#mental health achieved

[logandria]

Pro tip: when your brain starts thinking sad/mean/self-deprecating things, you can absolutely short circuit it and stop the thoughts by thinking “meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow” really hard for as long as necessary. It’s even better if you do it out loud to the tune of a song you like. Bonus points if you have a little smile and let your eyes glaze over a bit

I’m such an idio—MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW

People don’t actually like m—MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOWWWW

Try it

[blakbonnet]

"I love you... I love you." "I know. I know that."

[vanhelsingapologist]

Publishing has always been a fucking nightmare, but now it’s a layer of hell. It’s not enough that writers be good at what they do. Writers have to maintain an active social media presence and cultivate a following. Be available.

They have to be conventionally attractive enough to look good enough to see on a screen, aesthetically pleasing, kind, funny, up-to-date on trends, socially aware but not so controversial that they turn off a brand from California from slapping their discount code on a video promoting a book.

They have to do all of this with no media training, with little help from the companies that are supposed to be doing this for them.

Of course, a lot of this isn't possible for say, the 40-something mother of two who teaches English at a school and writes on the side. She’s boxed out of an already complex industry that already has enough walls.

On some level, I think authors have always marketed themselves a little, but we’ve reached such a crazy point where we’re demanding the author become the influencer. Accessibility in publishing has narrowed from an inch to a sliver. And that inch was hard enough to get in as is.

[nevarasstuff]

I grew up as an academic achiever, straight A student you would say. Nevertheless sometimes i still get a C or even lower. No, getting bad grades is never a curse for me.

Once upon a time, i went back from school with my math exam paper. Red massive zero on top of it, looks like a cherry. I handed it to my parents at the living room. Staring at my toes, waiting while they reading it. My teacher said I will get into a trouble the second i handed the paper to my parents. It's been 5 seconds, and the only thing i hear from my parents is laugh, they cracked and say "don't you dare feel sad or think we feel dissapointed with your score-" they can't even finish the sentence, laughing too hard. "At least you bring an egg for us, let's cook it for our lunch!" Just like that they get up and hug me. My dad holds my hand walking to the kitchen while my mom preparing our lunch. I don't know where that exam paper went, maybe my dad made a paper plane from it and threw it away. My soul still confused, eyes staring blankly. But i know one thing for sure.

Now i know the big impact of how parents treat their kids and how parents look at their kids when they get bad grades can impact how kids perceive scores and school life. Grades are important, but your kid's mental health is the most crucial part.

[ladykissingfish]

*Nagato walks slowly into the living room on his crutches, to find Deidara, Tobi and Itachi on the couch with their feet up, eating snacks*

Nagato: … What is this? Deidara, Tobi; didn’t I tell you both to go on that mission two hours ago?? You can’t be back already!

Tobi: We never went, Leader!

Nagato: Never went? May I be so bold as to ask why??

Itachi: They're taking a mental health day, Leader. As am I. Kisame went on our mission with Hidan instead.

Nagato, angrily: Ah?! So now you brats are not only disobeying direct orders, but you're switching around partners at will? And what on earth do you mean, "mental health day"?? We are SHINOBI. The only break we receive comes in the form of death, and you all look alive and well to me! So get your lazy asses up and —

*Kakuzu walks in with an armload of bills*

Kakuzu: Let them have their mental health day. At least it’s free. These little shits have also been pestering me to establish dental, vision, and two weeks’ PAID vacation days a year!

Tobi: And don’t forget about the fresh pastry we want in the kitchen every morning!

Deidara: And the complimentary haircare products in the bathroom, hm.

Itachi: And dango left under our pillows at night.

Nagato:

[positivelypositive]

🌻

here to remind you...

...that your achievements are as much a part of you as your mistakes.

if you don't let your achievements be the only parameter of your abilities then don't let your mistakes take that place either.

learn from what can be done better instead of letting the guilt take over your life. you're growing up, you beautiful human ✨

[odetojupiter]

jean kevin and neil all being 19 when they officially leave the nest feels significant somehow

(kevin being 19 when he runs, jean being 19 when renee takes him, neil’s fake age being 19 when he leaves after christmas and his real age being 19 when he leaves after riko is shot and he’s officially pardoned by ichirou)

[salvadorbonaparte]

I unironically think there should be more secular pilgrimage. And no, I don't just mean normal travel or non-religious people going on religious pilgrimages. I think picking a place that is really important to you and going on a long-ish journey to reach it could probably be good for a lot of people.

[reaganlovesslushies]

I would like to be everyone, a cripple, a dying man, a whore, and then come back to write about my thoughts, my emotions, as that person. But I am not omniscient. I have to live my life, and it is the only one I’ll ever have. And you cannot regard your own life with objective curiosity all the time.

