SSRIs. I already knew this was likely going to be my conclusion, but I really wish I started the treatment sooner. So many years feeling incompetent and damaged! Months of school missed, almost getting expelled, turning down invites, awkward friendship moments, scared of my own shadow... Anxiety is mentally brutal. It's not just being scared or exaggerating, it's a very real struggle that can destroy your social life -- which is needed to live a healthy and prosperous life. I spent so many days unable to get myself out of bed because anything outside of that area seemed like a threat.

I started SSRIs 8 months ago. I can't say it's been perfect, but that's not what I'm aiming for. Some periods are tougher than others, but I'm so grateful I'm at a state where I actually feel like I'm living -- not a shell of a person. I'm not self-sabotaging myself as much as I used to, and I'm gaining more and more independence and confidence in my daily life. I'm finally able to say that I'm happy and motivated.

I'm sure that therapy will help resolve some of my childhood trauma, so I'm looking forward to that, but I want to go into the sessions with a clear mind. Without the medication, I wouldn't be able to process and live by my psychologist's advice. I'm extremely grateful to have found a treatment that works!

I've never had to face what it's like to be transgender. But I am what most would classify as "bisexual."

I didn't tell my mother about my sexual orientation until I was pressured to by my extended family at the age of 17. My mum is a religious Conservative who believes the LGBTQI+ community is a bunch of brainwashed kids having sexuality forced upon them from TV shows and drag queens. I didn't feel comfortable then, and it was scary, and the more I get to know my mum, the more I regret telling her. Now I know that every time she spews bigotry, she's doing so with the knowledge that I'm in the group she's targeting. Her knowing that her daughter, whom she raised and thought of as "normal" didn't stop her from spreading misinformation and fear-mongering. She treats me well, but she doesn't accept my whole self no matter how much she says she does. She still disregards my identity as nothing more than a trend for the mentally ill. She once told me, "Yeah, yeah, I know you think you're bi," meaning she doesn't actually believe I am but that I have been brainwashed to think I am.

So even though it's not the same experience, I understand what it's like having an extremely personal piece of information about your identity -- that you're still getting used to yourself -- being shared, with scary potential outcomes. I can imagine how even scarier it would be for someone in this situation to be transgender. While the general public has made some progress with the LGBTQI+ community, transgender people are still not safe.

Knowing about cases like Brianna Ghey (she was murdered by "friends," not her parents) breaks my heart. I can only imagine how terrifying it is to just exist as a transgender person in this world. Just because someone is your parent, doesn't mean that they will protect you any more than strangers or friends. Sometimes parents don't have your best interests at heart and can be your biggest bully.

Having such danger forced upon a CHILD is absurd. If it were up to me, I would leave it up to the student involved whether or not to share this information with their parents. It's not a medical condition, and children aren't properties of their parents. While I understand that some would want to be there for their children, some don't love their children unconditionally and would choose religion over their children any day. I think a student would know more about their parents' likely response than the school staff (who only see the parents for brief moments) and the government. I don't feel comfortable with this decision excluding the students' autonomy. They're not pets; they have a voice and personhood that should be respected.

My neighbour's cat sometimes sneaks into my apartment. It has explored pretty much every inch of the apartment, including the bathroom sink, under the sofa, under my bed, the kitchen counters, the shower... but it still wouldn't let me anywhere near it. Sometimes I let my main door open just for the cat. I'm hoping one day we'll form some sort of bond and I'll be able to give some pets. I've never owned a cat before but this one made me desperate to get one.

(I'm referring to the cat as "it" because I don't know the sex)

Love how it says "latest" because there's been more than one 🙃 People of Minnesota (and U.S. in general), I'm so sorry for the loved ones that you're losing. This isn't just an injustice to the American society but to a family who has lost one of their members. Regardless of which side you stand on, that remains a fact. I feel bad for Charlie Kirk's children as well because they've lost a father, I'm no hypocrite, but I know that some are incapable of being impartial on something as human and tragic as grief. The world will move on but these family members will carry this loss with them for the rest of their lives.

Yes, I'm a sensitive person, what gave me away?

