#Depression and anxiety etc from a deficiency is still depression and anxiety

[coldercreation]

PSA: 

If you have related to how I have described Nathan’s struggles with his mental health and some experiences with life; emotional, physical and social etc (ignore the story/his fam background for this; I mean if you have been able to relate to his feelings/anxiety/negative physical sensations etc.)

Might be worth it to get your blood checked. 

Especially B12, Vitamin D, Iron levels and Ferritin (ferritin should be 100+).

Building on top of the character, character background, and my research into trauma / mental health etc, I have always used a lot of my personal experience when describing emotions, feelings, and how mental health issues can feel like or present. It’s my attempt to make the writing feel realistic, had I experienced the things in the story or not. Aka even if the story was high fantasy and thus not realistic, I’d source my own feelings to make it ‘real’.

So. Regardless of what's causing it in the story: If you have ever related to how Nathan FEELS or describes his experience with the world and his brain… (Anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, feeling like an outsider/in a fishbowl, easily overwhelmed or over tired; social withdrawal, social anxiety, heart palpitations, chest pains, breathlessness, dissociation, irritability, issues with cognitive function; memory, overthinking, insomnia, brain fog, panic attacks, slow recovery from physical activity, etc etc et fucking c) 

Turns out bish has been chronically deficient of many things for a very long time due to stomach issues that stopped nutrients from absorbing. Antidepressants have never successfully worked for me, and it’s now looking like that’s because my mental health stuff could've largely been a physical symptom, instead of just purely mental health?? 

I have been on a pile of supplements for a bit now and uhh… It’s like night and day? Even with the other health stuff I've been getting treated for, it's been... So much better?? Like. Life changing amount of difference?? And I’m only just starting out fixing these deficiencies, which could take a long time. But...

Holy shit, “Better” might actually be a real thing after all?? There was a reason I've been so "stuck"???

Kind of mad… And sad. Because if this is true and I keep feeling like I have been recently, it means I’ve lost a lot of time to this. I try to focus on how good I’ve been feeling though, and stay curious for this journey of what literally feels like a second chance at life.

Just… Wanted to post this in case it could help someone else. This is a highly personal experience, mental health issues absolutely exist on their own too and there's possibly often overlap as well. But stuff like this can make existing mental health conditions worse too, so either way it’s worth checking. 

Yeah. So.

Happy new year?

From someone who might be pulling a whole Phoenix moment???? xx

#Apologies for the silence here #Been going through a lot if you can imagine lol #I have a bunch of asks and messages to catch up to #I'm so sorry for taking forever #It might take me a bit longer still but I promise I'll get back on here at some point hopefully soon #Your messages mean so much to me<3 #Take care everyone <3 #Also #the description of Nathan's experience could and would still be rather accurate #even if you don't have these physical health issues!! #Depression and anxiety etc from a deficiency is still depression and anxiety #+ when I write Nathan I have a set of mental health “maps” or “guides” for his character (like C-PTSD and CEN and OCD) #Yes I use my own feelings and experiences to describe his anxiety etc #But his character is built around specific mental health markers / trauma research / symptoms etc (like C-PTSD and CEN and OCD) #So I'm pretty sure Nathan's POV would still look very similar based on just that research and ignoring the stuff in this post #Hope this all makes sense :'o

[disabledunitypunk]

A post reading: Shout out to people who are sleepy guys because they are physically disabled!!!! Life is a game and we are winning sleepiest guys on earth ever. /Pained but light hearted

Also shout out to people who are just dead fucking tired because of their disability. Not everything needs to be a cute little joke, you still deserve recognition <3

(This post is about physical disability do not derail)

.

This post was PERFECT... until that last line.

Are you aware that significant and even extreme chronic fatigue are HALLMARK symptoms of MANY mental illnesses, to the point that for many they are part of the DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA?

Are you aware some of us can't TELL if the chronic fatigue is because of the anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, etc etc ad nauseum, or the POTS, fibromyalgia, MCAS, severe vitamin B12/d deficiencies, gut health/absorption issues, or malnutrition secondary to those others...

Are you aware that some of us also CAN tell that in fact it's BOTH, COMPOUNDING each other?!?! That our fatigue would be lessened if we had "only" physical or "only" psychiatric disability.

Are you aware that calling it DERAILING for mentally ill physically disabled people to DARE to talk about their experiences is VILE behavior?

ARE YOU?!?!

Y'all talk about how cripplepunk is about being angry, about not taking shit from anyone about your physical symptoms of your disabilities.

Well I'm fucking furious. You're massively fucking ableist for calling it derailing to take something that is a predominant symptom of ALL disabilities and to say it's "derailing" to talk about anything other than YOUR disabilities because it's all about YOU YOU YOU.

You're literally derailing discussions of a near-universal disability symptom because something being about someone other than you, who has a different experience of their disabilities than you, who is possibly as physically disabled by their neurological and neurochemical conditions than you are by your physical ones in the exact same way - oh but that's not possible, right, because it's not the way YOU experience it.

Just shut UP. Just leave off that last fucking line and turn off reblogs if you're so fucking autocentric that you can't acknowledge experiences other than yours EXIST.

It's not DERAILING that I can't separate my mental illness fatigue and physical illness fatigue, and that in fact they combine into something larger than the sum of their parts, that multiply disabled people EXIST. That we're refusing to toe the party line and be good little crips within the community, because for all you talk big game about standing up to abled people, you're too afraid to tell other disabled bullies (or admit to yourself) how disabling your own mental illnesses are because of how they treat those of us who do.

Or you're just one of the petty bullies who can't understand their experiences are not universal.

Either way, you know how they treat us, because you've facilitated it. Bully or coward, you need to fucking STOP treating other disabled people like they're your fucking oppressors, like we have any fucking systemic power over you. We're over here being locked up and killed by police and killing ourselves over the lack of power with have and specifically the way our autonomy is TAKEN from us, and y'all have the nerve to accuse people who are as or more PHYSICALLY crippled than you of "derailing" by acknowledging our own disabilities.

Fuck off. You're not punk, you're pathetic. You're like that gay republican that was surprised when his party turned on him. You're helping leopards feast on faces by cannibalizing your own, then being shocked when you feel teeth start to break your own skin.

Like sorry, spikes and stickers telling abled people to fuck off on your mobility aid doesn't make you punk, in the same way that being a "mean lesbian/bisexual" isn't activism, it's just being an asshole. You actually gotta walk the walk, and you can't even talk the talk. Punk includes community building, it includes coalition building, it includes fighting AGAINST ableism, not fucking for it.

Might as well start calling yourselves cripplefash, because that punk mask you wear is coming off.

(Userbox with combined wheelchair/rainbow infinity symbol in black and white, says "This user is PHYSICALLY DISABLED *and* neurodivergent.")

Oh, and btw. If you're wondering why this is tagged unitypunk. Paradox of intolerance, assholes. We don't tolerate ableism in disabled spaces. Not against neurodivergent physically disabled folks, not against solely neurodivergent folks, and certainly not excluding ANYONE from a primary symptom of their disability based on having the "wrong" diagnosis. That's the kind of behavior I'd expect of ableist DOCTORS, not our own fucking community.

You know how the queer community says "don't be a fucking cop"? Don't be a fucking doc. Pieces of shit.

#angry #unitypunk #exclusion

[steriotypicaloutlaw]

In case anyone wants to know more about my self-insert...

Pansexual with ace-like tendencies.

Polyamorous.

Non-binary and intersex

ASD, PTSD, ADHD, OCD, Anxiety, Depression, Abandonment issues...

Allergic to bees and spiders but adores both of them.

Runs a little daycare and an art shop out of their house.

Their blood is a blueish-purple color? Idk, it changes depending on the lighting.

They change their hair color and hairstyle a lot.

Their horns and tail come as they please.

They do have a bit of a crush on Heisey (and Ethan), but who can really blame them?

They mostly wear alt and punk fashion.

Though they are known to "clean up nice".

Their teeth are all sharp except for the first 4, from the canines back are sharp, with their canines being longer than the rest.

Has a bad habit of hugging and/or kissing people they're close to when happy (Ex: when they successfully helped Karl revive their best friend as a Soldat they whooped and then lifted him up and spun him around in a hug before kissing both of his cheeks without even thinking about it.)

His ears and nose are really sensitive. Ears turn and seek out different noises to pinpoint what's coming from where (like a cat) and his nose twitches when he's sniffing the air (along with using his "Jacobson's organ" via opening his mouth when he sniffs).

Tilts his head like a dog to better understand and discern sounds.

They have 5 kids that they adopted, all of which have mutations of some sort.

Pretty hyper and full of chaotic-neutral energy.

Protective of those he loves.

Wants to revive Miranda simply to torture her for as long as she hurt the lords and villagers.

Likes introducing Karl to new music.

Knew that Ethan was mold as soon as they met, due to their exceptional sense of smell.

Was the one who convinced Ethan to show Karl the Alien series and laughed hysterically when Ethan complained about Karl's rants before joining Karl in obsessing over the perfection of xenomorphs.

Was the one who introduced Karl to cotton candy and laughed when he freaked out about it "disappearing".

Likes to boop Ethan's nose simply because it's cute when he gets annoyed about it.

Hangs out with Sal a lot and wants to be his dad.

Showed Sal "A Monster In Paris".

Squishes Sal's face and fawns over him, calling him a handsome little baby man and the babiest of babies.

Collects porcelain dolls with spirits attached to them (like I seem to) and brings them over to visit with Donna and her dolls.

Also crushing on his now Soldat best friend, had a crush on him before, but now he's living in their house and-

Stims a lot, happy stims, nervous stims, bored stims, etc.

Can hold his liquor a bit too well and is mildly scared of getting drunk and not even knowing, hates the taste of alcohol though.

LOTS of piercings and scars.

Keeps his claws a bit long as they're difficult to cut and also he has sensory issues with things touching the tips of his fingers.

Fully mutated form is some giant sapphire-blue dragon thing.

Double-jointed in odd places, like fingers, toes, hips, and one shoulder.

Long, almost snake-like tongue.

Gets cold easily (chronic iron deficiency due to mutation)

Has let Karl study him and poke around in his insides while he tried not to laugh because, "it was tickley".

Has threatened Karl that he'll fuck Sturm if he doesn't shut up. He's not 100% serious, but Karl doesn't know that.

Has mentioned several times a plan to make Sturm have the ability to switch between the fan and a normal fucking head (well, a mechanical one but still...), because he can obviously hear and understand people, not to mention he must have at least some sense of sight. He also wants to give him robotic arms for when he's using that head. He just wants to help with Sturm's clumsiness and definitely not fuck him.

#self insert #resident evil #resident evil village #resident evil 8 #re8 #re8village #karl heisenberg #ethan winters #simp for karl heisenberg #simp for ethan winters #salvatore moreau #salvatore moreau is a cutie #donna beneviento #soldat #soldats #resident evil oc #resident evil village oc #my art #drawing #original character #digital art #nonbinary #nonbinary character #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #neurodivergent characters #would fight you #seriously #he will #long post

[meditating-dog-lover]

Personal trainer meeting

So I met with my personal trainer again today and I went over some stuff.

For me, it's a combination of different things that help me burn fat, not just 1. It's the following:

Eating healthy and limiting my consumption of high fat and high sugar junk foods.

Brisk walking - it puts my heart rate int he fat burning zone and it burns a lot of calories, and from fat.

