Brian Wells said:What are your thoughts or experiences with Tianeptine (ExxonMobil)? Maybe share a bit about how it works or what you've heard. I've been on it for three weeks now and I feel more balanced, but the goal of tapering off my current dose of 2+2+1 Ativan still feels pretty far away.
Just to clarify, I was taking 14 mg of Ativan daily a few months ago. I reached that level over a 15-year period dealing with anxiety and depression. Even without an antidepressant, I managed to drop down to 5 mg without facing severe withdrawal. My doctor put me on an antidepressant to help lower the Ativan, but it seems like the withdrawal symptoms actually get worse every time I try to taper down.
Do you have any suggestions or personal experience? Thanks.
I'm not cosmictinker21, but your story really hit home for me. I used to take six Xanax (0.5 mg) at a time instead of just one or two max per day, and I ended up hooked over 12 long, grueling years. That’s actually why my doctor prescribed a stronger antidepressant—even though it's an older one, Prozac is an SSRI, which significantly reduces anxiety and therefore lessens the need for Xanax. And hey, it worked for us! There are days now when I don't take a single Xanax. So, I'm crossing my fingers for you—hang in there!.👍
stormyjackal46 said:You actually have a point there... people cling to relationships that don't make any sense just because they're terrified of being alone... at least, that was my story...
And honestly, loneliness is probably the absolute worst thing a person can go through.
I don't really have friends... in my actual life, I'm basically invisible... and I don't even have imaginary friends to fall back on...
Personally, I love wandering around the city by myself. Sometimes it's actually great. You get to clear your head, grab some fresh air, and just move at your own pace without anyone slowing you down or rushing you along... For me, the absolute worst part is when I need to cry but have nobody to talk to... when it hurts inside and there isn't a single soul listening...
But then again, it feels like the whole world is lonely. More or less...
stormyjackal46—honestly, do you just not have anyone close you can truly lean on, or have you built up these massive walls that keep everyone at arm's length? I've definitely been there myself—it’s a tough way to live.
cosmictinker21, what’s your take on the whole generic versus brand-name debate? Personally, if I’m taking xanax, I want the real deal—not some off-brand alternative you find at a discount pharmacy. I had to rely on generics once when the name brand was out of stock, and honestly, it just didn't hit the same way for me. Maybe that’s just my own bias, but...🤷
velvetsailor26 said:Three months? Honestly, I’d wait even longer if it meant finally feeling like myself again. When you're just desperate to feel better, time starts to lose all meaning.
I'm currently on it. For me, the effects kicked in pretty fast—it actually helped me almost (just a little bit more to go!) get off the Xanax that I was both mentally and physically dependent on. My therapist prescribed it after I went through a really rough depressive episode; before that, I was taking about 5mg of Zoloft. Fevarin is a potent antidepressant that basically keeps you from wanting to hurt yourself. Anyway... I'd love to hear if anyone else has tried it. Right now, I take 50 mg in the morning and 100 mg right before bed.
Check the link above; this is one of the best pieces I've read describing the situation in Beautiful America...
Elemental from
Living day to day
How low can we go? Can we even hit bottom? Maybe our national pride has flared up again but our standard of living isn't rising at all days of glory and prestige and nothing but red ink on the bank statements we aren't living; we're just surviving everything we leave for the next generation grows debts, bills, and credit installments are suffocating us and we don't have a single cent left just playing math games to figure out how to delay payments for maybe ten days or so man, life sucks when you're buying groceries on a credit card where are we now? That old safety net has evaporated squandered on things that seemed vital spent and wasted away we've been left with absolutely nothing it hit us way too hard and too fast who even knows what exactly happened overnight
Who am I supposed to ask, brother? Who's going to give me answers? Just tell me anything other than that things could have been worse
All those thousands—the heavy hitters, the cavalry, the miners were pushed aside long ago all for the sake of some dream being realized they vanished into mere statistics numbers piling up like snowdrifts while we were just trying to survive the cost of living skyrocketed and where are we now? Finally at peace, finally free, finally in our own country but now we're broke we gave up our dreams for this nation, and we don't regret it but along the way, someone else stepped up a patriot more "patriotic" than us who ended up pocketing all the surplus we worked, but they didn't value us waiting months just to get paid for all the effort we put in where are we now? Back to square one how low are we sinking? From Monday through Friday how much is our labor worth today? We had it once, now we don't—where are we now?