As a non-American, I'm not angry at all Americans. In fact, some have been very brave and selfless. I'm angry at Republican officials and voters, billionaires, millionaires, spineless Democrats, and non-voters. We're in this position because of them. Unfortunately, that makes up a huge part of the American population. I applaud and admire the minority who are actually doing something, even if it's only to offer a bottle of water to the protestors or donating goods, but it's frustrating seeing that most are just letting it happen, whether it's because they agree with it or don't want to join the activists. I empathise with their need to go to work, take care of their families, and look out for their safety, but I'm sure that those out in the streets have these responsibilities as well.

Oof, where do I begin?

• Fossil fuel companies
• cruises
• diesel cars
• low-cost fast fashion retail companies
• modern slavery
• racism
• misinformation
• political scapegoats
• two-party systems
• billionaires
• polyester
• Artificial food colouring
• non-medical drugs and smoking
• alcohol
• low-cost greasy fast-food chains
• kids on social media

I'm tired! 😩 We've normalised unhealthy, unsustainable, and elitist lifestyles way too much! There are ways to be successful, happy, stylish, and joyful without these things. Many countries are already committing themselves to such efforts, so I know I'm not asking for much. I understand freedom of choice, and I'm usually quite libertarian, but some things just bring temporary fun and no benefits at all. In fact, some harm those around us too.

Renewable energy, electric cars, second-hand retail, artisanship, fair trade, multiculturalism, science-based education based on facts and credible sources, government transparency and accountability, a true democracy where the electoral candidates actually represent their party's base and voters don't feel hopeless, economic equality, socialism, natural fibres in fabrics, simple and natural food, therapy, mindfulness, healthy homemade packaged food, and kids staying off social media needs to be good again!

Finally, someone said it. He's too honest for his own good. He doesn't lie; the people around him do. He just repeats what he's told and what he believes. He flipflops his opinions and plans every 2 seconds because that's how long it takes to convince him or a new idea. He doesn't have the mental capacity to lie.

Shouldn't it be left in the hands of those most affected, the students involved? Why are we letting older people decide if their personal information should be forcibly shared or not? Most of them are capable of knowing the gravity of their parents' knowing, or at least they know if their parents would be supportive or not. I would ask the student, "Do you agree with me informing your parents about this and discussing it together?" Most of them would probably say no, and that's okay.

Neither are the school staff and the government though. Ultimately, the students know their parents more than the others. It's not necessarily about what is best for them, but what is the safest for them. We can't assume the parents want the best for their children; some parents want the best for themselves or their god before their children's interests.

(This of course given that students shall be provided mental health and professional care, not just left to wander this new phenomenon alone)

How people have one is beyond me, both from a moral and a financial point of view.

And this is why you can't boot-lick people like Trump to be on their good side. Negotiations mean nothing to him; if somebody feeds him the idea that he needs to betray you, he will. You can't make a deal with the devil, especially one that has dimentia.

Adultnapped

Honestly, same. She's not as radical as yours, but I had this idea that my mum was clever, sensible, and capable of critical thought. She used to read a lot, made better political arguments compared to my dad, and somehow managed to raise her children into smart individuals. The combination of me growing up, her getting addicted to Facebook, and the pandemic warped my perception of who my mum really was. She forms emotionally-driven opinions, she jumps to conclusions, she's gullible, and she's close-minded.

I don't think she would ever justify killing someone, but she's suddenly anti-vax, she's anti-choice and would vote for anyone who vows to maintain that culture, she's obsessed with drag queens and transgender people, and she gets her news from Facebook. All of her comments involve the phrase, "I've seen the comments on Facebook."

In 2024, I decided to cut contact with her because she kept spreading misinformation and sharing petition links to ban gender-affirming care. And in addition to that, she was preaching about the Olympic ceremony being blasphemous and "woke." My reason for going no-contact with her was that I couldn't bring myself to maintain a relationship with someone who made other people's lives dangerous. Everyone took her side and accused me of causing a drift and being immature because I couldn't handle other people's opinions, apparently.

I ended up talking to her again after a couple of months because I visited my family and I couldn't avoid her. She was going through a tough time and she was crying so I gave in. I still have a relationship with her but only because I actively choose to live as if I don't know those details about my mum. She's otherwise a good person; she donates to charity and she cares about democracy, the environment, and her children. But whenever I remember the kind opinions that she has, I get angry all over again. It sucks because she was indeed more sensible, but her brain got rotten by social media...

