#i'm not a doctor nor do i play one on tv but if anyone thinks checking these out could be helpful go for it

[uneducated-author]

Okay, I DO NOT want this to come off as hate, because I love this show, have loved this show and will continue to love this show (I have no choice, I'm pack bonded) but... If I can bring up the way that the show feels... Off.

I don't want to say I dislike it, because I haven't really given it a fair chance, and I actually do really like a lot of the new episodes, and I would hate for anyone to see this and think that I have anything but huge amount of respect to the writers, actors and professionals working together, but I just wanted to know if anyone agreed, or is thinking along the same lines as me.

Meta Humour can work, and work really well. Fleabag's strongest storytelling point is the metaphor of a third wall break being her way of 'leaving' her real life, where we as the audience become her confidant, her trusted friend, her escape. Princess Bride has a meta humour that folds into the framing device. The Emperors New Groove uses it for comedy, and ties it to the medium, framing device and the tropes set up by virtue of the genre. Other shows can have throwaway lines with double meanings, one for the characters and one for the audience.

But Doctor Who Excelled in Commiting to the story. The suspension of disbelief, and the sheer illusion of this madman, hidden from us by our own inability to Notice, it was fun. It connected itself to our world with jokes about pop culture and throwaway lines about Merlin and Robin Hood and all these running jokes but...

Doctor Who proves that no matter how ridiculous the premise, a story can be great if you believe in the story you're telling. You can throw cat women in a hospital, have bad CGI mannequins clone a man, create bats that feed off time energy, but it doesn't matter, because if you and the actors are devoted to the world you're building, the audience will have no choice but to love it too.

Even Peter Capaldi has these scenes where he addresses us as an audience, lecturing us, but not only does it set up his career as a lecturer at a university, it has an in universe reason, where he explains that when he's unsure about how to get out of a bind, he retreats within his mind, pretends he's already escaped and he's bragging to Clara. The throwaway line 'I'm nothing without an audience' carries weight because... Well, he does need an audience. This is his own illusion, we're just sneaking a peak. This isn't the actor lifting the curtain a la Oz, this is us being brought into a characters mind.

Missy has a hilarious meta joke where she roleplays as the doctor and introduces the companions as 'Exposition' and 'Comic Relief'. It's targeted at fans, and clearly a shakedown of the tropes and- it works. Because this is a game to Missy, because she doesn't take this seriously, she's playing a role. It makes sense for This character in This context, and it doesn't break the illusion.

But the new series... There's just a plastic feeling to it. I almost feel like they're setting up a Wandavision bit where it's all a TV show. The joke about 'I thought that was Non Diagetic' was hilarious, and I loved it, but the winks and nods to the camera? The overexplanation and overexposition? 'Never seen a TARDIS before?' Lines said to the audience, basically dropping the wall between us. We are not watching the Doctors life, nor are we being brought into his mind. This isn't showing a characters view, or self aware commentary. It's a cheap laugh that doesn't land.

I don't want to hate the show, and I don't! But it's just... Loosing itself. Back when it was help together with duct tape and a prayer, they had to commit, to make up for the penny sets. Is it such a bad thing to miss that?

[charitytitter]

