#like that is not normal. that is disordered levels of daily anxiety

[saltiestgempearl]

Today is the day! At long last, I can talk about my absolute favorite headcanon about Dr. Seward with you all.

I'm writing a new post about it instead of just reblogging my post from last year because that post is not spoiler free. That is, I posted October 22 of 2022, so it does mention things from entries that have not happened yet in the 2023 Dracula Daily.

That said, most of it is still fine now that the September 3 entry has arrived, so I have put together a slightly edited version that does not touch on anything that happens after the September 3 Dracula entry:

It starts out with this passage from today's entry:

How can he'—and he pointed at me with the same look and gesture as that with which once he pointed me out to his class, on, or rather after, a particular occasion which he never fails to remind me of—'know anything of a young ladies? He has his madmen to play with, and to bring them back to happiness, and to those that love them.

The thing is, that's not exactly the wording in the original book. In the original book, it says “He has his madams to play with, and to bring them back to happiness, and to those that love them.” Many people write this off as a typo to the point of changing it to “madmans” or “madmen” in some versions.

But what if it wasn’t a typo?

The word “madam” implies an older woman, like anywhere from middle-aged to elderly. And at the time, it was not at all uncommon for women in this age group to be sent to asylums to recuperate. Sometimes it was just a way to get female relatives you didn’t like out of the way, but sometimes it wasn’t.

You see, many Victorians (men and women alike) unironically bought into the “delicate woman” narrative. People really, genuinely thought women were just psychologically more predisposed to mental instability.

Anyway, the headcanon is that Seward actually started out as a relatively low-level psychologist at an asylum, primarily working with middle-aged to elderly women. And being the inquisitive man he is, he interacted with the patients in a less-than-conventional way, letting them talk about things that would normally be considered signs of imbalance by the contemporary medical community (e.g., “sometimes I wish I’d never had my children,” “sometimes I just want as little to do with my husband as possible,” “honestly those suffragettes make some good points,” etc.). This isn’t to say he was some feminist icon mind you; he didn’t even necessarily agree or legitimize these ideas. But he didn’t shoot them down either—he just listened. And by engaging with the women in this way, he was essentially exploring some of what we now call talk therapy, which was very much not a thing at this time. He may have also tried to be supportive of their hobbies, which while not unheard of (institutions like Bedlam set a precedent for this), was not the most common thing either.

So he did this for a while, and surprise surprise, it actually helped these women quite a bit. He quickly got a reputation for being someone who was unusually gifted in turning around cases of “nervous disorders” that were so common with these delicate womenfolk.

But then some higher-ups decided “oh, well if he’s good with this, he must be good with insane people too.” So despite being a 29-year-old budding psychologist in a very young field, he suddenly found himself the head of an asylum with a very different sort of population to treat.

Given why he was put in this position, Jack naturally continues using the methods that helped his former patients recover so spectacularly. The issue is, of course, that people who are dealing with psychosis or other more serious conditions generally need a different approach than neglected women with anxiety. Basic talk therapy isn’t going to cut it with someone like Renfield.

But again, this field is very young, so Seward is actually relatively limited on how much he can research this. So he continues with his talk therapy, but then adds things like straightjackets into the mix when his patients have meltdowns because that was also a relatively accepted solution at the time (though not universally so; even in Bram Stoker’s time, there were some professionals in the field who had figured out that this type of manual restraint was not helpful and honestly not humane.)

It’s also possible that Jack might have had some criticism early on for not being firm enough with his more “difficult” patients, so he might have overcompensated for that by using the straightjacket solution more often when things got out of hand.

And finally, Jack also has his mad scientist tendencies that he openly grapples with in his diary—you know, the sort that caused him to make wildly irresponsible decisions like “let’s let Renfield escape, but supervised, and see what happens.” And since Jack was the head of the hospital, no one shot down this obviously ridiclous idea because they probably didn’t have the authority to.

TL;DR: The headcanon is “maybe Van Helsing did mean ‘madams’ because Jack started off wildly successful in treating older women with anxiety, and as a result was catapulted into a much more powerful position he was neither properly trained for nor mentally ready for.”

[zoeykallus]

Hi there! I love your headcanons and I was wondering if I could make a personal request. Let me know if this is a no-go.

I have PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, basically PMS [premenstrual syndrome] but 20x worse. It usually resolves upon the onset of the crimson wave. But not all the time.

I have been struggling really badly with the deep depression, insomnia, and self-image issues brought on by my disorder.

Do you think we can see how the Batch handles their fem reader S/O struggling with this disorder specifically? And maybe, if it's not too much, a part 2 with some of our favorite regs?

Thank you so much!

Aloha my dear!

Oh, this is a heavy hitter, I know where you are coming from. So many people out there have no idea how freaking much this can affect someone's life. PMS is already a hard thing to deal with, but PMDD brings it to yet another really shitty level. Don't worry, I got you 😊

The Bad Batch x Afab!Reader HCs - Struggling With PMDD

Warnings: Mention of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and its symptoms /Hurt/Comfort/Fluff

_______

AC: I'm using Techs Part first to introduce PMDD and its symptoms to those who might not know what it is. So don't be surprised about Tech's Part being longer than the others, there is a lot of information in there. So please read Tech's part, to understand what this is all about 😊

_______

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

_______

Tech

The first experiences he has with you in this context are frightening for him. Apart from the fact that you suddenly seem like a completely different person to him, he is really worried about you. But Tech wouldn't be Tech if he didn't get to the bottom of this.

It takes him a little while to find the right material.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a much more severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It may affect women of childbearing age. It’s a severe and chronic medical condition that needs attention and treatment. Lifestyle changes and sometimes medicines can help manage symptoms.

The exact cause of PMDD is not known. It may be an abnormal reaction to normal hormone changes that happen with each menstrual cycle. The hormone changes can cause a serotonin deficiency. Serotonin is a substance found naturally in the brain and intestines that narrows blood vessels and can affect mood and cause physical symptoms.

What are the risk factors for PMDD?

While any woman can develop PMDD, the following may be at increased risk:

Women with a family history of PMS or PMDD  

Women with a personal or family history of depression, postpartum depression, or other mood disorders

Other possible risk factors include lower education and cigarette smoking

Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.

"Healthcare provider?" he mumbles softly between reading, "As if any of us have such a thing"

Symptoms of PMDD appear during the week before menstruation and end within a few days after your period starts. These symptoms disrupt daily living tasks. Symptoms of PMDD are so severe that women have trouble functioning at home, at work, and in relationships during this time. This is markedly different than other times during the month.

There is a chart with symptoms and he worriedly starts to read it.

The following are the most common symptoms of PMDD:

Psychological symptoms

Irritability

Nervousness

Lack of control

Agitation

Anger

Insomnia

Difficulty in concentrating

Depression

Severe fatigue

Anxiety

Confusion

Forgetfulness

Poor self-image

Paranoia

Emotional sensitivity

Crying spells

Moodiness

Trouble sleeping

Fluid retention

Swelling of the ankles, hands, and feet

Periodic weight gain

Diminished urine output

Breast fullness and pain

Respiratory problems

Allergies

Infections

Eye complaints

Vision changes

Eye infection

Gastrointestinal symptoms

Abdominal cramps

Bloating

Constipation

Nausea

Vomiting

Pelvic heaviness or pressure

Backache

Skin problems

Acne

Skin inflammation with itching

Aggravation of other skin disorders, including cold sores

Neurologic and vascular symptoms

Headache

Dizziness

Fainting

Numbness, prickling, tingling, or heightened sensitivity of arms and/or legs

Easy bruising

Heart palpitations

Muscle spasms

Other

Decreased coordination

Painful menstruation

Diminished sex drive

Appetite changes

Food cravings

Hot flashes

His brows are drawn together critically. With a heavy sigh, he says quietly to himself, "Oh boy…"

Tech makes it his business to see that you are examined by a proper doctor, given appropriate medication, and change your diet. He sometimes seems stern and matter-of-fact, but only when he notices you neglecting yourself. Tech also pampers you to counteract the psychological symptoms, with picnics, massages and the like.

Don't worry too much, Tech's got your back. He won't give up on you.

Hunter

His senses already tell him what connections exist with your condition. But of course he is not a doctor and therefore informs himself accordingly without your knowledge, Tech helps him. What he learns frightens him, Hunter is really worried, and he makes it his mission to make this time, these symptoms, easier for you. Apart from making sure you always have the medication you need at hand, he is also much more attentive and caring than usual during this time.

You can let yourself go and not have to worry about anything, Hunter takes everything in hand and has it under control. He is especially gentle and forgiving with you during this time. You mean a lot to him, and he does his absolute best to help you.

He doesn't argue with you when you get your moods, if you want to be alone he respects that, but keeps an eye on you from a safe distance, just in case.

Echo

This sweet man really throws himself into the task of helping you. Whether it's getting your medications, preparing food, massages, and running relaxing baths, Echo has it all covered.

With him by your side, you will want for nothing during this difficult time. He is also not easily scared away, he is as patient as he is stubborn. You don't have to go to the doctor alone, Echo will accompany you.

He organizes your medication, your diet and everything else you need, if you want. If you don't, you must tell him clearly, because Echo will automatically see his task in taking care of everything.

Wrecker

He is warm, and lively. Contrary to the expectations of most, he is also very sensitive and attentive. Of course, he does not miss the fact that something is wrong with you. Of course, he is worried and wants to help.