A couple of reasons, besides the obvious:

• It promotes brainrot and discourages us from being creative and doing real research ourselves. It may take longer but manual development is more valuable and unique.

• It warps our perception of reality. With the way LLMs word their answers, they seem really convincing. Later you might realise it was actually wrong or only partially correct. This is problematic when users search for mental health advice, career planning, legal advice, etc.

• Many, including the American government, use AI-generated slop to spread propaganda and misinformation more effectively than ever. It's scary just thinking about how many people can't recognise the difference between AI and real, and those are usually the ones voting against the collective good of society.

• It's just not worth it. It makes mistakes, it hallucinates, it forgets... With the time we spend trying to get the AI model to generate what we need in attempt to skip the hard work or the knowledgeable, we might probably be able to do a proper piece of work if we put in the effort. When ChatGPT first came out, I admittedly used it a lot for my assignments, and I would say it was more hindering than useful. At the end of the day, I didn't learn anything and I wasn't satisfied with the work. "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

If I had less empathy and more guts, I would. I actually tried it once, and those around me accused me of being divisive, overly sensitive, and cold. They claim my problem is that I can't handle other people's opinions. I live abroad and had to break the no-contact approach to visit family, and my mum started bawling her eyes out begging for a renewed relationship.

The reasons I went NC were her Facebook-led brainwashing and her sending a petition link to ban gender-affirming care for children to my boyfriend (she says it was an accident but I'm infuriated that she sent that link to anyone, not just because it was sent to my boyfriend, unlike what others think). Even my boyfriend couldn't understand at first that it's not just about me seeing what she thinks, but about me having a relationship with someone spreading and causing harm to others. His solution was to just tell her that I don't want to hear about her opinions on social media, but I asked her to choose between her dangerous conspiracy theories and our relationship. Her response was, "You know what my opinions are," and so I replied, "Well then you've made your decision," and blocked her. It was easy to be NC with her until it was time to visit my family. She later sent a message to my boyfriend, which included the phrase something to the effect of, "Maybe when she matures, she'll learn how to be more tolerant."

I've figured that the only way to maintain both a somewhat idea of peace and my sanity is to completely ignore all negative aspects of my mother. I pretend that I don't know what her ideologies are and that whoever I went NC with is another person. It's depressing, and whenever I think about it I get livid all over again, but I feel like I can't escape it "because we're family" 🙄. I never talk about politics or social issues with my mother, and I cut her off if she initiates such conversations. She tried to push to have her say but I tried not to fall for the trap and tell her, "If you say one more thing about this topic, I'm going to leave because I won't allow myself to be in a place where my boundaries aren't respected." I've grown very good at just getting up and leaving, and yes people do think it's rude and stubborn but I don't care.

What "helps" me is knowing that she's not intrinsically like this. She's a very sensitive and kind person, but she's been brainwashed and indoctrinated into falling for the propaganda of drag queens forcing transitions on children and TV shows manipulating children into homosexuality. When you dive deep into it, we have very similar values: protect the innocent and vulnerable; no one deserves to die for their identity; the government lies to you all the time, and so on. The difference is that my basis is Liberalism and scientific facts and her basis is religious teachings and Facebook comments. I've turned my focus from trying to debunk her claims and calling her out to treating her as a mindless sheep. I try to educate her on how to use critical thinking skills, how to spot red flags in the media, and different perspectives, philosophical arguments, and so on. I truly believe that one of the biggest obstacles for these people who don't want to be evil but are complicit in evil acts is the lack of education and cognitive skills. I don't have much hope for her ever being progressive, but I do hope I can at least get her to catch nonsense claims and predatory propaganda.