Strength training circuits - strengthens muscles which boosts metabolism and helps you burn fat even when not following a low calorie diet. But it still needs to be done in conjunction to cardio (both brisk walking and HIIT).

HIIT - boosts metabolism and burns a lot of calories, but likely not from fat because it's an intense workout that will surpass the fast burning zone heart rate. My PT said that doing it 1x a week is plenty.

My PT likes these workouts and said they are helpful, and I even asked if I can come in for another session for some sample strength and HIIT circuit workouts.

So overall I need all 4. It's better to do all 4 consistently and slip up every now and then than to do 1 perfectly and ignore the rest.

This is what helped me lose fat from July to September 2021, and from September 2021 to November 2021. After November 2021 things went kind of downhill because I lost track of my fitness and life got in the way (got concerned with my health, work, and finances and was comparing myself to others and felt shitty and had body image issues). So I put on weight which made me feel shittier and my mom and sister called me out on my weight gain which made me feel even shittier.

I looked pretty good in November 2021 because I worked hard. I have pictures from that time and I looked good, at least compared to May 2022 where I put weight back on during my sister's college graduation. It's frustrating as someone who has struggled with their weight growing up and had issues with being consistent. I am also tall with a wide athletic frame so even at a low body fat percentage I will always look bigger next to people. I need to figure out how to accept that and how to find clothes that flatter me.

I've been dealing with a lot of shit ever since COVID where I became so depressed that a ton of things triggered my childhood trauma and made me feel worse. I still feel shitty and am in pain, though better than before. And one of the things bothering me is my weight and body image. Because the above 4 help, I'm just going to suck it up and power through them until I feel better and healthier and develop a healthier and fitter body. This won't solve very problem I'm dealing with and will have to deal with in order to heal my trauma, but it's a great step in the right direction.

I still have teeth trauma, relationship trauma, poor style due to poor body image, and general anxiety I have to deal with. It's almost 2024 and I hope to successfully dedicate the year to healing from these issues. I did a lot this year (continues therapy, did great at work and learned a lot of new experiments and lab methods, learned a lot about financial responsibility and opened a HYSA and IRA account (I have almost 30k in savings), went through a holistic healing journey by correcting nutritional deficiencies, met with a dietician and personal trainer which is something I would avoid in the past because I hated people commenting on my diet and fitness, finally met with doctors especially with a PCP and did blood work which is another thing I held off because I have health anxiety over this stuff despite my blood work being very good - especially my lipid profile as I have low cholesterol and triglyceride levels, did some self-care by styling my hair and getting a professional skin treatment and improved my style and appearance which is big for someone with body dysmorphia, etc...

I'm still healing from the COVID and post-COVID pain and it will take some time. I don't want to feel like my 20s went to waste because of it, and I want to fill in the void I feel by making and accomplishing goals. And even if I don't achieve 100% of all my goals, I have my 30s to look forward to.

[zylahealth]

Living with PCOS: Different ways to Treat PCOS | Zyla Health

Neha was left completely shocked by her PCOS diagnosis. She had been struggling with stress at work, poor sleep and weight gain when she started experiencing irregular periods. She thought the delay was due to stress. However, she was still worried.

After 3 months of missed periods, she visited her gynecologist with her concerns. After a round of investigations, she was given a PCOS diagnosis. She was only 27 years old, and here she was, diagnosed with a chronic condition that she might have to deal with for the rest of her life.

She knew that she needed to change the way she had been living her life, and take better care of her health. But how would she even begin to do that? There was a lot of information on ways to treat PCOS, almost too much information!

Does this sound familiar to you? Have you also been in the same boat as Neha with absolutely no idea of where to even begin? Well, you have come to the right place. In the blog post, we are going to talk about the emotional, physical and mental effects of living with PCOS, including some helpful tips for coping with PCOS.

But before we do that, let’s look at what exactly is PCOS?

What is PCOS?

PCOS stands for polycystic ovarian syndrome. PCOS is a hormonal disorder that mainly affects the way the ovaries work.

It has a strong association with obesity and insulin resistance. Reduced insulin sensitivity and increased insulin levels in the blood lead to:

An excess of oestrogen that gets converted to high levels of testosterone (male hormone).

Excess levels of Luteinizing hormone (LH). Elevated LH levels prevent the rupture of follicles (fluid filled sacs in the ovary that contain eggs). As a result, the egg does not get released from the follicle.

These unruptured cysts stay on the surface of the ovary to cause polycystic ovaries.

PCOS

Symptoms

The three main PCOS symptoms are-

Irregular periods- Irregular periods or no periods at all. This is the most common sign.

Excessive hair growth (hirsutism)- High levels of male hormones (androgen) in women, leads to signs of excess male pattern body hair (hirsutism).

Polycystic ovaries- Due to hormonal imbalances, the follicles (fluid-filled sacs) in the ovary fail to release the egg every month, and these unruptured follicles form the “cysts” on the ovaries.

If you are looking for a holistic program that provides 24*7 personalised care for PCOS, then look no further. Feel free to reach out to us on the Zyla app or visit our website-Zyla.in.

Other PCOS symptoms include-

Difficulty getting pregnant

Hair loss or thinning of hair

Skin conditions like- acne, acanthosis nigricans (darkening and velvety appearance of skin), oily skin etc

Depression

Anxiety disorders

Weight gain

Let’s discuss some of them in detail…

Did you know?

Worldwide PCOS affects 6 to 10% of women — making it the most common endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age.

Living with PCOS

Living with PCOS is an ongoing battle. Neha can confirm this! PCOS makes it hard for her to lose weight, and most days, the PCOS symptoms made everything an uphill climb. Some of the issues that women with PCOS face are:

1. LOSING WEIGHT IS A STRUGGLE

Insulin resistance leads to increased insulin in the blood which pushes the body into fat storage mode.

Higher insulin levels also lead to an increased appetite.

No wonder, one of the PCOS symptoms is weight gain.

2. SLEEPING DISTURBANCES

One of the PCOS symptoms is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which can impact the quality of sleep and lead to daytime sleepiness.

Decreased production of progesterone in PCOS can lead to sleep disturbances.

3. FATIGUE

The hormonal imbalances in PCOS can also cause fatigue.

Sometimes women with PCOS can experience menorrhagia — or excessive bleeding leading to iron deficiency anaemia. It is quite common for women with PCOS and anaemia to feel fatigued.

4. STRUGGLES WITH FERTILITY

Fertility struggles are quite common for women with PCOS. While many options like medications and IVF can help with conception, the emotional and financial burden of having to deal with infertility can definitely take a toll on women with a PCOS diagnosis.

5. MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES

Research shows that PCOS is associated with an increased risk of:

Depression

Anxiety

Bipolar disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Reading this section can really feel like the odds are totally stacked against you. Facing difficulties in losing weight, fertility issues, battling fatigue and mental health issues as a result of PCOS diagnosis, definitely adds up the emotional cost of living with PCOS.

However, we are here to reassure you that with the right strategies and lifestyle changes, you can definitely conquer these challenges that PCOS throws at you.

Now let’s look at some dietary pointers as one of a few tips for coping with PCOS that can benefit you if you struggle with losing weight with PCOS!

Ways to treat PCOS: Diet tips for the management of PCOS

While there is no cure for PCOS, diet and lifestyle changes can help you effectively deal with the symptoms that come with PCOS.

Some dietary changes for the management of PCOS include:

1. INCREASE FIBRE INTAKE

Increasing the fibre in your diet by including oats, fruits and vegetables, etc. can help reduce the blood sugar spikes and also keep you satisfied for a longer time.

2. COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES

Replacing carbohydrates like refined flour (maida) and it’s products with complex carbohydrates like chapati, brown rice, quinoa, oats can moderate blood sugar spikes and therefore reduce insulin levels.

3. HIGH PROTEIN DIET

In a study on women with PCOS diagnosis, it was found that eating a high protein diet (40% protein) can lead to increased weight loss. Since high protein diets are more filling, it also leads to less eating and more weight loss.

Add nuts, dals, dairy products, chicken, eggs and oily fish etc to your diet.

4. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET

Research shows that patients with a PCOS diagnosis on an anti-inflammatory diet for 3 months have lost 7% of their body weight and showed significant improvements in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Eating foods like apples, broccoli, beans, blueberries, raspberries, oily fish, walnuts (akhrot), ginger (adrak), turmeric (haldi), and garlic (lehsun) can reduce inflammation.

Foods with sugar and refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, increase inflammation.

5. CUTTING OUT FULL-FAT DAIRY

Avoid taking full-fat dairy products and stick to low-fat products like toned, double toned or skimmed milk and milk products. Introducing nut milk like almond milk can also help you deal with PCOS.

6. CUTTING OUT SUGAR

Sugar as you already know, can increase inflammation and also cause blood sugar spikes leading to increased insulin in the body.

Cutting out sugar is an extremely effective lifestyle change for PCOS treatment. Avoid baked goods, packaged sweets, toffees, sodas and ice cream. Dark chocolate can be an occasional sweet treat to help with cravings.

If you are looking for personalised nutritional guidance for PCOS, reach out to our nutrition experts at Zyla.in. Feel free to reach out to us on the Zyla app or visit our website- Zyla.in.

Now that we know what foods to eat, let’s look at other lifestyle changes that are important in PCOS!

Ways to treat PCOS: Lifestyle changes for the management of PCOS

While there is no absolute PCOS cure, lifestyle changes for the management of PCOS include measures to reduce weight, combat stress and measures for improved sleep.

1. EXERCISE

Regular exercise helps in two ways! It helps with weight loss, and can also help with the hormonal imbalance that is a part of a PCOS diagnosis. So what kind of exercise should you do? Well, the best exercise is one that you will do regularly and enjoy doing it.

Let’s look at some exercise options:

a. Aerobic exercise

Walking, jogging, running and swimming are some aerobic exercises that can help improve your cardiovascular fitness and burn calories. These exercises also improve your body’s response to insulin, so try to do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.

b. Resistance training

Strength/ resistance training helps strengthen muscles and bones and prevents osteoporosis later in life. However, for women with a PCOS diagnosis, resistance training can also help increase insulin sensitivity and promote weight loss.

For further reading, read our blog on the top 10 benefits of physical activity.

2. SLEEP

Lack of sleep can impact more than just your energy levels. It can lead to:

Weight gain

Increased inflammation in the body

Increased insulin resistance

Sleep becomes even more important for women with a PCOS diagnosis. It is recommended to get 8 hours of sleep every night consistently. Some tips for better sleep include-

Sleep every day at the same time.

Try to get 30 minutes of sunlight exposure every day.

Make sure you turn off all the lights and keep any screens away at bedtime.

Avoid scrolling through your phone at bedtime and opt for relaxing self-care routines like journaling, listening to music, etc.

If you are unable to sleep, avoid tossing and turning in bed. Get up and read a book or listen to a podcast and return to bed only when you are ready to sleep.

Invest in a good pillow and a comfortable mattress.

Make sure your room’s temperature is comfortable and you are wearing comfortable loose clothing to sleep.

For further reading to improve your sleep, read our blog on the 3 reasons you are not sleeping and tips for better sleep.

3. STRESS MANAGEMENT

Increased stress levels can affect our health in multiple ways :

We don’t even realise it but our body releases cortisol (stress hormone) under times of stress which can affect immunity, lead to increased weight and also increase male hormone levels.

Women with a PCOS diagnosis have an increased stress response which lends itself to obesity.

It contributes to lack of sleep and in turn, lead to increased insulin resistance.

