#one birth control and one antidepressant

[pinolitas]

do people really sit through the process of experiencing new prescriptions and it's side effects several times until they find one that works? cus I give up so fast if the first one doesn't work I'm done

[faggybutch161]

they should make meds that don't look identical

[coffee-and-rose-quartz]

This is not an original thought at all, but taking my medications is the one offering I make to my deities every single day. I have two, and after I take them I set the containers on the tiny free space I have on my altar with a piece of rose quartz for self-love. Sometimes that’s all I have for the day. And that’s okay.

[gorgeouslypink]

i just wanted to bring something to your attention bc you're the only blog that i think people acc trust

i think u know @trynafindbarbiee

sorry if this doesn't link but she blocked me so lol

basically she used to be a good void blogger but you can go look at her page yourself and now it's all just an ad for some random Instagram manifesting coaching account that she claims isn't hers (apparently it's someone who helped her manifest before she entered the void state but she never mentioned this before) but for some reason, keeps on advertising for and lowk gaslighting people into joining bc she says stuff like "do you not want your dream life? why don't you just pay already?"

her exact quote: “She’s open for coaching guys What are fucking waiting for? Don't u want your dream life? Are u not tired? Are u not fed up with all this? ARE YOU NOT?”

This is so disgusting to me to gaslight desperate people like this

Also, I was there when she first posted about that account. She said the insta account only charges $11.99 and then she changed it to $23.98.

Also all the success stories seem so fake. I'm not one to doubt success stories but the first few all seem like they're the same Indian girl and then the last 2 sound like random fictional novels. The second to last is a woman who was hospitalized and over 400 people visited her, like even presidents or celebrities don't get that many people and apparently she had money problems but none of the 400 people could give her any money or like the most recent one. the reason i even decided to call her out was because she made up a ridiculous story of a woman who got pregnant because she was taking antidepressants. i am majoring in healthcare and am very passionate abt this topic because some uneducated people believe this "that antidepressants can cancel out birth control" so they use that as a reason to not take them even though this is completely false and there is no evidence of antidepressants cancelling out birth control❗️

i am pretty sure trynafindbarbie is spiritual soya, it doesn't rlly make sense why she would be advertising her like this and ive noticed certain things like them both saying "peoples"but yeah i hope you can atleast just share this with your followers so they don't get scammed

i looked into this and you're absolutely right, it's a bit disappointing and i just get upset when i see people trying to gaslight and scam this community because the majority of this community are just young girls trying to get their dream life. i hope you guys know that you are so powerful and you can get your dream life on your own!

[futurewife]

Ven please, I'm begging you to go to therapy. Your posts hurt me so much cause I recognize myself and people I've loved in them and I always wanna say smth to make you feel better but I know from experience that that only helps for a little while or doesn't help at all or can even make things worse. But you don't have to suffer like this forever!! You can get better and there is help!! And as a fellow pmdd sufferer you can get help with that too. Idk how you feel about medication but going on birth control continuously so you never have periods or using antidepressants or mood stabilizers just for the two nightmare weeks after ovulation can help so much. Please please please I worry about you and I know you can have a good life if you get help! you're beautiful and creative and you have everything you need you just have to figure out how to access it and use it and I know you can do it. I know your F/Os would want you to and I know your future real life S/Os who are waiting for you would want you to too. You deserve to be happy instead of feeling like a ghost all the time.

Thank you anon I appreciate the concern, feel a little bit embarrassed about oversharing now but you know what...sometimes you just have to say it out loud somewhere. As you would know the nature of the disorder means there's often not much that can be done in terms of talking myself out of the way it feels cause biology is so (detrimentally) overpowering and intensifies other mental health issues and generally all pre-existing negative feelings about ones' existence. The ghost analogy is apt and I've often used this to describe how I relate to life and connecting with others. now idk if I can overcome myself and thrive but maybe I could switch some things up and see if it makes it suck a little less

I was on ssris constantly for years previously (edit: and therapy on and off) before I stopped taking them but your ask has me considering intermittent dosing even if I dislike the side effects just to see what happens. I thought I could just grit my teeth and bare it (put myself to sleep between being wracked by ugly crying as I cannot stand being conscious in my own mind) every month in lieu of meds but maybe I can't rawdog slog through dark funhouse mirror evil pmdd reality on my own/shouldn't feel that I have to in order to not "lose"

I was very touched by your reaching out and compassionately disagreeing with me (lol) and it means a lot from another person with pmdd. It helps to think someone out there sees the value in me as I am right now, and that someone else is also fighting their own good fight. When you said I have everything I need I just have to figure out how to access it and use it and you know I can do it you sound just like my grandma. (<3)

