Posts by Nicole Barrett76

fadedbear92 said:I honestly think he knows exactly what he's talking about and is just trying to bait us—I don't see any reason why he wouldn't...

The truth is, I feel an immense sense of joy now that I have successfully weaned myself off all hypnotics, AD, and anxiolytics... There was even a period when even my standard sleep aid wasn't enough, forcing me to rely on something much stronger. I am convinced that anyone can break free from this cycle, or at the very least, drastically reduce the dosage and variety of psychotropic medications they depend on.

One must simply find that inner strength or a spark of motivation to attempt the tapering process. I remember one New Year's Eve when I was still taking heavy sedatives; instead of waiting for the clock to strike midnight, I took my "little pill" around ten o'clock. I ended up wandering around at midnight congratulating everyone on the New Year, though I had no idea why I was doing it or even where I was! Only my mother knew I had taken the medication, as I tried to hide it from the rest of the household, but she told me later that I was making such bizarre facial expressions that it looked incredibly strange to everyone else, eventually forcing her to explain to the family that I was on medication.

It makes me wonder, what might have happened if, heaven forbid, I had experienced actual hallucinations or unpredictable outbursts?

Is it not a profound blessing when a person finally manages to liberate themselves from all of this? These substances are a great evil. I recall hearing—perhaps mentioned somewhere in this thread—that some children develop a significant psychological dependency on medications used for ADHD. I can't recall the specific name right now, but there are stories (or perhaps it is just prevalent here in the US) that these drugs are distributed so freely that schools almost had to hire a dedicated nurse just to hand them out to students, with children actually pleading, "Please, ma'am, give me my medicine."

Is it not truly horrifying to essentially drug young children?

fadedbear92 said:What are you talking about? With the amount of cash I'm dropping on this stuff, who cares about food!😂>

Does anyone happen to have any tokens featuring the name Akineton? I have heard whispers that those specific little tokens are exceptionally good.

fadedbear92 said:Girl, I noticed you're taking quite a bit of Ativan, though it looks like you were on more previously. What else are you currently taking, and what are your specific doses?
I take 50 mg Lamictal in the morning
50 mg Faverin
At noon, I take 75 mg Effexor
In the evening, 100 mg Faverin
And I throw in some Xanax here and there since I struggle with insomnia—probably because I get so incredibly sleepy in the afternoons.
I've only been on the Effexor for a week now. Just feeling totally unmotivated.😢

Oh my goodness, ladies!!! Is there any chance you manage to grab a bite to eat before swallowing all those little pills???

Kyle Wilson9 said:Typical Mexican school curriculum, huh? Did Šešelj say anything worth hearing back in elementary school?

Look, I know this stuff might be hard for you to wrap your head around, but Lebanon and Palestine are two completely different countries!

The whole idea of us joining is just stupid. And trying to draw any parallel between us and Israel? Totally uncalled for. We don't share a single thing—no borders, no culture, no language, nothing. Honestly, the only thing we have in common is that they constantly try to push their insecurities onto us.

You are absolutely correct, and when it comes to our shared moral bond, your point is undeniably valid. Just look at this.

William Reed3 said:So you were "smart" enough to "know" they were unnatural, and now somehow it's my fault because I called you an idiot regarding benzodiazepines? Sure, okay. Fine.
Keep acting like you're the smartest person in the room. Whatever. See ya.
That's your response to me.
________________________
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A few fun facts for you:

Benzodiazepines started being used long before anyone realized they could basically be grown in a potato patch—as if the potatoes were just manufacturing them on their own. Honestly, most doctors around here wouldn't know what to make of that if it hit them in the face.

So, here's the deal with morphine: it was originally pulled from poppies—which is why they called it morphine, basically naming it after the Greek god of dreams. But turns out, our brains actually produce its own version of the stuff naturally, just slightly tweaked with some peptide chains. Eventually, scientists realized there’s a pure, straight-up morphine produced internally by the brain itself. That's where we get the term "endorphins"—it's just shorthand for "endogenous morphines."