-Sylvia Plath

[ae-cha08]

If you don't take time to be proud of your accomplishments, then you are diminishing all of your hard work. I am so thankful for the reminder this weekend and want to encourage you to look back on your journey to see where you've been. 💙

[milimeters-morales]

I don’t really have the right words but i like the idea of Hobie doing quick checks for people’s safety without even really moving too much, as both a skill learned from his childhood and just a way he would be anyway. Like let’s say Gwen is calling him and she’s crying but sounds very detached. Hobie’s gonna do a quick mental checklist like this: (Injured? -> Alone? -> Aware? -> Show up -> distract as hiding weapons -> calm her -> check speech -> move location? -> check for injury) and it gets more complex as need be. He’d do this with all his friends and the people he helps in general, and it’s a quick and barely noticeable process unless he tells you he’s even doing that, which he usually doesn’t. I also like to think he was kind of doing this when he was talking to Miles on the way to meet Miguel, just very toned down (for him).

[redlips-greensleeves]

The Psychology of Qi Rong (TW for cannibalism and mental health)

This is a review of Qi Rong's behaviour and symptoms in relation to this authors note. According to MXTX, if put into a modern day context, Qi Rong would be said to have bipolar disorder. In order to verify this statement, this post is dedicated to comparing actual symptoms of bipolar disorder and Qi Rong's behaviour from the novel in order to prove this statement true.

I would like to put out a disclaimer that I am not a licensed psychology practitioner, but a student who hasn't finished his degree yet. I am simply writing this because this authors note wouldn't leave my brain. Please don't expect total accuracy from this post, though I will try my best to ensure that there is no error on my part

I would also like everyone to note that the term bipolar itself, is used to describe a spectrum of disorders, and that simply regulating it to one term would be incorrect, and that treatment can vary depending on the disorder

Bipolar Disorder: History, Symptoms and Probable Causes

Bipolar disorder is characterized by chronically occurring episodes of mania or hypomania alternating with depression and is often misdiagnosed initially. Treatment involves pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions, but mood relapse and incomplete response occur, particularly with depression.

(I want everyone to make note that the first recorded case of Bipolar Disorder as an illness was by Pierre Farlet in the mid-19th Century (1851-1854), who called it “folie circulaire” (circular madness). It was defined by manic and melancholic episodes separated by symptom-free intervals.

In 1854 Baillarger used the term "folie à double forme" to describe cyclic (manic–melancholic) episodes (Pichot 1995; Ritti 1879).

There also seems to be a mention of bipolar disorder (Unsure of this, take with a bit of salt) in the book Eight Treatesies on the Nurturing of Life by Gao Lian (Different character from the Lian in Xie Lian); dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1591 {first publication()} [requires fact checking])

(Note: Records of treatment of mental disorders in Ancient China go all the way back to the Tang Dynasty. If you check wikipedia, there is the claim that it goes back to 1100 BCE, which I can't confirm [requires fact checking])

Criteria to be met before diagnosing someone with Bipolar I Disorder according to the DSM-5 are at least one manic episode. This may be preceded by and may be followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes and the occurrence of the manic and major depressive episode(s) is not better explained by schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or other specified or unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder

Manic episodes are characterised increased talkativeness, rapid speech, a decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity, and psychomotor agitation. Some other hallmarks of mania are an elevated or expansive mood, mood lability, impulsivity, irritability, and grandiosity (Can be remembered using the DIGFAST mnemonic)

Rapid cycling in bipolar disorder is defined as having at least 4 or more mood episodes in a 12-month period. These mood episodes may be manic, hypomanic, or depressive but must meet their full diagnostic and duration criteria. These episodes must be separated by periods of partial or full remission of at least 2 months or be separated by a switch to an episode of opposite polarities, such as mania or hypomania to major depressive episodes (Note: Switching from mania to hypomania or vice-versa would not qualify because they are not opposite polarity). Rapid cycling bipolar disorder patients have been found to be more resistant to pharmacotherapy.