[bucketsofmonsters]

Would Rook drink out of someone on day 1 ? Bc I'd be insisting on it. Like, I wouldn't sign up for the process before I know exactly what I'm signing up for, especially given that I would assume hed be drawing it with a needle and id be super surprised when Oliver told me some senior citizen is gonna put his mouth on me. and I don't think it's unreasonable to make sure rooK actually likes my blood before he offers room and board on the basis of his being able to drink it. Bc My dude, my blood could taste like a hobo jerking off with chitterlings and then, Rook, you'd STILL be on the hook to drink it. I'm gonna make broh just have a little nibble beforehand if that's alright with him. He needs to know what he's getting into before my birth control antidepressant combo has him coughing, puking, crying and screaming on the first sip

pls I'm imagining u calling Rook a senior citizen to his face, that's one way to make him not drink from you he'd be scandalized and shocked by this despite the fact that he's literally a graying man who's hundred of years old.

also to be so clear, if he thought that you believed he was only letting u stay in exchange for blood he'd start a hunger strike, he is terrified of the idea of any of his ragtag little misfits feeling obligated to give him blood and he'd wait as long as he needed to to make it incredibly clear that you don't owe him blood and you never will.

those combined with ur ask is very funny to me bc it's giving me you desperately trying to give him blood as he absolutely refuses lol

he would love to drink from someone day one tbh they'd just need to be mature and normal about it, Rook has such a petty mindset that he would respond to any foolishness with more foolishness of his own, he's a theatrical little ass and at the first Hint of drama he's starting shit. You want him to drink from you to make sure your blood is good enough to stay? Well clearly you have self esteem issues and need to be treated gently and not drunk from, this is the beginning of an incredible arc for you. His savior complex and theatrical vibes make him very hard to deal with early on unless you're so straight forward. he means well but he can make things very difficult

[gothicprep]

serious question: does anybody know where that thing in trad circles that’s like, “birth control is responsible for all the wrongs in the world” comes from? it’s past two years recent in terms of it being a somewhat mainstream talking point, but these things don’t just appear out of the ether. there’s usually some kind of precedent.

my instinct is telling me that this is a natural extension of the carnivore diet/raw egg nationalist subculture stuff, years of discourse about antidepressants (& psychiatric medication more broadly), and probably the fact that most of the people saying this are cisgender men who don’t know anything about BC outside of what they project on it. and feigned concern about ~falling birth rates~ (can never tell if that one is poorly veiled racism or being very, very bad at math) is probably another.

but I don’t think that’s the full story either..? like, i can kind of see why people mischaracterize antidepressants, because they help with functionality but not necessarily mood. “so and so is on antidepressants, but he still seems sad and out of it most of the time. i will wrongly conclude that this is all the medication’s fault and has nothing to do with my misunderstanding of what this medicine actually does”. but birth control is SO variant from person to person, and copper IUDs aren’t hormonal birth control at all!

it’s very much dumb and weird. but that’s the what. i wanna know the why.

[prodigaldaughteralice]

personal medication shit

so I’m really stressed and miserable about how I haven’t been able to get anything done lately (or ever, but especially lately), right? I’m supposed to be halfway through my big bang fic and while I guess I technically am (three chapters, one is done, another is about halfway done) it doesn’t feel like it since I wrote that whole first chapter pretty easily and I think the other two are going to be much harder

also the thing that made me and also my doctor really realize that there’s something weird about how my body processes medication— doctor’s best guess is basically that my liver’s an overachiever, which is why painkillers do nothing and birth control makes my cycle more irregular rather than less and my antidepressants are at the highest dose they’ll let you take and they only kinda help, but we don’t know for sure that’s why and my health insurance sure isn’t gonna pay for further tests— is that I tried to get ADHD meds and they did… nothing.

usually, for people who have ADHD, those meds help them settle and focus, while for people who don’t, those meds hype them up and make them really energetic. That’s why people use them illicitly as party pills. But they did neither of those things to me. They did nothing.