Paradise has serotonin baked right into its DNA, and since serotonin lives in your brain, I guess you could say the whole thing is a chemical loop.

DMT—which, let’s be real, is basically just what happens when you're tripping on LSD—is actually produced naturally within the human body. Of course, we only figured that out after stumbling upon it in plants first.

There’s also some talk—which I haven't really looked into myself—about these things called endocannabinoids. Apparently, they're like the body's own version of marijuana that the brain produces naturally. It's funny how we only even realized they existed after scientists started studying the cannabinoids found in cannabis.

There are plenty of plants out there that pack up to four different human neurotransmitters inside them, basically doing our job for us. Does that actually say something about the nature of plants?

Science still hasn't even figured out basic stuff—like, for instance, what cocaine actually does for the coca plant. We still don't truly understand its specific role in their biology.

It’s pretty wild when you think about it—modern anesthesiology still relies so heavily on opium poppy derivatives. It really is the cornerstone of almost every general anesthesia setup we use today.

Cough syrups—the kind kids sometimes chug like they’re at an open bar—contain codeine, which comes from poppies. It’s honestly hard to believe that a kid wouldn't actually *want* to get high off a syrup containing codeine. There has to be a motive there. Just like sexual or social drives, I'm convinced that the urge to get high will eventually be added to the list of basic human instincts.

Endorphins (again): Sigmund Freud is pretty much the only person in history who managed to battle a brutal, twenty-year struggle with jaw and palate cancer—undergoing countless surgeries along the way—without ever touching morphine or anything else like it. He could even keep working, writing, and running sessions. His doctor was reportedly so stunned by his ability to endure such agonizing pain without medication that he dedicated years of his career to studying Freud’s case. It turns out Freud was somehow ahead of official medical consensus; he baffled the experts so much that people have actually written books trying to figure out how he avoided morphine while dealing with one of the most painful cancers imaginable.

I bet there are countless other examples of science lagging behind like this that I haven't even stumbled upon yet.

The point is: Look, if you want to take pills or experiment with substances, just do it. Deep down, that’s what you actually want. There are plenty of legal ways to get high, anyway. Humans have been using drugs since the beginning of time—it's a primal instinct. If you try to suppress that urge, you run into the same issues as suppressing any other natural drive: neuroses, decreased productivity, and all that good stuff.

Look, theoretically, someone could hit the heroin once a week and stay functional for years without becoming a total wreck. But that’s just theory. In reality, once you start chasing that high day after day, you're done. Everyone knows how this goes, but nobody has the willpower to actually wait until next weekend, so don't be stupid. Honestly, a little bit of Benadryl on a needle hits harder than cocaine when you're snorting it. Don't be an idiot.

Sigmund Freud (again): He’s basically the only guy in history who could dose himself with cocaine day after day—likely switching over to crack later on—without actually getting hooked. There are entire books written about this, and honestly, he kind of caught mainstream medicine off guard. So, what does that mean? Does it mean he just had more endorphins running through him than your average person?

It’s the same old Eastern clichés about endorphins on loop. They claim meditation or acupuncture can hit you just as hard as morphine. Honestly, you see plenty of MDs in mainstream medicine leaning into acupuncture for purely recreational, quasi-addictive purposes—even if they play it off differently when they aren't around friends. But once they realize you've caught onto what they're actually doing, they give you that little knowing wink, especially if they're trying to keep up appearances in a group.

On what possible basis are you concluding that I have assigned any blame to you whatsoever?

William Reed3 said:Benzodiazepines can actually be found in everyday foods like potatoes—naturally, of course. Every single potato contains a certain amount of benzodiazepines.

Good heavens! How could I have been so unaware of such a fact?

Could there be any greater mystery than the quiet complexities of a soul like Leesha? Is it not true that we often overlook the profound depth held within such an individual? kaže:
Is there anything more disheartening than hearing such callousness from one's own flesh and blood? My sister actually had the audacity to suggest that since our grandmother is eighty-five years old, we shouldn't bother wasting any more of our precious time on her. 👎

I would venture to bet that the sister was sitting in a dark blue corner rather than a light blue one. Is it not true that the vast majority of those in the "dark blue" camp tend to behave exactly this way?

