OliverSaks

Blown away - amazing acting and story.

Sad, sobering ending

Vote!!

Jack Radcliffe

Tom Chase

Francois Sagat

4 days.

Smart people love to choose being right over being happy.

I'm not interested in medication. I've been tried on three different medications 4 times in the past. They had absolutely no effect on my mood for good or ill. But they all led to unpleasant side effects of one type or another. Since I was prescribed them, there have been more and more questions posed on how effective they really are. Plus, at least from a NYT article a few months back, it seems that withdrawal symptoms can be more severe than were initially recognized.

 

https://nyti.ms/2GK795C?smid=nytcore-ios-share

 

I can't say that the NYT article was the reason I'm not willing to try medications again. I had already decided long ago I wasn't interested in taking medications again unless there was a strong guarantee that the agent would be effective without annoying side effects. But it was nice to be able to point the article out when the subject of medications was brought up by therapists.

 

I've read about CBT. And I think a previous therapist I had was using those techniques. I wasn't a fan.

 

This isn't my first go around with therapy. Maybe one day I'll meet the perfect therapist for me. But I don't think this one was it. Or, as I think very likely, it's more probable that just as medications haven't worked for me counseling doesn't work either. Not everyone can be helped. I'm tired of coming out of a session either feeling it was useless or feeling more depressed than I was when I went in.

 

Gman

I’m sorry you feel that things are futile.

There is a lot of hope in the psychiatry field about new drugs in the pipeline that modulate the glutamate system. They treat depression differently than the many, many drugs that already exist in the world of antidepressants.

Ketamine is one such drug (and a few derivatives are in later stage drug trials (esketamine; J&J drug I think) - a significant proportion of non-responders to the traditional meds for depression (SSRI/SNRI) find that they respond with ketamine, for instance.

I’ve been treated for depression with a slew of meds, for the last ten years, and so far this has been the best, with no sexual side effects (or any side effects...)

I understand being hopeless with therapy and meds, but there simply IS reason to have hope. No medication is perfect, but better meds (at least for some people) are coming!

On really hot days, you could always bring the pots they are in into your house/apartment. Regardless, keep up the water to them.

They are in huge, bulky containers - but I hadn’t considered that, good thought (might try to save my greens that way)

A friend in LA is an avid tomato grower. He lost most of this year’s crop during the excessive heat. They became water balloons on the vine, stewed in place.

I have four tomato plants on the patio and I’m worried about this Texas heat...

My first ever solo crop - hoping they survive and produce

*group sex at 4:30/5 a.m. probably almost never involves sober sex

Um...forearms?

Don’t yuck his yum! (Jk jk jk)

I don’t think it is problematic.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

Hahahajajajajahajajhahahaha

HA!

Political Correctness is going to destroy our civilization.

 

Some of these overly intrusive questions are required under Obamacare. The questions regarding sexual identity, sexual activity, mental state and others are mandated by law. (At least that’s my understanding.) I surmise that the pronoun preference questions and other such nonsense is the the a result of some diversity program administrator trying to gather data and push forward an agenda at the same time.

Couldn’t disagree with you more.

Dispensary.

“Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl

Not sure I’ve come across a better explanation - very important book in my life (if not the most important book I’ve had the pleasure of reading)

The audiobook is a breeze, highly recommend it

GREAT post!

Serotonin imbalance as cause of depression doesn’t hold as much weight as you might think.

I also try to not meet with people who are using T. I count myself very lucky over the years, but two bad experiences come to mind where the drug was involved that made me feel unsafe. The unpredictability is a little nerve-wracking, and as a delicate flower, I think it is prudent that I screen out this particular set of clients. I am very rational and open-minded when it comes to the use of mind and empathy expanding medicines, but T has no place for me (and apparently plenty of providers are happy to engage in this practice)

Can we calm down on the “meth freak” talk?

I know it’s a popular trope, but meth is a pretty nasty drug that is HIGHLY reinforcing (4x dopamine release of cocaine - highly rewarding and motivating) - it can ensnare the brightest and most beautiful, and unlikely people can fall prey. I think addiction is a symptom of people lacking connection (rat park experiment) or running on the hedonic treadmill (not being grateful and in the present moment)

Addicts deserve compassion, not labels that belittle. We should thank our stars that any pain we have ever felt has not led us down that path.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/body/

I’m sorry I’ve been a dick lately, sometimes (usually) I handle stress poorly. All these suicides, school shootings, etc are making me a little crazy (and sometimes going a little crazy on threads about these same topics...) xoxo

U=U, undetectable is untransmittable, per CDC

One of my earliest crushes

I’ll be to Boston within the next two weeks, firming things up.

People who commit suicide are the most selfish people on the planet == I lost a dear wonderful intelligent funny sexy productive creative amazing FWB++ this year --- He ripped the hearts out of family and friends and tore my heart to shreds -- Why? So many people loved him . . .

You’re part of the problem. I’ve expressed my distaste towards the attitude you hold in the Bourdain thread, but it is worth repeating.

Can you even begin to imagine the pain that this person must have felt to end his life? I bet you cannot, because why else would you make such an asinine comment!?

Maybe my university was exceptional, but omg free food for college students...

Student orgs of any type could net free food if you knew where to find it. Even in grad school, you could at least find pizza most any day (if you listened to a lunchtime talk about some student interest group)

I’ve never been homeless, but I was a student for a good chunk of years.

OOPS - must have had 1 too many - they are 15 mg (300 mg total pkg of 20)

I'm off to get more.

Hahaha I had hoped that somehow you were just unfazed with that heaping amount through some quirk of your biology, but that makes more sense - enjoy and be well!

Sounds like you’re likely suppressing because of being closeted - some people certainly could be “aromantic,” but I’ve run into far more dudes who just haven’t fully come to terms with what life will look like for them as a male in a relationship with another male

“I just couldn’t see myself with a guy...”

“I always pictured a wife and kids...”

Etc etc

/armchair psych

1 candy is 300 or you can get 150 mg version.

Called Moon Rocks

Jeebus. Someone knocked me out with a 35 mg jolly rancher. Lightweight... http://cheebachews.com/california-recreational-cheebachews/

Glad it’s working well for you!