tailored—or altering it yourself—to fit you like a glove; finding a hair removal method that works for you, and keeping your brows in a dedicated style that suits your features; learning how to do your own nails, or finding a manicurist you love, and committing to regular (every 2–4 weeks) appointments; maintaining a consistent facial and bodily massage system.

This is also the point when you can begin to think about correcting any major deformities or asymmetries in your face. I’m not talking about “I’d love a slimmer neck” or “I really need bigger lips”—I’m talking about fixing a broken or disproportionately large nose, correcting strabismus, removing large birthmarks, undergoing jaw surgery if orthodontics didn’t quite cut it, and so on. This isn’t vanity, this is correcting something which may well impact heavily on your self-esteem and the way in which you’re perceived by those around you. Do your research, book a trusted surgeon or other highly-trained provider to carry out your treatment, and take the time you need to recover.

Step 3: smaller adjustments for a big impact

At this point, I can all but guarantee that you’re a gorgeous girl by anyone’s standards. You have a pretty face, good body, and silky, styled hair. Your mental health should be in tip-top shape by this point, and, with any luck, you’ll have found a social circle and an occupation in which you’re thriving. What next?

This is the time for vanity adjustments—very, very careful vanity adjustments. This is the stage when you risk going overboard, or getting botched. You’ve corrected what anyone would have agreed wasn’t doing you any favours, but now everything is much more subjective, and often, imperceptible. Tread very carefully, and try to find someone you trust to give it to you straight. The last thing you want now is to spoil all your hard work with overfilled cheeks or too much Botox! This stage is, basically, delicately refining what you already have—it’s not trying to turn yourself into a different person entirely, but rather, turning up the sharpness and brightness in tiny increments until you achieve what you want.

At this stage, I recommend almost universally: investing in laser/electrolysis hair removal for the areas you’ve consistently kept bare; using a serum on your brows and lashes; whitening your teeth with a safe and dentist-approved system; regularly going to a sauna or steam room.

You can also use this stage for less necessary, but nice to have, procedures. This could involve lash extensions, non-medical Botox, filler in your lips, cheeks, or anywhere else, or surgeries such as breast implants, fat transfers, liposuction to tackle stubborn areas of fat, etc. I’m going to say this, in case anyone takes this as a ‘list of procedures to book’—you do not need all of these. They are just some examples of what you might like to consider, in the context of your own appearance and personal goals. Most will likely be totally unnecessary and superfluous to your overall looks.

You might also want to consider some more unorthodox adjustments at this point. I know girls who have invested in elocution lessons, paid for custom-made perfumes, and changed location or religion in the name of their glowups. Identify whether there is something else, especially something separate from your physical appearance, which is holding you back, and look to fixing it at this stage.

Step 4: the finishing touches

This is about all I have to say on planning and executing a good makeover—if you’ve followed every one of these steps to the letter, I think it would be almost impossible for you not to be at the very best you can be. The important thing now is maintenance. There’s no point in paying hundreds to go blonde if you’re unable to pay for salon products and regular touch-ups, and equally, there’s no point in diligently undertaking all of these tasks if you’re unable to maintain your results at the end of it all. A makeover should be a sustainable lifestyle, not a temporary, drastic change. You need to figure out a way to consistently keep up with your workouts, your diet, your hair and skin, and so on; you can’t neglect your post-sugery aftercare, or your facial massage. Consistency is key, and I think it’s really the finishing touch to all of this. If you can keep it up long-term, then it’s no longer going to be a ‘glowup’—it’s the new you. That, in itself, can take some mental adjustment; it’s hard to look in the mirror and see a woman you don’t quite recognise! If you don’t properly adjust to your new look, there’s a chance you’ll relapse back into the old, familiar look you knew so well before. It’s crucial at this stage that you take the time you need to adjust and show yourself love and acceptance, and commit to maintaining yourself in this way.