#but mania is Not Cute Not Quirky

[julesnichols]

People with major depression saying they wish they got manic episodes so they'd feel better oh my god shut up shut up SHUT UPPPP!!!!!!!

[inkskinned]

they want to talk about mental illness and acceptance and how everyone is a little ocd it's cute and quirky and their "intrusive thoughts" are about cutting their hair off and you say yours are about taking a razorblade to your eye and they say ew can you not and everyone is a little adhd sometimes! except if you're late it's a personality flaw and it's because you are careless and cruel (and someone else with adhd mentions they can be on time, so why can't you?) and it's not an eating disorder if it's girl dinner! it's not mania if it's girl math! what do you mean you blew all of your savings on nonrefundable plane tickets for a plane you didn't even end up taking. what do you mean that you are afraid of eating. get over it. they roll their little lips up into a sneer. can you not, like, trauma dump?

they love it on them they like to wear pieces of your suffering like jewels so that it hangs off their tongue in rapiers. they are allowed to arm-chair diagnose and cherrypick their poisons but you can't ever miss too many showers because that's, like, "fuckken gross?" so anyone mean is a narcissist. so anyone with visual tics is clearly faking it and is so cringe. but they get to scream and hit customer service employees because well, i got overwhelmed.

you keep seeing these posts about how people pleasers are "inherently manipulative" and how it's totally unfair behavior. but you are a people pleaser, you have an ingrained fawn response. in the comments, you have typed and deleted the words just because it is technically true does not make it an empathetic or kind reading of the reaction about one million times. it is technically accurate, after all. you think of catholic guilt, how sometimes you feel bad when doing a good deed because the sense of pride you get from acting kind - that pride is a sin. the word "manipulation" is not without bias or stigma attached to it. many people with the fawn response are direct victims of someone who was malignantly manipulative. calling the victims manipulative too is an unfair and unkind reading of the situation. it would be better and more empathetic to say it is safety-seeking or connection-seeking behavior. yes, it can be toxic. no, in general it is not intended to be toxic. there is no reason to make mentally ill people feel worse for what we undergo.

you type why is everyone so quick to turn on someone showing clear signs of trauma but you already know the fucking answer, so what's the point of bothering. you kind of hate those this is what anxiety looks like! infographics because at this point you're so good at white-knuckling through a severe panic attack that people just think you're stoic. even people who know the situation sometimes comment you just don't seem depressed. and you're not a 9 year old white kid so there's no way you're on the spectrum, you're not obsessed with trains and you were never a good mathematician. okay then.

mental illness is trending. in 2012 tumblr said don't romanticize our symptoms but to be fair tiktok didn't exist yet. there's these series of videos where someone pretends to be "the most boring person on earth" and is just being a normal fucking person, which makes your skin crawl, because that probably means you are boring. your friend reads aloud a profile from tinder - no depressed bitches i fucking hate that mental illness crap. your father says that medication never actually works.

you still haven't told your grandmother that you're in therapy. despite everything (and the fact it's helping): you just don't want her to see you differently.

[topazadine]

Writing Research Notes: Bipolar Disorder

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 19 and had a psychotic episode at age 21, so I'd like to say I know a bit about what I'm talking about. And I'm a writer! So today, I'd like to provide some facts about bipolar as a jumping-off point for your research.

Things we'll discuss:

A note of caution

Types of bipolar disorder

Phases of bipolar

Warning signs of mania

Symptoms of mania

Symptoms of psychosis

How bipolar is treated

Common myths about bipolar

Characterizations to avoid regarding bipolar

How to create an authentic bipolar character

This is just my opinion as someone who has lived with bipolar for a long time. Everyone experiences bipolar a bit differently, so not everything I mention will apply to everyone, and my own story may not reflect every single bipolar person. With that disclaimer, let's go.

A Note of Caution

This is a guide to help people who want to write about bipolar. It should NOT be used for self-diagnosis or to diagnose anyone else.

If you think you have bipolar, you need to speak to a professional as soon as possible. Bipolar disorder is not a cute quirky accessory. Both mania and depression literally cause brain damage, as I've discussed in my post about the Myth of the Martyr-Artist.

This is not something to play around with or to use to build street cred or whatever. It is a serious, severe mental health condition that causes untold hardship for sufferers, including increased risk of suicide, homelessness, addiction, and even dementia.

So please don't read this and go "oh I probably have bipolar lol." If you do read through this and go "oh shit this sounds like me," then get thyself to a physician as soon as possible and go through a real, actual, professional screening.

Alright, anyway, let's get into it.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar is typically separated into two types. What kind you have depends on your predisposition to either extreme: mania or depression.

Bipolar 1

People with Bipolar 1 tend to have more severe manic episodes and less severe depressive episodes. They are more predisposed to experience psychotic episodes, though psychosis can happen in Bipolar 2 as well. Bipolar 1 patients may only have very brief depressive episodes or they may only experience their "baseline" and mania. (As an aside, I have Bipolar 1.)

Bipolar 2

People with Bipolar 2 lean more toward depressive episodes. They may experience hypomania, which is a less severe form of mania, but their primary symptom will be depression.

It's important to note that while many say Bipolar 1 is more severe because of the manic episodes and risk of psychosis, this does not discount the extreme suffering that can result from Bipolar 2. Patients with Bipolar 2 have just as many struggles as Bipolar 1 patients.

Phases of Bipolar

Depression

This works much the same as the typical depression that people with Major Depressive Disorder experience, but bipolar patients may be more agitated, self-destructive, and aggressive when depressed.

Hypomania

This is the "less severe" version of mania. In the chart above, it's demonstrated by DIG-FAST: distractibility, impulsivity, grandiosity, flight of ideas, activity increases, sleeplessness, and talkativeness. These happen in full mania too, but to a greater extent.

Many people with Bipolar 2 welcome hypomania because, well, it feels a lot better than the depression they are usually stuck with. However, it's important to note that hypomania, like mania, can cause brain damage. It's not something to screw around with.

Mania

A more severe, destructive version of hypomania: everything is dialed up to 11. People may become hypersexual, spend money they don't have, destroy relationships, make inappropriate comments at work, or even fly into destructive rages.

Mania can be terrifying, both for the sufferer and for those around them. You can be so extremely happy that it's almost painful, or so angry that you feel like you're going to tear your own skin off.

Psychosis

This typically is the "end result" of mania which happens to about 50% of people experiencing a manic episode. It is typified by delusions and hallucinations. We'll discuss these a bit more later.

