#see like its good that mental health language is being used more often but not like this…

[emofrog69]

religious trauma is real it quite literally gave me OCD lmfao

[despazito]

like i have such conflicting feelings about the pathologizing of mental illness nowadays and the culture it creates. i think the need to have ones dx, at least in my case, was driven by a fundamental urge for validation that what i’m feeling isn't just a phase or something that will sort itself out. i think women especially have had our pain and struggles so minimized, i had lows wishing i just had a broken leg so others could at least see my pain. i clung to my dx and feet like waving it to the world shouting its not just in my head!! i’m not just lazy!!

in some ways getting the dx is like getting a pedigree for your fucked up brain. like this isnt some backyard bred tiktok adhd, this is PUREBRED adhd with the papers to prove it!!! all these women like myself who were looking for a voice and affirmation through dx to prove they “aren’t just one of those girls who’s too sensitive and googled their symptoms”, but now that’s also created its own trope of “overdiagnosed girl in her 20s” and there’s a whole new stereotype to mock and invalidate. there’s just no winning, it really feels like our pain will never get taken seriously by society to matter which route we take to get heard we are dismissed.

but of course these slips of paper become vital if you need any assistance or accommodations, so they are incredibly beneficial to have.

my issue is the more i reflect, the more i do feel like many emotional disturbances or brain funkiness ESPECIALLY depression and anxiety are the result of, or at least become more aggravated, by unluckiness in your childhood relationships and the narrative we created about it. turns out you don’t need to be textbook abused to have adverse experiences, and a failure to have a healthy secure relationship to your primary caregiver fucks with you for life but nobody wants to talk about that. i do think we live in a society here in canada where parental rights to parent how their want is overstepping on the child’s right to have the healthiest possible environment to be raised in. i had spent years reading about the lifelong effects of parental deprivation or bad socialization in dogs and parrots before reading about it in humans, and i think we forget how much humans are also animals.

but the thing is you can work on relationships, you can begin to process trauma. when i tell myself “i’m a person with anxiety” it feels really loaded with a sense of finality that i will always live this way.. the more i use that language the more futile it feels about ever improving, when so often depression and anxiety are the result of deeper unresolved issues. I see so many people with phobias or fears resign to living painful lives than trying to work on any exposure or processing their fears. i’d still be miserable if i never worked through my intense fears of intimacy, i was perfectly resigned to a life of being alone and thought i was content with that.

turns out growing up with trauma can cause the same unfocused and disorganized presentation as clinical adhd.i’ll admit i didn’t like learning that one, as adhd already has so many deniers my kneejerk response was anger at my adhd being invalidated. but i think a lot of adhd people fall somewhere in between that venn diagram, and rejecting a traumagenic theory for some people’s symptoms means they will be prescribed the wrong treatment plan. and this is why all treatment plans put emphasis on talk therapy just as much as pharmacological intervention.

obviously some things aren’t the result of your childhood! your mom yelling at you doesn’t cause autism, but chances are if you’re autistic and had cruddy support you’ll face more adversities and mental health struggles than a good supportive environment. similarly, you could’ve grown up with all the love and support to thrive but one day your thyroid decides it’s time to make you feel like roadkill.

idk, what i’m trying to say is don’t corner yourself or resign from living life because of your mental health dx or think that you’ll never get better because you “have” this, chances are there’s always room to feel better. the most hurtful thing is our inner voice if it’s internalized negative language, and there’s exercises you can practice to drill more positive or at least neutral nonjudgemental language into your inner critic. because even if you have something that will never be cured, the way we talk to ourselves about it is a variable we have some power over.

the narrative part experiencing trauma is uniquely human. some people will experience horrible things and internalize the negativity or self blame, but resilient people have better prognosis because they have ability to frame things in a narrative that don’t assign self blame, and critiques the behaviour instead of the self. because so many complications and struggles arise out of kicking ourselves when we’re down. but the thing is this usually can’t happen on its own, we need to see this modeled by the people around us. but thankfully if we missed the boat, we CAN retrain that voice

anyway that’s my musings from my perspective. for anyone curious here’s a lecture that really resonated with me, its got some hard hitting truths i didn’t want to hear but sometimes you gotta hear things that make you uncomfortable

[allycat75]

A bit more about your misogyny, Boston Dumb Fuck. Yes, you do have some.

I have discussed previously how the jump scares and V-day videos not only cost you your feminist card, but all got you more than a few upgrades to your misogynist membership. Upgrades were also earned when you smugly minimized or outright dismissed any need to have fear or anxiety because there is never a real threat, when, for women, there is a clear and present danger lurking behind almost every corner, mostly from your sex. I will smugly respond in kind by saying check your goddamn privlege, have a little empathy and tell your fellow knuckle-crawling males to keep it in their pants until they are soberly invited to present it, good sir.

But let's now discuss using your (mostly female) fandom to spread your lies and then making them look crazy and/or stupid for pointing out their obvious flaws. This is not a new tactic- women have been suppressed and subjugated for centuries by manipulating science and the narrative of what is "normal". It was not uncommon for a man who was simply bored with his wife to have her committed to an asylum, often for the rest of her life, with some made up psychosis, like "hysteria".

On this blog, I have discussed the "Martha Mitchell Effect", occuring when a medical professional labels a patient's completely accurate perception of real events as delusional, resulting in misdiagnosis. Its name is derived from the wife of John Mitchel, US Attorney General in the Nixon administration. When Martha alleged that White House officials were engaged in illegal activities, her claims were attributed to mental illness but ultimately the facts of the Watergate scandal vindicated her. Not, however, before much anguish and suffering at the hands of people she trusted and loved.

And this is only the evidence I see with my own eyes. There are plenty of stories of how awful you are to unsuspecting one night stands and anyone who might want to tarnish your Golden Boy, ah shucks I'm really just ackward and shy reputation, although I would say you have imploded that one just fine on your own. If there is a grain of truth to any of these rumors, please examine them thoroughly and get the help you need or Dodger and your hand will truly become your only life companions.

Here are additional articles I hope you read and ruminate on as you endeavor to become a fully functioning human being who contibutes to the success of the greater good and whose activism isn't simply performative, rather than bring down society for the benefit of a select few and earning more meaningless upgrades to your misogynist membership:

[darkwood-sleddog]

This is a honest question, but what is your opinion on the class of "Pitbull" dogs? In my experience they often seem to be like Malinois with being a "loaded gun intense dog" with how some owners talk about them, yet also aren't seen as able to do anything but fight.

Do you think they'd be good with sports? Like pulling, or sledding, or agility? Also on the Malinois, what do you think of the videos of them scaling walls, or put through such intense workouts?

I like American Pit Bull Terriers and other pit bull type dogs. I think they have a pleasing shape and I love their fat heads and how easily they seem to build muscle. If you're active, and don't need a dog that can be off leash or with other dogs necessarily, not into socializing with weird dogs yourself, they can be great companions. They are successful in weight pulling and generally love pull sports (all the weight pull clubs 'near' me are run by pit bull people). Overall I think many people have worked hard to maintain the dog as an active breed while finding other ways to satisfy the dog's need to work without falling into dog fighting. Weight pull, back packing, joring, wall climb and other individual sports are great options for these dogs. Hell I also know a ton that do hog work. In this way they are a lot like malamutes (besides the hog work, but one could argue this is very similar to the way indigenous sled dogs are used for hunting/polar bear security).