Relapse, back to normal

Alright, so, this is going to be the last post of a personal nature. Recap: I am an adult with BiPolar. I am considered high-functioning enough that I have gone for long stretches without treatment (eg. no medication... but I still see a psychiatrist regularly). A number of weeks ago, I accepted a job, doing something completely outside of my wheelhouse. After two weeks of training, it became clear to me, that I did not have the mental nor emotional fortitude to handle this new role, and also maintain my mental health... at least not without treatment. So I spoke with my Psych about medication, and got started on it. Within 24 hours of starting the medication I had a Manic Episode, the likes of which I had never experienced. On top of the Manic episode, I also began experiencing aggressive heart palpitations (it was not an anxiety/panic attack, I have had enough panic/anxiety attacks in my life to know the differences... and when I eventually landed in the hospital, the EKG/ECG proved the heart anomalies were very real). Amidst the Physical and Mental breakdown, I had to resign from the job. Between the stress of the job, and the bad reaction to the meds... I had not slept for 7 days, and physically I could not even drive myself to the Doctor. It was during the stress and mental uncertainty of this scenario that I made a decision to de-porn my life. (I also made a decision to reconnect with my estranged father, a decision which, while impulsive, turned out very well, and I am very happy that I reached out to him). In hindsight. I view a lot of the decisions that I made, to be impulsive, and not from a place of mental clarity. I was essentially operating under a medication induced mental duress. Once I was taken off the medication, everything began to improve and go back to normal. I can sleep 6-8 hours a night again, the heart palpitations have stopped, I can drive, I can think straight, and my sex-drive has returned. I realize that the judgments I was casting upon myself were, not only coming from the fog of bad medication + lack of sleep, but they were judgments that were not my own, judgments projected onto me from past partners, and from an unaccepting society. Pornstars are people. Sex work is real work. Erotic art, is real art too. Some people end their day by cuddling and having sex with a partner. Some people read a book. Some people play videogames until they fall asleep at their desk. Some people drink a 6-pack of beer every night, or an entire bottle of wine. Some people binge watch TV until they fall asleep. I used to invite my girlfriend over for (mutual); cuddles, backrubs, scalp massages, sex, and TV watching... and that was enough to put me to sleep. Then I got dumped... Now I wind-down by watching paid porn actors, act-out some of the intimate things I used to do with my partner while I vape weed and reminisce about how nice it was to be in a relationship. No matter how shitty a day I've had. It's the one thing I can do at the end of the day, that consistently relaxes me and puts me in a position to get a good night's sleep. Is it ideal? Of course not. Ideal, for me, would be falling asleep next to a partner. But I don't have a partner. And until I do. Who am I, or anyone else, to pass judgement upon the coping mechanism that I am employing to get me through the night? I am thankful that my sex-drive came back. I am thankful that my coping mechanism hurts no one. I am hopeful that someday I will find a partner that accepts me for who I am, perceived flaws & all. Loves me when I'm at my best, and when I'm at my worst. Until I do, I will cope.

[katsintriis]

Hey I saw a rb of yours about having mental health struggles and I try to send people resources when I think they could use them soo: You'll benefit from looking at them right away, but you can also save them on your desktop and schedule yourself or give yourself reminders to use them. Even chipping away at them bit by bit is good.

https://integralguide.com/%E2%AD%90%EF%B8%8F+Start+Here/About - A great wiki and tree/CYOA format guide and resource for treating things like anxiety, trauma, CPTSD, depression, ADHD and OCD, and for improving overall wellbeing. If nothing else, read the short intro because it demonstrates what it is.

Mental Health Resource List https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jbAxPB8QKG3NLUKNZB8h1fNUjzcXaNrZ/view - Problem, minority and area specific international resources.

https://www.therapistaid.com/ - Accessible mental health and therapy education, resources and worksheets.

https://www.verywellmind.com/about-explanatory-styles-3145110 - A very short read but very useful.

https://positivepsychology.com/mental-health-exercises-interventions - A good in-depth guide and overview for treating and managing anxiety and depression and their symptoms, with references and links to other resources.

Mental health apps like Wysa and Sanvello - Accessible and low effort, recommend to use alongside other resources.

https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit/developing-your-self-care-plan.html - Functional, kind, well-communicated and succinct resource for taking care of yourself and all your needs, both long-term and in crisis.

https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit/self-care-assessments-exercises/exercises-and-activities.html - Guidance on resting and relaxing effectively, time management, physical health, lifestyle and mental health maintenance.

https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit/additional-self-care-resources/developing-your-support-system.html - Once again practical, kind and wise guidance and tips for how to find, develop and maintain a comprehensive support system and what to avoid.

Books by Babette Rothschild, particularly 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery - She's a therapist with experience with mental illness (including PTSD) and her books contain much of the same therapy and education you get in a therapist's office - they're very well written, informative, accessible and gentle and if you can't afford buying you can get them from online or physical libraries.