Contrary to popular belief, psychotic hallucinations are typically auditory, not visual, though visual hallucinations can occur as well. Other strange and less common hallucinations include olfactory (smelling things that aren't there), gustatory (tasting things that aren't there), or sensory (feeling people touching you).

Euthymia 

This is the normal, calm state in between depressive and manic episodes, where one has a sense of well-being and stability. It is the goal of therapy and medication management.

However, experiencing euthymia doesn't mean that the bipolar disorder is gone: it just means that it is in remission. Bipolar patients must always be on alert for warning signs of mania and be active participants in their own care.

Warning Signs of Mania

Manic episodes often come with prodomes, symptoms that appear before full-blown mania.

Bipolar patients and their families should be on alert for these warning signs and, if they continue to occur for more than a week or so, schedule an appointment with the patient's psychiatrist to see if they need a higher medication dosage.

Here are some common signs that happen before full-blown mania:

Feeling either really great or really terrible for no reason. Sometimes you can feel really great and really terrible at the same time. It's a very weird feeling.

Functioning well on little sleep for days on end. Not just one sleepless night, but being able to go to work and function on like 4 hours of sleep night after night.

Increased or decreased appetite. Either you hate food or it's the most important thing in your life. Can fluctuate day by day.

Increased productivity. You're getting soooo much done and so quickly! (It probably sucks but we'll put that aside for now.) You just want to work on your passion projects constantly.

Sudden interest in multiple new hobbies all at once, and throwing yourself into them with such passion that it's scary.

Weird physical symptoms. You may find yourself locked into a position and not want to move, or your skin may feel odd, like it's too tight or prickly.

Sudden bouts of tinnitus. It sounds really weird, but it's been proven to be a sign of impending mania along with the skin symptoms I mentioned before.

Your eyes look different. Your pupils are always dilated.

Not everyone will get all of these, but most people will have at least one trigger that happens to them every time before a manic episode. For me, it was hypergraphia (because of course it was).

Symptoms of Mania

Not all of these symptoms will happen to everyone, and every manic episode can be a little different. It all really depends on who you are. Now, I must say that anyone, bipolar or not, can have these symptoms. It is the intensity of them that defines mania. A manic episode can ruin your life because you just get. so. extreme. about whatever it is.

Becoming extremely focused on random things and projects. For me, it was cleaning the house: I started throwing out old photos that I thought we didn't need because I didn't want any clutter. I would sweep the floor for hours at a time. Sudden and intense interest in random subjects. I got really obsessed with Neolithic Scotland of all things. Now I can't even remember half the shit I learned. Spending way too much money. Many people will go into extreme debt because of their mania, especially if they don't have family support. I spent like $300 on a kitchen knife set despite having a full set of perfectly serviceable kitchen knives. I also bought a professional-grate ukulele that I very much could not afford and very much did not need. Worsening of any addictions or developing new addictions. Especially seen in gambling addictions because, well, you already want to spend a lot of money and it's an extreme dopamine hit. Sudden and intense aggression or emotional volatility. Normally calm and relaxed people will go off the deep end about pretty much anything: screaming, throwing things, and then bursting into tears out of guilt. I'm normally a pretty chill person, but one time I threw a phone at my mom's head because she pissed me off so much. I can't even remember what she said to make me mad. Feeling invincible. Manic people are convinced that nothing bad could ever happen to them and they can do whatever they want. Think of someone running into traffic, sure that no one will hit them. Or, on the other hand, feeling terrified of everything. This can happen to the same person, sometimes simultaneously. You may believe everything is a threat, even when there is no clear and obvious threat. Being physically incapable of sleeping. It's not insomnia like normal people experience, where you pop a melatonin or do some breathing exercises and manage to fall asleep. You cannot fall asleep. Normal sleeping pills do not work. You may need heavy-duty tranquilizers. One time, I combined like five Benadryl and a whole bottle of whisky and STILL couldn't get to sleep. I was crying because of how tired I was. Talking extremely fast and in an extremely disconnected way. This is called flight of ideas; you start jumping from one discussion to another in ways that other people can't follow. Your brain has made that leap but can't articulate it for other people. Shiny eyes. You really can see mania in the eyes; it's very unsettling. Manic eyes look dark, wide, and shimmery. Hypersexuality. I did not have this problem, but I have talked to bipolar people who wrecked their marriages because they could not control their urges. That's not an excuse, of course, nor does it lessen the pain that the other person felt. But it can indeed happen. Unintentional pregnancies, STDs, and a whole lot of bad feelings can come from this. Kleptomania. I also did not experience this, but I have heard of other bipolar people who felt an uncontrollable urge to steal things they didn't even need to: they could afford it, they just wanted the thrill of stealing it.

Mania can cause amnesia afterward, and the person may not remember large swathes of what happened, or it will feel "dream-like" and confusing. Of course, they've got some major damage control to do that can plummet them into depression.

Symptoms of Psychosis

Again, just like with mania, not everyone will experience all of these. If a person has multiple psychotic episodes, each one may be a bit different every time.

I'm going to separate this into several sections: common delusions, common hallucinations, and Other symptoms (which are often not discussed as much).

Common Delusions

Delusions can shift throughout the course of a psychotic episode, seamlessly morphing from one to another without clear cause.

With psychoanalysis, one can often find that there are "seeds" of a delusion in the person's everyday life, and they may be connected to current events. For example, someone may think they're the reincarnation of a previous president during a presidential election.

Being god or a reincarnation of a famous person

Extreme religiosity

A belief that they have found the "key" to the universe and that everything is connected by some vast conspiracy

Being surveilled by a government entity, sometimes with the belief that they have had tracking devices installed without their consent

Being stalked, harassed, or tormented by unknown entities or by strangers (gang-stalking)

Being persecuted for a certain identity

Having some special role to play or a special status

Being a member of a special community

Having special knowledge or insight into issues, like world affairs

Being ill with another disease, like cancer or dementia

Being ageless, immortal, or invincible

Having a special connection with a celebrity, famous person, fictional character, people you know, or even strangers

A sense that loved ones have been replaced with clones or copies

Believing that there is a secret "play" going on and other people are playing along with a secret "script"

Believing other people can hear your thoughts, or that you can hear theirs

Common Hallucinations

Repeating noises, words, or phrases, often in distinct voices

Spectral, unhearable music

Environmental noises that don't exist, like train whistles or construction sounds