Where I feel the breed falls short is when people try to "de-intensify" the way they are talked about to combat breed bans and negative stigma (think 'velvet hippo' and 'it's all how you raise them' mentality). I think white rescue people get a big high over taking pit bulls out of what they deem as negative environments when in reality this dog is owned in majority by people of color in urban places. I think that LESS people need to own pit bulls because they are NOT velvet hippos or nanny dogs, they are instead an active, dog aggressive breed. There's nothing bad about that fact, it's just the truth. Like literally think of the nastiest Jack Russel Terrier you've ever met (and i think many people have met at least one REALLY ornery small terrier dog in their lifetime) and then make it 40-60 pounds. That's what a pit bull is at its core. A big ass terrier. I think the people that talk about these dogs in a way that is HONEST about the actual nature of these dogs (intense, strong, active and dog aggressive) are doing the breed a kindness. I think shelters and rescues trying to down play these very real, very breed standard in well bred pit bull types traits in these dogs to get them adopted are putting people in real danger. I think a lot of random bred pit bull type dogs have human aggression and I think we need to be more liberal with behavioral euthanasia for those individuals.

I like pit bull people that are in the breed for what the breed ACTUALLY is and respect that while not continuing the dog fighting horrors of their past and finding other, more positive ways to honor the dogs abilities. I HATE pit bull people that see them as capable of doing nothing wrong ever ever ever. The breed has, at its core, two very different types of camps that own them and unfortunately the later is more prominent.

And regarding Malinois I don't think that there's anything wrong with putting a dog through an intense workout. Malinois are truly incredible dogs and capable of so many things. The problem comes in for me when handlers expect and desire the dog to be overly stimulated and engaged 100% of the time. That's not healthy mentally for the dog and I also don't believe a dog can perform those tasks safely when they are quivering from stimulation. From a big dog owner perspective, I do wonder about the joint health of these dogs though honestly.

And to finish off, I do think there is a difference between talking honestly about a dog breed and the "loaded gun language" I so frequently complain about. Talking honestly about a breed is about acknowledging the differences and challenges a specific breed or type of dogs may have. Not every breed is suited for every person or situation and it is important to recognize this. "Loaded Gun" language, as often used with Malinois and Pit Bull types, is bragging about a dog's lack of manageability as if that is a good thing, as if the dog needs some super human or some sort of ridiculous schedule to act composed. In reality it feels like these people are overwhelmed by the dog they have created, a dog that has never been taught to settle, and are ignorantly talking pridefully about this to convince themselves that THEY are correct and there's nothing wrong. It's not bad to do intense dog sports, or to have a dog that loves and is driven to do said sports, but a good sport dog and/or working dog should be able to compose themselves. Without this ability they are not able to truly be a dog, existing simply as dog kind, and are just a tool with which people stoke their egos. If you're in it for the dog you will allow them to relax and settle, even if that has to be taught.

[glngrbred]

Extrodinary Vs. Ordinary circumstance

When people talk about patriarchy, missoginy, feminism, gender, they often completely miss the mark by ignoring extrodinary and ordinary circustance.

For example, Male sui///ide is "common", (among suicides) but that (sui//ides) are extremely extrordinary, just out of this world "uncommon" statistically. When people's main point aginst patriarchy existing is an extraordinary circumstance, We have to realise that agrument is in bad faith for the missunderstanding of circumstance. If you only look at extraordinary circumstances, then you can't see the reality of daily life for MOST people. (wich is what societal values exist as)

In reality almost every ordinary circumstance is more favorable for men than women.

Employment (women get fired for fear of pregnancy, beuty standards. denied jobs on gender bias. lower pay)

Parenting (women have more responsibilities shoved on them, childcare, cooking, scheduling, raising kids, playtime, cleaning, transit) and sometimes they also have to work while doing all this. (so if a man complains about caring for the kids on mom's vacation, he should know better)

On top of parenting, wives often have to care for their spouse as well, cooking for them, buying food, washing clothes, cleaning rooms, etc.

So in 2 of the most/ literally almost every woman's lives/ comon circumstances for women, they inherently have to work harder, and are less valued by society than men. If you have more than 3 braincells, you should notice how unfair that is.

Other things

PERIODS ARE EXTRAORDINARY!!!

YES! menstuation, pregnancy, and CHILDBIRTH are all common, but EXTRAORDINARY circumstances, as they hapen to like what, 20%?? of the population at any time, and at most ~49.7% throughout all of time? that's not a majority, ever, and if we look at given time, its obviouse how unfair just being a person with a vagina is in some reality. you have to deal with painful, weeklong* cramps monthly* for upwards of 30* years, and most men and some women just act like its nothing??? no, nononononono that is NOT nothing, having an extraordinary circumstance inherited at birth*** (shit happens) literally is unfair in an unballanced suffering kind of way.

So, yeah, If you're a guy, just realise that no, a few* (several) extraordinary circumstances (wich really suck) do not make a system of opression and an unfair treatment of a whole half of the population.

To be more specific, you are not opressed because of extraordinary circumstances like (sui///ide, college graduation, mental health crisis [wich is a symptom of patriarchy], violence [bad stat, as women are most likely to be victims], or drug death.) Again, not saying these are good or normal or should continue, All i mean is these extraordinary circumstances do not make a system of oppression, and are sadly actually a peice of patriarchy hurting everyone. SO sorry manosphere ppl, you are just kinda wrong inherently.

Note: i didnt use super inclusive or trans inclusive in general language, MB folks, it just happenned like that, i apologise for any miscomunications, os negative impacts, they are my fault as the writer.

[cryiinglikecassandra]

a brief introduction to CHESTER KOWALSKI, a 34 year old WITCH, current OWNER of MAGPIE'S EYE and conduit of the dead and demonic.

IN CHARACTER 

FULL NAME:  Chester Kowalski SPECIES: Witch, Hallowed Circle Coven AGE: 33 DATE OF BIRTH: 17th October 1990 GENDER IDENTITY: Cismale, He/Him NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown OCCUPATION: Store Clerk / Owner of Magpie’s Eye WORKPLACE: Herb & Spice Apothecary / Magpie’s Eye POSITIVE TRAITS: Spontaneous, Friendly, Compassionate NEGATIVE TRAITS: Catty, Jealous, Self-Indulgent LENGTH OF TIME IN RAVEN’S PEAK: 22 years FACE CLAIM: Robert Sheehan

BIOGRAPHY

TRIGGER WARNING: Cults, Death, Birth

Florian came into the world to the sound of hymns, prayers in dead tongues, a circle around his laboring mother, people in robes with hands held high as he was birthed on a great carved tablet. There was silence afterwards, the babe held squirming as it cried loud, echoing off the walls. What were they waiting for? A sign. It came when the babe continued to wail, no silence following, accepted by their worshiped deity. Florian had not been slaughtered but, perhaps it would’ve been kinder than what followed. A brand was seared onto the back of the babes’ neck, a symbol written in an infernal language, marking Florian a door for all things dead and demonic to pass through – for he’d been born into the Children of Demise, a witching coven-turned cult who worshiped demons. Not that anybody would know, on the outside, they were just another communal family, preaching unity and recruiting the vulnerable and lost to their cause.