Talk to him honestly, try not to withdraw, and you will have a steadfast supporter and caretaker in Wrecker. He likes to spoil you, make sure you are taken care of and have your medication.

Wrecker is happy to adapt to you, you just need to communicate with him and let him know what you need. Taking care of you is very easy for him, he likes to do that. Knowing that he can make things easier for you is also good for him in this situation. So confide in him, there is absolutely no reason to pretend in front of him.

Crosshair

He is a bit more complicated at first. Of course, you are incredibly important to him, and he also has a certain empathy, but he often stands in his own way when it comes to emotional, interpersonal things.

At first, he can't really deal with it at all and is looking for some distance at this time. But in a small conversation between brothers, in which Hunter makes it clear to him that his behavior sooner or later can seriously damage your relationship, Crosshair first informs himself more precisely about the existing problem. Finally, he approaches you with the knowledge he has gathered and tries to discuss with you what you can do together as a couple, what he can do as your partner to make the whole thing easier for you.

You talk about medications, doctor visits, relaxation techniques, and home remedies to combat some symptoms. It doesn't take long for the two of you to work out a certain routine that you can both manage and that he can use to help you get through this time okay.

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@allsystemsblue

@palliateclaw

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@hated-by-me

@hunterxcrosshair

@malicemercy

@bebopsworld

@echos-girlfriend

@cpnt616

@dangraccoon

@jediknightjana

@pb-jellybeans

@antishadow2021

@sleepycreativewriter

@projectdreamwalker

@1vlouds

[drdemonprince]

I know people got angry about the "talking about caffeine like any other drug" thing but I think it's so helpful not just to discuss the arbitrary lines between legal and illegal substances but also for informed consent purposes *with* caffeine itself. For example my use of alcohol has changed drastically since reading Unmasking Autism because I didn't realize I was only able to interact with allistics in the context of relaxed social rules when everybody was drinking. Now that I have that information my decisions around it are much different (basically using alcohol only when I *want* to get the feelings it gives me, and when I have to interact with people using other coping strategies instead).

I can't quit caffeine right now, but I might reduce its use in the future and only use it when I want that caffeinated feeling and not to keep up with work like I do now. Which I didn't even think about before, precisely because even though I rationally knew it was a drug I never thought of it as a "drug-drug".

Yo yessss thank you!!! Informed consent means being fully apprised of the risks and benefits of a substance, and having the freedom to choose when to use it. Currently, very few of us enjoy that level of empowered freedom with just about any substance that we use.

Our doctors don't tell us about all the risks of the drugs we are on (I'm still bitter as hell nobody told me that my muscle development would be stunted by going on hormonal birth control at 18!!! and that it would give me lasting breast growth), and the substances that are not medically prescribed but legal are ones that many of us quaff without thought, and without ever being told the effects of. For instance, did you know prolonged use of Benadryl increases the risk of developing Alzheimers??? I didn't! and i was using that shit to fall asleep and regulate anxiety for a time!!

In the United States in particular there is no open conversation with young people about the potential effects of alcohol, how the drug can act like a mild stimulant in smaller doses but then ricochet into massively depressing effects after hours of use, with an anxiety spike hours beyond that as it leaves the system. We don't talk to people about the effects of caffeine -- and that it's not necessarily normal for so many people to deal with daily gastric issues, trouble falling asleep, trouble sitting still, and intense irritability all day long as presently do.

Some people are just like that, some people have anxiety disorders and benefit from anti-anxiety meds to treat those symptoms, some people find ways of coping with it that involve mindfulness or meditation or whatever else -- but a great number of people who experience these issues are only going through them because they're on caffeine and they're working too hard. And what they've come to believe is an inevitable part of their chemistry is in fact economically and socially created from the outside, and could be prevented if they were only able to stop.

but many of them can't stop. because of capitalism. and so they aren't informed about the real risks & costs of the substances they are using, and they aren't freely able to revoke their (dubious) consent.

meanwhile as someone who only started using weed regularly about a year and a half ago and who is now curious about trying psychedelics, ive been lovingly inundated in helpful tips, usage guides, listings of various strains and their distinct effects, lab results testing doses, etc from the people I know who are passionate about those substances and want to ensure that anybody else using them has a good time.

I don't want to paint these substances with a pollyannaish brush either -- weed can trigger hallucinations and psychotic episodes in some segments of the population, a fact that too many ardent weed heads ignore -- but the difference in the level of control I have over my experience as a weed user and the utter lack of information and self-determination I have when seeking out prescribed meds, or even ingesting caffeine, is unreal.

So many foods covertly contain caffeine or openly are caffeinated yet don't document how many milligrams of the substance it has, for example. It's impossible to safely and responsibly use a substance when you don't even know how much you're getting, and it's bizarre we're all being dosed with stimulants all day long often without even realizing it.

this might seem like a low-importance example, and people will say to me dismissively that caffeine doesn't ruin any lives, but when I look back on how much I've used the substance to further my eating disorder and how many people i've been short and cruel-tempered with over the years because i was downing cups and cups of the stuff all day without reflection, i'm not sure i believe that argument.

but of course all roads in this conversation lead back to capitalism. i wouldnt have been drinking this stuff with abandon if i hadn't been trying to shove three days of work into a single 8 hours, and if my culture and economic system hadn't been foisting the stuff on me from day one.

my uncle says that i was always a deeply anxious kid, i guess it was something that my grandmother fretted about as well, and yet when i decided in my teens to start boosting that anxiety with caffeine every day, and became even more moody and negative, nobody connected the dots, and nobody thought to warn me. and why would they, nobody warned them.

[sidewalkchemistry]

The Fine Line Between Self-Love & Punitive Discipline (Finding Food Freedom ☺️) | Holistic Leveling Up!

I wanted to take a moment today to talk about the modern scene of nutrition. Increasingly within it, a common theme is condemning abstinence, or restriction, in efforts to be in direct opposition to diet culture. Unfortunately, many nutritionists haven't yet realized how food freedom comes about - i.e. through distancing oneself from addictive & overprocessed "food stuffs" by your own self-loving choice to choose nourishment instead. It opens up your tastebuds and develops cravings for real whole foods. Thus, food becomes orgasmic & nourishing at once...It literally feels like you've been missing out your whole life on feeling so hydrated, satiated, and energized. The felt sense of connection and gratitude for Earth's bounty usually leaves little to no room for a troubled relationship with food (with the proper transitionary system especially).

Rejecting fast foods, refined sugars, junk food snacks, table salts, oils, animal products (which are inherently hormone-ridden), and other food formulations which create addictive habits can first look like a knuckle-gripping self-disciplinary method. Many get wary that it will cause or worsen disordered relationships with food. Rarely is an eye batted at the nutritionist who encourages eating junk foods and fast foods on a regular basis for a "balanced" mindset. The paradox is that animals who get a taste of these foods lose all sense of balance with food. Disordered relationships with food are only a reality because of non-real foods. There is nothing wrong with facing the reality that there are such things as unhealthy foods. Unhealthy food cravings and binges are only done on less-than-ideal foods. Such foods should never be seen as something-I-may-never-ever-have-again or a food-I-can-no-longer-eat. That will mess you up psychologically and increase the craving tenfold! Plus, it won't be interpreted by the body as a loving act to ignore those cravings. It will feel like punishment. Mindset shifts are necessary in healing one's relationship with food because some of what we considered foods alter our normal psychology. Instead, it's much healthier to think in terms of these-are-the-foods-that-are-perfect-for-me. By that, I mean, that many of the foods which we all know shouldn't be eaten on a regular basis cause us to act within the realm of our "lower selves," as you could say. They increase our impatience, anxiety, temper...they throw us out of balance (nothing is wrong with recognizing any morsel of impatience, anxiety, or anger within you. The issue is when it begins to unconsciously rule you). But yes, this is how we make self-loving choices at all. This is real discipline. You notice that a certain action will be much more worthwhile. And so, you choose it. And you delight in the journey that action takes you along. And that becomes your new normal. ~~~~ FOOD FREEDOM AFFIRMATIONS "I nourish myself on ripe, juicy fruits, satisfying greens, and warm herbal teas." "Junk foods are not suited for someone like me." "I treat myself with a rich rainbow of colors everyday." "I easily express the fullness of myself when I'm running on high quality fuel." ~~~~~ Transitioning to this stage (swapping your self-injurious habits for soul-nourishing ones) doesn't happen overnight, however. I have described a bit about how to progressively upgrade towards a more mindful and healing experience with your food. Some things can include: eating leafy greens or drinking a herbal tea (preferably unsweetened, strongly steeped, and a bitter herb) alongside the food you wish to let go of; wise usage of colon hydrotherapy (I recommend lemon & distilled water enemas in particular); eating fruit as your first meal of the day; eating at least 1 lb of leafy greens daily; finding healthier swaps; filling your feeds with inspiring accounts filled only with displays of real foods; preparing your meals at home (this is one of the most pivotal moves you can make!); having a green juice/smoothie daily; start with your favorite produce then branch out and try more; learning to select fresh, ripe fruits; healing mindset shifts & affirmations; trying & creating staple recipes that suit you on every level; etc!