Repeating jingles or "ear-worms" that get stuck and may continue for days or weeks off and on

Humming, whirring, or ringing

Mutated or blurry faces, even of people you know well

A sense that a person's face is not their "real" face and they are wearing a mask

Haloes or auras around people or animals

Sparkles, flashes, and black spots

Colorful lights, ribbons, or strings

Seeing people you know who could not feasibly be there, like old coworkers, old partners, or deceased relatives

Vague blurry shapes, or distinct monster-like entities

Strangely shaped or mutated animals or people

"String people" or "stick people"

Black "void people"

Shadows that aren't there, typically around doors or windows

Skittering bugs, rodents, or snakes, often black or blurry

Bugs or small creatures crawling on the skin

Itchiness or grittiness on the skin

Light feathery touches along the skin, especially on the back or hands

Goosebumps with no clear cause that don't go away

Bad smells, like feces, garbage, body odor, or burning plastic

Good smells, often those from childhood

Losing sense of smell or taste

Sense that the mouth is full when nothing is there

Prickly tongue

Metallic taste (may be a medication side effect)

Other Symptoms

Muscle stiffness

Catatonia

Slurred or fast speech

Lack of appetite

Weight loss

Migraines

Parkinsonian symptoms (tremors)

How Bipolar Is Treated

Bipolar is treated in a few ways, with the most important and prominent being medication.

Medication

Bipolar is typically treated with mood stabilizers, which is a vague class that includes anticonvulsants, SSRIs, SNRIs, and other groups of medications. (The medication I use, Lamictal, is an anticonvulsant.)

Psychiatrists must be very careful when prescribing antidepressants for Bipolar I patients because too much can bring on mania. Bipolar 1 patients will often have an antipsychotic added to their regimen as well. There are new classes of drugs that combine antidepressants with antipsychotics for a one-and-done deal.

Bipolar patients may also have antianxiety medications added to their regimen.

Psychosis is a medical emergency and must be treated as soon as possible. Fast-acting antipsychotics can be injected in the emergency room to stablize a psychotic patient. They may also use tranquilizers to calm a paranoid or combative patient.

Like with schizophrenia, patients who are not medication-compliant may opt for a long-lasting antipsychotic injection that only needs to be done once a month or once every three months.

Therapy

A history of trauma is one of the things that predisposes a person to bipolar disorder, so working on this can help reduce symptoms. EMDR therapy can be a safe and effective way to process trauma for bipolar patients.

However, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) doesn't work very well for bipolar patients because, well, their cognitive distortions are brought about by chemical changes in the brain, not just seeing the world "wrong."

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a better choice for bipolar patients because it helps them become more aware of their thoughts and, therefore, better able to manage their emotions.

Other options include equine-assisted therapy (my favorite!), art therapy, and family therapy to help build a stronger support system.

Lifestyle Changes

All the stuff that helps "normal" people can help bipolar patients, too. For example, having a set routine, eating well, setting and keeping a bedtime, getting exercise, and eating well are all crucial for managing bipolar, in addition to medication and therapy.

Weight management is a critical component of bipolar treatment. A lot of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers can cause weight gain, even when someone isn't overeating; they can also cause cravings for sweet foods or an increased appetite.

Because bipolar is often comorbid with other conditions worsened by excess weight, such as diabetes, heart disease, and PCOS, care must be taken to keep one's weight down. Excercise, because it has neurogenic benefits, can be enormously helpful in helping to heal the brain.

Some medications also cause vitamin deficiencies because they affect the way that the body processes nutrients, and they may block absorption of certain nutrients. Multivitamins can counteract this and even reduce symptoms because some deficiencies have a marked impact on mood.

Bipolar people should not drink, as it reduces the efficacy of medications and can lead to nasty side effects. They also should NOT smoke weed, especially if they have a history of psychosis. Yes, marijuana-induced psychosis is very real and far more likely for a bipolar person.

Additionally, bipolar people should nurture their support system, as having family support is a key factor in whether a bipolar person can stay stable.

Common Myths About Bipolar

Bipolar people are dangerous. Not necessarily true, though common media depictions show this as if all bipolar people are roving murderers.

In fact, bipolar people are more likely to kill themselves than anyone else: it has the highest suicide rate of any psychiatric illness, about 20 to 30 times more than the general population.

Medication is a crutch and bipolar people can get better by themselves. Wrong. Just like someone doesn't magically get better from Type I Diabetes without treatment, bipolar people need medication.

Bipolar can be treated just with lifestyle changes. Again, just like someone with Type I diabetes, you can't just will the bipolar away. You need treatment. No amount of supplements or sunshine will fix it. It's a brain disorder.

Medication turns bipolar people into emotionless zombies. Incorrect, with a caveat. The wrong dosage or type of medication very much can make someone into a zombie; I've certainly felt that way before. However, the correct treatment allows bipolar people to thrive and stay stable for years to come.

A bipolar person can never become stable and will always have symptoms. Sorta not true. Bipolar comes with other issues, like executive dysfunction, that cannot always be managed or treated. BUT bipolar people very much can become stable and mostly asymptomatic with the right treatment.

Bipolar people are always having some sort of crisis. It can feel that way, but once a person is stable, they can look just like anyone else.

Bipolar can go away. No. Even if you are in remission, you still have bipolar disorder and can relapse at any time. It is a brain dysfunction that causes measurable structural differences in the brain which do not go away.

Once you snap out of psychosis/mania, you're right back to normal. Wrong. You don't just wake up and are not psychotic anymore. It takes time for your brain to equalize and come back to baseline. I remember it as feeling like I was rising out of a long, long sleep. Once someone is stable, it's like nothing ever happened. Mania or depression causes brain changes that can last years after the episode. On average, the brain damage from mania exists for up to seven years after the last episode, and it worsens with each subsequent episode.

Any fluctuation in mood is a symptom of bipolar. This is so, so, so annoying. Bipolar people are allowed to have bad days just like anyone else. If I'm having a shitty day but I'm not throwing phones at people, then I'm probably just having a bad day. If I'm really happy, it doesn't mean I'm manic.

Bipolar people can't help it and shouldn't be punished for their actions. No no no. What I like to say is that my bipolar doesn't excuse my behavior, but it does explain it. If you hurt someone while manic, you still hurt someone and it's still your fucking fault! Never use it as an excuse to be an asshole.

Everything about bipolar is terrible. Wrong! Bipolar can have benefits like creativity, empathy, good problem-solving, and a unique perspective on life. A stable bipolar person can be a delight to be around. But these don't discount the downsides and should not be a reason to refuse treatment.