  He was so beloved growing up, doted on by the many mothers, for he was made to be a prophet through which their lord spoke. For all this dread and despair, it was often not reflected on Florian, too young to really know what he was doing. Sometimes, people he couldn’t see talked to him, imaginary friends who told him all about the world, about things that had been – some were kindly and gentle, others waves of anger and grief, wailing about how they died, why had they died? Florian learned that these invisible beings could take over his body and use him as he used dolls. When you grow up with such powers, when others make you feel special and worshiped, it’s impossible to feel terrible about such a thing.

  Except – there was one aspect Florian didn’t like. That was, when the demon would possess him, wear his flesh and do bad things.

  All cults face dissent, no matter how strong. Florian felt this loss the most when his mother, Magda, lost her best friend – the woman had been pregnant and fled for the betterment of her baby. Even at a tender age, he became quieter, more withdrawn from the loss of someone like a second mother. She was the first, and many followed afterwards, years suddenly becoming marred by turmoil and infiltration until eventually, another witching coven aided by hunters came to take the cult down. It was a bloody fight to the end, leaving only a few children and those who quickly gave up their loyalty when faced with violence. A gun was leveled at Florian, barely 12, to finally end the cult’s terrible mission.

  An older witch stepped in and stopped him. She took Florian – renamed him Chester – and adopted him as her own son. Chester has grown up in Raven’s Peak with little issue his entire life, being a loyal servant of the Hallowed Circle Coven that rescued him all those years ago. Recently, Chester has been dealing with his adoptive mother’s health decline and subsequent move into a care home the next city over.

OTHER

he can hear and occasionally see ghosts and spirits of those that have passed. chester isn't afraid of them, and actually offers a service where he will allow a person to speak to their deceased relative using him as the vessel. he charges an extortionate amount for this service because its physically and mentally taxing.

alexa play it girl by aliyah's interlude

very good at potions & healing magic, his main specialty.

grows some magic infused...herbs that you can smoke for certain emotional affects.

it's zaza.

loves the coven he's in and is fiercely protective of it and those within.

very affectionate. loves to hug others, kisses to the crown of your head, holding hands, always kind of got to be touching you?

siri play good old fashioned loverboy by queen

probably actually nonbinary but not an aspect of himself he feels he has time to explore at this point

loves karaoke!

brand on the back of his neck is covered up by his hair. it's long curls, just to his shoulders.

kind of always wearing eyeliner. has a very loud and statement based fashion sense.

enjoys painting, runs local nude drawing classes. is sometimes the subject.

terrified of demons. absolutely? they whisper to him in the night and he has frequent nightmares about it.

isn't fond of hunters. like, at all.

certified yapper

[blackswaneuroparedux]

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.

- Ernest Hemingway

Perhaps the most influential person in piquing international interest in Spain’s rich tradition of bullfighting was Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway. Experts have said that his first published novel, The Sun Also Rises, was responsible for turning the festival of San Fermín and its iconic running of the bulls from a relatively obscure local affair in Pamplona to a worldwide sensation. Naturally, several Spanish cities have streets named after him or statues in his honor.

Hemingway discovered a passion for bullfighting in Spain in his early 20s that stayed with him his entire life. When he took his own life in 1961, after battling physical and mental health issues for many years, tickets for an upcoming bullfight were found in his home.

The Sun Also Rises is loaded with bullfighting symbolism, arguably more than any of his other work, unless you consider the underlying philosophy of his nonfiction work, Death in the Afternoon, which has come to be called the bullfighting bible thanks to its detailed and dynamic descriptions of bullfights and all the associated ritual and culture.

In this novel, set in Spain in the 1920s, bullfighting is frequently and profoundly used as a symbol of masculinity, passion, and the inevitable destruction that accompanies love and sex. The young adult characters, part of the so-called Lost Generation, are mesmerized by the bravery, skill and honor that are the foundations of a good fight, having become cynical about these qualities outside the ring. When you read how Hemingway describes each bullfight, the language used is often quite sexual and mirrors the stages of an intimate encounter, involving seduction, manipulation, and finally, penetration as the matador slays the bull with his sword.

Another element of bullfighting symbolism involves the fickleness of love, which is personified by Brett’s constantly running from lover to lover, and also by retired matador Belmonte swiftly falling out of favor with the crowds as soon as something newer and better comes along: the young matador, Romero.

In the early 1920s, Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson, moved to Paris, where he met several great contemporary writers, among them Gertrude Stein. She was the one who recommended that he change from journalism to fiction writing, and, importantly, that he take a trip to see bullfighting in Spain.

He followed her advice in 1923, when he witnessed the running of the bulls and the afternoon bullfights of San Fermín. He later recounted, “The only place where you could see life and death, i.e., violent death now that the wars were over, was in the bull ring and I wanted very much to go to Spain where I could study it. I was trying to learn to write, commencing with the simplest things, and one of the simplest things of all and the most fundamental is violent death.”

At one point later in his life, he claimed to have seen some 1500 bulls killed in the area and read through over 2000 books and pamphlets in Spanish related to the world of bullfighting. It is safe to say, then, that Ernest Hemingway was a life-long aficionado who was dismissive of those who condemned the alleged barbarity of the sport, He retorted to critics, “Anything capable of arousing passion in its favor will surely raise as much passion against it.” He also expressed a desire for opponents of the sport to mind their own business, essentially being of the opinion that, if you don’t like the fights, don’t watch them.“

[ewan-mo]

A good day’s work and a celebration dinner

Tuesday 19th September

Breakfast here has different food on offer.  Mo started the day with liver and plantain....

Our conference day began with lingering anxiety over the technology, then a breath of relief. 

Our good friends Mahesh and Sujeet - both professors at Chester University and Cheshire & Wirral Partnership where I used to work - had kindly agreed to give us some teaching on Intellectual Disability and Neurodevelopmental Disorder. ID and NDD! This meant them getting up rather early to allow for the time difference between our two countries, and both ends needing faultless technology to make it happen, despite it being a two hour session over the internet.

Learning from the professors.

ID and NDD are common around the world, and probably neglected more than any other mental health condition.

Happily all went well, and we had a very comprehensive learning session with two international experts. At one point Mahesh was helping us to think about the difficulty some people with NDD have in understanding what others are saying. His illustration was to talk to our students in a foreign language – his native language from a remote part of India, which no one had even heard of. The students were quite entertained as they listened; he turned out to be asking them what they’d had for breakfast.

Our session on epilepsy later in the morning was one of joint learning. 

I challenged the students to discuss how we can do better – rather than just running huge clinics with a minute or two for each patient to review medication and little more, can we do better to help this person in their situation? How are their families managing the stigma? How much do community leaders know? How could we help to change attitudes amongst teachers, employers and the general public? How can we prevent epilepsy from even happening?

Meanwhile I learnt a whole lot more about traditional knowledge of epilepsy and its effects, and the perpetuation of the stigma surrounding the disease.