And I’m worried about trying to raise the dose and try again because I’m afraid of serotonin syndrome because I am as previously mentioned on the highest dose of antidepressants they’ll let me take, so much so my doctor had to remind my insurance he really did prescribe that like four times and they still tried to deny me coverage. Also I live with my parents and they don’t know I’ve tried ADHD meds at all because my mum thinks ADHD was made up to sell amphetamines, so it’s not like I can get their support on this.

but at the same time I’m so afraid of trying to live the rest of my life like this, with so many intentions and so few results, sitting with an open word document in front of me and mentally screaming because I’m full of fuzz and I can’t capture my own mind and make it do anything— anything! Not the things that are important, not even the things I like!

technically I should be grateful for my liver being an overachiever because with hindsight it’s probably why I was able to survive my overdose a decade ago. Not that I wanted to at the time but y’know. I’m well aware now that my life is not my own, it belongs in part to my family and loved ones and they’d be pretty fucked up if I was gone— even if rationally they’d be better off without me, humans aren’t rational, and I’ve accepted that. I’m here for the long haul. But being like this for the long haul is. Not appealing.

it’s terrifying, actually

[chemicalarospec]

Anyways reminder that you CAN talk to your doctor about periods being hell and you CAN see a gynecologist and you CAN look into Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)! Periods may be an uncomfortable topic, but there is literally no mystic rule that can actually stop you from opening your mouth and speaking about it!

I know medicial stuff is difficult for many, but in general if your doctor isn't listening to you, you can get a new doctor! I mean, I've simply had doctors retire on me a lot and getting a new one was as simple as choosing from a few options, making a new appointment like normal, and then showing up.

For me, hormonal birth control is not an option due to cancer risk, but going on the pill and skipping the placebo week to stop having a menstrual cycle is a Thing You Can Do! You can in fact end your periods without surgery! Antidepressants can be prescribed for severe PMS or PMDD!

Also, I've found that sugar is a major exacerbater for me, so unfortunately eating less sugar can help! For me only Halloween-levels of sugar make my menstrual cycle unmanageable, though I do think my remaining struggle would decrease if I cut out added sugar entirely.

[fourmula1]

generally unprotected sex 0-3 months after you switch birth control is discouraged because your body hasn’t regulated yet so an angsty au idea where Daniel’s finally working through his depression, finally wants Max again, and then they have a pregnancy scare? They’re both super emotional and conflicted because on one hand baby (culmination of their desire and future plans) but they are also so relieved that Daniel isn’t pregnant because they aren’t ready for a baby right now.

depressed omega daniel universe. 2,004 words.

-

The thing is.

The thing is that Daniel’s scared.

And then surprised, and then kind of proud of himself for having a feeling. A few feelings. Scared. Surprised. Proud. He hasn’t done that in awhile.

But he’s been feeling other things, lately, too, and those things are physical and scary. Nausea. Intense hunger he hasn’t felt in ages. Tenderness in his chest.

He’s been avoiding dealing with it for a few weeks now but Daniel suspects the worst.

And then feels bad all over again for thinking that being pregnant would be ‘the worst’.

He and Max have talked a lot about wanting pups some day; about how they both want to be dads and have a few kids running around and even talked about names they’d like and…

It’s just.

He can’t have a baby right now. Daniel can barely take care of his own self at this point and he knows things are getting better, kinda, a little bit, but he can’t have a baby. He can’t. He can’t stop taking his antidepressants because he’s only just sort of getting back on track to being somewhat of a person again. There’s no way Daniel can manage a whole pregnancy right now, but. He can’t really deny his symptoms he’s experiencing.

He'd asked Michael to pick up a pregnancy test with the usual groceries and supplements he brings over for training, and sworn Michael to secrecy, and felt a little shame at the look Michael had given him. He knows he’s in no state to be having a pup.

“I’m on birth control,” he’d said, sat at the kitchen breakfast nook where he’d been finishing up the smoothie Michael had made him. “I don’t know. There’s those rare times when people get pregnant aren’t there?”

“But this is a new one, isn’t it?” Michael asked, because he knew – had to know – the ins and outs of Daniel’s body and medications and nutrition at all times.

Daniel had looked up at Michael from his smoothie, eyebrows knitting together in a little frown.

“Danny, it can take a few months for the new ones to be as effective as what you stopped taking,” Michael had explained and Daniel’s heart had plummeted into his stomach.

He’d been so stupid. So happy that he’d finally had a sex drive again, so eager to re-affirm his and Max’s bond again, so pleased to finally be knotted by his alpha again. They hadn’t been having a ton of sex – not back up to their pre-depression levels – but enough that that, plus the risk of his new birth control… apparently a recipe for disaster.

Sighing, Daniel hides the pregnancy test away in the bathroom cabinet for later. For now, he has to face Max.

Daniel goes out to the bedroom where Max was sat up in bed on his phone, having not yet got up for the day. Brad knows better than to hit Max up for training before 11am. Daniel’s always been an early morning kind of guy.