Characterizations to Avoid Regarding Bipolar

Roving maniac. Kind of a duh. We have a bad enough rap anyway.

Evil murderer. Same as above.

Abusive evil spouse. I mean, yeah, a bipolar person can be abusive, but they're likely abusive because they're a shitty person and bipolar is just a side effect.

Manic pixie dream girl. Don't romanticize bipolar either.

Miserable cinnamon roll. We're people, okay? Complex, multifactorial, interesting people. We're not constantly miserable.

Total trainwreck. If you're going to show someone's nervous breakdown, please please please show them when they are stable too. Please don't just distil the bipolar person down to their symptoms. Show us as who we are: complex people just like you or anyone else.

Drama magnet. Frankly, a lot of bipolar people don't want to get involved in other people's shit. We've got our own stuff going on. We're not out to wreck your life, we're just trying to get through the day.

How to Create an Authentic Bipolar Character

Do your research. Read a mixture of medical journals, stories from bipolar people, and good depictions of bipolar disorder in the media. Go beyond what I have discussed here and seek out good, peer-reviewed research.

Don't add bipolar just for shock value. Annoying and shitty. If you're thinking of making an evil cruel murdermonster, stop. We have it hard enough and you're going to make it worse.

Create the character first, then add the bipolar. Every bipolar person is different, just like every person is different. Get a feel for your character and then determine how they might act when manic or depressed.

Use an array of symptoms. Don't just go for "ooooh scary monster in the corner of my eye" because that's boring and overdone. Look through the list I provided and consider how you can fit a few of them in there.

Remember that it takes time to recover from an episode. You should not just have your character wake up one day and be cured. They will feel "off" for a while after an episode, like a very very long hangover.

Consider medication symptoms. Decide what medication they will use and then look up the symptoms. Demonstrate how this makes them feel and whether it makes them want to continue treatment.

Think about how a character feels about their bipolar. Some people don't think it's a problem because they like the energy, and others are terrified of relapsing. Some see it as a challenge to be overcome, and others find it to be a burden that they want to be rid of. And many will feel all of these at different times.

Show the impact on other characters. Remember that your other characters are seeing and reacting to this. They may be terrified, frustrated, hurt, dismissive, or not want to deal with it.

Demonstrate times of stability, too. Too many people use bipolar as an "ooooh soo sad" (especially psychosis) and don't show the character just being a normal human being.

Show the ableism bipolar people face. Yes, we do face ableism. People calling us crazy, denying us medical care, passing us up for jobs, or my very least favorite, "have you taken your meds today?" UGH SHUT UP YES I HAVE LEAVE ME ALONE.

Remember that many people are not medication compliant. Medication compliance is one of the number one indicators of whether a person will stay stable long term. If your character refuses to take their medication, then they are more likely to relapse.

People have many reasons for not accepting treatment: they don't like the way it feels, they're embarrassed, they don't see it as a problem, or they can't afford it (some of these meds can be hundreds of dollars a month even with insurance). So make sure to explain why they are medication non-compliant.

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[redwiccanrobin]

I fucking hate the romanticization of hypo/mania. I was almost put on a 72 hour hold because of a manic episode. It’s not cute. It’s not quirky. It’s debilitating.

[the-zapped-part-timer]

Penn Zerothon Day 8

3 Big Problems🏝

My Ramblings: Dodge ball showdown! I don't think you're allowed to kick the balls but whatever, it's Sashi, she don't care! Boone just straight up sacrificing people for shields is so out of left field it's comes back to being funny. Penn is pretty big brain here but, wow, what a dirty move using some firefighter's bell and pretending it's the school bell! How do they have time for this? All for the promise of pizza!? Either way, Sashi's blank expression is beautiful. We've all felt that.

And then that was the tragic end of Penn Zero. What a fun little show, if only he didn't cheat. Joking aside, Phyllis was straight up gonna send his ass to the sun because she thought he had Pandorian Moon Warts... savage. Is it really that bad? I guess so. At least she apologized.

He's so excited to just be a lizard, honestly? So would I. Nice Geico reference.

Love the twist in this episode, you'd think Rippen and Larry would be the kaiju, because in most media, kaiju are depicted as city-destroying, rage-fueled monsters but the other side of that spectrum, they can be good! Take Godzilla for instance, can either be a nuclear bomb or a protector of humanity. It would've also been easy to make the Duo evil monsters and have an awesome kaiju battle... damn, that actually does sound cool. Anyways, they make them human bad guys, not too dissimilar to The Iron Giant.

Like the detail of Sashi's mission display being humongous, just like them. And the detail of when Penn talks, small flames spew from his mouth.

KAIJU WILHELM!

How did Boone know he could toot his horn? Bringing back a classic Larry gag but with a simple twist to it, it's short.

The eyebrow checking joke between Ripoen and Madame President, like so many, have been ingrained into my mind forever. It's so dumb but good. During Rippen's spiel, Larry is so serious looking and laser focused, I love him.

TNT Museum... very American thing. But this isn't America, it's Island City, baby! Penn talking down to the humans for the city planning is so hilarious, makes him sound like he was never a human before. Love the delivery.

Have I mentioned my uneasiness for disaster movies? I just hate how that could just happen and I'd be screwed. Even if it's as farfetched as Kaiju or very unnatural disasters, it wigs me out. I hate thinking about what I'd do in that situation. Especially two movies that terrified me... one of them is dumb but the other... I hate thinking about so much, makes my stomach twang in anxiety a bit.

Why doesn't Sashi speak for Penn? I thought because he's an ape and there go, he can speak to humans? But no, Penn can talk to them, but you, fire. So why not Sashi?

I'd be on Rippen's side if I didn't know anything at all. I think the President is crazy, which she's a little... quirky. Just saying, way too much trust! Why hasn't she gone and talked to the Kaiju before hand if she likes them that much? The island was there before and it takes awhile to build a city on an island I'm sure.

And here's these two, Eva (President) and Larry... man said, like, two sentences and is already smitten, and drawing Larry all muscular as he carries her in his big, strong arms... Ma'am! It's a good quick doodle, I'll give her that but MA'AM!? Thank you, Rippen for taking her pen away. When she calls him handsome and rugged, he does take the compliment to Rippen slight surprise (and possible jealousy? Who knows with that guy). I do like her, by the way! She's hilarious in her deliveries and mania behind half of them.