In April Uganda hosted a national conference on epilepsy. I didn’t know that until I was well on the way thinking about our teaching session! There are 770,000 individuals living with epilepsy in Uganda. Many others are not known to services. There are very few neurologists in the country (hence mental health teams manage people with the condition), and very limited access to investigations such as EEG, which would be routine in the UK. 

Children with epilepsy are often denied education. If they do go to school they are frequently traumatised by the way they are treated – bullied, shamed and stigmatised. Many drop out. Getting employment is a big challenge, and if the seizures are not well controlled, then usually that means dismissal. On our last visit here we met a teacher and her daughter, both of whom have epilepsy. They have been unable to get work. You don’t have to look far to begin to understand some of the causes of poverty in a country like Uganda.

Hugh and Avril arrived just before lunch. It was good to see them and have a more complete team

Supper being cooked outside.

Linda spent the afternoon helping our students to understand psychological ways of working with serious mental conditions like psychosis. 

Workshop Celebration Dinner and an important announcement

Our lovely nuns had prepared a special celebration dinner which as always included several different carbohydrates, and on this occasion, several proteins as well, including goat, chicken, and beef.  In our experience goat can sometimes be a bit chewy, but this was very well cooked. Avril had never had goat before but she really enjoyed it.

They had also commissioned a beautiful cake:

As the meal ended, Hugh (Chair of Jamie’s Fund) gave a moving resume of all that has been achieved in partnership over the last 10 years: 

Working with 25 hospitals across Uganda

Running professional development workshops in mental health

Training of seven new Psych Clinical Officers who will lead services for the future at their facilities

Over 1000 general health workers trained in mental health knowledge and skills

Over 1000 Community Leaders sensitized on mental health

Provision of new equipment – motor cycles, lap tops etc

He then made the difficult announcement that JF would be closing at the end of the year. As Hugh explained, we have not reached the decision easily. We promised that although the Fund would finish, our relationships would not. The trustees are all getting older as JF has been running for 10 years and the next generation of leaders has unfortunately not emerged. (Those of you on the JF supporters mailing list will receive the letter we have prepared in the near future, but  we felt it was important to tell those who are most affected here in Uganda first.)

Ewan and I are certainly likely to return from time to time to see our friends. 

Our wonderful young people received the news quietly but with great grace and appreciation. They promised that they would continue the great work they had been doing, and would indeed continue community mental health service development. 

[sn4kep1t]

solo / LXXXVIII

CONTENT WARNINGS:

the following content contains allusions to, mentions of, or mentions non-graphic examples of: homelessness, emotional/psychological abuse, anti-lgbtq discrimination, gender dysphoria, and severe depressive episodes as well as other examples of severe mental health symptoms. viewer discretion is advised.

if you entered the front door of the high school and immediately hung a right, you'd be walking down the hall to one of the auditorium's entrances-- specifically, the entrance to the orchestra pit. the piano was often brought between here and the practice room depending on the season. it was always scarier to play with a risk of someone hearing from afar, but that fear only followed akira through his freshman and sophomore years. there was no longer any regard for whoever ended up hearing viper's practice by the time he was in his senior year, oftentimes skipping classes just to play in the empty auditorium.

it was his only reprieve, after all. it was the only time he wasn't seen as the stinking hobo of his graduating class, nor the spastic weirdo, nor the potential violent criminal... hell, he loved the fact that a piano had its own voice so he wouldn't immediately be thought of by staff or strangers as the wrong gender entirely.

yes, the piano has its own voice. what a pianist brings is not a voice, but a stunning performance with that perfect tone at their disposal. expression never need lie in the notation alone when it came to a song. it's why even a performance of a funeral dirge, a swan song, a final musical farewell can be played in such a way that it's no longer so melancholy.

instead, it's furious and defiant.

dies iræ, dies illa solvet sæclum in favilla.

even after school ended, he'd often stay with the piano. oh, his parents had one at home, but he could never get a note in edgewise. the second he made a mistake, he had someone over his shoulder telling him every reason he fucked it all up.

"you're playing too loud. i can't hear the TV. yes, the news is more important than your bullshit." "why'd you cut your hair again? i can see it when you're sitting with your back to me like that. why'd you cut your hair again, huh?" "you need to hang around better people. i've set you up on a date with my coworker's son, and you are not going to make me look bad." "not this fucking shit again. you fucking listen, if you don't--"

"you hit another wrong note again. why even try? you won't be good enough to get on TV with it."

oh, how he loved to play at school. how he loved being able to take to the bench and, for once, uninterrupted, uninhibited and freely,

he could scream through his hands.

whatever song he played didn't matter. whatever sheets he had, be they classical pieces or sheet music for songs he'd heard off video game soundtracks, he'd bring an energy that showed the anger he harbored within.

crying himself to sleep the night before, viper's fingers hammered each key with force he couldn't bring to his words. swallowing his resentment from how he had to buy and make his own dinner far before moving out of his parents' house, even a waltz felt foreboding and imminent.

he knew his more profitable skill was strength. he knew it was more reliable, as well, and easier to ensure constant practice with. but he learned very fast that violence was a language spoken only in appropriate forums, under circumstances dictated by arbitrary laws of supposed decency-- he couldn't scream with his fists like he could with his fingers.

he missed being able to scream. he missed his voice. with it finally in his hands again, it was hard for viper to hold back tears when he could play a simple chord again after so much time and so much progress. he worried for a moment that it wouldn't feel as good to 'scream' as he used to, that all the rage had passed. there was no fire of defiance within him any longer. there was acceptance, and surely nothing else.

even so, he can feel it now as he continues his feverish practice with quite the dramatic step up in quality since his first time expressing himself for so long. he can feel the fire coming back. he can feel the screams, directed by his fingers, wailing from each string struck by the hammer; he could hear his screams, but instead of lamentations, there was now a triumphant, hoarse laugh. a victorious laugh.

with 88 keys, he could laugh in the face of every obstacle that tried to block him from this bright future. he could do it just like he'd begged for something better with the same tools before.

[evil-quartett]

A new OC who would have thought

I used the Free To Use Character Sheet by @yanderepuck i just added gender and pronouns

Important to know before reading: Spirits are human beings whose souls didn't get collected by a reaper but their bodies are death and they endanger humans

General Information

Full name: Lilith

Nickname: Lily

Gender: Non-binary

Pronouns: they/them

Age: 18

Nationality: They live in a kingdom on Antarctica that doesn't exist irl. I'm hella bad at coming up with names, especially for countries so it'll remain unnamed for now.