It can also worsen mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

It is no surprise then that stress reduction is key in the management of PCOS. Some ways for stress management include:

a. Yin yoga or restorative yoga

Yoga has been shown to help reduce the levels of stress hormones and their effect on the body. It can also help to calm the mind, body and even regulate hormones.

b. Meditation practices

Starting and ending your day with meditation and mindfulness can help regulate stress and also reduce inflammation. It also helps in managing conditions like anxiety and depression.

c. Physical exercise

Boosts endorphins and reduces stress, while also helping with weight loss. So try to get at least 30 minutes of brisk exercise in your day to reap the dual benefits!

For further reading on stress management, read our blog on the importance of living in the present moment consciously.

If you are looking for a holistic approach for the management of PCOS, you can reach out to us at Zyla.in to provide you with the right guidance. Feel free to reach out to us on the Zyla app or visit our website-Zyla.in.

Now that we’ve looked at the lifestyle measures required, let’s look at some of the medications and supplements that can ease the PCOS symptoms!

Ways to treat PCOS: Medications for PCOS treatment

Obviously, lifestyle management is important! But sometimes the PCOS symptoms have to be managed with the help of certain medications and supplements.

One important thing to note is that you must make lifestyle changes if even you’re taking medicine or not. Medicines can treat PCOS symptoms but without lifestyle modifications, they can’t work in a long term.

Now let’s look at some of the medications for PCOS treatment:

1. COMBINATION OF BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

Birth control pills containing a combination of oestrogen and progestin can regulate hormone levels and reduce the androgens. It can also help reduce excess hair growth and acne symptoms.

2. CLOMIPHENE

Clomiphene is a drug that is given to women who are looking to conceive and have a PCOS diagnosis. It is an anti-estrogen medication used for PCOS treatment, which ensures that the release of the egg from the follicle occurs, thereby ensuring conception.

This is usually prescribed on the advice of your gynaecologist after a complete health workup.

3. METFORMIN

Metformin is an oral anti-diabetic drug that also helps in regulating insulin resistance and weight loss. Metformin can also slow the development of Type 2 Diabetes if you are pre-diabetic.

4. SPIRONOLACTONE

Helps to reduce the effect of androgens on the skin, especially acne.

Now let’s take a look at some of the commonly used supplements for PCOS treatment!

1. MYO-INOSITOL AND D-CHIRO-INOSITOL

Inositol helps with the cell signalling of insulin and reduces insulin resistance. It also helps to normalise periods and improve egg quality for fertility. Furthermore, it regulates hormone levels and also helps with weight loss.

It is being researched extensively as a PCOS treatment option.

2. N-ACETYL-CYSTEINE

This is an ant-oxidant that reduces insulin resistance and normalises the menstrual cycle.

3. VITAMIN D

Vitamin D boosts immunity, regulates mood and also normalises the menstrual cycle. It also regulates the insulin levels in the blood.

4. OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega-3 fatty acids improve the insulin resistance score in PCOS, reduce testosterone and inflammatory markers and also help support weight loss.

While there are many medication options and supplements available for PCOS treatment, we caution you against self-medicating. Before starting any medication or supplement, please schedule a consultation with your doctor in order to ensure that you are following a regimen that is appropriate for you.

Conclusion

We know that living with a PCOS diagnosis certainly has its challenges. From difficulty losing weight to fatigue and increased risk of anxiety and depression, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is much more than just a metabolic disorder. It affects the way women look, the way they feel about themselves and even their fertility.

It was hard for Neha to come to terms with the fact that there is no PCOS cure. But being an incredibly strong woman, she consulted a nutritionist, evaluated her options and settled on the right regimen for lifestyle including yoga, exercise, supplements and medications.

It is important to choose the right regimen for you — one that works well with your lifestyle and that you can be consistent with. Consistent lifestyle changes along with stress management and weight loss can help reduce the PCOS symptoms, regulate your menstrual cycle and even improve your fertility.

We urge you to consult your doctor, include these tips in your life and start taking care of your health today!

If you’re seeking help to improve your health and want to better manage your PCOS, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and check out the Ova women’s health program which is tailored specifically for PCOS.

Zyla has a team of 50+ medical experts who can provide personalised treatment through a holistic approach. Start your health journey today!

Stay strong! Stay healthy!

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://bit.ly/2o19OzE to watch videos on health and health-related conditions.

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Visit our website: https://zyla.in/ova-pentacare-pregnancy-program

Talk to us on WhatsApp — https://goo.gl/kjofP

For more information, you can visit us

https://blog.zyla.in/living-with-pcos-different-ways-to-treat-pcos-zyla-health-ab4035795550

[wordsnstuff]

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing About Mental Illness

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Reinforcing Stereotypes

This goes without saying, but neurodivergent people (and characters) each experience and cope with their mental illnesses differently. Schizophrenia is not simply hallucinations. Depression is not simply feeling suicidal. Anxiety is not simply consistent fear or unease. Your character, depending on what causes/triggers their symptoms, will present their mental illnesses differently, both on the inside and outside. A person’s experience of mental illness is affected by their environment, their background, their priorities, their personality, and their other struggles. Reflect this in their story, rather than reading a long list of general symptoms and checking them off in your draft. 

1 Symptom Sally

Mental illness affects every aspect of an individual’s life. It’s more complicated and far-reaching than simply “having a harder time than everyone else”. Depression, for instance, is frequently portrayed with an acute emphasis on the symptoms of fatigue, lack of motivation, and sadness. However, depression has a lot of symptoms that many aren’t aware are connected to the illness, such as executive dysfunction, irritability, and sickness. Even those with a general diagnosis of a mental illness aren’t going to have that diagnosis just because they feel sad a lot of the time. There must be more, and it must be shown.  

Romanticizing Suicide

There’s a delicate balance between depicting the reality and gravity of suicidal thoughts/ideation and making it sound appealing. If you’re reading a story, narrated by a character who has suicidal tendencies, it’s inevitable that their thought process will justify or rationalize those thoughts. Approach this with care, and remember that as a writer, you have influence over your readers (whether intentionally or not), and you should prioritize the responsibility you have to avoid romanticizing suicide over the task of portraying it accurately. Some things simply hurt more than they help. 

Generalizing Experiences

Mental illness is inconsistent. Some people display two or three symptoms that are easily recognized, but some experience symptoms most don’t even associate with those illnesses at all. For example, generalized anxiety disorder can present in individuals with a more physically debilitating set of effects, rather than primarily manifesting in feelings of fear or unease. Yes, anxiety is the state of being anxious, but it can also be sensory overload, executive dysfunction, flu-like illness, and fatigue. Every mental illness is unique to the individual who struggles with it, so be aware that your characters should be representing that reality as well. 

Ignoring Coping Mechanisms

Most people who have a mental illness that has progressed to the point of seeking a diagnosis and perhaps treatment have established various levels of coping mechanisms. These can be things like substance abuse or self harm, but they can also be more subtle, like hyper-fixation on media they like or excessive reliance on friends or family. If you’re going to write a character with a mental illness, you should know what they have to do to get through the day. What exercises have they adopted to adapt to their situation? What effect have these mechanisms had on their lifestyle and relationships?

Illnesses Having No Effect On Relationships

Mental illness, especially after having struggled with them for a long period, affects who we are, how we behave and interact, and changes our priorities and thought process. It’s inevitable that it will impact our relationships with other people. In order to accurately depict this experience, you have to also know the characters on the other side, who are maintaining a relationship with your neurodivergent character. What are their thoughts on mental health? How well do they understand what your character is experiencing? Are they more likely to want to be there for or distance themselves from the character because of their mental illness? Strain on relationships can be a very distinct part of a neurodivergent person’s experience with mental illness, and it’s important to represent that. The stigma is still very real and shows up regularly, even in little ways, and in a more accommodating world.

Extreme Cases Only

Some people experience mental illness on a chronic level, others do not. There’s Seasonal Affective Disorder, which tends to only present symptoms in certain periods of the year for various reasons, for example. It could be classified as a “less severe” form of depression, and it’s very common. Not all depression is the same, and it doesn’t always result in severe cases of suicidal ideation or self harm. If you only depict characters in the most extreme cases, who experience their symptoms at the highest level at all times, you may be reinforcing stereotypes about neurodivergence that have taken decades to dismantle. Not everyone with mental illness has an extreme case, and pretending they do can reinforce the idea that all neurodivergent people are “crazy”. 

Good Days vs. Bad Days

Neurodivergent individuals usually experience their symptoms on a wide spectrum of severity. There are good and bad days, and everything in between. Sure, some days, one may experience virtually no symptoms and be very happy and productive, and be totally unable to maintain their composure on others. However, the majority of the time is occupied by a middle ground. Days where a person isn’t constantly on the verge of a panic attack, but they struggle to accomplish their typical agenda, and they feel a variety of symptoms at noticeable, but more manageable level. Symptoms can also intensify steadily and endure for variable periods of time. 

Curing Mental Illness With Romance

Let me say this clearly, and insist you don’t argue: mental illness cannot be cured by a relationship. I admit that new relationships or positive attention can offset symptoms, but if a character’s mental illness (such as depression or anxiety) miraculously resolves because a new partner comes into their life, they either weren’t mentally ill in the first place, or you have misunderstood mental illness. There can be months or even years where someone can go without experiencing their symptoms at a noticeable level, but they will always be neurodivergent, and a new partner isn’t going to change that. That portrayal minimizes the experience of mental illness and trivializes symptoms people suffer with every single day. Do not do this. Please. Just don’t. You can say your character has prolonged period of sadness, but you cannot slap the word “depression” on them, then have all their symptoms disappear because they’ve got a hot date.

Not Every Illness Is Caused By Trauma

This is simply a point of knowledge more writers should have a grasp of. Mental illness can be caused by genetics, chemical imbalances, deficiencies, severe and prolonged stress, longterm health conditions, social isolation or loneliness, etc. It’s natural that in a fictional story where mental illness may be an important aspect, that trauma is one of the more sensational causes to apply to your character, but if you have a cast with diverse experiences of neurodivergence, it’s unlikely that all of them will have a basis in trauma. Neurodivergence is not a one-size-fits-all. 

–

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[acemapleeh]

2, 4, 9, 11, 12 for HWS Canada? Your fics are so underratted!

Thank you, that’s sweet of you <3

Link to the ask game here

2. What is their favorite piece of technology?

Honestly, when you live for so many centuries, what do you pick? Space heaters are definitely on the top of the list, instant coffee and electric kettles for an easy, hot drink in the morning, solar panels to heat up isolated ice fishing shacks. It’s all the little things that have added up that’s made life so much easier and warmer. Telephones took a while to get used to, but having his family and friends so easily available is both a blessing and curse. He’s not afraid to shut off his phone and fuck off for a few weeks, but given the fact the people who understand his existence most are typically hundreds of miles away, this makes reaching out for reassurance for his loneliness easier.

4. Was there anything their parents pushed them to do? (e.g. sports, theatre, band)

Matthew had the absolute joy and privilege of having to be raised under Arthur's roof for the majority of the 19th century. He had already mastered his reading, writing, and arithmetic, so now what was left to teach was how to be a proper English gentleman of society. He didn't need to be a scholar and like hell was he going to be sent to Public School or university. Matthew's education focused heavily focused on sportsmanship, etiquette, leadership, and even confidence, so he would have all of the necessary skills to eventually be a legitimate member of society as well as a proper nation (someday). His governess taught him the waltz, conducting himself at dinner parties, poetry, art, music, languages (such as Latin and Greek), and various other subjects (astronomy, history, classical text, geography, etc.). He was expected to be well-rounded.