Her logic makes sense, you want an easy code to the Monster Buster Bomb (tm) but also you want a more secure code to the Monster Buster Bomb (tm), just as secure as Rippen's diary. Which of course he has, I want to read it. I need to read it! Hey! Do give each other that look, men can have diaries too!

The "tell my best friend I love him" scene is so cute, Boone's even holding Penn's claw hand! ARGH! Sashi just cutting that shit out! Snap out of it, stupids, we're playing dodge ball with bombs!

WHY WOULD YOU BUILD YOUR CITY NEXT TO A VOLCANO!? MY FEARS! Rippen, you're a hopeless coward! I'm sure he's fine with that.

And see that? The instant Eva and Larry are alone and she offers a final dinner together, he nopes right out of there! Man is not interested at the least. Which says a lot, we know Larry, he's down for a lot of things but not this. I'm sure another reason is that he wanted to follow Rippen but still stands, we saw his face.

Hey, Boone gets called a genius way sooner. Good for him.

Iconic line from Madame President: "Bologna." Huh, the "G" is silent. That can't be my last thought!

"Let's focus on the positive!" Girl, the power grid, sewer system, and literally everything else needs to be addressed ASAP!

~The Characters~

Penn Zero:

Boone Wiseman:

Sashi Kobayashi:

Rippen:

Larry:

Dimension(s): Love me some giant monsters!

Forms: We have Godzilla, King Kong, and Mothra or Battra (I don't know for sure). All very fun and fitting forms. I like Penn's the most but Sashi's is really cute and Boone being a ape is the perfect match.

Rippen and Larry, while plain, look very good in those uniforms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cereal Criminals🥣

My Ramblings: ART CLASS, FINALLY! Now we finally see Rippen as an art teacher, 8 episodes in! Starting it off with good Rippen and Penn banter. Also see that Larry is the principal! I'm sure Rippen just loves the thought of Larry being the boss of him everyday at school. And we see Pigoilet, Boone's favorite creation ever. I believe we did see in an early episode but I don't remember which, besides the Pilot. Sashi's are looks really nice! Looks like she may have used painters tape or something like that to get that all nice and straight, makes sense.

Is this the first time a teacher evaluation is used? Or is it the first time that the reward is Larry's parking spot? Probably the ladder.

What hell is must be to half to deal with that in the morning, water sprinkler row. When Boone says: "It appears that the glove is on the other shoe." Rippen is listening and watching Boone's hand so intently, it's funny. He looks like a cat.

Damn Penn, already planning to obliterate Rippen's teacher evaluation. Stone cold. I get it, he's evil and gives you nothing but F-'s. Still stone cold.

The jingles, I love them! Those being physically there, especially when Boone can read the kale flakes in water bit is icing on this cereal cake!

Love that they just assume Rippen is the Milkman, it makes sense. The Milkman himself? Boy, if I had a nickel for every milkman character I like, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. I love unsettling Milkmen! Can you guess the other one? I love how he talks, his design and his ads!

I'd struggle to if I had to say "crispity crunch crop" fast and with a silly voice too.

There's just a guy guarding the outside of Marshmallow Dreams Maximum Security Prison (great name)! Like just a human guy, I know there are human mascots and characters but it's... weird.

Did somebody say, WILHELM SCREAM!? And order a Silence of the Lambs homage?

"Do you like our place?" Larry says in the most adorable way followed with the cutest pose! Your honor, I love him to bits! "You've been here five minutes!" "I take our home seriously." Married couple core Rippen and Larry.

Larry seems kind of embarrassed and guilty-looking about the reason Otis the Opossum ended up in prison. His big wet eyes, poor little guy.

THE BEST SONG EVER! It's literally my ringtone! I sang that constantly, it's so catchy! Do all yourselves a favor and go listen to it again!

Teacher evaluation? Good for leverage. Rippen's little ear perks as Penn pushes all the right buttons, so cute! I wanna pet him!

Here we get Rippen's villain spiel: He's driven by his need to outdo his sister, Vlurgen. This man has some family issues, of course he does. His mama and papa always favored her more, which sadly, we do see later. She has everything he wants, a really evil car, a different magical scepter for everyday of the week, and competent evil henchmen. I like he says "no offense" to Larry, he's growing. Penn is stuck with the knowledge of Rippen's family woes. Just on and on with this guy, it's like he's stalling for time or something...

He is! 3 o'clock hits and they can't stop the Milkman, so Rippen wins, he's finally a full-time villain! HOORAY! Wait, I mean... boo? I mean SIKE! Big Brain Penn Time! He had Sashi set the prison clock back an hour during the pest song number. Everybody clap for them!

Question: How did Larry have that trap ceiling for balloons, cake and the full-time villain hat? Who cares! Also interesting Rippen calls his whole spiel a "blabberfest" like he was making it up or playing it down, but no, all stand very true. He's so downtrodden by this trick.

"I'm going on a milk run." Hard line delivery.

One of the few times that kale saves the day.

Milkman is so OP, it's ridiculous. But he's defeated in the most cursed way imaginable, get slurped into Penn's trunk... eck. Now that looks like, well, certain artwork.

Well, Rippen got a plow of an L, but thankfully an elephant never forgets. Why did he say "generosity" like that with his entire face? Because I wanna emulate that.

The smile at the end. :)

~The Characters~

Penn Zero: He's very smart in this episode. He uses Rippen's desire for the teacher evaluation to get him to talk, and when he correctly assumes that Rippen's need to win, he has the time set back just in case. Even though he did betray them, Penn keeps to his word and gives him a good evaluation, even though he wanted to obliterate him.

Boone Wiseman: No one knowing or liking him as Be Well Beaver is realistic. I like that he's has a slightly out of touch design and lingo us a nice touch, people who want to sell healthy stuff don't exactly know how.

Sashi Kobayashi: She has a gun and I'm sad she didn't get to use it more.

Rippen: We get to learn a lot more about him this episode. His deep-seated rage against his sister and the desire for his parent's attention. Sadly, we don't really get to see any more of this until the "Mr. Rippen" episode. Besides that, he is just as hilarious and devious as ever. Even when he's makes a deal to get a good teacher evaluation, he still backstabs them for the chance of being a full-time villain. He's lucky Penn felt nice that day.

Larry: He's so damn adorable, I couldn't take my eyes off him! He's just trying to make the prison cell look nice.