[applin-bottom-jeans]

trying to reorganize my life for new years

through the power of agile brainrot i'm doing a new thing for time tracking and i kind of want to share it here (especially since i don't have a real update for pigeon-splice like i wanted)

so last year i tried to figure out organizational methods for the stuff i had in my life because my current system - writing down weekly todos and then breaking those into daily tasks - wasn't really working, both in the short term (large tasks that need to be done during the day get kicked, forever) and long term (no tracking for long term projects with deadlines)

but then two things happened

i read up on agile stuff

i got put on a better release type of my meds and holy shit i am less wiaefrjueiwahjfdeioswAFHeouihf (and then got put back on the old version because of a miscommunication between docs and then put back on the new version, more on that later)

I'm not a big fan of kanban because i feel like in card form seeing all of the cards you have in your queue gets extremely overwhelming, especially if you dont have a good way of organizing them by tag (so really, i just hate trello).

but scrum. im in a deep love-hate relationship with scrum. Here's my understanding of scrum, which may not be entirely accurate, with commentary -

Sprint - a length of time where work is measured, usually 2 weeks - no comment, perfect length of time, love that

scrum points - how much work you think a task will take, which will help determine the amount of work you have planned for a sprint - this can get ambiguous depending on the work you do. What happens if something goes wrong? What happens if you need more information and need more time? I understand that there are many tasks that you can learn to estimate well, but at what point is a bad estimation due to your performance or outside factors?

burndown chart - how many scrum points you estimated vs how many you've actually done - this helps with the issue with points and i think its good in theory but also i really don't want a chart of how poorly im doing thats easily accessible by someone higher up in the food chain who might want to decide who to lay off

Sprint planning - a meeting where you plan what will be in a sprint - great. no commentary.

standup - a meeting with your team every day to discuss what you're working on - introspection is good but why do i have to tell my entire team this information every single day. i have an anxiety disorder

sprint review - discussing how the sprint went and how much you got done - good, great

sprint retrospective - basically the same as the review but with vibes - not sure why this is a different meeting but ok

Basically i like the idea of scrum and i really like the philosophy of its work tracking but i feel like the implementation of it in a team turns it into glorified micromanagement. But this is for personal use? Seems good, lets try it out

This still doesn't really help solve the long term project problem but for that i organized the year into financial quarters, like a completely normal person.

So for every quarter this year, i'm planning on having a set of quarter wide goals (duration measured in a month or more), a sprint level goal (duration of days - weekish), and a daily goal (should be as simple as possible).

My general goals for the year is get better at art to the point where i'm finally happy with it, get through all the craft supplies i've accumulated through the years, do big stupid projects, and get healthier i guess. This quarter I'm working on a big BD2 project, a couple of sweaters, a few art challenges, and cleaning my apartment. In the end, my breakdown for this looks like this:

Q1:

Quarter-wide

* BD2 Project

* Two sweaters

* 3 art challenges

* Deep Clean apartment

* Ramp up back to exercising regularly

* Get 6 pages into the pokemon cross stitch project

* Get 2 haircuts (usually i get 1.5 every 3 months...)

Every sprint

* Run 4 times

* Make 1 good painting

* Make 1 practice painting (Q1 emphasis on portraits)

* Make 1 jewelry set (necklace, or earrings, or whatever)

* Buy food

* Clean out previously cleaned parts of the apartment

Every day

* Draw a bird (practice painting)

For this sprint I'm about to start, Bidoof (I named my sprints after dinky pokemon), I have the following specific goals which may intersect with the list above:

Ooblets Painting

Carpenters Close To You Practice Painting

Ahmed Aldoori's 100 head challenge

Clear out my closets

Make a fish pendant and lil anchor earrings

Page 2 of the pokemon cross stitch

Make squares for the current sweater i'm making

"Wtf is LSDJ" and beg people to listen to what i come up with

Get the music plan into LSDJ

And for any tasks that I didn't finish, they either

get kicked to the next sprint, in this case Carbink

get obliterated to hell

so i have the flexibility sometimes to push things off if they're not working out. i have already kicked out a lot of the LSDJ stuff because last week i had to go back on my old meds so i had to transition to old antidepressants and then transition back again to the new antipressants and my brain didn't like that. but its fine, we're fine. help

I then have a todo list i make for the day in the morning and i try to grab whatever i can from the goals list.

and yeah. i hope this helps getting my stuff together for this year. i already feel more on top of things but that might just be the antidepressants so

[big-boah]

Disability Pride month is almost over, and I wanted to share my story about my own experiences with disability.

I have autism, ADHD, TBI, PTSD, deafness, and a few others! 🤟

Under the cut:

Here's my story:

When I was born, the doctors gave my mom drugs to cause contractions because I was sleeby and very late, and it wasn't until my mom almost died that they found out I was in the wrong position and couldn't be born naturally, while also being choked by the cord. (I was covered in bruises until I was like, 2.) I sustained a mild TBI from that and I was lucky I guess, because it could've affected me differently. (My mom also didn't know she was pregnant for a while and both parents had/have substance abuse issues. I had a rough start lol)

As a kid, I started reading and speaking very early, but I would only talk about things that I cared about/infodump. I clearly had attention problems--I couldn't focus on something unless I was absorbed by it. I had meltdowns because of sensory issues regularly. I also had a speech impediment and a weird accent that I got speech therapy for for a year.

My parents were told I was likely autistic when I was about 5 or 6, as I would only show 2 emotions: unabashed joy, and meltdowns. Otherwise I just...look angry lmao. I went through a lot of bullying in school and ended up being diagnosed with depression with generalized anxiety disorder by the time I was 11.

I've always had horrible coordination issues/apraxia/dyspraxia and I still struggle with it daily. I've broken so many bones y'all 😅

I was diagnosed with autism and suspected ADHD when I was 13 and again my parents did nothing with that. The school offered services because I was struggling, even though we were a low-income family in a small low-income school with grades K-12 in one building they did what they could to help. I was in special education classes as well as advanced classes at the same time until high school when I switched to all advanced/college level classes. One therapist at school helped me learn ASL to deal with the speech generation issues and I am forever grateful for that.

I've been writing stories since I was 6-7ish and writing to communicate was my favorite. By the time I was in middle school I learned to mask, and I studied people and psychology obsessively so I could understand why people did things. I didn't have any friends until this time although I did try (but no one else wanted to pretend to be a dog or a mage or play DBZ with me, well fuck you too! 😜)

My parents tried to get me to be normal so they forced me to join a sport when I was 8. An dyspraxic 8 year old playing softball lmao. I hated it. My dad wound up coaching the team 2 years in, because I was getting bullied BY THE OTHER DAD COACHES hahaha. I was forced to do that for 7 years.

I joined the bowling team in middle school of my own accord, and ended up being like the "backup team" where it was literally 3 of us from the special ed class 😂but I loved it! I got to hang out and bowl and everyone was really supportive there. I made some good friends for the first time.

My parents forced me to get a job and pay rent starting on my 15th birthday and of course I started working at the mall, on Black Friday, in retail. I am great at masking in very short bursts, literally just acting a script, and this is why I only feel comfortable leaving the house if I'm in character 😅So job interviews have never been too difficult thankfully. I had to get out of the whole abusive house situation ASAP so I started full time at an auto shop on the corner of my street the same time I started college, bought a used 2-door black Pontiac Grand Am from some guy on Craiglist with my own money, and moved out when I turned 17. I moved in with my best friend at the time who was also autistic, into a house we were renting from a friend's mom who was in the military.

I started experiencing chronic pain around this time, and had my first Meniere's flare up the first month of college. I was diagnosed with Meniere's at 18 as well as migraines, but my dad and grandfather had the symptoms start around the same age and they were never diagnosed, it was just considered "genetic hearing loss." Basically I have flare ups where I get too dizzy to sit up and my ears go out completely, then when they open back up it's never the same as it was before the flareup. It's been 10 years of this and I'm completely deaf in my left ear and half deaf in my right ear. I wear hearing aids and without them I can't really understand sound, and because of the nerve damage I usually can't tell where sound is coming from when I hear it, which is...an experience lol.

When I was 23, I woke up one day with a huge blind spot (scotoma) in the center of my left eye. I still can't see out of it. I started having other nerve issues in other parts of my body, they did a bunch of tests and found significant weakness in my legs which were also spasming, and all that improved over a year. I am still in the "we have no idea" zone for MS, after MRIs showed possible lesions but it would explain a lot. 🤷🏻‍♂️They told me it could be fibromyalgia or a virus too, but who knows at this point. Just a lot of inflammation.

I personally think a whole lot of this is caused by burnout. The timing is suspicious...

When I was 25 (2019) the nerve issues came back with a vengeance and it corresponded with an extremely stressful job situation. I went through the same tests, which were all inconclusive, again. I have extreme pain in my hands, hips, and feet during these flareups where I can't walk at all or sleep or move, and my ankles will go so numb I get drop foot in both feet and have to wear braces. 😅Eventually the nerve inflammation heals and it takes a few months, but its never the same after.

During this time I also experienced a mental health crisis, SI, and a rapid decline in executive/cognitive functioning due to burnout, because I'd been working full time for 8ish years at that point and autistic burnout is a real thing. I haven't really recovered from that honestly. Which makes work and being alive change to "Expert Mode" from "Hard".

In April 2021, I fell in the shower and sustained a skull fracture w/ moderate TBI. I am much more emotional now than I was before the TBI, my memory is worse, and my migraines have been worse since.

I can't shower unsupervised anymore. I can't do most things unsupervised except work and drive. (I may have issues, but I have always been a damn good driver! I honestly think it's because I played Grand Turismo with my dad's pedal and brake set on PS 1 for years!)