“Hi,” he says as he climbs back into their bed to sit, criss-cross, facing Max. “I gotta tell you something,” Daniel finishes, tugging his hoodie sleeves down over his hands, a nervous habit. Max looks up at him, curious, phone set aside onto the bedside table in an instant.

“Are you okay?” He asks, because of course he does. Max is the most attentive and wonderful alpha Daniel’s ever known. Daniel can see the way Max’s nostrils flare a little, taking in Daniel’s scent.

“I think I might be pregnant,” Daniel says, just getting it over with and out there. His heart pounds as he watches Max’s face go through what seems like a million stages of emotion. Confusion, shock, surprise, fear.

“What? No. How?” Max asks, sitting up in bed a little straighter now, shifting to reach over for one of Daniel’s hands. “You’re… you take your pill every night, I see you do it,” he says, and he’s not wrong. They brush their teeth together for bed, and then Daniel takes his antidepressant and his birth control while Max rinses his toothbrush out. Routine practically set in stone.

Daniel sighs, nods his head a little and squeezes Max’s hand in his own.

“I think we were a little stupid,” Daniel says with a frown. “I should have been more careful. Just. It can take awhile for a new kind of birth control to be, like, effective, I guess. I feel like I should have known that. But. I was just really happy to feel like I wanted you again… and, maybe. I guess we fucked up,” Daniel sighs, dropping his gaze to where he’s holding Max’s hand in his lap.

Max is quiet across from him, no doubt processing the information. He knows this isn’t Max’s fault. What do alphas know about birth control and omega bodies? Daniel was too caught up in the excitement – and feeling the excitement – of having a sex drive again and now, this.

“But you don’t know, for sure?” Max asks quietly, and Daniel looks up at him again.

“No, but I feel… I’ve been nauseous and really hungry lately. And my chest hurts and I think I’m… my chest is bigger, I dunno. I have a test to take,” Daniel says with a little shrug. “Maybe I should have taken it first to be sure before even talking to you, I just,” he pauses, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Hey, no,” Max says as he moves to get closer, tugs Daniel into a hug and nuzzles into his neck. “You of course should tell me everything you want to any time,” Max tells him and Daniel feels a little bit calmer with the way Max scents him.

He pulls back after a moment and finds his resolve to go actually take the test, but not before stealing a kiss from Max before he heads to the bathroom to find out for sure.

-

In bed, Max watches the bathroom door close and lets himself sag back into the pillows, hands running over his face as he lets out a slow breath.

This is so not the time.

Max hates himself for thinking it because they both know how badly he wants Daniel’s pups. He’s made it so clear to Daniel that he wants to give Daniel lots of babies and raise them to be so happy and free to choose their paths, to be little family full of love and so much happiness.

But Daniel’s only barely getting out of bed in the mornings by himself these days. It’s only been recently that he or Michael haven’t had to literally make him get up and function almost like a person.

Daniel’s been better. He’s been so much better. But he’s not… he’s nowhere near where either of them would ideally want to be to have a pup.

Max sighs again and hates himself for the tiny bit of hope he has that Daniel isn’t pregnant.

He’d noticed that Daniel was actually eating more lately, and not being made to do it. Honestly Max just thought Daniel was finally gaining some weight again and he’d noticed the changes – Daniel’s chest and abs filling out a bit more, but he’d been eating! He’d been too skinny and now he was filling out a bit and Max had thought nothing of it, only good things.

If Daniel is pregnant Max can only imagine one option, as much as it pains him to consider. But he knows his mate, and he knows Daniel would have to do what’s best for him and his health right now.

Max gets out of bed pads to the bathroom door, knocks softly and leans his forehead against it.

“Can I come in?” He asks quietly, knowing Daniel might want his space for this.

“Just a sec,” Daniel answers and Max listens to the sounds of Daniel washing his hands and puttering – killing time – before Daniel finally opens the door. He can’t help but to immediately lock his eyes on the pregnancy test sitting on the counter, waiting for them.

“You smell upset,” He says, easily picking up on the sharp tang of Daniel’s scent. “I should have probably noticed earlier but I just thought you were getting back to normal. You smelled so much like you again and it made me so happy Daniel. I of course should have realized that maybe it was something else,” Max says with a frown, disappointed in himself for not picking up that maybe Daniel’s change in his scent was pregnancy. Alphas are supposed to be able to tell.