Dimension(s): Love this world, so fun and creative! It's also very interesting that the mascots are all real in their dimension, just here the mascots are real people. Must be mind-boggling. It's like seeing or reading about an actor and thinking: "Oh yeah, so-and-so from that show I know." But with cereal. Basically being zapped a semi-celebrities in a way.

Forms: Such fun and tasty designs! From chocolate elephant, fruity flamingo and healthy beaver cereals, I'm obsessed with all of them! Each have their own fun strengths, Penn and his trunk, Boone and his beaver skills, and Sashi with her gun! AND THE CUTE LITTLE JINGLES!? I CAN'T!

There's a brand of cereal I see sometimes that's chocolate and has an elephant on it and everytime I'm like: CHOCO CHOCO TRUNKS!? But alas, they aren't.

Wolverine Rippen and Opossum Larry? Adorable. Especially Larry, me and my bestie love Otis! They even quote him from the later episode! And the name Wrong Way Wally goes hard.

[raindingrandom]

Any particular stories behind why your brain rot trio is your brain rot trio or did it just happen to turn out that way?

That's a very good question, Zac! My stories and reasonings ended up being much longer than expected, so I put a TL:DR on the very bottom of this post.

Without further ado, here's how my Brain Rot Trio came to be, starting with...

Donkey Kong

I had an SNES growing up, and the Donkey Kong Country trilogy were my favourite games on the system. I was too young to understand how big of a deal the pre-rendered graphics were for the time. I just enjoyed them because they were fun! I also enjoyed playing Donkey Kong 64 and Diddy Kong Racing at my cousin's house, even if I never got very far in the former.

One day, we gave our SNES and games away to some kids who didn't have a game console since another family gave us their Nintendo 64 and games. So in the late 2000s, I replayed the DKC trilogy, and fell in love with them again.

This was really good timing, as Donkey Kong Country Returns was announced a few years later. Needless to say, I was super excited! In fact, that game is what got me to buy a Nintendo Wii! History would repeat for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and the Wii U.

So yeah, I hold the Donkey Kong Country series, and by extension the Donkey Kong series in general, very dearly to me to this day. One day, we'll get that new DK game... one day...

Crazy Frog

One day at primary/elementary school, a friend of mine found a funny website called "The Insanity Test", where you had to stare at an image of an F1 racing car while a distinct "Beh ding ding ding di-di-ding ding bing pscht daaarhm" noise played. The text said that if you laughed at it, you were apparently insane. (and yes, I laughed)

So later that year (I think?) when I heard the sound on TV from another room, I went to see what it was: An ad for the Crazy Frog ringtone. I found the commercials and the character funny. According to my friends, I could do a pretty good impression of the noise too!

When Crazy Frog mania was at it's peak, I was really excited for the Crazy Frog's first single, Axel F. I remember my Dad picking me up from school one day, and when I entered the car, I was greeted by the Axel F CD on the car dashboard! I got to play it on the stereo too, much to the irritation of my brother. Hehehe.

As with all fads, Crazy Frog's fame faded, and people moved on. But for some reason, whether it was the catchy music, the fun music videos, or just plain nostalgia, I continued to like the character, and slowly built up a collection of CDs and merchandise over the years.

And whereas many people feared Crazy Frog's comeback in 2021, I was one of the few who was happy to see the annoying amphibian return.

Shantae

One day, I was looking through the Wii U eshop for some games to buy, and I happened across a game with a cute anime-esque aesthetic: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. The metroidvania gameplay looked like something I would enjoy, so I bought that and the previous Shantae game, Risky's Revenge.

Sure enough, they had fun gameplay, great music and amusing writing. Trying a new franchise really payed off here! But I think I fully became a fan of the series with Half-Genie Hero and Seven Sirens. I got a greater appreciation of the endearing characters and quirky humour.

Shantae herself is such an endearingly dorky protagonist (her pirate talk in Pirate's Curse is absolutely adorable), and it's amusing to see her reactions to the wackier events throughout the games. I also like that while she's occasionally hot-headed, she's a legitimately caring and selfless hero who's always determined to save the day.

Phew! Sorry that ended up being a longer response I expected!

TL:DR:

I loved the Donkey Kong Country games as a kid and got back into them in the late 2000s.

I was a fan of Crazy Frog during his heyday, but I remained a fan because of the catchy music and fun music videos.

I discovered the 2nd and 3rd Shantae games on the Wii U eShop, and eventually became a fan of the franchise by the 4th and 5th installments.

[miraakulous-cloud-district]

Thank you so much for the tag @bougainvillea-and-saltwater 💖💖💖

Top 10 Skyrim characters:

Miraak. He had to be numer one. I am, after all, writing a fic with him. I absolutely love the idea of another Dovahkiin, especially the first of that kind. I remember being so, so excited to play the Dragonborn dlc. Also, as @bougainvillea-and-saltwater said, THE POTENTIAL of this character is amazing. I do wish he was a bit more detailed and we had more options than to kill him, but hey, that's what fanfiction is for 😄

Marcurio - maybe I'm biased because he's also in my fic, but I love this man so much! He's so funny and sassy and he's an amazing mage!! I also live his comments and banter so much!!

Erandur - I LOVE REDEMPTION ARCS AND CHARACTERS TRYING TO DO BETTER SO MUCH

Durnehviir - my fave dragon :') I love his design and his tragic backstory and the fact that he just wants to fly over Tamriel again and bask in it's beauty.

Teldryn Sero - another one from my fic. I am thinking about my headcannons, but also, they are in my story for a reason, and that's because they're amazing characters that I want to see and write more of!

Delphine - I know she's not the most popular, but I really like her character and I think she is one of the more complex skyrim npcs. I also get it, she is scared that dragons will turn on everyone. Even Paarthurnax said that it takes enormous effort and lots of meditation to tame is soul that wants to dominate everything.

Sheogorath - the most fun Daedric Prince. I love him so much, and I think he is very complex. Yes, he is fun and quirky, but he also represents depression, mania and other inner battles that some face. He can get downright scary and unpredictable and I wouldn't want to be a worshipper of the mad god.

Erik the Slayer - very wholesome I adore eager characters who are thirsty for adventure but are at the beginning of their journey, I also love the fact that he was inspired by a real life fan that sadly passed away

Deep-In-His-Cups - fave random encounter and ldb's drinking buddy apparently!

Jorn - I have a weakness for cute bards, ok?!

I'm tagging @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @ghostfacedbat @friend-of-giants @milfmorrowind only if you want to, of course, no pressure!