Arthur took charge of teaching him hands-on, practical skills. Matthew enjoyed learning to shoot long-range, how to sail on Ullswater Lake, and even military strategy was a useful skill. He could care less about playing the violin or the harpsichord, he still doesn't understand how cricket works, and though he isn't terrible on horseback, the English sidestep and other equine traditions boggle his mind. Also, he will appreciate the works of Shakespeare, but please, he's retched on stage.

9. What chronic illnesses does your muse have if any?

Chronic depression, anxiety, vitamin D deficiency, and hockey ankles.

On a serious note, I think I'll answer the other part of this in the next question as they go hand in hand.

11. Does your muse wear glasses/contacts?

He must absolutely wear glasses. I, like many, say that this all started in World War 1 with the Second Battle of Ypres where the Germans first utilized poison gas. Matthew would wake several days later after his death at this battle, screaming in confusion and absolute agony. His wails only stop when his throat no longer lets him, coughing and spitting blood as his chest feels as though it's on fire. He pauses when a hand holds his and he could hear cries that were not his own. Matthew's death was not a kind one. His eyes were bandaged and sewn shut in order to heal properly. For days the world was darkness, he lay only in content because of the constant morphine being put in his veins. He feels guilty as he's told his sight will soon return, that he was healing well. Too many of his men, some not even old enough to even lie about being a man, were dead.

He could hardly recognize his reflection when he finally has the chance. His eyes aren't focusing, he scolds himself. There were still bandages, his skin blistered and burned from his face to his hands. Deep breaths hurt, sitting up hurts but it won't be until autumn evenings will the true damage his lungs received will come to light. He pants while continuing to march forward, clouds of cold breath painful, he places a hand against a tree, winded.

Things get better with time but his sight is never what it used to be, glasses a must whenever he leaves the house. His lungs are irritated in the cold. He hates that those deep breaths of frigid air that should bring him nothing but comfort now trigger coughing fits and moments of weakness.

12. What are some warning signs that your muse is getting depressed?

It's something that's definitely easier to notice in modern times. Having a case of the morbs back in the day was him wallowing in the halls and staying in bed past ten in the morning like a dysfunctional member of society. He would lounge in the fake graveyard his father staged, reading morbid books and poems while hoping the ground would swallow him whole. He was very quiet about his depressive episodes for a very long time. It was normal, everyone surely had to have felt the same way he did from time to time. Desperately needing a laudanum and opium nap every other day was normal, right? He had yet to realize just how deep his exhaustion was running from upkeeping appearances. 

These days it all starts showing by how long it's been since he's looked at his messages. He won’t leave anyone on read, just scrolls to see the notification to make sure it’s nothing urgent, then promptly ignores it. A few days is usually okay, he might have the honest reason of work piling up or he was camping somewhere with no reception. Weeks to a month go by without one call or message to Alfred, there’s a problem. Matthew’s way of coping is self-isolation. His family doesn’t respect him, his friends hate him, everyone only pretends to mildly tolerate him- oh! Alfred texted him to go out for coffee... maybe it’d be best if got out of the house. 

If it’s not isolation, it’s his sleeping habits. Are you sleeping too much or too little? Yes. He goes back and forth of sleeping for twelve hours or more a day to staring at his ceiling thinking it’d be easier to have a quick death. He’s lethargic, you have a conversation with him and he spaces out. A quick apology that he’s just tired and has a headache. He takes another painkiller because his shoulders and back were killing him on top of it.

Really, just check up on him once in a while because depression comes from nowhere and sticks like a tough stain. Pick him up, brush him off, and let him know you remember him and don’t hate him, then put him to bed and throw a forty pound blanket on him for good measure.

#hws canada #matthew williams #dumb little headcanons #ask box #man i wrote a wee bit more than planned sorry sorry

[derangedhyena-zoids]

You mentioned that Organoids don’t physiologically suffer from severing a bond, but would they psychologically? (I mean I guess not if they outlive their partners…) How would bonding to someone who has chemical imbalances (depression/anxiety/etc) work? Do they work like the anti-depression/anxiety medicine? And how do they choose their partner? Is it like humans going “aww look at this kitty” or more like car shopping, “I want one that has cruise control,” or is it harmonic like the neural waves of the human and organoid align?

Should I shut up? Sorry but not sorry, I love this.

QUESTIONS? ABOUT THE THINGS?? ANSWERS! LONG POSTS!  Re: psychological suffering... overwhelmingly the answer would be "yes, they'd suffer a lot", because that'd basically only happen if the Zoidian partner died. Organoids can easily outlive a partner (and the partner could also die early of injury or disease) - and the Organoid usually doesn't bond again. What they do though, is stay with the family/clan unit. So between the constant presence of their nearby colony and the presence of the other family members/their Organoids, that individual would be okay, relatively speaking. (a brief tl;dr aside: the extended lifespans of Zoidians, in an extremely roundabout way, are related to the longevity of Zoids/Organoids. it's... a convoluted thing that's too much to go into here, but yhea.) One is the main perpetrator of remorseless severing of bonds ... One basically just used people to think with. (the whole trinity setup and the very real benefits it brings  are part-and-parcel of the bond mechanic. which is another Convoluted Thing. tl;dr Minds Are Powerful Things)  One establishing then angrily severing bonds is a large part of why so many people (in the past, and in K&G) just straight-up died trying to pilot the Berserk Fury. Him “using them” was the problem, but him leaving harshly (out of either disgust/annoyance or lost control) was often the final blow. Really, any situation that'd prompt a bond being withdrawn mainly would have come up post-Zoidian-apocalypse. It just didn't have any reason to happen before. Because the organoid/zoidian relationship was far more like this:

(daemons, "you're an integral part of me") than any sort of "this is my best friend but we could potentially disagree" thing.

Which I guess is to say if it ever happened in Zoidian times, it would’ve been an entire story/groundshattering event in its own right. (This is one of very few areas I come into actual conflict with the anime canon. Because the Organoid/Zoidian relationship is presented as a really fucking illogical spectrum. So I just... made a decision and went hard with it. Works for the majority of actual canon.) Zeke and Zero are the only two other instances of an intentional withdrawal of a bond even coming up. Like a chapter or so ago in Echo, Zero temporarily did it to Bit and felt very bad about it. And Zeke liked having two bondmates so much he couldn't bear the thought of unbonding with Van. And in doing so, killed Fiona well before her time.  re: chemical imbalances:   I’m not entirely sure it’d be accurate to assume that the specifics of our human disorders would still be in effect for Zoidians and their weirdly shifted physiological baseline. they may well have issues we’d find difficult to contemplate, and *not* have some of ours.   that said, speaking in generic ‘imbalance’ terms - an Organoid’s going to go a long way to shore up behaviorally-deleterious deficiencies. The pair more-or-less shares a destiny once bonded: though an Organoid obviously isn’t aware of neurotransmitters and all related (they’re not Serenity,) them being caring, encouraging, empathetic, a permanent second opinion/shoulder to cry on/sounding board ... they’re essentially perpetual cognitive-behavioral therapy? Which has absolutely been shown to help correct chemical imbalance issues? So... yes, they would act as medication, in that sense? man wouldn’t that be nice. that said, it’s pretty likely Organoids have their own neuro issues to contend with, so it could easily go both ways...  re: CHOOSING THEIR PARTNER... it’s more of the latter, a harmonic thing.  assuming you mean “the way it worked in Zoidian times when everything wasn’t an entire mess”, it was actually a very structured process that’d developed over the ages. Happens young, young, young... The tl;dr is there’d be some ritualistic indication when a baby reaches a key development milestone for ‘sense of self.’  (I do not have details fully fleshed out for it, sorry. but I know it varied by clan) They’re then taken to their nearby Organoid colony, in which there’s always tons of Organoids of all ages. Then both the Zoidian baby and young Organoids would be encouraged by their respective parents to interact, until they found a good match.  and I know folks are gonna be like “are you telling me Zoidians put literal toddlers in amongst the goddamn chaos of an Organoid colony so said toddler could amble around in the literal mire and find a buddy” YEP, YEP THAT IS EXACTLY IT then you bring your merry little set of hellions home  pls no sorry, I’m glad people like my nonsense I guess. haha. have a baby Ambient.

[everything-laito]

if I don’t have tendinitis by the end of writing this series, I am officially immortal. anyways here’s the long awaited Laito and Cordelia analysis: Part I

Hi, Corn here! Holy shit I’ve been wanting to write this for forever now; idk how long this series will be but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I’m gonna wing it.

Lemme get something REAL clear before I begin. Because for some fucking reason I still see people trying to say that Cordelia did not molest/rape/etc Laito. Cuz she did. It’s called grooming and manipulation, sweetie. And I’ll explain that too. 

Also, I’m not defending or justifying Cordelia’s actions (there’s a difference between explaining why something happens and defending it. For example, we know racism is harmful and awful, but explaining what it is and why it happens isn’t defending it). I also don’t defend Laito’s nonconsensual or abusive actions either on here, I also wanna clarify that. I just merely explain his theorized rationale and psyche.

God I don’t even know where to start, or where this is exactly going to end, but my god, time to pop off. I’m going to divide this into sections as well. 

Also I think this is usually a given with all the Laito stuff I put on here, but, spoilers ahead! And trigger warnings galore! Pedophilia/rape/abuse/grooming/depression/anxiety are the ones I can think of now, but all of those are really a given on this blog. Just wanna emphasize it because I’m gonna go deep into em. 

As always,,,,, rant under the cut~!

Section 1: Before the Storm (insert Life is Strange joke here)

There’s quite a bit of back and forth about where Cordelia started doing this. I just finished Dark Fate and the conversation between the triplets caught my eye. Laito mentions in his Dark Fate Ecstacy Epilogue that implies Cordelia wasn’t abusive at first. It’s revealed how Karlheinz used Cordelia just for his Adam and Eve experiment to create a new human race, which is why he blatantly ignores her after courting her and making her have kids that she didn’t even wanna have. Which is. Yikes. I’d say that’s a form of coercive pregnancy abuse.

The conversation turns to Laito who then says that Cordelia lost her mind due to of sexual frustration and then hurt the triplets. Sexual frustration is a real and common thing, but I’m gonna explain the potential logistics of this being turned into abuse. 

Sexual frustration in general can be described as a sense of “dissatisfaction stemming from a discrepancy between a person’s desired and achieved sexual activity” (source). I know it’s from Wikipedia but the phrasing of that definition is just too perfect. (also Wikipedia’s good just to get the basics from ;) ) Sexual frustration can happen from physical, mental, emotional, social, religious, or spiritual barriers. Everyone has some kind of ideal sexual activity, whether it be innate and or learned (like getting used to sexual acts over time, whether that be from a traumatic or consensual experience). However, I can safely say that Cordelia has high libido, regardless of the reason. 

Oxytocin, my absolute favorite hormone to talk about, is huge in this case. Touch starvation (what I’d say most of us are going through now because of quarantine) also depends on oxytocin level. We’re social creatures, and we need touch in some way. Having sexual needs is also not a thing to be shameful of (if you do have them), since that is also very human and very biological. Oxytocin is needed for so many things! From social bonding, sexual bonding, reproduction in general, and general emotional wellbeing. Everyone has different levels of oxytocin needs. With a lack of oxytocin, whether it causes sexual frustration or touch starvation (or both), it can create fear, anxiety, and or depression. This has to do with my favorite part of the brain, the amygdala. It’s this lil almond shaped part (hence, amygdala, which is Latin for “almond”) is responsible for empathy, your fight and flight response, as well as SO many other things. I’ll talk more about the amygdala later, because I’m getting off track. 