“I’m just scared,” Daniel tells him, steps back to let Max come into the bathroom. Daniel leans up against the counter while Max sits on the edge of the tub. “I feel like I fucked up so badly and if I’m pregnant I… you know we can’t…”

“I know,” Max acquiesces. “You know whatever you choose I’ll support you,” he says, and he means it. As hard as it would be, as much as he would – does – want this pup, this is not their time.

Daniel’s about to respond before his phone trills on the bathroom counter, no doubt an alarm he’d set when it was time to look at the results of the test he took. He silences the alarm and looks back at Max, and Max can see the fear on his face.

“Let me do it,” Max says as he gets up from where he was perched on the edge of the tub. He crosses the bathroom and grabs the test off the counter before Daniel can protest.

Max holds the little test in his hand and tries not to think about how this moment could change the course of their entire lives. He looks up at Daniel who’s leaning his hip against the counter and looking back at him.

Max takes a little breath and finally lifts his hand, looks down at the little screen before his eyes. Nothing in this life could have prepared him for the immense wave of utter relief he feels at reading the little digital ‘NOT PREGNANT’.

“It’s negative,” he says, barely, before Daniel’s snatched the pregnancy test from his hands to look for himself.

Not pregnant. Daniel is not pregnant. They’re not going to have a pup.

Not now, anyway. Not now.

“Oh my god,” Daniel breathes, test clattering to the bathroom counter before Daniel tosses his arms around Max’s neck. Max pulls him close, cuddles his perfect omega into his arms and presses a kiss to Daniel’s mating mark. He’d been right, after all. Daniel wasn’t pregnant. Daniel was just getting healthier. Gaining weight. Eating. Feeling better.

“It’s okay,” Max breathes, squeezing Daniel close when Daniel shudders a sob into his shoulder. “It’s okay, Daniel.”

Max can smell Daniel’s relief, can sense the confusion they both feel at being so relieved and yet sad at the same time. He knows they both want pups, one day. But he’s relieved it isn’t today.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Daniel says when he pulls back again, Max watching as he wipes his eyes. “I should have just done this before telling you anything,” he says and Max’s heart clenches.

“I want you to tell me everything,” he says, because he knows what it’s like to be with a Daniel who hides how he really feels, and he knows that it’s scary. “We’ll have pups when we’re ready, okay? I would hate it if you had to make such a hard choice right now about to keep it or not. I’m glad you don’t have to, Daniel,” he tells his mate, cups Daniel’s cheeks to look at his big, sad brown eyes.

“Okay,” Daniel agrees, and he accepts the kiss Max gives him easily before cuddling back into Max’s arms.

“Maybe tomorrow you can ask Michael to get us some condoms, hm?” Max asks with a smirk, and he’s grateful for the beautiful, truly missed, sound of Daniel’s laughter.

[blessedsteorra]

IN RECOVERY. JUST ADDING TAGS TO GET THIS ONTO EDTUMBLR.

something that really bothers me is that nobody on edtumblr ever speaks up about the struggles of being anorexic while being on birth control and antidepressants that contribute heavily to weight gain.

for example; i ate so much more one year ago than i do now. i was about 130 lbs (about 59 kg). now, i dont eat nearly as much, but ever since i started birth control and lexapro, i gained weight like fucking crazy. it felt like overnight the numbers got insanely high. things that were severely oversized on me barely go over my hips. i’m currently 175 lbs (79 kg) and still gaining about 2 lbs each day. i recently stopped all my medications to see how it impacts me, but as someone who’s in anorexia recovery and trying not to relapse, the weight gain being from pills makes it really difficult. and it feels impossible to lose the weight because its not as easy as losing your normal weight.

i want more people to talk about this. anorexia isnt as easy as just doing everything normally and just starving and working out. theres huge roadblocks such as these and others that also make it hard.

[catierambles]

I was engaged to be married once.

His name was Nick. I met him and was friends with him when we worked at the same place, but we didn't start dating until after I moved on from that job and we randomly met up to hang out, admitting to each other that we were interested in each other then, but figured it wasn't mutual.

He took me to my favorite sushi place for dinner for my birthday and asked me to be his girlfriend.

We dated for over a year before we got engaged. I asked him "Do you want to get married?" (Yeah, I proposed to him). He said yes.

Then things started to become clear. He liked that I played video games, but he didn't like the games I played. He liked that I was a metal head, but he hated the bands I listened to. He liked that I liked horror movies, but hated the movies I enjoyed.

He liked the idea of me, but not the reality.