[gendermutinytour]

you wouldn't be able to survive a day in my world

                            your biggest problems are things I would kill

to be able to worry about

                               they look at you and see a person who struggles

but has beauty in their soul and a life ahead of them

i only exist in the minds of men

who hate the idea of women

im pretty enough so you can pass as heterosexual

       im quirky and messy

                               i have weird kinks

im just trans enough to keep you comfortable

                   my mania makes me cute.

                                     your mania makes people worry

i listen to weird music

                                    i dye my hair 

i drink i smoke i will put anything in my body you give me

"one of the guys" but not enough to where you want me around your friends.

               you tell them how big my tits are

                                    good i am at dirtytalk

objectifying me for the world to see

                                      when you leave, you lose nothing but

the quirky messy girl with dyed hair 

you thought you always dreamed of'

[crazyhappiness4u]

The Unseen Gems: Why Our Videos Are Too Hot for YouTube!"

📹🚫😢 "The Unseen Gems: Why Our Videos Are Too Hot for YouTube!" 😂🔥

Hey there, fellow content explorers! Welcome to my ROFL-worthy blog where I spill the beans 🌽 on why our epic videos are nowhere to be found on YouTube. Get ready for a wild ride of laughter and emoji-mania! 🎢💫

YouTube's Secret Crush: 😍🤖 It turns out YouTube has a major crush on our videos! Each time we upload one, the platform gets so flustered that its algorithms go haywire. The poor website can't handle the sheer awesomeness of our content and hides our videos in a digital panic. Aww, YouTube, it's just trying to save face! 😂🤖

The Bermuda Triangle of Virality: 🌊🚢 Our videos have mysteriously vanished into the Bermuda Triangle of Virality! Legends say this mystical zone in the digital ocean swallows content whole, leaving even the most epic videos stranded in obscurity. Our videos are just chilling there with Amelia Earhart and the lost city of Atlantis. 😱🏴‍☠️

Alien Fan Club Takeover: 👽🎉 Our content is so out-of-this-world fantastic that it attracted the attention of an alien fan club! The extraterrestrial aficionados were so impressed that they decided to keep our videos all to themselves, sharing them only at Area 51's top-secret parties. We're flattered, really. 🛸🥳

YouTube's April Fools' Prank Gone Wrong: 🤪🎭 YouTube once played an epic prank on us, promising to showcase our videos to the world on April Fools' Day. However, they accidentally turned it into an everlasting joke by burying our videos in a virtual vault. We hope they'll reveal the punchline soon! 🙏🤭

The Invisible Video Syndrome: 🤫🎥 Our videos suffer from an unfortunate case of "Invisible Video Syndrome." Whenever we upload them, they become invisible to everyone except our pet hamster, Mr. Fluffy. Don't worry; we're working on getting him a YouTube account so he can enjoy them too! 🐹💻

The Hipster Algorithm: 🎩🎶 Turns out, YouTube's algorithm has become a hipster! It's so obsessed with promoting obscure content that it refuses to acknowledge anything remotely mainstream—like our videos. We're simply too cool for the algorithm to handle. 😎💼

Cats Took Over: 😼🐾 Our videos were sabotaged by a conspiracy of cats! Feline overlords are determined to keep all internet fame for themselves. They hacked into YouTube's system and replaced our videos with hours of cute cat antics. We're planning a "Purrfect Revenge" campaign. 🐱🔪

Time-Traveling Trolls: ⏳🧙‍♂️ A mischievous gang of time-traveling trolls decided to prank us by zapping our videos out of existence. They even left a note, saying they needed the server space for their 37-hour medieval cat juggling marathon. Medieval cat juggling? Now that's a sight we'd pay to see! 🏰🐈🤹‍♂️

The "Only-on-Alternate-DimensionTube" Dilemma: 🌌🤔 Our videos accidentally got uploaded to "Alternate-DimensionTube," a parallel universe's version of YouTube. We hear they have subscribers from intelligent slime molds to tea-sipping octopuses. Let's just say our videos are a hit in the multiverse! 🌠🌐

So there you have it, the hilarious reasons why our fantastic videos are nowhere to be found on YouTube. But don't worry, we won't give up! We'll keep striving for internet fame and fortune, even if the universe itself is conspiring against us. Until then, keep laughing, stay quirky, and may the mischievous internet forces be ever in your favor! 😄✨🌈

[inquiringquilter]

Quilt Block Mania - February is Connections

Welcome to my stop on the Quilt Block Mania Blog Hop. Each of the designers participating in the hop are sharing a block pattern inspired by this month’s theme, which is Connections.

What better connection can you make than one of love? When I heard the theme, I was instantly inspired to create a heart. But not just any heart, a heart in which the connections and interconnections are woven.

Here’s my fabric pull. It’s an old jelly roll from the Blush collection by Basic Grey for Moda. Perfect for a heart block, don’t you think?

I call my block Woven Heart. I hope you’ll make my block! If you do, please tag me on social media @inquiringquilter.

My block uses woven strips, simple piecing, and applique.

There are lots of designers in this hop so be sure to visit all of them for your free pattern. Here are links to all the blocks in the Quilt Block Mania Connections Series:

Heart and Star Woven Heart by Inquiring Quilter Puzzle Block by Inflorescnece Connected Hearts by BoBerry Design Co. Mardi Gras Geese Chain Link by Sugar Sand Quilt Co. Linked by QuiltFabrication Irish Chain DNA by Palm Creations Hello at Patti's Patchwork Lover's Knot at Lovingly, Lissa Double Hearts by Appliques Quilts and More Key to my Heart Connections by Penny Spool Quilts WiFi Signal by Crafty Staci With Love By Sew Cute And Quirky Text Me! Braided Love by Kaye Collins Celtic Tree of Life By Sallys' Sewing Circle Hearts Together Block by Sew Worthy Mama Sunshine Village Church by Sarah Marcina Braille Block Left and Right Block at The (not so) Dramatic Life Love Encircled by Jessica of Blue Sky Modern Craft Celtic Hearts by A Piece of Quiet Quilts Half Friendship Star with Heart by Blue Bear Quilts

I often make my block into a mini quilt so I can display it at work. You can do that too with each month’s Quilt Block Mania block from me, or you can collect the blocks from all the designers in each month and make a quilt.

Scroll through my past Quilt Block Mania blocks. By the way, if you missed any of my previous Quilt Block Mania blocks, they are available in my shop.