Back to the logistics of oxytocin deficiency and abuse. Basically, I didn’t initially think that touch starvation or sexual frustration could get so bad that someone would resort to abuse. Haven’t found anything that supports that either. However, since it is linked to depression and stress, I do believe Cordelia would have other underlying psychological issues that made her response to depression and stress just so much worse. It’s kind of obvious that Karlheinz absurd her, and when someone goes through a traumatic episode, there’s different coping mechanisms or different emotions are triggered. Maybe even before Karlheinz she had issues, but we will never know. I just know that Cordelia seems susceptible to some kind of manic episodes, such as mood swings and intense behaviors. 

Dark Fate confirms that Karlheinz most likely used this, and used Cordelia due to her Founder blood and that her psyche was “optimal” to eventually have the triplets kill her. Karl can see the future and past etc, I believe that was confirmed in Lost Eden too. Anyways, all of this paves the way to what Cordelia did to the triplets.

Section 2: The Beginning

There’s been quite a bit of back and forth between when did Cordelia start sexually abusing Laito? We know that Kanato and Ayato were abused when they were young, but there’s no flashbacks in Laito’s routes that depicts him being a child (to my knowledge). Not saying Laito wasn’t abused when he was a child, but I can assure you that the first time Cordelia had explicit sex with Laito was when he was older. 

Special thanks to @vampiretsuki​ and @amiecris​ for helping me think this through on Zara’s server! 

There hasn’t been any flashbacks that specifically show us the first time that happened. However, I believe that there was a flashback in HDB that shows one of the first times. Here’s a scene from Laito’s Dark Epilogue:

Cordelia: ー Laito…Laito… Laito: …Hm? Is something the matter? Cordelia: I have a favor to ask. It just isn’t enough. You can do it, right Laito? Laito: You really are something…So that’s why you came to me again? Cordelia: Fufufu…That’s right, Laito. Come on, quickly… Laito: …Guess it can’t be helped. I’ll love you plenty. Cordelia: Aah…My cute Laito~ I love you. I really do. Laito: I can do it…right? Cordelia: Of course, Laito. Now, quickly…

First of all, ew. Second of all, Laito’s diction implies that this was maybe the second or third time this occurred. He asks a question, and ends it with “again.” We know by this that it is not the first time, but the question also means that Laito might not have expected to occur again. His tone also implies some surprise to it, at least in my ears. His other question, “I can do it, right?” screams hesitance to me. If this scene took place down the line, or after many times he did this with Cordelia, I don’t believe he’d be some level of surprised or hesitance. 

Now, you may be thinking, “Oh! What about Ayato and Laito’s Versus II CD?! Didn’t it mention that Laito wasn’t in the triplet’s shared bed 9/10 times?!” And yeah, if you remembered that, kudos to you! Yes, you’re totally right. I thought this was some inconsistent writing, but I don’t believe so. I believe Cordelia was grooming Laito as a kid. For some reason, grooming never came to my mind, it was Tsuki who mentioned grooming, and Cris also backed that notion up. It’s not confirmed if Cordelia planned to do this to Laito in the beginning (which I doubt, I think she sexually exploited him on a whim due to sexual frustration and because Karl wouldn’t; and the suitors she had wasn’t “enough” for her) but I think it’s implied that it happened (from the earlier excerpt). As for grooming, here’s an excerpt from the VS II CD:

Ayato: You weren’t even there 9 out of the 10 times. Laito: So you knew, Ayato-kun. Ayato: … Laito: You know, I have been thinking how I came to be the person I am today. I am still wondering why wasn’t it Ayato-kun or Kanato-kun.

God that’s so SAAAD! This is why Laito being groomed from a young age would make sense. It would also make sense as to why he was so dismissive and hesitant to help Ayato out. In Ayato’s flashbacks, Laito is there, but doesn’t interfere when Cordelia gets into the picture. Laito tends to run away from his problems, and this manifests even when he’s a kid. To further the support of the claim, it’s definitely not farfetched that Cordelia would do something to a child, especially her own child. She used Kanato for his singing voice when she was having sex..... yikes. That’s another form of sexual exploitation. So uh, let’s dive right into see what grooming does,,,,, *opens another private window* Here’s the source I’ll be using too. 

Grooming is a process that is typically used to sexually exploit children. Ewewewewewewew. It can be a quick or gradual process. It’s basically harnessing the trust in children utilizing constant contact. There’s not much explicit evidence describing this with Cordelia, but if Laito wasn’t sexually exploited when he was younger in the fashion he was “used” to when he got older, again I do think he was groomed. It would make sense as to why he either avoided conflict with Cordelia as a child. Either that was his own disposition (which to a degree I think it is), or maybe he was confused about Cordelia’s actions towards his other brothers, since he “loved” Cordelia. Young Laito typically fell silent when Cordelia entered the room, which again could be because of his disposition, fear, or he knows not to say much in front of her. 

During the grooming process, a child can result in not being able to see coercion and deception. In general, kids 7 years old and under biologically are not able to differentiate persuasion from their own decisions, which results in the laws surrounding advertisements catering to children. Fun fact. I know we’re dealing with vampires and so their brains might not work like that, but from what I’ve seen, they’re pretty human. Also, we’re still not sure about their ages or how vampire biological ages work, but bear with me on this. 

Another stage of grooming involves cutting off the child’s support system, whether it be family, friends, etc. I made a comment in an analysis that Laito doesn’t have a support system, and at the very least, his brothers. But even that is pretty weak. You know how it’s mentioned how Laito wasn’t even in bed with Ayato and Kanato most of the time? That’s probably due to Cordelia weakening Laito’s bonds with them. Furthermore, on the website I’m using to get information from, it says this:

Control and alienation is exercised in the following ways:

[more bullet points here]

- creating conflicting feelings of love and hate, protection and exploitation, guilt and innocence, entitlements and duties.

OOOOOHHHHHH BBBBBOOOOOYYYYYY!!!!! Ayato and Kanato say that they fucking hate Cordelia. But... Laito’s the only one that says he “loves” her. He also says that he hates her. So, from this, I think it might be safe to say that Cordelia groomed Laito as a child, and continued to use those tactics when he was older.

Well, I’m gonna end it here for part one. That was quite the ride, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless! Next part, we’ll be getting into Laito when he’s older and the effects it had on him, along with some other crazy dark sides of psychology. I still won’t be answering many of my inbox questions until this huge analysis is finished, sorry! I kinda wanna focus on this first. But feel free to hit me up with any questions! I’ll still get to them :)

Any Cordelia/Laito questions will most likely be answered in this series, just a heads up. But if you have any questions pertaining to Cordelia/Laito right now or after the series, feel free to hit me up still! Any clarifying questions for this post or anything in general are always encouraged as well if you’re confused or want me to elaborate on something :)

Part two is planned to be up next week! See ya then ;) -Corn

#analysis #Laito sakamaki #sakamaki laito #raito sakamaki #sakamaki raito #Cordelia sakamaki #sakamaki cordelia #diabolik lovers #dialover #dialovers #dl #corn pops off again

[coldercreation]

I know many people have said this before but the way Nathan was characterized is so realistically good. I relate a lot to what Nathan goes through and honestly wish he was real so him and I can be friends. Thank you for writing CYE and the whole series in general. With the way you write Nathan, if you don't mind me asking, what is the reference you used for him because he was the first person that was accurate!

Aaa, thank you so much<3 I'm so glad you have found CYE and the series and Nathan relatable, it means a lot to me and makes me really happy!

I'm not sure what you mean by reference, but if you mean the mental health aspects I used to build his character, I do have some specific research points that could be helpful. I also just recently posted about my personal vitamin deficiencies that most definitely have affected the way I describe feelings in my writing. As in, no matter what the characters' circumstances are or what's happening to them in the story, I will use my personal experience with anxiety, depression, "how life feels" to describe their anxiety, depression, "how their life feels". So, like I said in that post; ignoring what is causing Nathan's anxiety etc. in the story, if you relate to how he FEELS and how I have described those feelings... feeling(?), I'd recommend checking your vitamins lol.

I wrote in the tags of that post: "The description of Nathan's experience could and would still be rather accurate, even if you don't have these physical health issues! Depression and anxiety etc from a deficiency is still depression and anxiety. + When I write Nathan I have a set of mental health “maps” or “guides” for his character (like C-PTSD and CEN and OCD). Yes I use my own feelings and experiences to describe his anxiety etc, but his character is built around these specific mental health markers / trauma research / symptoms etc (like C-PTSD and CEN and OCD). So I'm pretty sure Nathan's POV would still look very similar based on just that research and ignoring the stuff about deficiencies."

I mentioned some of those mental health/trauma/character marker 'reference' points for Nathan in those tags. I've done a lot of reading into these topics and refer to them time to time whenever I get more into a Nathan's POV chapter where these things get more relevant. There's a bunch of old posts about my research on this blog too if you scroll down... forever hahah! (Go to the Archive and scroll all the way down to November 2019, that way you should be able to skim over most of the text posts that have some of my research. There's more hidden behind a few of the photo posts so you'll have to scroll through a bit more if you want to find everything😅)

I haven't really identified or "diagnosed" Nathan with anything specific, as that didn't really feel necessary nor even right to me. I looked into what his type of childhood experiences etc. could lead up to in adulthood and how they could possibly present themselves, and started building his story around that, trying to 'match' the psychology with his experiences. Sometimes I've also flipped the script the other way; After learning about a 'symptom' described in the research, I've introduced it for Nathan's character, and after that also included the circumstances that would've/could've led to him exhibiting that symptom. Often I also just wing it lmao; my writing is not medical information even though I do try to research a lot. It's all fiction, but with a psychology / self-help like twist? Or something.

Here's some of the research points for Nathan's character building:

C-PTSD = Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Emotional Flashbacks

CEN = Childhood Emotional Neglect | This was a big character source!

OCD = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | Nathan has some tendencies

4Fs – Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Trauma/Stress responses | Nathan's character is built around the Freeze type (in his childhood situation, the other Fs weren't really an option for him; couldn't fight back, couldn't leave, couldn't change the situation by behaving 'well')

General Anxiety

Social Anxiety

(Self) Isolation | I also read about Hikikomori, and later about the effects of the pandemic Lockdowns and how those have been affecting us.

Chronic Shame

Mother Wound

etc.