And last but not least - seriously pursue therapy or other help if you're not doing so already! You should try googling "[country/city/county/state] (health condition/circumstance/demographic) (financial/medical/therapy) [aid/assistance/program/services/benefits/discount]" or similar to find help or guidance - there's a lot of help out there but a lot of it is just obscure and underadvertised.

Hi anon.

This is a really sweet gesture, so first of all, thank you. I think I know what post you were referring to that I made. I've been having insomnia and was venting my frustrations over it at 4 in the morning when I couldn't get back to sleep. Sometimes getting my negative thoughts out of my head and into the real world can help me calm down when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Usually I'll do this physically on paper but I was distracting myself with tumblr at the time. I'm sorry if this kind of post worried anyone - I'm okay.

That being said, I am currently seeing someone for mental wellness and have discussed things with a medical professional as well, so that's covered. You can't always tell how someone is doing just from what they post online. However, I think these links could also benefit others who might be struggling, or don't know where to start, so I'm publishing this here with some tags that may help others find them if anyone else is interested in checking them out.

I checked the content of the links, and it seems like a lot of helpful suggestions and opinions, but I would also encourage others to please be aware of who is publishing what online and to not take everything you see as solid medical advice, but more as a jumping off point before addressing concerns with a professional.

[dukereviewsxtra]

Duke's Monsterween: Halloweentown

Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome Back To Duke's Monsterween...

Where We Continue Our Halloween Look At Disney...

By Talking About Our First Disney Channel Original Movie, Which Happens To Be One Of The First Disney Channel Original Movies, Halloweentown....

This Movie Is About A Girl Named Marnie Cromwell Who Travels To Halloweentown With Her Brother And Sister To Help Their Witch Grandmother (Played By The Late Great Debbie Reynolds) Save Halloweentown From A Darkness That's Destroying Everything...

While Also Beginning Her Training As A Witch Behind Her Mortal Insistent Mother's Back...

Will The Cromwell Family Unite And Stop This Evil?

Let's Find Out As We Watch Halloweentown...

The Film Starts In The Home Of The Cromwell Family Whose House Is Not Dressed Up For Halloween Nor Is Anyone Going Out Trick Or Treating...

With Daughter #2, Sophie (Played By Emily Roeske) Basically Being A Wallflower, Son Dylan (Played By Joey Zimmerman) Not Really Caring...

And Daughter #1 Marnie (Played By Bringing Down The House's Kimberly J. Brown) Being Upset That Her Mother, Gwen (Played By The Original April O'Neil) Won't Let Them Go Out On Halloween For Reasons Unknown...

But When The Grandmother, Aggie Flies In On A Magic Bus From Halloweentown To Spend The Holiday With Her Family, She Attempts To Get The Kids Into The Halloween Spirit Only For Gwen To Become A Buzzkill Again And Say No...

When The Kids Go To Bed, Aggie Reads A Story On Halloweentown To The Kids Which Pisses Off Gwen More As She Wants Marnie To Live A Normal Life Instead Of The Life Of A Witch And It May Happen If Marnie's Training Doesn't Start Tonight...

But Aside From That, Marnie Is Not The Only Reason Aggie Is There Tonight, It Turns Out That She Needs Gwen's Help Dealing With An Evil That's Turning People Evil Before They Just Disappear And Fears That This Evil Is Trying To Return Them To The Dark Times...

She's Tried Asking Other Witches And Warlocks But None Want To Help So, Instead She Figures That 2 Cromwell Witches Are Better Than One...

But Not Wanting To Abandon Her Kids To Face Some Nameless Force, Gwen Refuses

Which Leads Aggie To Storm Off, But Unbeknownst To Gwen And Aggie, Marnie Heard Everything...

Telling Dylan This, He Doesn't Believe Her But When They See Aggie Walking Away With Her Bag Right Behind Her, They Both Get Dressed And Sneak Out Of The House To Follow Aggie To The Halloweentown Bus Stop So They Can Sneak On-Board The Bus...