Even before all of that stuff, I knew I could never live alone. I've always lived with friends who knew my situation, and I moved in with my husband 2 weeks after we met and we've been living together since. (10 years now!) I can't do a lot of stuff like cook or use scissors or lift heavy stuff, and I have meltdowns where I will hurt myself without meaning to, it's just always been that way. I can't go out on my own either except for short trips like appointments, due to the fact that I will completely dissociate when I'm overstimulated and my brain function just ceases to exist. I get stuck often (autistic catatonia).

I am now 28 and I'm hanging on to full time work by my last thread. I am grateful I work from home doing software support, but any kind of full time work gives me burnout, which turns into inflammation and physical stress, which makes work harder, etc, it's a lovely spiral! Therapy has been helping me a ton. I've been in all kinds of therapy of my own accord over the last 10 years, and I currently work with an occupational therapist and a therapist who specializes in neurodivergent adults with PTSD.

Without working full time I can't afford therapy and my long list of meds that keep me functional (I can't work without a VERY delicately balanced cocktail of stimulants, benzos, hormones, antidepressants, and THC. I absolutely HATE this with a passion, if I didn't have to work full time, I wouldn't need all the drugs.) There's going to be a day where I wake up and cannot work anymore, and it'll be sooner than later. When that day comes, we'll just have to move to somewhere less expensive and/or back with our wonderfully toxic families. /s

(That's what being disabled in America is like when you're white and have "level 3 autism" and come from a low-income family with many substance abuse problems.)

My husband is neurodivergent too, he's autistic and has ADHD. He can't mask his stimming much, and he's not very smooth socially (its adorable) but he doesn't have the executive function difficulties I do and he does not have apraxia, we're all different! I always get "fake mad" at him because he does things so perfectly the first time, like making the bed or baking or even wiping something off I'm like whoa 👀. It makes me ANGRY 😠/s.

Whatever, he's lucky he's cute.

I can't end anything on a depressing note so I will say that I've grown a lot as a person just in the last 2 years especially since the PTSD diagnosis, and my relationship with my partner is a miracle and I don't believe in that stuff. He has always helped me with everything, selflessly, since day 1. (He's the reason we haven't had to hire any outside help yet, he does the supervising and I don't mind one bit! 🥰)

Writing has always been a very cathartic activity for me, and I started doing a journal "as Vegeta" as a way to help my anxiety. Those journals are being stitched together into my fic on AO3 called "Chances" (linked!) which is goofy self-projecting fanfiction but Vegeta and Goku's characters are literally just me and my husband, 1:1. 😂He learned ASL for me, and we always have a blast in our little corner of the world. Our entire mission in life together is to just have the best time possible, responsibly, because life is short.

But yeah that's my disability story! I can't write anything short so if you made it to the end, here's a cookie 🍪and 🤟. If you're my internet friend, maybe this will help you get to know me better!

[pluraladvice]

Recently one of my partner’s friends told me I had “did vibes” and it’s really been bothering me. my partner is encouraging self exploration too but the idea of looking into it wigs me out and makes me uncomfortable and upset and I don’t want to do it. I am vehemently against the idea and I think that’s a normal thing.

I don’t think I’m a system. I know more about did than most random people you’d ask on the street and I understand others’ experiences because I dissociate and have identity problems. my identity dissociates in a disorderly way, but I don’t… have alters. I feel like, considering my close proximity with people w did, I would know, on some level? I understand did is a covert disorder but it’s very hard for that to keep up when you’re constantly exposed to information. I grew up with people with did. it’s never been something unknown to me.

I struggle with dissociation, day to day amnesia and identity dissociation in most of my daily life. I don’t relate to anything others talk about online regarding alters-I don’t have a headspace, I don’t have communication with anyone in my brain, it’s just not like that with me. I’m one person, I’m just sometimes not “me.” that’s so fucking normal for any form of dissociation.

Someone saying that I give off alter-y vibes really messes with me, gives me anxiety, and makes me doubt my perception of reality. I’m not comfortable with people online getting close to me regardless and someone looking into the very small portion of my life they know about and guessing my vibes off of that makes me feel insane. I don’t know what to do or how to address this or address how it makes me feel.

I'm not going to address this fully as this is a lot we simply cannot help with. We are not trained professionals and we can't say one way or another if you're right or the other person is. If what they said makes you uncomfortable, tell them that. Out right. "I was uncomfortable with what was said about me and having "did vibes"". Set the boundaries that you don't want them talking about you like that. It is your right and no one can tell you, you have did or osdd or anything else.

As for a couple of things you said; not every system has a headspace. A fair few don't, it's not uncommon. OSDD-1a has less distinct headmates and sometimes none at all, so to speak. You may feel like "you but to the right". And often OSDD-1a systems report not having conversations in their head. That doesn't mean you have it, but it's important to me that I acknowledge that, that doesn't mean you also DON'T have it. Dissociative disorders can kind of all look like one another and, ultimately, you don't have to say "I'm a system" if you don't want to and, perhaps not in your case, you don't feel it's time, and several other factors. And I acknowledge I do not know you and I am not saying "you have vibes" I'm saying you have described things that can be associated to OSDD and I am simply supplying that information. It doesn't mean you have OSDD or are a system. C-PTSD can often look like OSDD as well and so too can Bipolar. I'm not entirely sure if Borderline is a disorder that is considered to share a lot of traits that it can be confused for the other so I will not say one way or another if it is. Lots of disorders look like each other so just because you have some similarities with OSDD doesn't mean you HAVE OSDD and it isn't up for me or some other person that isn't you or your doctor to say you have any disorder.

Also on a completely personal level if someone told me I had "did vibes" even as a traumagenic system that loves being a system it would make me uncomfortable. That's just. A weird thing to say to someone. I can't think of a single disorder in which saying you have "disorder vibes" would go over that well unless you were already friends with them. Not just like. Vague acquaintances at best.

[mentalhealthsposts]

Emotional Numbness: When Life Feels Like a Zombie Existence

Zombies can be described as someone with no feelings and no way to communicate what they feel. This is exactly what a person suffering from emotional numbness undergoes through on a daily basis. Mental illness is a chemical imbalance of the brain because of the traumatic past experiences. This chemical disbalance not just affects their brain but unfortunately the whole body. Mental and physical illness is directly connected to each other, thus ensuring a healthy mental health is really essential.

Let us look at the most common mental disorders-

Anxiety

Depression

Panic attacks

Borderline Personality disorder

Emotional numbness

Emotional numbness is the most painful mental illness. The person undergoes a lot in this tough journey of emotional numbness. This mental illness, as the name suggests, numbs the person's ability to feel any emotion, be it anger, feelings, emotions, or hatred, and neither could express themselves to others. This feeling of numbness where they are unlikely to feel any kind of emotions is because of the past Traumatic experiences that shock them at a level that they are left traumatized with for life. Hallucinations, panic attack, and numbness are the symptoms along with the numbness of emotions that make this journey very tough, painful, and challenging to get back to a healthy everyday life.

There are few treatments like the somatic and EMDR  that are major and most effective treatments for the post traumatic stress disorder and trauma. These treatments engage the person by connecting the brain and their behavior in a manner that it is controlled, stable, and close to normal. Therapy sessions often play a very decisive role in the way it provides a platform for the patient to take their time, analyze themselves and build a therapeutic relationship this communicating with the basic everyday things.

[datshitrandom]

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month 💜

I have lived with tonic-clonic, absence and psychogenic seizures for 17 years and it is likely that i will require a lifelong treatment to control them. My own main triggers are flashing lights, fever, lack of sleep, anxiety, stress, skipping meals, and alcohol. It took me 7 years to finish college because I used to have 6 to 8 seizures on a daily basis. Personally, I have been treated as if I have a mental illness or disorder, some people avoid me when they find out I have a slight cognitive damage, they mock me because I don't drink at all, I even was dumped via text because is something 'she didn't signed up for' (and yes i'm still bitter about that) - when in fact it is just a neurological disorder that can be treated.

Epilepsy is one of the most common noncommunicable neurological diseases in the world; it has a prevalence of approximately 70 million people. (In Mexico, epilepsy has a prevalence of 3.9 to 42.2 cases per 1,000 inhabitants¹.)

Epilepsy is a spectrum disorder - people usually think that epilepsy only involves having seizures and intolerance to strobe lights. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Epilepsy involves migraines, mood swings, anxiety, different types of seizures, restless nights, insomnia, decline in memory activity, single-minded conversation habits, cognitive damage that causes problems with language, head injuries, social isolation, cloudy or foggy thinking due to the sedating side effects of the anticonvulsant drugs, attention problems, constant shakiness, physical exhaustion, loss of awareness, loss of independence and even sudden unexpected death.

It's also the humiliation of waking up surrounded by strangers, the memory loss you experience before and after, feeling as though you’re a burden to everyone and everything, not being able to drive or do certain things you planned to do previously in your life, experiencing prejudice and discrimination, worrying your family and friends, having to adjust your lifestyle to it, expensive medications and side-effects, hospital visits and tests, people joking about it and making fun of you, the fear of waking up in an ambulance or not waking up at all.

All that said epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder and you may need to help someone someday. Understanding the importance of seizure preparedness and learning what you can do is the best way to help during what are scary situations for all involved. Here are some important do’s and don'ts when someone has a seizure:

DO:

Stay calm. Seizures are common and usually only last a few minutes or less

Stay with the person until the seizure is over

Put something soft under their head

Turn the person on their side to keep airways clear

Make sure onlookers stay calm and stay off to the side

Track the seizure, make sure to mark how much time there is between the beginning and the end of the active seizure, and how long it takes for the person to recover and return to their usual activity level. Another important reason to check the time and note the length of a seizure is so that you can pass this information on afterwards to the person who has had the seizure.