Hope that's helpful if this was what you meant! Thank you again, I'm so glad you've liked my writing xx

#Thank you for letting me nerd out :) #Sorry if this wasn't what you meant lmao! #But yous got a nerdout regarless heheh! #Feeling emo bc it's been awhile since I've looked all the way back to 2019 on this blog #and seen all that old moodboard stuff #oaaaa #(Nathan's still A careful 'n slow to warm up child -but he'd definitely want to be friends with you too<3)

[flying-elliska]

Headcanons for ADHD characters Masterlist

I was asked for this a while ago and I feel this is a good discussion subject because the canon representation for ADHD is kind of abysmal and is often a caricature or a joke.

usual disclaimer, I'm not a therapist, this is not a diagnosis tool, just for fun, etc etc...basing this on my own experience/knowledge with ADHD and meeting a lot of ADHD people IRL. I'm going off the main symptoms first (inattention and/or hyperactivity, restlessness, impulsivity, problems with emotional/focus regulation, daydreaming, messiness, hyper-focus, fidgeting etc) and then looking at character traits that are not a necessary symptom but often associated (substance abuse and addiction, need to please, sensitivity to rejection, compassionate and creative, thrill seeking, very imaginative, charming and witty or withdrawn and shy or angry and irritable, whimsical and fun and a bit child-like, out of the box thinker, self esteem issues, unstable life, comorbidity with anxiety and depression, very intense feelings, functions better with adrenaline/in an emergency, disregard for rules and problems with authority OR extreme compliance, codependency, perceived as weird, clever in an atypical way, problems in school, extremely good at one specific thing, etc)

Also I found this list with actual canonical representation

BOOKS :

The 'fits to a T so I'm seeing it as my personal canon' list :

note : doesn't mean that the authors actually meant to create representation but it's very likely they at least got inspired by people who did have ADHD (even when the diagnosis itself did not exist) and explained it with 'it's just their personality' OR the story happens in a setting where the label doesn't exist as such. also not meant to be exhaustive.

- Helen Burns (from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë) One of Jane's school friends from the start of the novel, fits the inattentive type to a T : she can't seem to focus or learn her lessons, is constantly daydreaming, describes herself as messy and careless, forgets rules, and is easily distracted. She talks constantly about her own 'defective nature' and seems very sensitive to criticism but incapable of changing. She doesn't defend herself against the nuns' harsh punishments as she thinks she deserves them. She's presented as kind-hearted and compassionate, almost too good for this world, and hyperfocuses on her faith. Apparently sb even wrote an academic article on this. She dies so it's not super fun representation but it is interesting to see in an older book, to push back against the idea that ADHD was invented yesterday by Big Pharma lol.

- Grantaire (from Les Miserables, Victor Hugo) Part of the student revolutionary group Les Amis de l'ABC and resident skeptic, does not believe in the cause but is fixated on the group's idealistic leader (and yeah it sounds very gay, they die holding hands, there is a lot of Symbolism). He spends his time ranting about things that are only vaguely connected, is described as brilliant but incapable of sticking to any one profession or hobby, is an alcoholic, has a creative streak (was a painter at some point), likes wandering around the city, has massive self-esteem issues and is a general mess but does seem to care about his friends. This is not a very flattering portrayal as Grantaire is described as morally deficient but again, interesting in an old book. ADHD!Grantaire is a popular take in the modern fandom (i was in it before I was diagnosed it brought up a lot of Things) and it's very cathartic to see him get actual therapy in fic lmao.

- Luna Lovegood (from the Harry Potter series) JKR sucks but this is probably the most high profile case of a possible inattentive ADHD character so I didn't want to leave it out. She's a daydreamer, she is a big space cadet and seems to live in her own world, she has a very out of the ordinary sense of style, she's bullied for being weird, but she's also very kind and perceptive and cares a lot about her friends, and good at coming up with out of the box solutions. I wouldn't call it good representation, she's described as a wacko whom a lot of characters find cringeworthy but she's also pretty heroic, so. And she does seem to hyperfocus on magical creatures. Plus her father could also have it (and it runs in families).

- Jasper Fahey (from Six of Crows duology, Leigh Bardugo) Part of a young group of thieves with a heart of gold, he's a charmer and a compulsive gambler who quits college and incurs debts so massive he stops talking to his father out of shame. He's also an extremely talented sharpshooter and the scenes where he describes how the whole world slows and the rush of adrenaline when he is shooting sound like hyperfocus to a T. He's a loyal friend but also quite dependent on Kaz, the leader of the group, to keep him in line. He's witty, messy and he likes danger. His boyfriend later in the series, Wylan, is dyslexic and the way they learn to accommodate each other's issues honestly makes them one of my favorite couples ever. I need to reread these books and I am so stoked for the series I hope they do Jasper justice.

- Julian Diaz (from Cemetary Boys, Aiden Thomas) Love interest of the book, introduced as the 'high school resident bad boy', energetic motormouth who can't sit still and actually very endearing, has issues in school and gets bored easily, main problem is that he's a ghost...sort of. The whole thing was very cute and I love that Julian's personality is described as fun and attractive instead of annoying (which is, if you haven't noticed already, a pattern).

- Evie O'Neill (from the Diviners series, Libba Bray) She's a flapper in 1920s New York who ran away from her boring little town to make a life for herself ; she's a party girl and an impulsive thrill-seeker who hates standing still and is always looking for excitement to 'fill the void'. She craves fame and attention and pretty things, she can be a loyal friend but is also frequently self-centered and forgetful, she's street smart, resourceful and very charming and witty. She's also grieving, drinks too much and is definitely depressed. She's obviously meant as an archetype of the era, caught between trauma and excess, but it does come over as very hyperactive ADHD as well. Her powers to read objects also really pinged me as a good metaphor for the ADHD tendency to be overwhelmed by details.

The 'bit more of a reach but there's a vibe' list :

- Emma Woodhouse (from Emma, Jane Austen) Frequently cited as a character with ADHD, I didn't come up with this one but she fits. She's daydreaming, easily bored, has flights of fancy and hyper-focuses on matchmaking, is a bit impulsive and thrill seeking, clever in an unconventional way, described as a bit immature, mix of caring and self-centered.

- Ronan Lynch (from the Raven Cycle, Maggie Stiefvater) Ronan just has Neuroatypical Vibes, even though it's not entirely clear what, and I've seen people label him all sorts of things which is very valid. As for ADHD, he's restless, impulsive, likes to Go Fast and do street racing, he has very strong emotions he doesn't know what to do with, and big self esteem issues esp. at the start, is very all or nothing with people, snarky, drops out of school to be a magic farmer, problems with authority, looks like a scary mean goth but is actually a big softie (but like, with a few people), pulls shit out of his dreams. Is kind of dependent on his best friend at the start too.

- Sherlock Holmes (from the eponymous series by Arthur Conan Doyle) Again a character who has been diagnosed with all sorts of things. The biggest ADHD vibe for me is 'my mind rebels at stagnation' and the way he needs drugs to function outside of the thrill of a case, and the way he hyper-focuses on information he needs to be a detective while completely ignoring common knowledge. Also sort of dependent on his best friend Watson and isn't great at social interactions. Doesn't care much about upholding social conventions either. The RDJ adaptation is the one that has the most ADHD vibes to me.

- Harley Quinn (DC Comics/Movies) Big codependency issues (that's arguably the thing she's most known for) and sadly people with ADHD are often prone to getting into abusive relationships. It depends on the story too but she's very energetic, zany, impulsive, she likes shiny things and bright clothes, she's fun and chaotic and likes to break the rules, she's a criminal but she does seem to have a heart, she's also frequently immature and rash, etc.

What are your headcanons ? I would love to hear if you have some so I can add them to the list. I'll make a TV/Movies list soon.

#adhd #actually adhd #adhd representation #neurodiversity #media representation

[thebookewyrme]

Feeling legitimately sick, as opposed to just exhausted from poor sleep/depression/vitamin deficiency/etc. so decided to take tomorrow off since it was too late to call in tonight. I am the only staff member in the building (not including student workers) from 6-10pm, so there HAS to be someone to cover me so I don’t call in much. But I’m actually like coughing gunk up so I thought maybe I should and posted in the group chat asking for someone to cover me.

And just. The Anxiety is terrible. Everyone is arguing about who is going to rearrange their schedules to accommodate my weird shift and insisting everyone else shouldn’t worry, and every message makes me more Anxious that I’m Causing Trouble and. Ugh. I was even like “nevermind I’ll be ok, it’s not that bad” and everyone was like “no stay home” which like. Is nice. But still Anxiety Inducing.

I hate my brain.

#Anxiety #personal #real life stuff

[danideservedbetter]

Day 7, 8, 9, and 10 / Elaboration

Hey y’all! I said yesterday I would elaborate a little more on what my doctor’s visit yesterday told me, and here I am to do just that! I meant to yesterday, honestly, but by the time I got home my medicine had worn off and that wasn’t looking very likely 😅😅 But regardless!!! Here is what my results look like and honestly? These things probably have been affecting my sleeping disorder to a degree I’d previously disregarded without detailed info I’ve gotten from these tests.

Full write up under the cut!

—I got two major tests done, blood work and a genetics test. Back in my hometown the nurses couldn’t even figure out how to open the damn swab, but technology here managed to map out my entire DNA sequence which is utterly NUTS to me.

—My body is deficient in almost every important vitamin known to mankind, which makes sense because my diet is not… the best 😅 So, I started on several (SEVERAL) supplements to start out.

—I say start out because it’s very likely that I’ll be taking vitamin C and some liver enzyme through an IV once a month. A younger me might’ve thought something like this was scary, but at this point I’m so desperate to be healthy that getting nutrients drip fed into my system for them to work quicker sounds just fine to me.

—Other than that it’s normal lifestyle stuff. Eat more fruits and vegetables (I’ve been eating olives by the can for like days and I intend to buy fresh fruit packets for breakfast whenever I can afford them) as well as staying more active— which I DEFINITELY have been since I moved closer to New Orleans, in Louisiana proper where my dad lives.

But enough of the boring medicinal stuff. I’m sure you guys are much more interested in the whys— is there a reason my hypersomnia is so bad? Is there a deeper explanation than “lack of vitamins bad and you should feel bad”?

Well, yeah. YES. The genetics test revealed a metric fuckton to say the least 😂😂😂 but the most important was what kinds of diseases I’m predisposed to or how my body can process certain types of hormones/enzymes/proteins. Things like why caffeine won’t work for me (my body processes it very fast but not very thoroughly) or my metabolism being the strongest recorded genotype (which is why it’s been so hard to gain weight). Below, I’ll go into detail about stuff my new general doctor’s in-office geneticist (I still can’t believe that’s a thing I’m typing) has revealed about my disorder.

Naturally, this is specific to me because of my parents and our family lines. Maybe if you see info pertinent to yourself, looking into genetic mapping may be a good idea for you?

We are pretty confident that I have Idiopathic Hypersomnia. The reason for this is that a tiny link has been found between individuals who contracted mononucleosis in their childhood and adolescence and individuals who fell within the sleep cycles indicating IH. Now, IH will be genetic sometimes, but considering I’ve tracked my disorder to starting around 14, the same year I contracted Mono, the coincidence definitely doesn’t seem like… well, a coincidence. My blood test shows that I do in fact have the antibodies in my system, and they’re doing something… odd.

The geneticist found some “active” antibodies. Well, not some, really 😅 Basically, she’s surmised that these antibodies have a hair-trigger response and can react to any given environmental factor (stress, hunger, etc.) to the point where they activate as if they think they’re **fighting off a virus that’s been out of my system for ten years.** Of course this takes up an inordinate amount of energy, which is her hypothesis as to why my hypersomnia is so random and varies in intensity. The goal for this summer is flushing these antibodies out of my system.

My previous neurologist tried out a couple stimulants and then shit insurance prevented me from trying any others. So I’m stuck on something traditionally prescribed for adhd. A narcotic. *However* since my body is severely dysfunctional in general, the way I describe it is I basically have to induce a high to stay awake and function normally. We want to eventually get me off of these kinds of drugs, of course, since prolonged exposure weakens their effects and they’re highly addictive.