He supported that I wrote, but made me feel like an idiot when I shared story ideas with him. I even hid stories from him, because I knew they would piss him off. He made fun of the things I enjoyed, made me feel stupid for liking them, and when I asked him to stop, he would always respond with "You know I just have to troll you."

I was confused as to why I didn't want to have sex with him. He was my fiance. One of the most handsome men I had ever met. Why didn't I want to do that with him? I vented this to my mom and what was her advice? "Get drunk."

I thought it was my medication that was tanking my sex drive, so I went off them. I went off my antidepressants and birth control because that's a common side effect of those. (I know now it's because I'm asexual, but that just wasn't a thing at the time that people knew about).

So my depression got bad again, really bad. I was sleeping 18+ hours a day, and when I wasn't sleeping, I was laying almost comatose on the couch watching Netflix.

He told me to stop being a "Debbie Downer Douchebag".

He made me feel like a bother and an annoyance at our engagement party. He made me feel like an idiot for getting excited about things. I was really into Dragon Age 2 at that time, but whenever I talked about it, he would roll his eyes or give me an annoyed look. He didn't like it when I talked about my friends. What very, very few friends I had.

So after a while, after almost two years we were together, I realized I just was never going to feel that urge around him, so I made the decision to break up with him. I would rather we parted then, than get married and hate and resent each other later.

We stayed friends after the breakup. Hung out every now and then. One time we were going out to eat, he held my hand, and said that it "still felt right".

Then I moved to Texas and three weeks later he was in a relationship. He eventually married her and they had a child. Then one night he got drunk after the cat he had since he was a child died and he texted me that he still loved me.

Sometimes I think I should have just sucked it up and married him. I should have just dealt with how he made me feel almost on the daily for his own amusement, and what I didn't feel for him.

[demonicintegrity]

Y'know i've stayed out of the whole "teens getting hormones and bottom surgery" discourse apart of trans rights because every other trans person I knew as a teen was entirely unable to do so. Either because of expenses and/or parents. The plans they did have were reasonable and expected to have to wait several years into adulthood in order to earn the money to do so. So they figured out other ways to be happy with their appearance until then. And every trans person I talk to has a different plan for when/if they incorporate medically transitions into themselves. Not everyone wants to medically transition.

But reading the phrase "Teens cannot consent to taking hormones" in regards to trans kids got a chuckle out of me. Because teens can. For a lot of other issues actually. Antidepressants are a hormone based medication. And I was on them as a teen. I consented and fought for them because I knew it was what I needed.

And it's not like taking medications for any reason has ever been treated lightly. I was working with a therapist for a good while until she said "we're really going anywhere because you're too tired to pull yourself out of this and work on these skills. You might really need antidepressants. I'll help you explain this to your mom so you can go to the doctor."

And then me and my mom went to the doctor with these concerns and my desire to go on antidepressants. And she was a good doctor. Checked my thyroid first in case it was that. Consulted with Adolescence because I was a teen and she was a pediatrician technically. Answered any questions and concerns my mom had. And then wrote the prescription. And stressed to me that hormonal medicine isn't like the normal medicine you're used to taking. I had to work up to my full dose (and it was still the lowest) and for that first week I had to be mindful and have a good support system in place as my body adjusts. I understood that. And then I really understood that as I went through my first week of medication. And then I continued to reasonable and mindful of myself as I stayed on it.

And that was that. I eventually didn't need them anymore. But my time on hormones didn't damage or kill me or anything like that. And its not like testosterone or estrogen are the only hormonal medications teens can take. Many are on hormonal birth control for a couple of reasons and those have a lot more damaging side effects.

I think if you're going to have discourse about trans teens, you need to give both teens and their doctors a bit more credit. Most people are reasonable and sensible. Most people have genuinely good intentions. With any medical process ever, you have to work with a doctor. Choices aren't being made blind and uninformed.

You're also going to have to figure out the double standards. Two girls want a boob job at some point, either to go up (or down) in size for whatever reason, and one happens to be trans. How is the trans girl meaningfully different from the cis one?

A lot of teens, for better or for worse and for whatever reason, want cosmetic surgery. And a lot of them do get that parental consent to do so. Both cis and trans.

And if you're going to say "oh it's all poor body image from the internet and bullying, teens to work on confidence instead of mutilating their bodies!" You gotta accept that bullying people for being obviously trans or otherwise gender nonconforming is apart of that. Telling trans kids they'll never be a real boy/girl because of their chest/other body parts is apart of that. You gotta create an environment where any and all gender nonconformity and experiment is safe to do. Otherwise you're creating more incentive for people to medically transition so they can be safe by passing.