Check to see if the person has any type of emergency information on them, such as a medical bracelet.

When the seizure is over, help the person to a safe place to talk

Comfort them by calmly explaining what just happened

Ask if they know their name and where they are

Offer to call a loved one or a taxi to get them home safely

Following a seizure, a person may often be very tired, want to sleep and may not feel back to normal for several hours or sometimes days

Some people recover quickly, but others may take longer to feel back to normal again

If the seizure goes on for 5 minutes or more, it is called status epilepticus, or 'status'. Status can cause brain damage or even death. It is important to call for an ambulance

If they are pregnant, or if they have more than one seizure call emergencies.

DON’T:

Don’t hold the person down

Don’t try to stop their movements

Don’t put anything in their mouth

Don’t attempt mouth-to-mouth — they will usually start breathing again on their own

Don’t try to give them food or water until they are fully alert

It is important to note that not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy, every brain has the potential to seize. A person can have a seizure from a physical cause and these events are not diagnosed as epilepsy. Some common causes of provoked seizures include:

An acute medical illness (like an infection)

An abnormality in blood sugar or blood pressure

Fever

Head injury or brain trauma

Stroke

Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol

A reaction to a prescribed or over-the-counter medication

Epilepsy Awareness Month is an effort to raise awareness about and change the conversation around the epilepsies, seizures, and side effects, as well as to improve and save lives through care, advocacy, education and support - we must increase public knowledge about first aid to change the way people think about the epilepsies and seizures because - even today - the general public say they would be nervous around or even get involved with a person with epilepsy.

"Epilepsy changes people. It sculpts us into someone who understands more deeply, hurts more often, appreciates more quickly, cries more easily, hopes more desperately, loves more openly, and lives more passionately." - Unknown

_____ ¹ Noriega-Morales G, Shkurovich-Bialik P. Situación de la epilepsia en México y América Latina. An Med (Mex). 2020; 65 (3): 224-232. dx.doi.org/10.35366/95680

[pcos-uno-reverse]

Today is day 3 for me on this new pcos lifestyle, and I'd considered waiting to see if it actually makes a difference before I posted anything. But then I thought about how there's so many other women struggling with this disorder, probably going through the same exact thing as me. So I'm inviting you to follow along this journey with me.

In just these 3 days I have noticed a difference in the way my body is feeling.

The general gist of this "diet" is no gluten, no dairy, no added sugar. It's low carb but it isn't keto. I believe this lifestyle is far more sustainable than keto.

Why are women with pcos not supposed to have gluten and dairy? (Keep in mind I'm not a doctor or a dietician. This is all info I've collected from research and from several dieticians)

Dairy has an insulin like growth factor, which will increase androgens (aka male hormones) in women with pcos.

Eating gluten regularly can result in inflammation. If you have pcos, you're already dealing with inflammation. Apparently 1 in 3 Americans already have an intolerance to gluten. So it's very likely that you and I do, too.

I also found one dietician who said that gluten turns into a hormone in your body that mimics thyroid hormones, and therefore your thyroid attacks it. A lot of women with pcos also have hypothyroidism, aka a low functioning thyroid. I am/was one of those women. My last lab results showed normal thyroid levels! So I do believe this checks out. I hadn't even quit gluten completely at the time, but I'd cut out quite a bit.

I found a study from 2012 that said every woman with pcos should be treated for insulin resistance. I have insulin resistance, I've been tested multiple times, it went away for a while but came back. A high amount of insulin in your blood will cause weight gain. When your insulin levels are high, you are going to store fat. It's why we hear women with pcos say they gained 100 lbs in a year.

I am still researching and learning all of this myself.

I am currently on metformin for the insulin resistance. I take several other vitamins as well.

-a daily multivitamin (I take a prenatal, it's got most of the things I was buying separately, so its saved me money in the long run)

-DHA/Fish oil (this is included in my prenatal)

-a probiotic with cranberry included (healthy gut, healthy urinary tract)

-Inositol. This apparently helps women with pcos regulate their cycle, which rings true for me. I'm currently out of this one, and my period was late consecutively for the 3 months I've been out of it. It's expensive so I haven't been able to re purchase yet. However, it is on the top of my list.

-Magnesium/Ashwaganda. I think the ashwaganda knocks me the hell out at night. When I take it, I fall asleep easier. Magnesium is shown to help with anxiety. I take this in a 2 for 1 pill.

-Curcumin (turmeric): this one allegedly helps with inflammation.

-Apple Cider Vinegar: I take this in a pill because I cannot stand the taste of vinegar. This one helps stabilize blood sugar if taken before meals.

I have been looking into berberine and will be purchasing it as soon as possible. Apparently, paired with metformin it can help stabilize blood sugar.

Of course, do your own research and talk to your doctor before you take anything. These are all supplements I've found through research. I'm not sponsored by anyone, and I have no followers, so obviously I'm not making money off of it. These are all things I take daily.

That's all I've got for now, I'm about to go make breakfast. Byeeeeeeeee

[logically-asexual]

im just so intrigued by the fact that i wasn’t able to understand a single movie or book i watched or read as a kid. i could never keep track of the story or the characters.

ramble got long putting it under a read more

i always felt like when you tap on the first episode of a show on netflix but for some reason it starts playing the first episode of their latest season and you’re super confused about everything because there’s three seasons of lore you’re missing.

i don’t remember the story of a single book we read in school. i remember short scenes here and there that surprised me or made me feel emotional for some reason but that’s it. i never knew the context. i never understood the whole story. i don’t know how i ever passed spanish or english class.

for a while we used to go to the library and they would read to us a chapter of a book each week and i could never pay attention. i just remember zoning out staring at my nails or the table or anything. we read the hobbit that way i think and i always felt like i had missed a class and very important info with it but no. i hadn’t.

silent reading time was also torture. i couldn’t read i also just stared at nothing for twenty minutes and it was excruciating.

and i also cant remember any movies i watched at the cinema. i remember when we got together to watch the hunger games (and i had allegedly read the book) and everyone was talking about what the movie adaptation did or didn’t include and i was so absolutely lost. no idea what anyone was talking about.

the only thing about my childhood i remember understanding and processing alright was tv shows. i perfectly remember nick sitcoms and cartoons. i think it has to do with the fact that i could watch those over and over again before a new season aired, so i got enough time and repetition to seal stuff in my memory.

i don’t know. i think that wasn’t normal probably. then one day some time after eight grade maybe i was just randomly granted the gift Understanding Media. well. mostly movies, i still struggled with reading in high school. i remember i never read things fall apart, but a children version of the book i had for some reason, and i passed somehow. i still don’t know what the book was about.

i remember my piano teacher saying when i was fourteen that i was at an age when i should read so much because teens are so emotional (in a good way) and full of wonder so romantic (as in romanticism, not romance) stories were great for letting all that bloom or whatever. but that only made me feel bad because i felt how time was slipping away from me and i was missing my chance at enjoying a big chunk of literature.

i don’t think i have adhd or some kind of disorder that could cause that level of inattentiveness but who knows. if i did then why can i suddenly understand movies and stuff? did my brain just develop too late in that aspect?

i usually attribute apparent adhd symptoms from my childhood to anxiety and burnout. because it’s way more likely since i’ve always been anxious and the executive dysfunction and lack of memory can easily be explained by anxiety too. but this thing about the movies and books remains unexplained and i don’t know if i will ever truly know what happened there. and also adhd seems to come with this “hyperfixations and obsessive consumption of media” thing that is exactly the opposite of my entire life experience. that’s the main reason i steer away from the term.

i am trying to actually read now. i know it’s an insane thing for a 22 year old to say but i don’t know when the last time i read something that wasn’t a textbook was before dracula daily. now that it’s over i’ve proved that my brain can keep track of a written story, at least when it is serialized and i have time to process its parts like with the kids tv shows.

i want to read more to get out of this hole. but i also want to know why the hell i am in this hole in the first place. i have almost nothing to look back on nostalgically like people who loved star wars as kids and made their own halloween costumes and had a toy collection and more. i just watched sitcoms and cartoons to laugh and escape from the world, not to understand any themes or messages. i feel like something was stolen from me and i’ll never get it back.

[petite-ursus]

I’m trying birth control for the first time. My pmdd has reached a really dangerous point as I can’t get my footing as every month any kind of stability before my progesterone freaks out and I’m right back to sobbing.

I shared a lot of fun things from over the weekend, but the truth is that I was only out doing fun things because it literally was not safe for me to be in the house by myself. I was in a major, dangerous depressive episode. I went home early from work Thursday because I could not function. I was under my desk sleeping. I cried the entire weekend. I cried through a dentist appointment, and then the gyno appointment, and then I came home and my girlfriend wanted to go to a concert and she had no intention of staying home, so I went with her to cry at the concert. It took literally all of my will power not to break no-contact. I had a message drafted and I deleted it, because I promised myself that if I ever did break no-contact I would break it to share something good. But, it was hard.

And I am so tired. I’ve screamed about this in some tags previously... but it makes me... so angry... taking care of this at 30 years old when my doctor thought I had it at 13, and didn’t explain properly what it really meant, either because he didn’t know, or he assumed I would just guess.