Arriving In Halloweentown, Marnie And Dylan Discover That Sophie Heard Everything They Said At Home And Followed Them Onto The Bus, They Meet The Mayor, Kalabar (A Warlock Who Knew Gwen Years Ago) Who Helps Them Go Their Grandmother's By Calling For Benny (Played By The Batman)...

Seriously, The Guy Who Voices Benny In This Voiced Batman On The Animated Series Called The Batman...

To Take Them To Aggie's House...

Along The Way, Benny Warns Them To Be Careful Around Halloweentown As He Tells Them About A Kid Named Luke, Who Got A Nose Job And A Couple Of Warts Removed With The Help Of Some Shadow Creature...

Arriving At Aggie's, They Find That The Place Is Locked, Marnie Tries Using Her Powers But They Don't Work, Luckily, However, The Lock Comes Off When Sophie Wishes The Lock To Be Turned Into A Frog...

With The Kids Knocking On Aggie's Door, Marnie Tells Her That She's There To Start Her Training And To Fight The Darkness In Halloweentown, With Aggie Saying Okay As Long As They Get Back To The Mortal World Before Midnight...

But Despite Marnie Pointing Out That That's Only 2 Hours From Now, Aggie Points Out That Time Works Differently There With 2 Hours Being Either 2 Days Or 2 Weeks...

Looking Into Aggie's Viewing Globe...I Mean, Witches Glass, She Shows Them What The Evil Apparently Looks Like And Reveals That The Only Way To Stop It Is With A Talisman That Merlin Used To End The Dark Ages In The Mortal World Years Ago...

Aggie Attempts To Reactivate It With Instant Witches Brew But The Attempt Fails Which Leaves Her Only One Choice And That's For Her And The Kids To Gather The Ingredients For The Brew And Make It Herself...

Meanwhile In The Mortal World, Gwen Discovers The Kids Are Gone While Aggie Relays To The Kids, A Brief History Of Halloweentown While Showing Them Around Before Running Into A Friend, Harriet, Who Has Obviously Been Transformed By The Darkness...

Telling Kalabar About It, He Apologizes For Not Taking Her Seriously And Believes She Has Uncovered Something Very Serious But Being Unsure Of The Details Himself He Tells Her To Leave It Alone For 2 Days While The Kids Are Here...

As Kalabar Leaves, Aggie Finds Sophie And Dylan But Realizes That Marnie Has Discovered The Brooms. Deciding To Get Her One Since It's A Witch's Rite Of Passage, They End Up Running Into Luks Who Flirts With Marnie Only To Get Seriously Shot Down By Her..

Deciding To Fly The Broom Out, Grandmother And Granddaughter Have Fun On Marnie's New Broom, When They Come Down They're Confronted By Gwen

And From There, It's Nothing But Bickering Which Sounds Like The Nostalgia Critic Doing An Impression Of Chris O'Donnell From Batman And Robin For A Few Minutes ...

(Start At 10:02, End At 10:09)

Either Way, Marnie Is Pissed That Gwen Wouldn't Let Her Train As A Witch As She Leaves With Gwen, Dylan And Sophie To Get A Bus Home...

Unfortunately, They're Unable To Get A Bus Home, So, They Go To See Kalabar Who Reminisces With Gwen For A Second Before Taking Off Saying That He Has To Deal With An Emergency..

Meanwhile, Aggie Runs Into Luke, Who Knows She Has Merlin's Talisman And That The Person He Works For Wants It, Telling Luke To Take Her To Him, They Walk Down The Street To The Old Movie Theater...

With Sophie Seeing Them, Marnie Knows Something's Up And Takes Off Despite Gwen Telling Her To Stop...

Once Inside, Aggie Is Confronted By The Darkness Who Is Revealed To Be The Shadow Creature That Benny Told The Kids About...

With The Creature Demanding The Talisman, Aggie Refuses Which Leads Him To Start Blasting At Aggie...