Religion: not religious

City of Birth: Capital of that country

Current place of living: Travelling

Job title: Combat magician

Income: Nothing, lives off gifts & hunting

Birthday: 23th June 1870

Mother tongue: Language of the unnamed kingdom

Relationships: see relationship chart (I'll make it sometime)

Likes: Magic, fire, animals (dogs in particular), Hunting

Dislikes: Nobles, Capitalism, selfishness

Background: see background post when I make it

Relationships

Siblings: 4 siblings, but they're dead

Spouse: n/a

Children: currently not

Grandparents: never got to know them

Grandchildren: don't exist

Other important persons: There are only their pets honestly but they love them

Relationships with other characters

Have a backstory with Comte and hates him

Will be paired up with Jean

Would ally with Vlad because he's Comtes enemy

Leonardo and Lilith view each other as potential threats

Respect Napoleon and Mozart, fellow dog owners with Theo and Arthur but dislike the other residents because they're Comte's children

Pets: 4 husky dogs, give me ideas for names plz

Physical Characteristics

Addictions: Alcohol

Bad habits: fidgeting, just generally not being able to be still

Eye color: dark pink left and bright pink right

Hair color: Black with a dark pink strand

Skin color: tanned

Body type: mesomorph

Drink often: Yes

Disabilities: Old injury (?) immobilising their right hand

Smoke often: Never smoked, never will

Good habits: Organizing

Height: about a heads length shorter than Jean

Hobbies: no time for hobbies

Face shape: oval

Weight: average

Eye sight: Bad, need glasses

Clothing style: Armours for fighting, otherwise practical and warm

Health issues: nothing except for the hand and eyes

Tattoos: a sword with a moon on their upper right arm

From Pinterest

Piercings: None

Talents: Fighting and magic, have tried out nothing else

Mental Characteristics

Education: Can read, write, basic math

Fears: scared of closed small rooms and spiders

Life goals(next 5 years): survive

Life goals (next 25 years): survive

Self-perception: They view themselves as minor to others, which is the reason for a lot of things they'll do.

Self-confidence: Have a confident facade but are fighting with a lot of self-doubt and a feeling of minority.

Assumed external perception by them: Someone that can easily be manipulated (by the nobility) and someone who's only useful for defeating the spirits (by the lower class), are viewed as a hero in reality

Rational or emotional: emotial

How could you upset this character: Be disrespectful to LGBTQ+ members, they'll never forgive you

Sleep habits: Bad. They barely have time and often get woken up

Eating habits: Don't need to eat

Emotional Characteristics

Emotional strengths: courage, resilience

Emotional weaknesses: self-critical, impatient

Introvert or extrovert: Introvert

How do they cope with:

…Anger: Fight some spirits

…Unhappiness: Bottle it up

…Rivalry: Trying to avoid the rival

…New situations: Get nervous

…Trouble: Don't care

Meaning of life: Necessary suffering

What would they change about themselves: Heal their arm and be more confident

What motivates them: fear ig

What scares them: spiders and small rooms, especially cells

What makes them happy: The feeling of peace when its just them and the huskys

Are they often bias: Yes

Give or take: Give

Nice or rude: Nice

Pet peeves: the weather tbh

Guilty pleasures: singing nd dancing when no one is watching

Combat

Peaceful or violent: Violent

Weapon of choice: Rapier

Style of fighting: Defensive, rarely attacks but very successfully, counts on speed and agility rather than strength

Images

Only picrews and Gacha Life for now bc I'm busy with drawtober (they're in the assassin prompt on 21 tho)

Omg they look terrible

[journallingweeks]

feelings

My feelings towards my family members are so complex that I feel I'll live to deeply regret saying them out loud if anything were to happen to those family members, but not saying them or voicing them I believe, after reading, is literally bad for my health.

My complex relationship with my mom: I feel she is solely focused on her own life and our relationship is similar to that of really good friends - her love language is gifts, as is mine, so when she does this for me I am deeply deeply touched, and feel guilty for everything I've ever said. But at the same time, growing up we weren't given nutritious dinners - most nights we were getting food from the Deli or Joop - I often remember my uniform being stained and having a pile of clothes that I couldn't face on my bedroom floor - she could grow cold or distant when she was upset and could snap unexpectedly - she let me down a lot during college, when my friend died, or when everyone else's parents drove up often and sent up meals or made a fuss of their 21st, or helped them to learn to drive or encouraged them to begin at least - she knew I worked 40 hour weeks during the summers to pay for fees, whilst on 65 grand a year - finding out she had been purposely hiding this info from me, because in turn, I'd realise how far away we were from government funding, something I was trying to organise out of desperation for weeks. In college I sat in our year head's office crying because I had found out that day that my fees were going to be €200 more and that amount of money was colossal to me at the time- and I realised I simply couldn't pay them and had no-one to turn to. €200. It hurts that she hasn't shown much interest in seeing my bf's place that I'm moving into, or the attic in my sisters two summers ago that I spent weeks of my life renovating. It hurt when I came home from travelling for 3 months and the fridge was empty. It hurts to think how freely she'd bitch about my dad, taking full reign to turn us against him - realising in hindsight how skewed that perspective is - the hoarding being a massive issue that she won't face. Making out to be a monster and attempting to open up about my parent's sex lives which is so ridiculously out of my depth and something I'd literally hate to get into - the fact I even need to shut that down and tell her its a boundary is bizarre. The fact my sister, was 13 going out with a 19 year old, and when he gets exposed as a sex offender years later, she announces she feels sympathy for him.

the beautiful things about my mom! I love her so much. In some ways I have felt I will probably never love someone as much again. It is unconditional and I literally can not imagine my life without her. I feel like bawling my fucking eyes out when I think of her as a young girl, or on her wedding day or as a 13 year old. Or her relationship with our dog, or how much she'll miss her dad forever. She still wells up when she speaks of him and he died in 2017. She is softly spoken with tiny hands and shoulders. She loves crafts, music, art, scary films, milky tea, fantasy, shopping, going for coffees, her sister. She is a sensitive soul and emotional being. She will surprise me with my favourite lip balms and orders from cult beauty and hot water bottles. She will thoughtfully remember things I've mentioned in passing and loves to surprise. She loves trinkets and things. She has a stack of books higher than her bedside table next to her bed. She loves lavender and lemon. She is more gentle than I'll literally every be, in the way she moves and talks and thinks. She ADORES the cinema and fiction in general - 'anything escapist'. She's a feminist. When I was a teenager, and I had terrible mental health, she really really tried for me. She moved me out of a school I hated and absolutely fucked my least favourite teacher out of it, not only in person but following up with a scathing, well-articulated letter. She encouraged my artistic side by buying me paints and colours every Christmas. She made a massive effort for Christmas to be special - to keep the magic alive in it - we'd go to Blarney Woolen Mills after school and get Butler's hot chocolate there. She'd take us to Fota Christmas even as adults! We'd watch love actually by the fire with the dog. She has a great sense of humour - slightly dark and would throw her head back laughing at things. She has a secret language with her sister seemingly - that they can only understand. She loves to sing and has a beautiful voice. I love her so much. She makes an amazing milky coffee. If someone I met told me I was just like my mom, I would be so flattered. She wearings beautiful craft earrings with a matching printed coat and dress with clogs of some sort - stunning blue eyeliner with the cutest bob haircut and a fringe, always. Sometimes, in casual wear, she'll wear a low tiny bun, gold sleeper earrings and an oversized sweatshirt and it is so effortlessly beautiful. She uses her tiny hands when she's speaking or telling a story. I love her so much

[turtle-trash]