I know that she doesn't want to be evil because she doesn't wish harm in the way that neo-nazis do. She doesn't want the LGBTQI+ community to be slaughtered and she understands that many of them need support, but she doesn't think that it's not a choice and doesn't agree with encouraging that lifestyle (i.e. doesn't want to legalise equal rights). She doesn't want women who get abortion care to be stoned to death or for women to be forced to give birth if they're dying, but she's been taught to believe that women use it as a contraceptive, that foetuses have the same rights as people, and that abortion leads to fertility and psychological issues. She doesn't want people to die from viruses, but she's recently become scared of vaccines and sceptical of their development and side effects (she vaccinated us). She agrees that huge corporations are stealing her data and spreading misinformation, but she's not ready to give up Facebook for it. She wants to feed the hungry, but she believes that charity is the only solution for it.

.... I keep dreaming of a world where my mum doesn't get brainwashed in the first place and becomes a progressive Liberal... 🤦‍♀️

My solution has been to use time blocks and checkboxes. I have a plan for every single day, including occasional chores and water intake (because I forget to drink most of the time). I don't assign any time except for wake-up time and bedtime. My time blocks are titled "morning," "deep work," "movement," "chores," and "evening."

I use the Pomodoro method for deep work and just assign how many sessions I do, instead of the length of time, and force myself to take breaks to avoid burnout (I tend to struggle with letting go of a task before it's finished). I also use timers to help with other tasks, say no more than 15 minutes for chores or getting ready for the day.

I used to plan out very detailed schedules and get overwhelmed and frustrated when I inevitably didn't follow that routine precisely. I used to have meltdowns over doing a task a few minutes later than planned. I now allow myself to take as much time as I want, as long as I have around 80% of the checkboxes marked as done by the end of the day. I also repeat positive affirmations and journal at least 1 win every day to keep myself from criticising myself over minor details like not vacuuming that day.

This way, I don't have to focus on little details of my day and when, but on what needs to be done. I can mix up my time blocks however I want; what matters is that they get done. I've recently started this system of setting 3 goals for every 4 or so weeks, then breaking down those big goals into smaller actions, and then plan out gradual progress towards those goals each week (e.g. if my goal is to drink 1.3L of water, I work my way up each week). And every Sunday night, I plan out every day of the week, including my sample day (breakfast, shower, dinner, etc) and the goals (e.g. drinking 1 glass between blocks, going outside for a few minutes, occasional chores, etc) using time blocks. I know it seems like a lot of work and hyperfixation, but it's been saving me a lot of stress lately.

So if you're confused, my day typically looks like this:

1. Morning

• wake up at 07:30
• read positive affirmations, stretch, meditate, etc.
• have breakfast and 1 glass of water
• brush teeth, cleanse face, get ready

1. Deep Work

• 2-4 Pomodoro sessions
• 1 Pomodoro for goals
• 1 Pomodoro for language learning
• 1 glass of water

1. Movement

• posture stretching
• exercise, depending on the day (walking, workout, cycling, etc)
• 1 glass of water

1. Cleaning

• daily chores (dishes, wipe counters, quick vacuum, make the bed)
• occasional chores (mop the floor, laundry, dust, etc)
• 1 glass of water

1. Evening

• cook and have dinner
• place medication nearby
• have 1 glass of water
• shower (and shave or wash hair if needed)
• brush teeth, cleanse face, overnight haircare, etc.
• turn off screens, hobbies, etc.
• journal, plan the next day, relax, meditate, take medication, etc.
• sleep at 22:30

Remember how shocked everyone became when it was revealed that some rich dudes enjoy watching torture videos and paedophilia? Maybe we should treat this the same (I mean better, because nothing was done for the former). It should scare the U.S. population that their president enjoys murdering people -- enough to take it seriously and take real action against it.

IT'S BIDEN'S (SLEEPY JOE) FAULT!! Thanks for your attention to this matter. President DJT.

I did because I know that some cats prefer it if you wait until they get comfortable with you and that cats are really the ones who decide if you're friends, not you. We've gotten as close as getting a few sniffs of my hand. Whenever I open the door, the cat happily comes inside. Lately, I've been leaving the door open and letting the cat roam about. It's usually just a quick routine exploration from the kitchen to the bedroom and then the bathroom before it quickly leaves. It lasts maybe 5 minutes, but I'm just happy I get a visit. I noticed the cat is very interested in my bathroom window, which leads to the same yard it comes from but there's a bush right underneath so it can't jump. I once found muddy fingerprints on my bathroom sink and it felt so wholesome 🥹

Even worse, they're smarter than him.