My doctor told me at 13, when I came in complaining that I had excruciating period pains that caused me to puke, that the pain was likely from pmdd. The pain could be treated with an extra pain pill. Job done, we never mentioned it again. That same year I have a formative memory of being so... sad... I was at my 13th birthday and the wish I made to myself (when I blew out the candles and everyone clapped) was to die.

Certainly, there is an aspect of that which was probably normal preteen drama. But. I spent SEVENTEEN YEARS studying and researching all kinds of memoirs/symptoms/coping skills, for bpd, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression... And it... was probably this, all along. And I never connected those feelings of paranoia level anxiety and subsequent depression (as being that anxious is exhausting) because he said pmdd was the pain I was experiencing. He said that was all I needed to know about it. There had to be another explanation for the fucking insanity.

And he could have just. Told me. He fucked. My. Life.

I’m not being dramatic. My therapist was literally horrified that he diagnosed me with that and did not recommend a psychiatric followup along with it.

I think of the relationships that could have gone differently. I think of years of trying to mindfulness and trying to positive think my way out of a literal hormone imbalance. I want. To scream.

And I’m legitimately frightened of what birth control will do to me and my body, because I’ve heard such horror stories... but it legitimately can’t be worse at this point. I haven’t even been able to crossfit consistently in two months because I literally can’t take the stress of it. I’ve been doing daily yoga and a max of one crossfit a week. It just. Fucking blows. It blows. I’m angry. And I’m tired.

[tobydandelion]

A Very Autistic Adult's Very Weird Journey to Independence

TW: Emotional abuse and eating disorders.

I've decided that I'm finally at a point where I've thoroughly processed the emotions of my past enough to start telling my very strange story. I'm at the most stable point I've ever been in my life, even though I know I've still got a lot of bumps in the road ahead. I finally have the tools to face the world, and I feel like screaming my experience into the void is a comfy way to start practicing truly reconnecting with humanity.

For the past 9 years, I had been trapped in a very toxic and all-consuming relationship. When I met her, I had just arrived in Des Moines, after being disowned by my family. I was 20, homeless, not yet diagnosed with autism due to my family's distrust of psychology, and at the very beginning of understanding my gender identity. It was actually a trangender support group that brought us together; she had also just begun hormones and using her current pronouns, and had a rough relationship with her parents, and we connected over our similar experiences and trauma. We also connected over our geeky interests and how neither of us could really get along with the others from the support group. We felt like two outcasts that, despite everything, managed to find each other. And for a long time it felt like that's all we'd ever need.

I had managed to have a couple jobs in the first half of our relationship, but both ended fairly quickly after multiple episodes of what I thought at the time were panic attacks, but now in hindsight have come to understand were actually autistic meltdowns from overstimulation and 'social battery' depletion. It was after quitting my second job that I was finally able to get in front of a psychologist who put everything together and came up with the diagnosis of 'Autism Spectrum Disorder'. (And quite far on the spectrum at that.) My whole life I had been having 'panic attacks', when trying to make phone calls, trying to do paperwork, talking to people in groups, and in stores or other bright places, and never understood why no amount of exposure to these things ever made them any easier. I had felt like it was my fault, like I wasn't trying hard enough to 'get better', but I was finally on the road to separating anxiety and overstimulation, and understanding that preventing one could reduce the other. I was finally able to start healing and understanding myself, and how I could finally start to pursue happiness.

Armed with my fresh diagnosis and the very beginnings of understanding my own sensory needs, I started volunteering at the local animal shelter. It was so bright and loud and full of people and other overwhelming stimuli that I would have meltdowns almost every time, but I started to at least be able to internalize it into 'shutdowns' until I got home. It was around this time that She started to illegally obtain cannabis for me, so that I could use it on a daily basis to better manage my stimulation levels and anxiety, and prevent shutdowns and meltdowns. I had previously used cannabis legally in California where I grew up, (for 'anxiety'; now I understand in hindsight it was actually preventing the overstimulation that causes meltdowns), but my ineptitude at social situations and inability to understand anything other than the most basic math prevented me from obtaining it illegally by myself. So with Her help, I got an actual job at the animal shelter, and carried on with fluctuating functionality as She continued to provide the medication that allowed me to have a semi-normal life.

When medical cannabis finally became available in our state, I was so excited to finally stop being afraid of getting caught with something illegal, and asked her to help get me into the program. I'm very disabled by phone static (phone calls basically cause instant meltdowns due to all the different noises that are happening at once), and overwhelmed and confused easily by paperwork, so I thought she would help with this just like she had with all my medical things in the past. But with this, she wouldn't help. I didn't understand at first, I thought she would be just as excited as me to stop living in fear about getting caught, and it would save us so much money to not pay street prices or drive out of state for it. But she didn't want that.

I realized it was the control. I had been too close to the situation to see, but with this realization I noticed so much else that she had been doing to try to keep me as exactly as disabled as she wanted. She had always refused accommodation like keeping the lights dim, had always refused to stop talking when I begged her to leave me alone due to depleted social battery, and would send long rambling texts that were intentionally confusing when she knew I was emotionally overwhelmed. And she would scream at me and shake me for trying to ignore her while I was trying to avoid meltdowns. I thought she was just ill, and I had tried to be patient and let her heal on her own terms, but her decision to keep my medication under her control solidified my understanding of what she had been doing to me for years.

I finally decided I needed to get away. I asked her to leave a few times over the course of a six month period, but she had always convinced me that I still needed her. She had been right. I was trapped and she knew it. I couldn't get to work without her, couldn't work without the medication she provided, and couldn't even get help with these things because I couldn't make phone calls or understand social services websites, or reach out to anyone I already knew due to my total social isolation.

But when I stopped hating myself and stopped masking my autistic traits through the process of deciding to leave her, I finally noticed I'm kind of physically attractive to certain groups of people. (Including myself! I'm autosexual, look it up!)

I had started letting myself stim at work, mostly by dancing and moving to music as I worked. I started to get physically fit from doing this, and had a lot of fun discovering how many people enjoyed my appearance. Turns out I had 'good bone structure', and as a passing trans man I was a fetishized object to quite a few people.

She and I had always been polyamourous, and had recently made the decision to find other side partners using Grindr. I began using it for practice communicating online, and began researching the allosexual mind, and started to understand how I was perceived by others who found me attractive. This was very fun and exciting, but also solidified my understanding of the resource that is my appearance and fetishized qualities. I started to understand that I could use these resources to escape her, so I stopped consuming cannabis in preparation for getting it legally with the help of a new theoretical significant other. Though I resolved to never do anything I didn't want to do, and never present anything other than my whole, genuine self. Not only because I'm a terrible liar, but also because I knew that was the only way to retain my newfound self-worth and inner peace.

I discovered through trial and error that I could still avoid meltdowns and shutdowns without cannabis, but only if I stopped masking completely, and took extreme measures to regulate my sensory intake. I began stimming as much as my body told me to, wearing earplugs 24/7, wearing sunglasses indoors in all but the dimmest light, started excercising regularly, limited all screentime to dark mode only, stopped watching videos, and started listening to music nonstop. I discovered that with all this, I felt better than I ever had in my life, even with cannabis. I had always felt a constant anxiety and general unease, but it was gone. For the first time in my life, I felt like I actually could be a real person. An actual participant in the world. It was like waking up, and I started to actually look forward to the future. I finally felt human, like I could finally make a place in the world for myself.

But taking care of my sensory needs, according to Her, was mania. She stopped buying me the foods I could eat with my orthorexia, and tried to convince me to go to a hospital. I tried to explain that since cannabis was still in my system, going in for a psyche evaluation could ruin my chances for medical cannabis in the future. But now I understand that was her plan. She saw my growing independence and was terrified of losing her stranglehold on my life.

I finally decided it was an emergency to get her out of my life and start getting actual help. I was starving from her refusal to buy food I could eat, and in constant sensory distress from her screaming and turning lights up on me.

So it was finally time for action. I told the animal shelter about my situation and that I probably couldn't return, locked Her out of the apartment, used an emergency fund I had stashed away to doordash a month's supply of food and toiletries, and started telling my situation to the few sweet folks on Grindr with whom I had made what I thought were genuine connections, in hopes of getting help with phone calls and paperwork. Of course, I decided I couldn't ask directly for this, but would let what I needed help with come out in conversation naturally, to avoid getting taken advantage of. I knew that the only way to do this safely was for the person to genuinely care for me as a whole human, and my ineptitude at social interaction prevented me from reading people's true intentions. So I began telling my story and explaining my disability to anyone who asked of these things.

After opening up about her abuse, one of them suddenly proposed, saying he would take care of me. In hindsight I understand that this was predatory, taking advantage of my fragile emotional state, but as I had never understood dating and social situations like this in the first place, I accepted, knowing this would mean help with the things I needed help with. He lived hours away, and I had only had two dates with him before this. But I genuinely enjoyed his company and thought he was a very courteous, caring, patient person based on these interactions. And after the years of abuse and control, I still thought I needed another person to run my life for me.

Luckily, I met someone else who shook me out of this mindset in time. He wouldn't help with phone calls or paperwork either, but he helped me understand that I could get that help without completely handing my agency over to another person, and that the proposal was a predatory move. He actually contacted my 'fiancé', and got him to admit his intention was never even to marry me anyway. So I was able to avoid that terrible trajectory, and stayed on track to gaining full independence. (If you ever happen to read this, thanks buddy. I'll never forget what you did for me and how you've helped me grow and learn. <3 )

So I continued making connections, and having lots of fun along the way. I was able to retain my optimism and mental health, (despite the ticking clock of eviction from my apartment due to my sudden lack of income), through the dialectical behavioral therapy tools I had developed from the therapists I had watched on YouTube before deciding to leave Her. As well as surrounding myself with hopeful, comforting, and motivating music. And I continued to take extreme measures to care for my sensory needs, and still only presented my full and genuine self, and still never did anything with anyone that I didn't want to do.