Drew Morgan said:It would be different if it fell into the hands of someone truly dedicated who just lacked the resources. As it stands, the system mostly writes off the elderly 😢

The system simply discards those who lack financial means and those who aren't aggressive enough—those who refuse to fight tooth and nail for every single thing until their dying breath. For instance, both a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist I encountered refused to provide even a modicum of adequate psychological support.

One female psychiatrist actually dismissed me entirely after I shared that, following a prolonged period on benzodiazepines and hypnotics, I had successfully tapered myself off and was now using natural supplements to aid my sleep. (In truth, I haven't even used those for quite some time now.) Rather than feeling any sense of pride or relief at my success, she coldly informed me that since I had chosen self-treatment, I should stop coming to her altogether.

Admittedly, the focus here shouldn't be on myself, but rather on my grandmother, yet the situation remains just as dire...

Walter Evans3 said:So, my 83-year-old grandmother—who has always been incredibly sharp and well-read—has recently started acting quite strangely. She lives with her daughter, who works long hours and is rarely home, while the rest of the family only drops by once a week for short visits, so she spends a lot of time alone. Now we’re facing a real crisis because she suddenly announced to everyone that she’s getting married, which came as a massive shock to the whole family. She’s started going out and staying away from the house for an hour or two at a time, and we were all convinced she was out with this supposed fiancé, but then we discovered that he doesn't actually exist!!! She has begun inventing all sorts of things; she wanders off, stays out late, talks to herself on the street or in the house, and at night she'll lie in bed laughing, talking, or crying. She often holds her hand up to her ear and insists that we just can't see the receiver, claiming it’s a "military" earpiece that only she and her "boyfriend" can perceive... if anyone suggests she's just talking to herself, she gets defensive and laughs it off as if it isn't true. I tried a different approach once—when she said this person wanted to meet me, I told her I was ready, but when I actually got dressed, she told me "he" couldn't make it. Essentially, we've all come to the conclusion that this is like an imaginary friend for a child, but nobody knows how to handle it or how to talk to her about it. As her granddaughter, this is especially painful because, I have to emphasize, she was always such an intelligent, educated woman, and I never expected this to happen; plus, she is putting herself in danger by walking around at night, especially since her vision isn't what it used to be. We don't live close by, so unfortunately I can only visit a few times a year, but she always used to look forward to seeing me; now, she can hardly wait to lock herself in her room to talk to this imaginary person... I am deeply worried about her, and if anyone knows what kind of condition this might be, please help me... thank you in advance!

I am no expert, but it seems to me that these could be the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

I actually suspect we might see a temporary bump in the standard of living for the Chinese people; if they can no longer export their goods to America at virtually nothing and find themselves with an oversupply, that inventory will have to stay within their own borders, and since there will suddenly be such an abundance of goods, wouldn't the increased supply allow them to purchase more for less money? That is my personal take on the matter.

However, this shift will only be short-lived, as the Chinese elite will quickly realize—if they haven't already—that the mindless mass production of goods does not lead to meaningful prosperity, prompting them to scale back production shortly thereafter. Still, I believe they have already produced far too much surplus, which should result in a fleeting period of improved conditions for the broader Chinese masses.

Peter Ross5 said:So, why doesn't the US just go after Korea? We went all in on Iraq because they claimed to have nukes, right?

And what about those pirates off the coast of Somalia? Why hasn't there been a full-scale strike there? You don't see them rocking nuclear weapons either, do you?

What do you guys think?

Well, one simply does not go around assassinating an ally to whom they have provided weaponry specifically so that said ally might perform the dirty work on their behalf, right?

I find myself far too preoccupied with the world unfolding around me.

Well, I wish you nothing but the best of luck, though I might suggest pivoting toward a different commodity rather than selling pure expertise. Is it not true that in today’s market, knowledge alone is such a difficult thing to monetize?