Different anon but essentially, you looked at Black people using aave: African American vernacular english, having fun on a post and decided it was OK to screenshot and imply they were all hostile people, or using "cruel" language. It's racist to assume Black people having fun on a tournament poll(which people have been actually cruel with) are threatening just because you are not familiar with the language. If you can recognize that White women refer each other as bitches and sluts out of familiarity and friendship you need to extend that kind of understanding with other languages(yes aave is a language). If you personally do not feel comfortable using such language, thats fine, but thats how other people talk you cant control that. But it goes to show that you guys need to stop stealing aave just to make yourselves appear more threatening or angry or as an interntet joke. Because nonblack people steal it so much you guys have desensitized yourselves the ability to recognize when actual Black people are just being friendly. Case in point: your "my brother in christ" post? The original phrase that white people stole to turn into a meme was "my n*gga in christ". Hence why we ask you guys to stop using "my brother in christ" memes. But even then the original phrase still means "friend". N*gga is a slur, but Black people can use it to refer as "homie" or "friend". Yall can't. Context matters. And now we are at the point where people are accusing the polls to be botted which hate to tell yall it ain't that important. Someone brought this up but if reylos didn't care to bot these things why would anyone care for two characters hardly anyone knows. But other than that, the constant association of equating Black people to bots on this website is racist and its annoying that keeps on happening. That's not even how bots work. You truly want to work on being a better a person, go learn this stuff: research. I can't even blame the other anon that just sends you a "you're just racist" message. I had the time to send this. But more often than not yall drain us because every day with this stuff. You feel exhausted through this experience alone? Imagine going through this and the racism everyday in every fandom space when you just wanna have fun. You gotta put in the effort yourself sometimes

Ohh Kay give me a sec. I need to process this (i don’t do vry good with long blocks of text with no spacing. Apologies)

When I posted those screenshots I didn’t know that the people who said those things were black, I’d try to defend myself on this but I know that I may say something wrong since I’m really bad with words. All I was trying to do was inform the op that the cruel words could have started again. I think one of my mistakes was making it public, as i didn’t expect me doing that would have spread that much (I don’t exactly have a very big presence on this site)

The reason I assumed the language being used was harmful is likely due to my inability to read tone over text, not an excuse, just an explanation. I will reiterate that my issue was with the fact that people (no matter who says it) were referring to a character who’s a child in that way

Ive already gotten a message about my use of the "my brother in Christ" phrase, I’m already removing it from the phrases I use occasionally. I try to keep posts that I’ve messed up on to not try to erase my mistakes, I think it’s good to be transparent about the mistakes I’ve made and I see I’ve failed in that department [not trying to excuse my actions or anything, I’m just attempting to state what I’ve done wrong]

I didn’t say that botting was happening anywhere, I don’t think there was any botting happening. I’m not quite sure where the statement that people think that black people are bots came from in regards to this situation (since I didn’t even mention the potential of botting anywhere except my post saying I want to try and distance myself from this situation for my mental health iirc. And even then I didn’t say the poll was botted)

I understand if anyone is uncomfortable with how I handled anything these past few days. I know I should see if I can find anything to try and better my understanding of this (which I should probably do before I somehow forget, apologies, my memory isn’t very good sometimes)

Im not sure how to end this in a good way but thanks for letting me know, sorry for making you guys feel uncomfortable

[hotilhotil]

Israel is a country often

Israel is a country often associated with its religious significance, political conflicts and beautiful landscapes. However, there is another side of Israel that often remains hidden from the public eye - the thriving escort industry. This industry has been a controversial topic for many years, but it is a reality that cannot be ignored. In this article, we will explore the world of escort girls in Israel and shed light on this often misunderstood profession. Firstly, it is important to understand that the escort industry is legal and regulated in Israel. This means that women who choose to work as escorts do so of their own volition and are protected by the law. Escort girls in Israel come from diverse backgrounds, with some choosing it as a full-time profession while others do it part-time to support their studies or other career aspirations. <a href="https://www.allsex.co.il/%d7%a0%d7%a2%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%95%d7%95%d7%99/">www.allsex.co.il/%d7%a0%d7%a2%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%95%d7%95%d7%99/</a> One of the reasons why the escort industry is thriving in Israel is because of the influx of tourists and business travelers to the country. With Tel Aviv being ranked as one of the top travel destinations in the world, there is no shortage of clients for these professional companions. Many escort agencies in Israel cater specifically to the international market and provide services in multiple languages to cater to their diverse clientele. One of the main misconceptions about escort girls in Israel is that they are forced into the profession or involved in illegal activities. This is simply not true. In fact, many escort agencies have strict recruitment processes and only hire women who are of legal age, have no criminal record and are in good physical and mental health. These agencies also ensure that their employees receive proper training and are equipped to handle any situation that may arise. The services provided by escort girls in Israel go beyond just physical intimacy. Many clients also seek their companionship for business events, dinners, and parties. These women are not just beautiful and glamorous, but also well-educated, intelligent and well-mannered. They are trained to be the perfect professional companion, providing excellent conversation and creating a pleasant atmosphere in any setting. Some may question the morality of the escort industry, but it is important to understand that these women are providing a service that is in demand. They are not forcing anyone to use their services, and in fact, many clients have reported feeling less lonely and more confident after spending time with an escort. These women are not just objects of desire, but also provide emotional support to their clients who may be going through a difficult time in their personal lives. Moreover, the escort industry also contributes to the economy of Israel. It provides job opportunities for women, boosts tourism and drives revenue for the country. Many escort girls also pay taxes, just like any other professional, and contribute to the development of the country. In conclusion, the world of escort girls in Israel is complex and often misunderstood. However, it is a legitimate profession that provides a range of services beyond physical intimacy. These women are professionals who deserve the same respect and rights as any other worker. As long as it is regulated and both parties involved are consenting adults, there is no reason to judge or stigmatize this industry. It is time to shed the negative connotations and see the escort industry for what it truly is - a legitimate profession that provides a valuable service to its clients.

[tallmantall]

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Learning Disabilities and Depression