Hypomania and mania can be distinguished by a certain feature- hypomania does not cause major deficits in social and occupational functioning. The duration of a manic episode is at least a week, while a hypomanic episode is about four days

Symptoms of a depressive episode include feeling very down/sad/anxious, slowed down or restless, trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, or sleeping too much, talking very slowly, feeling unable to find anything to say, or forgetting a lot, trouble concentrating or making decisions, unable to do even simple things, lack of interest in almost all activities, and feeling hopeless/worthless, or thinking about death or suicide

(Note: According to the DSM-5, major depressive and hypomanic episodes are common in bipolar I disorder but are not required for the diagnosis)

Bipolar II Disorder is defined by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes. The hypomanic episodes are less severe than the manic episodes in bipolar I disorder

And finally, cyclothymic disorder/cyclothymia is defined by recurring hypomanic and depressive symptoms that are not intense enough or do not last long enough to qualify as hypomanic or depressive episodes

Like in the case of most mental disorders, there is no known cause for disorders on the bipolar spectrum, however the most widelt agreed upon risk factors are brain structure and functioning (some studies show that the brains of people with bipolar disorder differ in certain ways from the brains of people who do not have bipolar disorder or any other mental disorder), and genetics (some research suggests that people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder. Research also shows that people who have a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder have an increased chance of having the disorder themselves).

In relation to genetics, many genes are involved, and no one gene causes the disorder (Which, if the authors note is true, we can assume that one of his parents carried the genes for it, most probably his father).

青鬼戚容

Qi Rong needs no introduction or abstract (Because I don't have to submit this to a prof hehehe) to start with. He is iconic, and rightfully so. In order to try and analyse Qi Rong's behaviour, let us take a glance at his introductory (In this case, first physical) appearance.

In his first (physical) appearance Qi Rong talks shit about others, which isn't really notable in regards to this topic. Its like my Mother after the guests leave and she's finished playing social politics. Its nothing interesting, just the typical criteria for the average aunty.

But you know what is interesting? His lair.

He has a throne, a banquet hall style dining set up. The only things he needs is the cauldron to cook (human) meat. I don't remember any of his subordinates needing to eat, and considering all of the salted carrion he has hanging around; not to mention the fresh meat stores he keeps (Three hundred humans...three hundred), he doesn’t eat a good chunk of the humans brought to him immediately. Its all unnecessarily grandiose for a single person, (We know that he doesn’t invite any dinner guests over. If he did, they'd be the main course)

If you notice Qi Rongs behaviour a majority of the time fits the criteria for a manic episode. Its also probably why his schemes seem to fail most of the time. Note that there has to be a remission period of two months in the case of rapid cycling (Which I belive occurs in Qi Rongs case), so MXTX is right, in a way. Qi Rong would be diagnosed with a disorder on the bipolar spectrum, more specifically Bipolar I Disorder

(One may also assume that he had cyclothymia during his days as a prince, but I believe that its just a showcase of certain symptoms of Bipolar I Disorder from a young age. He always had it, but it didnt manifest much more visibly until later on in his life)

Now Lets Talk About Kuru

Kuru is an infectious, acquired, non-immunogenic, fatal neurodegenerative prion disease. It progresses rapidly with cerebellar and extrapyramidal signs and symptoms, with death occurring within one to two years of onset of symptoms. What causes Kuru? Cannibalism, or more specifically the consumption of the brain tissue.

The diesease originated and was confined to the Fore Tribe in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, where ritualistic cannibalism was practiced. Kuru is now extinct due to the outlawing of ritualistic cannibalism in the region.

(Note: There is a theory that cannibalism occurred due to famine, and that it was ratonalised by the Europeans who arrived their as a ritualistic practice. Colonisers have also used the excuse of cannibalism to colonise and kill indigenous populations)

What causes cannibalism? Usually, the two most predominantly ascribed motivations are hunger and hatred, and the occasional belief that eating human flesh is medicinal.

(This is a bit of a personal note from me, but from what I've heard, human flesh is not good for any living creatures health. In my hometown there are plenty of stories about animals going mad or dying after eating human flesh)

A point I want to make is that we do not know how Qi Rong died. Did he die from being eaten alive? Or did he pass from a neurodegenerative disease caused by consuming human flesh in order to survive? If its the latter, it could explain his behaviour.

Kuru is also known as the laughing disease, as patients exhibited sporadic uncontrollable laughter, due to being emotionally labile. Perhaps Qi Rong passed before the disease could reach the sedentary phase? Maybe he was killed before that. Symptoms of Kuru can take time to manifest completely, so I feel that this theory should not be discounted.

Reference(s)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559103/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188776/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493168/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t8/

https://web.archive.org/web/20070928103521/http://www.nmh.gov.tw/nmh_web/english_version/exhibition/exhibition_s0703.cfm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813703/

A note of gratitude for @toowolfdelusion for posting that authors note, otherwise this brainfart of mine would not exist

[letsgrownnhealtogether]

You have accomplished things. Be intentional in your self-reflection. Don't be silly and sell yourself short.

[lifefactz]

Remember why you started.

[tsuchinokoroyale]

[losername02]