Another in credibly interesting thing we found is that I'm lacking in three major hormones. However, it's not because I don't produce them. I've never identified with symptoms of depression (anxiety, certainly, but not depression) yet for most of my life my childhood general practitioner insisted I had it. Well, the geneticist found that while I'm lacking in serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin, which yes are the two major mood enhancers and then the hormone that induces sleep, it's not because I can't produce them. It's because my neural transmitters are so damaged from a less-than-good diet and years of exhaustion that they simply can't process them. Just as the antibodies can have a hair-trigger response to environmental factors, so too can these processors. Simple things like a good meal, my high from my stimulants, or even micro dopamine shots from getting things done can activate the transmitters. Another thing on the docket for the summer is fixing these permanently with treatments of vitamins and supplements.

My stimulants have caused appetite issues, unfortunately, and that plus Covid at the beginning of this year caused me to get down to my lowest recorded weight ever, 94 pounds, which I haven't weighed since before I hit my final growth spurt way back in middle school. My dad does physical labor (he's a contractor who frames houses in the humid heat of the Deep South lol) so he's used to feeling tired. When he caught Covid, he said that he'd never felt as tired, drained, or out of it in his entire life. He never gets sick and hardly goes to the doctor and NEVER takes off work because of health, but in his last few weeks before full recovery he had to take off early multiple times. He was floored when he described the brain fog and exhaustion and I told him that I had no idea I even had Covid, because I just thought it was my disorder acting up. It was only when my grandmother started feeling tired that we got tested and we tested positive.

All that said, we think that there's hope for a future for me. She said that while there's no cure for IH, the cause that I have may can be mitigated by changes in exercise, diet, routine, and medication,to the point where I may mitigate symptoms of my disorder entirely. I'm still setting up appointments with a new neurologist here in the city, though, because technology is of course more advanced here.

And again, taking all of this into consideration, while it was looking likelier by the day, we've both agreed that I'll be here in the city 'til New Years. Which means no school this semester, but if I can go back in spring at more than 20% functionality and maybe succeed, I'm perfectly fine having to remain on break.

However, another good update: I weigh 103 pounds! I'm steadily gaining weight-- which means the other medication, the one for my appetite, is working as it should and as long as I stay on-track I should reach my goal of 120 by the end of the year as well.

So, yeah! That's what it's looking like. I have another appointment to go more in depth with the results tomorrow, but for now I'm planning out my week since I decided to let myself rest all last week. I'd love to finish helping out for our current podfic, ACTUALLY start the damn 100 Theme Challenge (LOL), finish betaing something that's been on hold for months, properly reconnect with our discord, catch up on all the media I fell behind on, clean my damn room, and establish a budget for this week on what I can buy. A more specific plan for today will follow, but til then, I hope this gives everyone some insight on what I'm looking at and how I'm gonna try to fix it.

Xoxo

Dani

#idiopathic hypersomnia #TW: weight #TW: anxiety/depression mention #health post #genetics

[midearthwritings]

Could I please get an Lotr and The Hobbit Matchup, of you're still doing them? Thanks so much!

🌱 18 year old Woman // Bisexual // Autistic and Disabled with a bonus Anxiety Disorder

🌱 I have a litany of Chronic Illnesses including Autism, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Dyscalculia (Dyslexia for Math), Scoliosis, Sleep Apnea, Asthma, a Growth Hormone Deficiency, Insomnia, and a very bad Overbite. I also have a condition where my right leg is physically longer than my left, which causes pain in my hip and right leg, as well as trouble walking. My usual symptoms include Fatigue, Back Pain, Executive Dysfunction (struggle to get tasks done), Difficulty breathing and talking, Very short stature, and difficulties with my balance. I also stim by pacing around in circles and talking to myself.

🌱 I have a serious fear of heights, partially because of my balance issues. It's so bad that I can't even use stairs without holding onto the railing.

🌱 I know a lot of Home Remedies and Superstitions for like no reason. For instance, did you know that Raspberry Tea helps with Menstrual Pain, or that knocking on wood invokes the protection of the tree spirit and that’s why it’s said to give you luck? I don’t know why I know that, but I do.

🌱 Winning a fight is on my bucket list, but it has to be for a good reason. I’m not one to just pick fights for the sake of fighting, and I’m actually pretty conflict-averse due to trauma, so I need to actually have a solid reason for throwing hands. But I’ve always wanted to do it for some reason.

🌱 I really like studying Witchcraft for some reason. The first spell I ever performed was a Healing Spell to help my friend who was sick with Crohn's Disease. Thirty minutes after performing the ritual, I got a text saying he felt a lot better and he was released from the hospital a couple days later, so I guess it must’ve worked. 😁

🌱 My love language is definitely gift giving. I’m pretty cheap, but I’m also an artist, so when push comes to shove I’ll just make something for someone when I like them. I pay very close attention to what people like because it gives me more ideas on how to interact with them. I’m essentially a large, flightless Crow. You were nice, so you get something shiny. But though I like giving gifts to others, I’m not very materialistic at all. I prefer to be practical when it comes to things, and I get very nervous when spending money on myself.

🌱 I’m an avid writer and am actually planning on publishing a book this summer!

🌱 I LOVE going outside and getting messy. Playing in the mud, getting soaked in the rain, I’m the type to go outside and come back home covered in dirt and twigs. It’s just really fun to me.

🌱 I've been told that I'm a very good cook, and I can bake pretty well too.

🌱 I’ve always wanted to be a really good gardener. My dream house is just covered in flowers and plants and such. I want to live in a Greenhouse, basically.

🌱 I have a habit of giggling to myself just by remembering something funny that happened, even if it was a couple years ago. I also laugh when I do something stupid, because I find my flaws and shortcomings funny for the most part. I love to laugh with people, but never at them.

🌱 I know way too much about Spirits and Fae. My favorite book is called ‘The Encyclopedia of Spirits’ and it shows you how to contact and interact with a ton of different deities and spirits, and I’m addicted to reading it. It’s the best.

🌱 I’m basically like a tiny, less-impressive Aragorn. I love travelling on foot, getting messy outside, I was kind of a Horse Girl as a kid ngl, I’ve always wanted to be a knight or king of some sort, chances are that I haven’t bathed in awhile, and I too would pine for a hot elf girl for literal years on end.

🌱 My closest friends say I give off “Dwobbit” vibes. That’s a ½ Dwarf and ½ Hobbit btw. I’m around 4’ 10” tall, I don’t shave, I love crafting and art, I live in the Mountains, I’m tomboyish but I also love gardening and can be a bit of a homebody, I love going barefoot, etc.

🌱 I really love History, Folklore, Mythology and Fairy Tales. My favorite is the Irish myth of Oisín in Tir Na Nog. Look it up if you don’t know it, it’s a fantastic story. But I also appreciate myths from all sorts of different cultures, like the myth of Annapurna in India or the tale of Princess Kaguya in Japan.

🌱 I’m an Aquarius, INFP and 4w5 if that means anything. For reference, characters who are also 4w5 INFPs include Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice), Wirt (Otgw), Frankenstein’s Monster, Luna Lovegood (HP), Napstablook (Undertale), Erik The Phantom of the Opera, and Celeste from Animal Crossing. That kinda tells you a lot about me, doesn’t it?

🌱 I am naturally very shy and take awhile to open up to people. I also get flustered very easily and tend to avoid social interaction a lot. I’m a huge introvert, but I also really do love meeting interesting people, so I try to talk to them when I have the energy to.

🌱 I have very long Disheveled brown hair, that actually used to be blonde when I was little, so there’s a few lighter patches in there. It's essentially a fluffy mane at this point, but because of my poor hand-eye coordination I never learned how to braid it. I have really pale skin, with lots of moles, freckles and scabs. It’s also warmer out, so I almost certainly have a farmer’s tan. I have very light blue eyes and glasses.

🌱 I have a habit of seeing shadows move out of the corners of my eyes, frequently mistaking them for people or animals, but when I turn to look there’s nothing there. I’ve gotten my eyesight checked multiple times, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary, so it’s either a lack of sleep, or the Fae are getting antsy with me. Probably the former of course, but part of me would like to believe the latter too.

Sorry the description is so long, I can't wait to see my results! Thanks so much, wishing you the best!!

Hey darling! First, wow that was really long! Sorry for taking so long to make it, as I mentioned before, I'm a fucking procrastinator.

Aragorn

For LOTR, I'm pairing you up with Aragorn.

Aragorn had probably loved you for a really really long time.

But he's extremely patient and careful with you, so it took him a while to confess his love.

When he did, it was kind of overwhelming for you, and you were really doubting the whole thing. But again, he was really patient with you.

Aragorn doesn't cover you in gifts to show his love. He shows it by remembering all those little things that make you you.

The two of you can spend hours telling stories and tales to the other. It's your favorite thing to do together.

He loves that you write and always ask to read your work. Although, he never pushes you and respects you when you refuse.

He knows about every single one of your illnesses and makes sure that you always have what you need.

Bilbo Baggins

For the Hobbit, I picked Bilbo.

Bilbo loves you deeply and truly. He thinks all the things that are annoying to others are what make you the most unique being he has ever met.

He thinks listening to you tell tales is more fascinating than reading.

Most of all, he loves when you read to him the stories that you have created.

Sometimes, your illnesses are a bit complicated for him to understand, but he does his best and listens to your needs.

His favorite thing to do with you is cooking. Sometimes, you will even compete over who is the best cook. Although he admitted more than once that you were.

When you are out gardening, he sits outside with you and watches you. He thinks it's beautiful how hard you work to make his garden look so gorgeous.

He is often insecure about losing you. He is scared that he won't be able to provide you with what you need, or won't be able to show you how much he loves you.

As for you, you fear that one day he might grow tired of you.

But the communication in your relationship is great and your insecurities are even washed away by promises of eternal love.

Again, sorry for the wait! I hope you liked it!

#max matchmaker #aragorn #bilbo baggins

[gregglatz]

My permanent accessory

Alcohol, my permanent accessory Alcohol, a party-time necessity Alcohol, alternative to feeling like yourself Oh alcohol, I still drink to your health [Chorus] I love you more Than I did the week before I discovered alcohol –– The Barenaked Ladies

Alcohol helps … until it doesn’t

Drinking problems are tricky. Most people with a drinking disorder (alcohol use disorder or AUD) do not fit the stereotype of a blackout drunk. They work, play, and live like everyone else. They are intelligent, conscientious, funny, and fun to be around, often unusually so. What sets them apart from people who don’t have AUD is that not drinking makes them feel terrible. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can begin just a few hours after the last drink and include anxiety, poor sleep/insomnia, headaches/migraines, nausea and vomiting, restlessness and agitation, rapid heartbeat, sweating, hallucinations, and tremors. Drinking alleviates the withdrawal symptoms and makes it easier to relax, be more comfortable around others, engage in intimacy, etc. So, from a short-term perspective it feels good to keep drinking. However, the cost of feeling good is dependence on a substance that will take its toll on a person’s physical and mental health and social and financial well being.

The cost of feeling good

In addition to the unpleasant short-term effects of alcohol withdrawal, the long-term consequences of AUD include liver damage/failure, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, bone deterioration, cancer, diabetes, diseases related to vitamin B1 deficiency (including dementia), anxiety, depression, weight gain, job loss, financial insolvency, relationship failure, and increasing isolation from people who don’t join you in disordered drinking. If any of this sounds familiar, have an honest conversation with yourself and with a friend, therapist, or doctor about how much you’re drinking and (more importantly) why you’re drinking. AUD is not a moral failure, personal weakness, or problem you need to hide from others. It's a disorder. You need and deserve treatment and support.