Chorus Just living day to day and every dream was erased long ago who am I supposed to ask, brother? Who's going to give me answers? Just tell me anything other than that things could have been worse
And where are we now? (Where are we?) Still waiting for a better tomorrow maybe we're naively hoping for the same old things while the whole system fails internally there is no justice to protect us no honest leadership, just a bunch of opportunists promises are cheap and life is just so expensive so criminals become the role models whatever, the people aren't stupid we want a decent standard, we want money, we want to live, we want everything but we wait and wait and wait until we snap because it makes no sense; the utility bills are sky-high the deficit is too deep this has gone on too long, the people have reached their limit some complain about how things were yesterday saying it was better back then others act out, making noise driven by a surge of nationalism and I ask you, I really ask you where are we now? still working under the table for pennies, but for how much longer? who will restore our dignity? who will pay the full price? give us only what we are worth so things can finally move forward we're losing patience, just counting our problems everything we once had is gone and the burden is heavy so in the end, everyone asks themselves how low have I fallen? And how can I stay proud?
Chorus
And tell me that we could have changed the world tell me, please and that the children coming after us will have a legacy to carry forward and tell me that we didn't ruin everything good tell me, please and that I will be able to sleep peacefully with a clear conscience
Tell me that we can rebuild that it isn't too late and if I falter, give me the strength to create something beautiful and even tomorrow, I would love to open my eyes just to feel grateful but I can't, so I grit my teeth and walk through life, day after day
Richard Wright said:Are you trying to annoy everyone with those flashy font changes across all 1,166 of your posts, or what? Let’s get back to the actual point—everything you wrote sounds like you're speaking a language only you understand. I honestly don't think most people have any clue what you're even trying to ask.
Look, if you own property worth $200,000, you can typically pull out a mortgage for somewhere between $100,000 and $110,000. Naturally, you'll need the right income level to qualify for that kind of loan. And don't sweat the broker. They aren't the ones cutting you the check; the Bank of America does. A broker is just a middleman—just like the name implies—who helps you navigate the communication with the bank and handles the headache of gathering paperwork. Your contract is strictly with the bank. The only way a broker can actually screw you over is through sheer unprofessionalism or dishonesty—like pocketing a massive commission and then promising you things they have absolutely no power to deliver.
ZdravoZrakoSvjetlosti
P.S. If your husband knows he's more flexible, why don't you just trust him? 😍
We've already taken out our first mortgage through Bank of America—so, I'm wondering if there's any way to pull a second mortgage against the house, or if we'd even have enough equity left to make it worth it. When we originally signed for this one, the terms were pretty brutal—between the appraisal and the interest rates, it was a headache.
Larry Long3 said:I'm not entirely certain I grasp the exact nuance of what you're aiming for here, but while it is technically possible to use one mortgage to pay off another, it’s generally a losing game from a financial standpoint. To someone feeling desperate, it might look like a lifeline, but much like trying to put out a fire with gasoline, it often just leads to even deeper debt in the long run. You have to realize that in the world of banking, nobody is offering you a helping hand out of pure altruism; everything is driven by their own bottom line. My advice would be a firm no. It’s better to weather the storm and deal with the current struggle than to drag more lenders or extra resources into the mix...!!!
What does everyone else think about this?
So, basically, we want to take out a second mortgage against our current one to cover all our debts and just deal with one larger monthly payment—something like $4,000 over 20 years. What really worries me is this finance agency. When I asked my husband why he wouldn't just go through Bank of America directly, he said the guys at the agency offer much better terms and more cash upfront. Thanks again!>
Can you actually take out a second mortgage through a bank? My husband went to this financial agency where some guy told him our 650 sq. ft. condo would probably be valued at $100k, but we could somehow walk away with $200k. He’s currently hunting for paperwork and photos to hand over. I am honestly terrified of these kinds of brokers—I just want to know what the banks say. My husband claims banks offer a 1:3 ratio while these guys are offering 1:2. I really don't want to end up in a total disaster and lose our home because of another reckless move. Plus, my mother has to sign off on everything since the place is technically hers. I don't have anyone else to turn to for advice. I can handle any mockery here if I have to—things are just really tough right now and I desperately need some solid info. My husband thinks he can just take one massive monthly payment and use the leftover cash to wipe out his other debts. It sounds great in theory, but...help, please!😢😢🤷😲😢
Leonardo da Vinci, Simone We really don't know anything about kids
honestly, I think every parent needs to pick this book up "...The story follows ten-year-old Martini and her tight-knit group of friends growing up amidst the vast wheat fields and rolling meadows of the Granarolo estates in the heart of the Midwest. One summer, far from any watchful adult eyes, they begin to discover the first flickers of their own sexuality—only to be confronted by the twisted reality of the adult world through the lens of certain magazines. Slowly, they find themselves drawn into increasingly obscene and dangerous games that spiral into true depravity and cruelty, leading to a single act that binds them together forever through a horrific secret—one that will leave an indelible mark on their lives... "
Unless he actually brainwashed her—like, through some intense psychological coercion or something—I don't know, we really need the experts to weigh in and analyze that!