[aspd-culture]

Hey, so my doc prescribed depakote and escitalopram for me in order to treat aspd and ocd. Did u ever take them ? Any past experiences, good or bad ?

Disclaimer: medication works different for every single person. I cannot know which response you will have to any medication. I am not a professional, nor do I know anything about your medical health specifically. Therefore, I firmly stress that any and all advice you take on medications either come from your doctor or at least be taken back to your doctor BEFORE you make any changes. Especially for psychiatric medications, it is imperitive to follow your doctor's instructions exactly.

If you disagree with your provider's decision and they won't help you change medications, continue using what you have been given unless you have a reaction that would warrant an urgent care or ER visit and find a different doctor. Your doctor should ALWAYS respect your legal right to refuse a certain medication as long as you are still willing to get some alternative treatment for symptoms that cause any risk to yourself/others.

If you need to go to the ER or urgent care, explain that you believe this is a reaction to your medication and ask for them to prescribe you an alternative and/or give you instructions on how to safely get off that medication. They'll be able to tell you if that is likely a side effect or not, and give you safe medical advice on getting off that med.

All of that said, I can give anecdotal information on this and it's good news!

I have been given Depakote in crisis (in the "danger to yourself" way) before. It definitely helped then, but for me, it only worked with the acute dose they'd give for crisis-level severe flares. For a lot of people, it works though! And the medication I'm on is similar - it's still an anti-epileptic, just a different one, so I can definitely see it helping. My family members just have a better reaction to the one I've been put on.

Escitalopram is one I have not personally used, but I have heard many other pwASPD specifically mention that as the only antidepressant that helped them. Whilst that doesn't in any way mean other ones won't work for you, it *does* mean there is a strong chance it will help!

My biggest piece of advice: Make sure to ask your doctor if your medications are time sensitive. Some, like birth control, are tempermental if not taken at the same time and may cause a reaction or intense flare if not taken at the same time. If your doctor says that isn't the case, but you seem to find anecdotally that it does for you, I'd advise prioritizing taken it at a set time anyway as it shouldn't hurt as long as you're taking it as instructed.

Plain text below the cut:

Disclaimer: medication works different for every single person. I cannot know which response you will have to any medication. I am not a professional, nor do I know anything about your medical health specifically. Therefore, I firmly stress that any and all advice you take on medications either come from your doctor or at least be taken back to your doctor BEFORE you make any changes. Especially for psychiatric medications, it is imperitive to follow your doctor's instructions exactly.

If you disagree with your provider's decision and they won't help you change medications, continue using what you have been given unless you have a reaction that would warrant an urgent care or ER visit and find a different doctor. Your doctor should ALWAYS respect your legal right to refuse a certain medication as long as you are still willing to get some alternative treatment for symptoms that cause any risk to yourself/others.

If you need to go to the ER or urgent care, explain that you believe this is a reaction to your medication and ask for them to prescribe you an alternative and/or give you instructions on how to safely get off that medication. They'll be able to tell you if that is likely a side effect or not, and give you safe medical advice on getting off that med.

All of that said, I can give anecdotal information on this and it's good news!

I have been given Depakote in crisis (in the "danger to yourself" way) before. It definitely helped then, but for me, it only worked with the acute dose they'd give for crisis-level severe flares. For a lot of people, it works though! And the medication I'm on is similar - it's still an anti-epileptic, just a different one, so I can definitely see it helping. My family members just have a better reaction to the one I've been put on.

Escitalopram is one I have not personally used, but I have heard many other pwASPD specifically mention that as the only antidepressant that helped them. Whilst that doesn't in any way mean other ones won't work for you, it *does* mean there is a strong chance it will help!

My biggest piece of advice: Make sure to ask your doctor if your medications are time sensitive. Some, like birth control, are tempermental if not taken at the same time and may cause a reaction or intense flare if not taken at the same time. If your doctor says that isn't the case, but you seem to find anecdotally that it does for you, I'd advise prioritizing taken it at a set time anyway as it shouldn't hurt as long as you're taking it as instructed.

[that-cheer-up-anon]

Got my first therapy appointment in a long time today. Same person I used to go to. Not too sure what to talk about since the suicidal breakdown incident that my doctor required me to get this appointment for felt like a genuine one off in ages.

Not that excited to go back to this therapist bc I felt like my progress was stagnant and it felt like he dismissed my queer identity stuff (in a sorta 'you can be queer. Who cares?' kinda way), and I was tired of having to explain every Mormon thing before I could get to the actual issues I was having due to the Mormon thing. They also didn't do anything when I said I suspected having ADHD.