Then it finally happened. Someone who I had been talking to finally understood how disabled I was and what I needed, and I trusted him enough that I provided him with all my legal information and personal documentation, and he helped me to get a social worker.

It was just in time, as the eviction was closing in. This wonderful friend helped me to go to court and stop the eviction, but as the landlord wouldn't work with the social worker's agency to take payment, I still needed to find a new place to live. My social worker discovered that I needed to get on disability income to assist with getting me permanent housing, so I continued to make connections and tell my story to those who wanted to hear it. Luckily I found a friend in time who would let me stay with him for a little while. He had actually asked his landlord if I could stay, so once again I have a time limit, (specifically until mid September) and will need to find someone else to live with while waiting on getting approved for disability. My social worker discovered that my records from my original diagnosing psychologist are unobtainable, as the doctor has retired. So now I'm going to have to wait for rediagnosis for both medical cannabis and the social security income that will allow me to live independently.

But if I can find someone else to live with before then, I will be alright. And I know I can. I've learned a lot recently, and become a lot better at asking for help. I'll keep making connections and reaching out, on various platforms now, until I find someone who I can live with until disability approval, and as always, I'll make sure to have fun along the way, and always be myself.

And eventually, very soon now, I know I can become truly independent. It's just a matter of time before I have full autonomy over my life. I've gained a lot of patience and strength through this journey, and learned how to effectively stand up for myself and communicate my needs. And I'll keep learning every day. And I'll keep adding new music to my therapy playlist! I'll remember to Try Everything that might help me learn and grow, and I'll remember to love myself first, and never let anyone or anything stop me from always being myself.

There's my music therapy playlist, in case any other very autistic trauma survivors who happen to read this post might enjoy it. :3

And if anyone who reads this feels bad for me: Ew, stop it. I'm happy and hopeful, and living proof that loving yourself is always enough. <3

[goravguptasblog]

A comprehensive approach towards OCD treatment

A situation where your mind is bombarded with unwanted thoughts- sounds uncomfortable? These are obsessions. Feeling an uncontrollable urge to act upon these thoughts? These are compulsions.

When this issue starts to meddle with your daily lives and social interactions, it is deemed as a disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD is a significant psychological condition characterized by majorly deviated thought processes and compulsivity to act on these thoughts. The condition can be moderate to severe in nature before it actually starts having a significant impact on the client’s life. Usually, the condition is chronic and manageable through continuous OCD treatment and medication.

Prevalence of OCD According to statistics, the average age of onset for this disorder is around 19 years. The symptoms usually show up around adolescence or early adulthood. If identified in time, OCD therapy and treatment can be started at the earliest to reduce its effects.

Observable symptoms of OCD There are some easily observable symptoms that are clear indicators of the onset. One should seek immediate OCD therapy & treatment to control & manage the situation

Interference of obsessions and compulsions with normal activities.

Unwanted thoughts and images

Fear of a specific object/situation

Some common examples of obsessions are-

Fear of coming in contact with germs

Impulsive behaviors like violence and unprecedented acts

Making mistakes

Concerns with doing what is right and wrong

Doubts arising in my mind

Need for order & perfection

Needing constant reassurance

Some examples of compulsions are-

Arranging items in some specific manner

Repeatedly checking for things

Constantly waiting for someone

Taking calculated steps and certain destinations

How to approach Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment? OCD treatment can be a mixture of different psychotherapeutic modalities and holistic approaches that can help the clients manage the symptoms for their care. Under Dr. Gorav Gupta who is considered as one of the best psychiatrist in Delhi, you can approach your problem resolution in the best care possible.

Some of the methods to approach treatment are discussed here-

● Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- A mainstream form of psychotherapy, this is first in line consideration for resolving and managing issues inflicted by OCD. Under the guidance of a trained professional from our experienced staff, the clients receive very in-depth CBT sessions where the focus is solely on their maladaptive thoughts, behaviors and feelings. These aspects are made clear and put into the knowledge of the client to make them approach the treatment process in a positive manner. The client begins to understand their maladaptive (obsessive) thoughts that bring a change in their behavior (compulsions), making the disorder manageable in the long run. ● Exposure and Response Prevention- A very highly responsive treatment plan, exposure and response prevention is a transformative step in obsessive compulsive treatment. In this therapy, the client is exposed to the stimuli that they have obsessive thoughts about and then they are accustomed to not responding to the stimuli to abstain from compulsive behavior. By staying in a negative situation that raises anxiety but without any negative outcomes, the clients slowly learn the behavior and manage their OCD symptoms well since their thoughts never turn into reality. ● Acceptance and Commitment Therapy- Another form of CBT, the name suggests its work. The clients are made aware of their thoughts and a level of acceptance is developed for a period of time. After a certain level of acceptance is established, the thoughts lose their power and the client starts to commit to this role. This therapy not only establishes harmony, but also a sense of meaningfulness in the lives of clients.

Psychopharmacological methods include-

● Medication- As an experienced psychiatrist, a wide selection of medications are at our discretion for the client’s issues. At our facility, a very personalized approach is followed which marks the dynamics for the treatment journey. Some of the common medications prescribed to manage OCD are-

Fluoxetine

Paroxetine

Fluvoxamine

Sertraline There are a wide range of medications like SRI ( Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) & tricyclic antidepressants that can help alleviate the symptoms. The dose, duration and suitability of these medicines vary from client to client.

● Deep TMS for OCD- As pioneers in invasive methods, our state of the art lab is equipped with high-end invasive tools. In cases of non-responsive treatments, Deep TMS has proved its effectiveness in dealing and controlling cases of severe OCD.

Looking for treatment plans? We’re here to help. OCD is a manageable condition. Overall, condition of each OCD affected client can defer in every manner. With an experienced staff and guidance of one of the best psychiatrists in Delhi Dr. Gorav Gupta, we can determine the best treatment plan that works well for you. Mental health concerns can we very taxing, but with our facility at Tulasi healthcare, we are detemined to help you reach the mark of a healthy lifestyle. Tulasi has best psychiatrist in Delhi

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*Dr. Smita Goel Homeopathy Clinic*

www.thehomeopathyclinic.co.in

Anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. However, when a person regularly feels disproportionate levels of anxiety, it might become a medical disorder.

Anxiety disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry

These disorders alter how a person processes emotions and behave, also causing physical symptoms. Mild anxiety might be vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety may seriously affect day-to-day living.

Anxiety disorders affect 40 million people in the United States. It is the most common group of mental illnesses in the country. However, only 36.9% of people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment.

What is anxiety?

Disproportionate reactions of tension and worry characterize anxiety.

Many medical / Doctor Association defines anxiety as "an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure."

Knowing the difference between normal feelings of anxiety and an anxiety disorder requiring medical attention can help a person identify and treat the condition.

Here, we look at the differences between anxiety and anxiety disorder, the different types of anxiety, and the available treatment options.

When does anxiety need treatment?

While anxiety can cause distress, it is not always a medical condition.

Anxiety

When an individual faces potentially harmful or worrying triggers, feelings of anxiety are not only normal but necessary for survival.

Since the earliest days of humanity, the approach of predators and incoming danger sets off alarms in the body and allows evasive action. These alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings.

The danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone and chemical messenger in the brain, which in turn triggers these anxious reactions in a process called the "fight-or-flight' response. This prepares humans to physically confront or flee any potential threats to safety.

For many people, running from larger animals and imminent danger is a less pressing concern than it would have been for early humans. Anxieties now revolve around work, money, family life, health, and other crucial issues that demand a person's attention without necessarily requiring the 'fight-or-flight' reaction.

The nervous feeling before an important life event or during a difficult situation is a natural echo of the original 'fight-or-flight' reaction. It can still be essential to survival – anxiety about being hit by a car when crossing the street, for example, means that a person will instinctively look both ways to avoid danger.

Anxiety disorders

The duration or severity of an anxious feeling can sometimes be out of proportion to the original trigger, or stressor. Physical symptoms, such as increased blood pressure and nausea, may also develop. These responses move beyond anxiety into an anxiety disorder.

Many Medical / Doctors Associations describe a person with anxiety disorder as "having recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns." Once anxiety reaches the stage of a disorder, it can interfere with daily function.

Symptoms

While a number of different diagnoses constitute anxiety disorders, the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder will often include the following:

• restlessness, and a feeling of being "on-edge"

• uncontrollable feelings of worry

• increased irritability

• concentration difficulties

• sleep difficulties, such as problems in falling or staying asleep

While these symptoms might be normal to experience in daily life, people with generalized anxiety disorder will experience them to persistent or extreme levels. Generalized anxiety disorder may present as vague, unsettling worry or a more severe anxiety that disrupts day-to-day living.

For information on the symptoms of other diagnoses under the umbrella of anxiety disorders, follow the links in the "Types" section below.

Types

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders.

Anxiety disorders included obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder , as well as acute stress disorder. However, the manual now no longer groups these mental health difficulties under anxiety.

Anxiety disorders now include the following diagnoses.

Generalized anxiety disorder: This is a chronic disorder involving excessive, long – lasting anxiety and worries about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations. GAD is the most common anxiety disorder, and people with the disorder are not always able to identify the cause of their anxiety.