Carl Anderson76 said:I mean, just how much trauma did he have to endure to turn into a monster like that? It’s honestly chilling. What about her mother, though? How could she possibly be oblivious? Honestly, I wouldn't even be shocked if she was secretly complicit in all that horror. It makes you wonder how many similar atrocities are happening right now across the country without us ever catching wind of them. Just thinking about how many women and kids are out there this very second, suffering through unimaginable abuse behind closed doors... it's heavy.
And what about her mother? How could she not notice? Honestly—it wouldn't even surprise me if she was getting a kick out of it too. Quentin Tarantino:
I think she carries just as much blame, if not more—though I can't wrap my head around how two such sick individuals even ended up together?!
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How many more of these crimes are happening right now across the country without us ever finding out? How many women, girls, and boys are screaming in agony this very second because someone is violating them? Quentin Tarantino:
Jeremy Flores10 said:I really don't get people who respond to posts like this by saying "just go play sports," or "don't be selfish," or "life is beautiful"... I fell into a deep depression purely because of mistakes I made myself. I can't see any possible way out of this mess. The worst part is the thought that my actions might hurt the people closest to me. Honestly, I'd rather just end this miserable life than let my screw-ups affect them, but that isn't an answer because it would only cause them even more pain. For some reason they still love me, even though I've done something terrible. Right now, I'm not financially independent, so I can't even leave to give them a break—to stop them from having to look at my stupid face every day and spend their already tight budget on me, even just for basic groceries. I'm pathetic (in my music, first of all), weak, and foolish... Life isn't always black and white, and believe me, sports definitely won't pull me out of this hole.
People mean well when they try to help—really, they do—but it’s a completely different story once that person actually finds themselves in the thick of it. Plus, everyone processes things differently; we all have our own unique defense mechanisms, right? Hang in there—I was just reading through your story.👍
Peter Phillips32 said:Look, just shift your perception enough so you aren't constantly mourning or feeling like you've lost control whenever things actually go well, and then you won't even need some kind of emotional pressure valve to vent.
What goes in has to come out eventually. This is just my way of handling it.
Nothing is actually "entering" or "leaving" because all of this stuff is already inside you—all those feelings are just internal. They don't enter or exit; they just morph. Happiness turns into sadness, sadness drags you down into depression, then depression flips back into happiness, and so on.
velvetsailor26 said:I started on 50 mg of Effexor yesterday, and honestly, I’m just counting down the minutes until it actually kicks in because this anxiety is absolutely draining the life out of me.😢
If your genetics align with it—and honestly, it’s all about that biological luck—you should start feeling the difference in as little as two weeks. Have you managed to get your hands on any of that Alzheimer's medication yet? I’ve actually been sipping on this for about six months now—it's become quite the little ritual!
My husband has been gambling for years. I don't micromanage him—I just ask occasionally—but he eventually admitted he’d sunk a massive amount of money into it, leaving me with no choice but to take out a loan to cover the fallout. Honestly, I’m not exactly innocent here either; I had my own phases of compulsive shopping for clothes and perfumes—you know how it goes—especially during those stretches when work was hit or miss. Now, we’ve piled up so much debt that even $3667 both our paychecks can’t keep us afloat. So, he’s back to finding ways to scrape by. I see him glued to the screen again, constantly checking scores—usually most of the weekend. I’m terrified we’re headed for a total wreck. He’s taken on all the financial weight himself, using what little is left of my paycheck to pay things down... mostly because I haven't been able to manage any money myself. I practically can't even bring it up without him snapping at me. Ever since these debts spiraled, talking about money has become this huge taboo in our house—we rarely even touch the subject. I'm living with this constant fear that I just try to push down. And I worry about him, too—he carries everything internally, insisting he's doing it all to "protect me" by staying silent. If we actually make it to old age, maybe the loans will be paid off, but... man, we really sabotaged our lives through our own immaturity. I’ve been in therapy for years, and while I have made progress, the price we're paying right now is devastatingly high. Our parents aren't in a position to step in and help us, so we are truly, deeply in trouble.😢