Why kids with LDs often develop depression, and need emotional support, too Writer: Molly Hagan Clinical Experts: Laura Phillips, PsyD, ABPdN , Helene Omansky, LCSW What You'll Learn - Why are kids with LDs more likely to be depressed? - How does school affect a child's self-esteem? - How can parents and teachers emotionally support kids with learning disabilities? - Quick Read - Full Article - School and self-worth - Academic challenges get tougher - Comparisons with peers - Hiding the signs - A vicious cycle — how depression impacts learning - Classroom safety - Combining academic and emotional supports Research shows that children with learning disabilities run a higher risk of developing depression than other kids — and that this risk increases as they get older. Depression comes from feelings of hopelessness and low self-worth. And the struggles kids have at school play a big role in how good or bad they feel about themselves. These challenges include more difficult work in the classroom as kids get older but also social problems. When kids turn 8 or 9, they begin to compare themselves to their friends and peers. Kids with LDs might feel embarrassed by their learning challenges and want to hide them. Some kids will act out. Others, including many girls, will withdraw at school, and from friends  — which makes it much harder for parents and teachers to know that they have a learning disorder in the first place. Dealing with undiagnosed learning disabilities can make kids anxious and depressed. And depression and anxiety, in turn, can affect the brain, making it harder to remember things and concentrate. Because being anxious or depressed makes it hard to learn, schools are beginning to teach social and emotional learning (SEL) skills to kids with LDs, to help them cope with difficult feelings. Learning support by itself is not enough to help kids succeed. But while SEL skills are very helpful, kids showing signs of depression — like being tired all the time, seeming sad, or losing interest in things they usually enjoy — should see a medical professional for treatment. We think of learning disabilities as affecting kids in school, but challenges in skills like reading, writing, math, and language affect all aspects of life, not just academic performance. We are using them all the time — reading street signs, counting change, playing games, and following conversations with friends. Struggling with skills that appear to come easily to others, inside the classroom or out, can take an emotional toll starting at an early age. Research shows that children with learning disorders are at higher risk for developing depression. This risk increases as children enter their teenage years. “Kids spend the majority of their waking hours in school,” says Laura Phillips, PhD, a neuropsychologist and the senior director of the Learning and Development Center at the Child Mind Institute. “When you spend eight hours a day engaged in something that’s challenging for you it has a very significant impact on your self-concept — meaning your idea about who you are as a person — and your ability to feel successful.” School and self-worth Depression can manifest in different ways: - Appearing sad or irritable - Trouble sleeping - Losing interest in things you once enjoyed  - Being tired all the time - Gaining or losing a lot of weight But at its root are feelings of hopelessness and low self-worth. Studies show that for kids with learning disorders, the school environment can contribute to and breed these feelings. A child with an undiagnosed learning disability is particularly at risk for depression because they don’t understand why they struggle with things that others don’t. Frustration and failure create a sense that something must be wrong with them. A diagnosis can be reassuring and offer them the support they need — but success will still be a struggle. When it comes to a child’s emotions, an LD diagnosis is not a magic bullet. ??“It doesn’t always feel better right away,” notes Helene Omansky, LCSW, a senior social worker at the Child Mind Institute. “It will get better, but newly diagnosed kids need time to adjust to their support system, and to develop confidence in skills that they may have lacked.” If you think your child might be depressed, consult a medical professional for help — but know there are ways parents and teachers can offer support, too. Academic challenges get tougher The requirements of school change as you get older, and there’s one shift that can be particularly tough for kids, especially those with reading and language deficits. “From kindergarten through second grade, you’re learning how to read,” Dr. Phillips explains. “By third grade, the emphasis shifts to reading to learn.” In other words, reading becomes incorporated into every class. Kids who struggled in language arts classes but prided themselves on their math skills are suddenly confronted with math word problems. “And then they lose that confidence in the thing that might’ve been maintaining their sense of self and self-esteem,” Dr. Phillips explains. This change is the first of many. Kids will continue to wrestle with their challenges in unexpected ways, and this can be discouraging. “The impact of a learning disorder becomes more widespread as you move through school,” Dr. Phillips says. It’s important for parents to understand the depth of frustration a child may be feeling and acknowledge it, says Omansky. We’re naturally inclined to dispel negativity with encouragement — “You’re so smart!” — but this can make a child feel isolated and unheard. If a child is saying they feel dumb because they can’t figure out how to solve a word problem, Omansky says, “It’s okay to validate that by saying something like, ‘I can see how frustrating this is for you.’” Comparisons with peers Around 8 or 9 years old, kids become less self-focused and begin to understand themselves in the context of — and in comparison, to — their peers. Where before school was merely frustrating, now kids may wonder why certain things appear to come easily to others. They may feel like they’re working twice as hard as those around them, and understandably, they may think this is unfair. Kids also become more self-conscious at this age and might feel like their deficits are on display. This can look like a kid who doesn’t want to raise their hand in class, but it can also look like a kid who plays by themselves at recess. When a child can’t solve a math problem or gets called out for not finishing an assignment, it’s easy for them to go from “I feel dumb” to “Nobody is going to like me,” Omansky notes. Kids with learning challenges can also struggle with social skills, such as following the thread of a conversation or finding the right words to respond. They sometimes fumble social cues, and given enough negative feedback, might avoid socializing altogether. Some kids draw attention away from their challenges by acting out. Being perceived as funny or rebellious might even bolster your self-esteem. But avoiding your challenges doesn’t make you feel any better about them, it just makes you more determined to hide them. Hiding the signs Rates of learning disorders are not significantly different among genders, but boys are more likely to be diagnosed because of their tendency to be disruptive in class — an obvious red flag. Girls, meanwhile, tend to withdraw, making identification harder. “Girls are much more likely to quietly sit in the back of the class and try to sink into the ground,” Dr. Phillips says. This translates to girls not receiving a learning disorder diagnosis or being diagnosed late. When LDs are overlooked, a child’s anxiety or depression can be the first recognized signs that they need help. “They might become highly anxious or more academically demoralized,” says Dr Phillips. “So, it might be the anxiety or depression that first brings them to clinical attention.” It’s important for adults to empathize with this experience, too. “Well-intended parents and teachers don’t want to put a spotlight on a kid unnecessarily, but they may not be asking the right questions that would allow for further intervention or exploration,” says Omansky. When a child is anxious, unmotivated, or depressed, the adults in their lives should investigate if they might be struggling, she adds. “Kids don’t always have the skillset to know how to self-advocate and say, ‘I don’t understand.’” A vicious cycle — how depression impacts learning Depression can actually impact cognitive functions, making learning challenges more acute. Research shows that depression can: - Slow information processing - Slow memory consolidation, or how your brain transforms the things you learn into long-term memories - Make it harder to pay attention and concentrate - Interfere with sleep, which can also be bad for your brain It’s a vicious cycle — learning challenges contributing to depression, contributing to more challenges — but there are ways to interrupt it. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Classroom safety How a child relates to their school environment can also affect how they learn and how they see themselves. This is a particularly important factor for Black children and other children of color, especially if they attend predominantly white schools. “If there’s a difference in skin color between kids and their teachers, they might enter the classroom with a different level of anxious arousal that they have to overcome in order to be fully engaged,” Dr. Phillips says. If the school environment already makes you anxious, you’re more likely to shut down if learning is also a challenge. You might even develop a fear of going to school at all. Teachers should be aware that kids don’t experience school in a vacuum. They should understand the racial, cultural, demographic factors that impact kids, so kids feel safe enough to learn and ask for help if they need it. Combining academic and emotional supports Schools are beginning to embrace emotional supports for children with learning disorders. When kids feel defeated by their challenges, and resist learning because it makes them feel bad about themselves, academic support alone is not enough. Increasingly, schools are using  social and emotional learning (SEL) techniques to help kids develop an awareness of the emotions that drive their behaviors — whether they are acting out, trying to disappear, or simply avoiding the tasks that are most difficult for them. Kids can be taught strategies to manage big emotions around learning. Take kids with math learning disorders, who become anxious when asked to solve math problems. They tend to engage in negative self-talk — “I’m so bad at math. I’m going to fail this math test. I’m so stupid, I’m not going to get into college.” The negative self-talk interferes with problem solving. “It taxes your working memory to the point where you can’t effectively problem solve,” explains Dr. Phillips. “So, you do poorly and then you see yourself as a bad math student.” But kids can interrupt the cycle with a simple trick: saying the steps of the math problem as they do them. “If you’re verbally working through the steps, you can’t engage in negative self-talk and so you can’t tax the working memory system,” she adds.  “It’s very effective.” The ability to embrace this kind of creative problem-solving is the secret weapon of having a learning disorder — but when a child shows signs of depression, it’s important to seek professional treatment. Understanding that emotional challenges and learning challenges are intertwined can help parents get kids the support they need. Read the full article

[bandofchimeras]

hey dude, sorry not trying to be an ass w this but I saw u had a post where in the tags you used delusional and narcissist as pretty derogatory insults towards the govt. Bashing the government is good and great but using terms that we (at least currently) need to describe mental illness (and definitely associate with it!)... in ways like that... its ableist and dehumanizing and leads to more abuse, even if it feels innocent, because if everyone who's a narc or who's delusional is dangerous....that's everyone w/ npd, or a schizospec disorder, or any other things.