Panic disorder: Brief or sudden attacks of intense terror and apprehension characterize panic disorder. These attacks can lead to shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and breathing difficulties. Panic attacks tend to occur and escalate rapidly, peaking after 10 minutes. However, a panic attack might last for hours.

Panic disorders usually occur after frightening experiences or prolonged stress but may also occur without a trigger. An individual experiencing a panic attack may misinterpret it as a life-threatening illness, and may make drastic changes in behavior to avoid future attacks.

Specific phobia: This is an irrational fear and avoidance of a particular object or situation. Phobias are not like other anxiety disorders, as they relate to a specific cause.

A person with a phobia might acknowledge a fear as illogical or extreme but remain unable to control feelings anxiety around the trigger. Triggers for a phobia range from situations and animals to everyday objects.

Agoraphobia: This is a fear and avoidance of places, events, or situations from which it may be difficult to escape or in which help would not be available if a person becomes trapped. People often misunderstand this condition as a phobia of open spaces and the outdoors, but it is not so simple. A person with agoraphobia may have a fear of leaving home or using elevators and public transport.

Selective mutism: This is a form of anxiety that some children experience, in which they are not able to speak in certain places or contexts, such as school, even though they may have excellent verbal communication skills around familiar people. It may be an extreme form of social phobia.

Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia: This is a fear of negative judgment from others in social situations or of public embarrassment. Social anxiety disorder includes a range of feelings, such as stage fright, a fear of intimacy, and anxiety around humiliation and rejection.

This disorder can cause people to avoid public situations and human contact to the point that everyday living is rendered extremely difficult.

Separation anxiety disorder: High levels of anxiety after separation from a person or place that provides feelings of security or safety characterize separation anxiety disorder. Separation might sometimes result in panic symptoms.

Causes

The causes of anxiety disorders are complicated. Many might occur at once, some may lead to others, and some might not lead to an anxiety disorder unless another is present.

Possible causes include:

• environmental stressors, such as difficulties at work, relationship problems, or family issues

• genetics, as people who have family members with an anxiety disorder are more likely to experience one themselves

• medical factors, such as the symptoms of a different disease, the effects of a medication, or the stress of an intensive surgery or prolonged recovery

• brain chemistry, as psychologists define many anxiety disorders as misalignments of hormones and electrical signals in the brain

• withdrawal from an illicit substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of other possible causes

To learn more about the causes and diagnosis of anxiety disorders.

Treatment

Treatments will consist of a combination of psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication.

Alcohol dependence, depression, or other conditions can sometimes have such a strong effect on mental well-being that treating an anxiety disorder must wait until any underlying conditions are brought under control.

Self-treatment

Yoga can reduce the effects of an anxiety disorder.

In some cases, a person can treat an anxiety disorder at home without clinical supervision. However, this may not be effective for severe or long-term anxiety disorders.

There are several exercises and actions to help a person cope with milder, more focused, or shorter-term anxiety disorders, including:

• Stress management: Learning to manage stress can help limit potential triggers. Organize any upcoming pressures and deadlines, compile lists to make daunting tasks more manageable, and commit to taking time off from study or work.

• Relaxation techniques: Simple activities can help soothe the mental and physical signs of anxiety. These techniques include meditation, deep breathing exercises, long baths, resting in the dark, and yoga.

• Exercises to replace negative thoughts with positive ones: Make a list of the negative thoughts that might be cycling as a result of anxiety, and write down another list next to it containing positive, believable thoughts to replace them. Creating a mental image of successfully facing and conquering a specific fear can also provide benefits if anxiety symptoms relate to a specific cause, such as in a phobia.

• Support network: Talk with familiar people who are supportive, such as a family member or friend. Support group services may also be available in the local area and online.

• Exercise: Physical exertion can improve self-image and release chemicals in the brain that trigger positive feelings.

Counseling

A standard way of treating anxiety is psychological counseling. This can include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, or a combination of therapies.

Cognitive – Behavioral Therapy

This type of psychotherapy aims to recognize and change harmful thought patterns that form the foundation of anxious and troublesome feelings. In the process, practitioners of CBT hope to limit distorted thinking and change the way people react to objects or situations that trigger anxiety.

For example, a psychotherapist providing cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder will try to reinforce the fact that panic attacks are not really heart attacks. Exposure to fears and triggers can be a part of cognitive behavioral therapy. This encourages people to confront their fears and helps reduce sensitivity to their usual triggers of anxiety.

Medications

A person can support anxiety management with several types of medication.

Medicines that might control some of the physical and mental symptoms include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, tricyclics, and beta-blockers.

Benzodiazepines: A doctor may prescribe these for certain people with anxiety, but they can be highly addictive. These drugs tend to have few side effects except for drowsiness and possible dependence. Diazepam, or Valium, is an example of a commonly prescribed benzodiazepine.

Antidepressants: These commonly help with anxiety, even though they also target depression. People often use serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which have fewer side effects than older antidepressants but are likely to cause jitters, nausea, and sexual dysfunction when treatment begins.

Other antidepressants include fluoxetine, or Prozac, and citalopram, or Celexa.

Tricyclics: This is a class of drugs older than SSRIs that provide benefits for most anxiety disorders other than OCD. These drugs might cause side effects, including dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, and weight gain. Imipramine and clomipramine are two examples of tricyclics.

Additional drugs a person might use to treat anxiety include:

• monoamine oxidase inhibitors

• beta-blockers

• buspirone

Seek medical advice if the adverse effects of any prescribed medications become severe.

Prevention

There are ways to reduce the risk of anxiety disorders. Remember that anxious feelings are a natural factor of daily life, and experiencing them does not always indicate the presence of a mental health disorder.

Take the following steps to help moderate anxious emotions:

• Reduce intake of caffeine, tea, cola, and chocolate.

• Before using over-the-counter (OTC) or herbal remedies, check with a doctor or pharmacist for any chemicals that may make anxiety symptoms worse.

• Maintain a healthy diet.

• Keep a regular sleep pattern.

• Avoid alcohol, cannabis, and other recreational drugs.

Takeaway

Anxiety itself is not a medical condition but a natural emotion that is vital for survival when an individual finds themselves facing danger.

An anxiety disorder develops when this reaction becomes exaggerated or out-of-proportion to the trigger that causes it. There are several types of anxiety disorder, including panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety.

Treatment involves a combination of different types of therapy, medication, and counseling, alongside self-help measures.

An active lifestyle with a balanced diet can help keep anxious emotions within healthy limits.

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The Connection Between Anxiety and Depression

Why Do Anxiety and Depression Often Coincide? Sally R. Connolly, LCSW and therapist, describes it as a cycle: “When you become anxious, you tend to engage in pervasive thinking about worries or problems, leading to feelings of failure and eventually depression.”

The relationship between these two disorders, anxiety and depression, is complex:

The likelihood of developing depression significantly increases when an individual already has an anxiety disorder. Nearly half of those with major depression also experience severe and persistent anxiety. Individuals who are depressed often experience feelings of anxiety and worry, with one often triggering the other, typically with anxiety preceding depression. Those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are particularly susceptible to developing depression. There is often a biological predisposition underlying both conditions, especially with anxiety disorders. Connolly notes, “Some people are just worriers and pass it down.” Individuals with an anxiety disorder should seek help from a psychiatrist, therapist, or healthcare professional without delay. Failure to address anxiety promptly can pave the way for depression to take hold.

What Triggers Anxiety? For reasons that are only partially understood, individuals with anxiety disorders often have their fight-or-flight response activated even in the absence of a real threat. Constant anxiety feels like being pursued by an unseen threat, resulting in a perpetual sense of danger and vigilance.

While occasional anxiety is a normal aspect of life, anxiety disorders involve persistent feelings of worry or fear that do not dissipate over time and can interfere significantly with daily functioning.

What Triggers Depression? Current research suggests that depression arises from a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors, often manifesting in adulthood. In children and adolescents, depression may present more as irritability than low mood. By adulthood, it typically manifests as hopelessness, despair, and anger, often accompanied by low energy levels and difficulties with daily tasks and relationships.

Untreated anxiety disorders often lead to depression, as mentioned earlier.

What Signs Indicate Both Anxiety and Depression? Indicators that both anxiety disorder and depression may be present include:

Persistent irrational worries or fears Physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and abdominal pain Sleep disturbances Changes in appetite Cognitive difficulties such as memory problems and indecisiveness Constant feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or irritability Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities Fatigue and irritability Inability to relax or be present in the moment Panic attacks

What Treatment Strategies Are Used for Both Conditions? Evidence-based research suggests that treating both anxiety and depression simultaneously yields the best outcomes.

Commonly used strategies for addressing these co-occurring conditions include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and manage underlying fears, anxieties, and depressive tendencies Antidepressant medications, often SSRIs, either alone or in conjunction with CBT Regular exercise to promote the release of feel-good chemicals and improve overall well-being Relaxation techniques such as meditation or mindfulness to alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life.

Seeking Comprehensive Care Just as anxiety and depression often exacerbate each other, effective treatment involves addressing both conditions concurrently. Hartgrove Behavioral Health System offers integrated care tailored to address these complex mental health needs, with medical specialists and therapists collaborating to support patients in reclaiming control of their inner selves and achieving balance in their lives.

Remember, if you need further guidance or support, don’t hesitate to reach out to your mental health professional or contact us for assistance.