US CUSTOMERS INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS

Quilt Block Mania returns next month with the theme, “Floral” so be sure to come back on the first Tuesday of the month to see what I create!

How do I get the free Woven Heart block pattern?

My Woven Heart block pattern is free to my email subscribers.

The next newsletter will go out Sunday, February 12th. Watch for it in your Inbox! Inside the newsletter is a code that will enable you to download the block pattern from my shop for free.

If you’re already a subscriber, you don’t need to do a thing except wait until my newsletter arrives. Then open the newsletter and use the code to download my pattern.

If you aren’t a subscriber yet but you’d like to be, click here to sign up.

Before you go, let me tell you about everything that’s going on here this week.

Happenings Here at Inquiring Quilter

Two of my art quilts are in Art Quilt Studio magazine! In my article, I describe my approach to art quilts.

Read more about article here and pick up an exclusive discount code to the magazine.

My weekly show and tell linkup, Wednesday Wait Loss is six years old! Over the years, my little weekly group has encouraged many wonderful finishes. Join us by sharing your latest project.

Here’s a link to this week’s show and tell link up.

If you’re looking to make new friends, join me on Facebook this Saturday for my weekly online quilting retreat I call my Saturday Sew-In. The fun starts at 8 AM EST and runs through 6 PM EST. It’s not live but there are get to know you prompts throughout the day to spark discussion and friendship. This is a fun and friendly group and you’ll soon make friends—real friends.

In addition, you’ll be inspired by other quilter’s projects and you’ll gets tons of encouragement as you share your own. If you’ve been missing companionship since COVID started, I guarantee you’ll find it here. Saturday Sew-In takes place in my private Facebook group. Click here to join my Facebook group. Be sure to answer the questions so I know your not a bot.

Thanks for stopping by!

you might also like

Tell me…will you be making my How I Roll block?

[kimpossibooty]

Words that TikTok has completely eroded the meaning of:

-empath

-gaslighting

-manic episodes

[victim-or-survivor]

when you try to tell your friend about how you feel during manic episodes (believing that you're being poisoned, believing that you can communicate directly with god, believing you are immortal and have superpowers and can fly so you try to jump off your roof) and she responds with making jokes about it and speculating about how she would feel perfectly normal during a manic episode 😍

[gay-kurapika]

Maybe I’m a jerk and maybe I’m not, and I’m not trying to stop people from self diagnosing because when it comes down to it you know what’s up with your body better than anyone else. It’s just I wish people would stop saying “mania” or that their “manic” when they literally actually are not. I’m bipolar 1, yes, the bad one! The one where you get manic on the regular! And this isn’t a fun tiktok trend or something that makes you super quirky, it’s an actual illness. When I’m manic I can go days without eating, I once dyed my hair purple when I was manic, I’ll drink crazy amounts of alcohol, I won’t sleep, I pick at scars and zits to the point that their bleeding, and I often do and say things I regret. But a lot of people say manic or hypomanic like it’s a trend. It isn’t, it isn’t fun, or quirky, or cute at all.

[magmahurricane]

Knuckles!

Send Me A Character || Open/Accepting Asks!

First impression

I don't remember my first ever impression of Knuckles, honestly! He's just always sort of been there. But when I was young, my step-grandfather brought home a huge Knuckles plushie for me and ever since he's been a character I associate with nostalgia and happiness!

Impression now

Knuckles is a great character when he's utilized correctly. I hate how he's been reduced to the "dumb muscle" stereotype, and how his rivalry with Sonic was watered down in favor of Shadow.

He's got a lot of potential, and I think Ian Flynn does him so much justice (The Great Chaos Caper, his entire role in the Unleashed adaptation as a whole, that moment between him and Sonic towards the end of Champions [you know the one], and especially in Shattered.]

I think Knuckles works best when we see he's not just stupid and strong - and I'd argue that he's not even stupid, he's just hot-headed, stubborn and rushes into things because he's passionate.

Favorite moment

His conversation with Amy in Shattered (SU #87 - #90)! Also when he got the emerald back in Sonic Mania Adventures. Also, pre-reboot, most of his interactions with Finitevus and his stint as Enerjak was also really good. A different take on the character for sure, but not a bad one.

Idea for a story

Don't really got any!

Unpopular opinion

I don't like Knouge/Knuckles x Rouge... I know it's one of the most popular ships for Knuckles, but... Maybe Sonic X left a bad impression on me. I don't like that Knuckles is made to be an absolute moron and that Rouge takes advantage of how gullible he is, I hate that they have to dumb Knuckles down to make the ship work, and yeah, it probably could be done well! But from what interactions we've seen in canon, I'm not fond of the ship.

Also I liked him best as a rival to Sonic; one that maintains that rivalry even as their friendship develops.

Favorite relationship

Outside of my clear bias for SonKnux, my favorite Knuckles ship is setting him up with Mighty. I feel like they could have a lot to teach eachother and they'd kick ass working hand in hand, and Knuckles bonding with Ray as a little bro would be really cute.

Favorite headcanon

I like to think of Knuckles as a "I'll try anything once" type of person (he's had some quirky cuisine the few rare times he's travelled far off the island, because he so rarely gets to venture out, might as well try everything), someone who enjoys learning about history and other cultures on the downlow, has a fantastic green thumb, and melts over Chao.

[lovestory]

Also the fact that it is now quirky to say you’re manic on the internet when u don’t experience mania is not cute to me either

[twisted-trunk]

Anything But Beautiful

When mental chronic illness is in media, from what I’ve seen, it’s usually as some excuse for a diabolical villain, or as a “quirky” and “cute character trait: mania is endearing for a romantic interest to show the main character what he’s missing; OCD is tidying up every little thing; depression or PTSD is something to fix or an overwhelming reason an antagonist is going off the rails; anxiety is “oh, I’m so worried about you.” 

As I’ve discussed earlier, the above is so far from being right, but I’m not here to repeat myself. 

What’s little talked about and perhaps the “dark underbelly” of mental chronic illness is everything that gets neglected during a flare up or episode. 

For example: 

Anxiety and resulting stress that creates a cycle can distract me from eating or overwhelm me so much that I feel physically ill and cannot eat. 

Depression saps away energy and vitality, and goes beyond not showering for days or weeks and can go so far as tooth decay. 

Mania, that elated sense of near destructibility, can result in risky behavior both physically and mentally.

The list goes on. 

1/30/21

 To those suffering: I see you; I support you; I love you.

~Rosa ❤️