Like I was initially sent to them for depression and anxiety, not ADHD, CPTSD, family and religious trauma issues, and I just think they might not be equipped to deal w those. Idk maybe I'm underestimating them, but it's frustrating having to explain everything and getting caught up in emotions and side thoughts about it that I forget how to tell them how it's affecting me.

I don't think the antidepressants are actually doing anything bc I'm not as depressed as I used to be when I did need them. I really don't feel a difference, and I'm mad bc I'm already poor and don't want to have to keep spending money on meds I don't need to be on. The only meds I want to pay for are paracetamol and my birth control.

I've also got an appointment next week w a different psychologist, and although I am tired of having to explain and give the rundown on everything w me, I am curious to see if they might be better. Sadly I only get 6 free sessions w them.

[bada-bang-bada-bastarrd]

Life update / vent under the cut

Trigger warnings for depression, period mentions, etc

Hey everyone. Lately I have not been doing so hot. I just up and quit my job today and my life is a shit show. I'm planning on moving in with my boyfriend soon and it's not going to be easy. He lives an hour away from me, which means I'll be an hour away from everything I once knew. Yes I know I can visit or call my family, but it will still be hard to adjust.

Why I quit my job today was a matter of me not being able to tolerate the way they treat me. I was overwhelmed and overworked today and they basically told me to deal with it. I needed help bringing carts in but they refused to get anyone to help. I bust my ass every single day I'm there and they don't recognize me for it at all.

They'll give shout-out cards to people who do mediocre things, like help a customer with a sale or help lift a pallet. I don't get any of that for any of my hard work, and it does a number on my self esteem. It makes me feel worthless in my own workplace, despite the fact that I used to love working there.

Luckily I have found other means of employment, and I'll hopefully start soon, but it's up where my boyfriend lives and there's no guarantee I'll get the job. Next, I just entered a new counseling facility and need refills on my medication. My one med, clonidine, is what I use to sleep. Without it, I literally cannot sleep.

However, since I'm new, i have to wait for a referral to the doctor there from my therapist. The front desk said they'd call me once they got the all-clear, but it still worries me because I don't want to run out of pills. Believe me when I say I turn into quite the bitch when I don't get any sleep.

Then my antidepressants aren't doing anything for me either. Hell, today has been enough of an emotional rollercoaster --- I had a sudden wave of depression wash over me before I clocked in that lasted for about two hours. I couldn't find the effort to smile, act friendly towards customers, or even talk today. It was that bad.

It cleared up eventually, but it was replaced by frustration from my stressful workload. I was the only lot attendant at the store today, and I had to be a thousand places at once. After my frustration cleared up, it was replaced with depression again. I'm even depressed as I write this.

I tried playing my bass to hopefully cheer myself up, but that did very little to help. In fact I didn't get very much joy out of it at all, which usually never ever happens. Not only do I have to worry about my pills, but I'm out of overnight pads as well, and I had cramps so bad yesterday they made me feel nauseous.

My birth control patches are honestly doing more harm than help. They do prevent me from getting pregnant, yes, but they also increase the frequency and severity of my mood swings and the frequency and severity of my cramps. This is because they're a hormone based treatment. I almost cried from the pain I was in yesterday because I thought I was dying.

Right now I'm on Lexapro for my depression. It does not help. The thing that frustrates me is that I don't want to go through medication after medication, only for it to not work. It truly makes me feel hopeless when it doesn't work, because I worry that my depression cannot be treated.

My depression makes me feel like I'm trapped in a shell, inside my own head, with no clear way to get out. With all the stress in my life right now, it only gets worse. I almost didn't eat dinner tonight it was so bad. It's heartbreaking to experience, because I give my brain life, a body --- and it tells me to kill myself.

In fact, today at work, my brain told me to hang myself. That no one would miss me if I killed myself right now. But my boyfriend, whom I love and care about very much, would. It's very heartbreaking to have a brain that doesn't love you back.

A brain that wants you to do horrible horrible things to yourself. Cut yourself. Scratch yourself. Stab yourself. Drink yourself to death. Die of an overdose. Run into oncoming traffic. Starve yourself. It doesn't want you to accomplish anything by doing any of this, it just wants you to ruin yourself more so it can find new ways to torture and belittle you.

Honestly if I make it past next week at this rate I will be surprised. I feel like nothing will help me and that I will, inevitably, off myself one day. Don't get me wrong, I have family and friends who love me so. But it's just so hard to stay alive when your life is falling apart.