Sorry this is long, and again, not trying to be rude! Just wanted to inform you and ask that you maybe be a little more careful with word choice in the future :)

hey anon, yeah thanks for your concern. I do understand the movement to change language usage around mental illness and destigmatize. And it is well intentioned.

Unfortunately, narcissistic and delusional are still pretty generally derogatory words. A person with NPD may not cause harm simply by virtue of having the diagnosis but we all agree narcissism itself isn't a fun cool trait to have. Delusions are obscurations of reality.

We still say manic, depressed, obsessive, etc in both outright negative ways and descriptive but not morally loaded ways. to me it's just part of language, and the ethics of most derogatory language does depend on who's using it.

I'm absolutely behind not calling everyone who sucks a narcissist. and would like people to stop saying "I'm being OCD" or "that's so bipolar," "he's a schizo" and so on. The "delulu" trend online is weird and fetishizes mentally ill people.

For context: I am a person with a narcissistic tendency, due to my childhood. My life has been a long train of psych symptoms... delusions of grandeur, maladaptive daydreaming, hallucinations, psychosis, derealization, depersonalization, dissociative identity states. psychology is one of my longest hyperfixations simply because I needed to understand my experience. it's been helpful and unhelpful in different ways. Pathologization is a phenomen that can't be understood separately from language, culture, history, and violence.

And yet I don't really have a problem with calling things crazy, insane, or batshit. in fact I find power in redefining and playing with these terms. I've been called crazy in a demeaning, invalidating way. And yeah, I'm a lil crizazy, a bit unhinged one might say. But if a motherfucker calls me crazy to invaldiate my argument, I instantly know they've lost. They're being weak, and abusive. It will also piss me the fuck off. I may want to show them what "crazy" looks like. The better angels of my nature will whisper "keep your head."

With the movement to neutralize mental health terms, what's always confused me is the understanding of language itself. I experience words autistically - they have multiple overlapping meanings all the time. Words are like composite images composed of billions of instances of use, fluttering and evolving as they are spoken and written. Vernacular is messy, sputtering and ever changing. Therefore words carry a multitude of connotations. When different people say them in different contexts you can see and hear different implications.

So, I really don't care if a dude at work says "that's fuckin insane bro" ...to a gnarly kickflip. Or a devastating news article. Insane delineates the magnitude of his emotion. It's out of bounds. Something normies and straights would try to contain, institutionalize, label. Christ, that's juicy. It's why I adore skater boy lingo and teen slang. It's careless and crunchy.

English itself, especially corporate and institutional English, can be a strict, bland, and often abusive language. My fellow autistic homies tend to enjoy a rousing jaunt down into the annals of historical parlance for our everyday linguistic transactions because it's fucking boring, the clinical way we are expected to speak here and now.

So therefore: thanks for your message calling attention to my words and their impact.

There are deeper better more poetic words to call the government and frankly I believe the best ones might be found in other languages.

All in all, you're right that "narcissistic" and "delusional" are not the most accurate, potent words to describe the US government. How to convey the twisted, detached from reality, spirit of that entity best in language, though, I need to expand the lexicon. Maybe using these words is cheap. Maybe it covers over the intentionality and corruption at play.

So I'm going to open this up to some language play - and ask you, anon, and anyone else what words can we find to convey the negative meaning of delusional (detached from truth) and narcissistic (inverted and self concerned to the point of dysfunction), in English? or in another language?

I hope you can take this in good faith not as a deflection but really engaging with your ask.

Being language corrected can trigger my harshest defenses. I can feel in my body all the times someone has punished, invalidated, dismissed something I've said because of using "uncivil" or foul or imperfect language. In general, trying to conform to correct ideological forms of language is like, major wretched, dude.

Hell my dorky ass disingenuous nerd of a brother yesterday called a message I sent the family group chat about Palestine "blasphemous" because I said " my god" and used it as an excuse to delete every impassioned exchange we had so the "children wouldn't see," - him be racist, cough. can't make this shit up.

But that's my background. Catholicism is a mental illness. (Sorry in advance to all mental illness havers for associating you with Catholics)

[artsofdream]

Benefits of Traveling for Mental Health

Have you ever returned from a trip feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to take on the world? If so, you’re not alone. Traveling has long been known to have a positive impact on our mental health, and for good reason. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key ways that travel can benefit your mental well-being, and offer some tips for making the most of your next trip.

Reduced stress and anxiety:-

One of the most significant benefits of travel is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. When we travel, we often break free from our daily routines and responsibilities, giving ourselves permission to relax and unwind. This can help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can contribute to a range of negative health outcomes if left unchecked. 

In addition, travel can help to break the cycle of rumination that often accompanies stress and anxiety. When we’re in a new environment, we’re forced to pay attention to our surroundings and engage with the world around us. This can help to shift our focus away from our worries and towards the present moment, which can be a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety. 

Improved mood and happiness:-

 Another major benefit of travel is its ability to boost mood and happiness. Studies have shown that people who take vacations tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives than those who don’t. This is likely due in part to the fact that travel allows us to experience new things, meet new people, and create positive memories. 

Travel can provide a sense of perspective that can help to put our problems into context. When we see how other people live, work, and play, we may appreciate our lives more fully. This can lead to a greater sense of gratitude and contentment, improving our overall well-being.

Increased creativity and inspiration:-

For many people, travel is a powerful source of creativity and inspiration. When we expose ourselves to new sights, sounds, and experiences, we may find ourselves inspired to create art, music, or writing. In addition, travel can help to break us out of creative ruts by providing a change of scenery and a fresh perspective.

Greater resilience and adaptability:-

Travel can also help to build resilience and adaptability, two key skills that are important for maintaining good mental health. When we travel, we’re often faced with unexpected challenges, whether it’s a missed flight, a language barrier, or a change in plans. Learning to navigate these challenges can help us to become more flexible and adaptable, which can be a valuable asset in all areas of life. In addition, travel can help to build resilience by exposing us to different ways of thinking and living. When we see how other people cope with adversity, we may gain new insights into our own struggles and find new ways to overcome them.

Enhanced cognitive function:-

Finally, travel can have a positive impact on cognitive function. Studies have shown that exposure to new and challenging environments can help to stimulate the brain and enhance cognitive abilities. In addition, travel can help to promote learning and memory by exposing us to new information

Final Thought:-

Don’t hesitate to seek support if you require it during your travels. You can talk to a trusted friend or family member, seek out a therapist or mental health professional, or simply take some time to journal or meditate each day. By prioritizing your mental health while on the road, there are numerous ways to ensure that you make the most of your travel experience. You will come back feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and prepared to take on the world.