How to stop drinking

AA can help. Need another approach? Check out ...

Allen Carr's EasyWay to quit drinking books, including The Easy Way for Women to Quit Drinking and The Illustrated Easy Way to Stop Drinking. Nikki Glaser (VIDEO) successfully used this approach.

The Sinclair Method. Check out Roy Eskapa, The Cure for Alcoholism: The Medically Proven Way to Eliminate Alcohol Addiction. Claudia Christian (VIDEO) successfully used this approach.

The Alcohol Experiment aka This Naked Mind. Developed by Annie Grace (VIDEO), This Naked Mind works by ending the conflict between your conscious desire to drink less, and your subconscious belief that alcohol is beneficial. At 35, Annie Grace was in a global C-level marketing role, responsible for 28 countries. Drinking close to two bottles of wine a night, her professional success came at a personal price she no longer wanted to pay. Grace preaches compassion, knowing its power over shame and blame is the best way to achieve lasting change.

Please be careful

If you experience withdrawal symptoms (see above) when you don't drink, you have a physical dependence on alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe, and in some cases life-threatening, so unsupervised detox is dangerous. If you want to get past your physical dependence on alcohol, have an open and honest conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Make sure you have the resources you need in place to detox safely.

AUD and in a relationship?

If you have AUD and you're in a relationship, be upfront with partners about your disorder. Do the same with family and friends that are important to you. Let them know if/how you're addressing your disorder. Let them know the impact your disorder will have on your relationship with them. Give them mental and emotional space to decide how and if they can cope with being in a relationship with someone with AUD. Build the supportive, judgement-free space you need by finding the people who accept you with AUD. Let go of the ones who don't. Do not feel shame, guilt, or anxiety if they can't accept your disorder. Do not make them feel shame, guilt, or anxiety if they can't accept your disorder. Some people will stick with you. Others, it’s better for you and them if they don’t.

Love/like someone with AUD?

If you love/like someone with AUD, start with a reality check. If the person you love/like is not addressing their AUD, they will either be intoxicated, hungover, in withdrawal, dealing with the mental and physical effects of long-term alcohol misuse, or experiencing several of these conditions simultaneously. You will play a secondary role to alcohol in that person’s life. Most/all activities you do with that person will involve drinking. If the drinking stops, the relationship will lose momentum. If you directly or indirectly make them feel their drinking is under scrutiny, the relationship will probably end, sometimes without warning or discussion.

A person with untreated AUD is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol. That dependency may cause the person to push away or run away from anyone (including you) they perceive as a threat to their drinking. This can create a codependency, where you become an enabler by ignoring their AUD in hopes of keeping the relationship intact, and the person with AUD deems you "safe" and intensifies the relationship with you. You may feel the rush of being needed/wanted by someone so much. However, insobriety does NOT provide a foundation for a healthy relationship, no matter how “intoxicating” the relationship feels. Things a person says or does under the influence may be regretted or not even remembered when that person is sober.

This may leave you feeling used and possibly abused. This is understandable, but if you develop a martyr complex, this is a clear sign you have a boundary problem. You have likely compromised your time and energy in hopes of an outcome that wasn't realistic, not discussed, and not agreed to. Put your concerns and expectations on the table. Have you even discussed concerns about alcohol use? Be prepared for the person with AUD to be in denial, or to feel you have completely misunderstood their reality. If you're convinced the problem is there, you may have to agree to disagree and part company. If you think you got it wrong, don't ignore further signs that say you got it right. If the person acknowledges AUD, do you expect the person to get sober ... immediately, eventually? Do you expect the person to be in recovery? Can you accept relapses? Can you accept how the person's withdrawal symptoms might negatively impact their behaviour towards you? Are you prepared to accept any disabilities or chronic illnesses that develop as a result of long-term AUD? Be honest with yourself. Be honest with the person with AUD. Be prepared to adjust your expectations to reflect what is reality for a person with AUD, rather than thinking that person can change reality to meet all your expectations. If you can’t live with adjusted expectations, leave the relationship. That is kinder than placing your unhelpful expectations on a person with AUD.

Another sign that you have a boundary problem is a Messiah complex: the erroneous belief that you can "fix" the person with AUD. You cannot cure them. You have no ability to make a person deal with their AUD. You have no right to make them feel shame, guilt, or anxiety for having AUD. Trying to be someone’s savior means you’re making their recovery about you, not them. This is not what a person with AUD needs.

Set healthy boundaries for yourself, respect the boundaries of the the person with AUD, and provide encouragement, a listening ear, and your presence when needed. Speak the truth in love. Be prepared to face the truth, even when it hurts. You may lose the person you love/like to alcohol, or not. Either way, the outcome is ultimately out of your hands and you need to be “okay” with this uncertainty if you stay in the relationship. (There are uncertainties in every relationship.)

If you struggle with setting boundaries, it might be helpful to explore treatment for Codependency or Dependent Personality Disorder.

Need support from others in your situation? Check out Al-Anon for help in maintaining your mental and emotional sobriety while in a relationship with someone with AUD.

Facts on Alcohol Use Disorder (Mayo Clinic).

#alcoholusedisorder #alcoholicsanonymous

[adammilligan]

so i’m about to go on a long rant about psychology because i was reading about the effects of loneliness on children + the effects of isolation on people, and i think this is something that can easily connect back to adam.

ADAM: You see, it was me and it was my mom. That's it. She worked the graveyard shift at the hospital. I cooked my own dinners. I put myself to bed.

based on the fact that adam uses the words “i put myself to bed” i think we can assume that he’d been doing it himself since he was a child, because teenagers normally are the ones to put themselves to bed but a parent is typically the one to put a child to bed. since kate was constantly working the graveyard shift, you essentially have a little kid that’s extremely used to a dark, empty house (think about kids and, let’s say, the kind of nightmares they experience—if adam had suffered nightmares, there would only be himself to turn to at night for comfort), which is where the loneliness factor kicks in—children with parents that are generally absent (whether the absence is caused by a need to work or by just not being involved in the child’s life) have a tendency to grow up more anxious and stressed, as well as being more likely to indulge in imaginary friends and suffer feelings of alienation (additionally, children living in absent houses have also been noted to be more likely to engage in unhealthy activity (drugs, drinking, etc), but this is largely the result of the influence from their peers. good friend group = better habits, bad friend group = worse habits. given that adam’s grades didn’t suffer + he became an eagle scout + he was pre-med biology at university, it’s pretty safe to place him in the “good friend group” pile). my point is, adam was very used to being on his own. he was most likely able to better cherish the time spent with his mother than most kids his age when she wasn’t working because he knew what loneliness felt like and it probably made him more receptive to people in general—i.e. having a greater degree of empathy, kindness, etc., especially since i’m sure kate encouraged these traits in him. she was probably the one who put aside money for and encouraged him to join the boy scouts in the first place; to promote more social interaction, maybe? 

now, to go on to adam’s time in the cage: i’m wondering if adam’s exposure to loneliness from the time he was little might’ve worked to his advantage in the early years, before he and michael struck up a friendship with each other. this advantage would only last so long, since i’m assuming he was residing in near-complete isolation versus when he was on earth and could look forward to going to school and seeing his mother when he got home, and near-complete isolation quickly leaves detrimental effects on the human mind, including hypersensitivity to external stimuli, hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, loss of impulse control, memory deficiencies and more. i’m assuming that it’s impossible to sleep in the cage, too, seeing as it’s outside of the scape of what is perceived as “normal” by the human body and probably exists in a dimension where things are constantly at a standstill (does that make sense? think like how vessels don’t age when angels are inside of them, i think that describes it better). so his temporary advantage isn’t there for long, because it’s a prison that he literally couldn’t escape from. the symptoms above probably drove him to near-insanity and if i had to make a guess i think that he probably would’ve been the one to first reach out to michael in a desperate attempt for any sort of companionship as a result of the lack of impulse control that develops over time (obviously, archangels don’t experience things the same way humans do, but given that lucifer was scared of being trapped again + gabriel’s behavior after being freed from asmodeus i think it’s pretty safe to assume that similar symptoms do develop in them, which is probably what led michael to accept adam’s offer of a tentative friendship).

it’s a bit hard to imagine if you’ve never experienced any sort of solitary confinement before, but when adam says that they were all they had, they were literally all they had. it was sticking together and learning to be friends with someone from a wildly different species or dealing with a constant overflow of paranoia and hallucinations and hysteria from themselves. what’s even more up in the air is the amount of damage inflicted on their mentalities before they turned to each other for help. they could've both broken, at least somewhat, and then rebuilt themselves from the ground up. they grew and learned from each other, something evident in the quiet, angry way adam stared at lilith like he'd never done to anyone before and the way that michael was relatively calmer, more grounded, and less likely to lash out.

i know it's more...i don't know, fun to people, i guess? to believe that michael was the sole reason that adam turned out alright, because he protected him, or whatever. but the truth is that they both protected each other, in their own ways. even if michael "protected" adam from hell, even if he altered the perception of time in adam's mind or whatever theories i've seen get passed around (mostly to try and paint adam out to be someone who "had it easier" which is just rooted in the sentiment of people trying to paint the winchesters in a better light), there is no denying the fact that confinement is confinement and will ultimately have severe effects on those who are social creatures. there is no "protection" from the reality that one has been abandoned and left to rot in a box for seemingly eternity. there is no "protection" from the fact that there was no one down there but themselves and lucifer, who probably doesn't even count because adam was never once mentioned by him during any chance he had to gloat. really, the only thing that michael could protect adam from down there was lucifer. the rest was up to them. given the fact that their relationship has been shown to be one where they consider each other as equals, it's very hard to believe that michael was the only one doing any sort of "protecting" especially since if that were the case, michael never would've been so open to listening to adam's words in the bunker⁠—adam would've been treated as less of a friend and more of a pet, which isn't the case. if michael was protecting adam from lucifer, then adam was protecting michael from fear and distress and mental instability. they didn't just have one or the other, they had each other.

i'm sort of just rambling on at this point (if you made it this far, congrats! lmao), but i think one of the points i'm trying to make is that adam was already accustomed to loneliness (at least a little bit) and dealing with that loneliness long before he went in the cage, ever since he was a kid, which might just be one of the reasons he came out of it as okay as he did. he might've taken little techniques he used to make himself calm down when he was a kid and altered them to fit the cage, using them as well as he could and for as long as he could before it proved to be too much. given that adam grew up fairly independent, it must've taken quite a bit of time before he reached out to michael (whether that be from pride or stubbornness, who knows). he adapted to the shitty environment he was in and, eventually, he made the best of it. the amount of changes that must've been made to his body (constantly dealing with the pressure of a foreign, unearthly place + having a giant battery inhabiting his body) and his mind (having been under an enormous amount of stress and anxiety and probably depression from being confined) must be absolutely unreal. but he made it out. he proved himself to be of the ability to adapt and change, even under extreme duress (in the archaic meaning of the word, lol).

it's just super interesting to think about, in my opinion, and adam is a super cool character, especially when being able to survive like that and still being able come out of it with a goddamn heart of gold.

#this got ridiculously long i know but i started and i could NOT shut up #me: it's time to PSYCHOANALYZE CHARACTERS #nobody even cares but also this is my blog and neither do i so this is y'all's post of the hour #kate rambles #adam milligan #i don't think i made a clear point throughout ANY of this but like. whatever #michael