But When Marnie, Gwen And The Kids Enter, The Creature Blasts Both Gwen And Aggie Freezing Them...

With Aggie Telling Marnie And The Kids To Go, They Decide To Try To Save Them By Continuing Aggie's Mission By Getting The Ingredients For Merlin's Talisman...

It's Here We Get A Small Montage Of The Kids Getting The 3 Ingredients Around Halloweentown, Like They Get A Hair Of A Werewolf From A Werewolf Barber, They Get Sweat Of A Ghost From A Ghost In A Sauna And They Get Fang Of A Vampire From A Vampire At At A Dentist's Office...

After Ditching A Monstrous Benny, Marnie Creates The Witch's Brew For The Talisman But Sadly She Doesn't Remember The Spell, Luckily, Sophie Does And When They Both Say It Together, The Talisman Lights Up...

Going To The Theatre, They Try Using It On Gwen And Aggie, But It Doesn't Work On Them, This Leads Marnie To Remember That Aggie Said They Had To Install It But As To Where? Well, As Marnie Puts It, Where Do You Put A Candle On Halloween?

But Before She Can Get To The Pumpkin In Town Square, Marnie Is Confronted By Luke, Who Warns Her That The Shadow Creature Is Waiting For Her And That He Knows That She'll Attempt To Save Her Grandmother...

Despite Not Trusting Him, Luke Tells Her To Get Down As The Sky Turns Dark And The Shadow Creature Appears On City Hall Where He's Revealed To Be Kalabar, Who Wishes To Use The Creatures Of Halloweentown To, You Guessed It, Take Over The Mortal World...

But When He Spots Marnie, He Freezes Her Only To Discover That He Froze Luke And That Marnie Is At The Pumpkin...

Unfortunately Though He Does Hit Marnie And Freeze Her Before She Can Install The Talisman But Luckily The Talisman Falls In And Land Where It's Supposed To...

With Gwen And Aggie Returned To Normal, They Confront Kalabar Who Reveals That He Did This Because Gwen Chose A Human Over Him...

Pulling The Talisman Out Of The Pumpkin, The Cromwells (Including Dylan) Unite Their Powers Together To Get The Talisman Back And Defeat Kalabar, As He Sounds Like Darth Vader When He's Defeated...

With Gwen Apologizing To Marnie, She Goes To Check On Luke Afterwards As He's Revealed To Be A Goblin Who Only Did What He Did Because Kalabar Made Him Handsome, Either Way Though Him And Marnie Make Up...

I Would Say Become Love Interests But He Doesn't Appear In Either The 3rd Or The 4th One...

Finally Managing To Get A Special Bus Back To The Mortal Realm, Gwen Invites Aggie To Stay With Them In The Mortal World To Help Marnie With Her Training And Also Because She's Good With The Kids...

Accepting Gwen's Offer, They Get On The Bus And Go Back To The Mortal Realm As Our Movie Ends...

And That's Halloweentown And...I Love This Movie...

It Seriously Is One Of The Best DCOMS Ever Done For The Disney Channel, The Story Is Pretty Good, The Cast Fits Well In Their Roles, The Sets (May Not Look As Creative As The Nightmare Before Christmas But They, For The Most Part) Are Pretty Good, The Make Ups Are Pretty Interesting...

Now I Know There Are People Who Believe The Acting Is Hokey, The Story Is Stupid, The Town Isn't As Creative As The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Effects Are Stupid, The Monsters Look Fake And The Bad Guy Is A Mix Of The Grim Reaper And Jim Carrey's Grinch...

But To Those People I Simply Say To Turn Off Your Brains And To Think Like A Child For Five Seconds And You Might Find You Like This Movie...

But There's Another Reason That I Like This Movie And That's Because My Grandmother Loved This Movie Because Debbie Reynolds Was In It And I Used To Watch All The Movies With Her Almost Every Halloween Until Her Death...

And It's Because Of That And Because It's A Great Movie That I Definitely Say To See It...

Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off...