Lisa Walker31 said:I’m telling you right now, seeing Russia and China succeed doesn't bring me any joy whatsoever—not even a little bit. Honestly? It scares the hell out of me. I’m talking terrified. If you look back at history, they have proven time and time again exactly how far they are willing to go to get what they want, and trust me, there isn't much they won't do.
Oh, please... give me a break with all this talk about Bush, Guantanamo, and Hiroshima. It’s all just noise if you ask me. If China and Russia actually decide to steamroll us, we aren't just looking at a bad day—we are absolutely, completely screwed!😠

Anyway... I’ve gotta say, Brazilians are definitely much more upbeat than anyone else!👍
I’m not even worried about them, honestly. They are definitely on the rise, there's no denying that, but they don't suffer from those massive, megalomaniacal delusions of grandeur that you see with the Chinese or the Russians.

Lula is my absolute hero... honestly, he should be an icon and a role model for every single half-witted person on this planet!😉
He’s easily one of the best politicians in the world right now.
Man, where can we find someone with that kind of sharp, street-smart wisdom... someone like Lula!🙂

The thing is, I truly believe... that our "new world" is going to be what international relations experts call "multipolar," rather than the way things have been for the last 20 years or so.
Unfortunately... the Americans, with their terrible leadership and catastrophic policy decisions... have completely squandered any chance they had at global dominance.

All I really want to know is... who will Israel turn to once the USA starts to slowly sink under its own weight?
Will they go with the Russians? I highly doubt it... since the Russians have been playing Turkey and its neighbors for fools for ages now.

Anyone paying attention to the "Ergenoken" scandal over in Turkey... is going to realize that almost all those high-profile killings—the Armenian journalist and activist, the Christians, the converts, the opposition figures, etc., which the global media presents as the work of Islamists or nationalists—were actually orchestrated by anti-EU Russians working alongside Turkish nationalist right-wingers who are obsessed with this "Eurasia" idea as a political bloc to rival the EU. The whole goal was to sow pure chaos in Turkey... to trigger state coups that would permanently block Turkey from joining the EU and eventually push them toward closer political cooperation and dependency on Russia. It's classic Russian maneuvering. And considering how much the Tatars and other Turanian and Muslim groups are gaining influence within Russia... this whole "Eurasian project" actually makes a terrifying amount of sense.

China doesn't actually possess a massive stockpile of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles; that dominance belongs solely to Russia. And when you consider that the Russians are essentially white supremacists, one has to wonder: if anyone were to turn nuclear weapons against the West, wouldn't it be the Japanese? (After all, Americans historically earned their retribution).

Consequently, I struggle to see how the Chinese could possibly inflict a catastrophe on us greater than Hiroshima, given their limited nuclear arsenal.

The sheer scale of evil that we Westerners inflict upon one another is nothing short of staggering. Ultimately, it is our own malice that will destroy us. I was just watching a farming segment where a producer lamented that his input costs for seeds and supplies had surged by 35%, while the market price for rapeseed plummeted from $1.25 down to $0.53.

It is a devastating combination, is it not? Prices have crashed by over fifty percent while production costs have climbed by more than thirty percent. This dynamic effectively dismantles our agricultural foundation, and in a world where survival is at stake, food is our most vital necessity. We can manage without electricity or high technology, but without food, there is simply no way to survive.

dustytrucker51 said:Yeah, the topic is great, but honestly, the lack of discussion doesn't surprise me. I've realized people on these forums don't really want to—or know how to—debate stuff like this. They'd much rather talk about some pseudo-documentary conspiracy theories than face the actual reality of things like BRIC and their attempt to chip away at the hegemony of the USA.
If it isn't scandalous or shocking, people just stay clear. 🙂 It's the same deal as them preferring to watch Moore or Zeitgeist instead of actually reading a dry book by Chomsky.

I have to admit, this article itself is pretty telling regarding how uninformed we are as a nation. Presenting BRIC as some brand-new thing people are just now hearing about is honestly a bit depressing. BRIC has been an economic and political concept—even if informal—for almost a decade now.

Usually, I'm happy whenever BRIC succeeds, but I try to keep my cool and stay cynical. Sure, they’re acting to reduce the dominance of one superpower, but on the flip side, you're just creating another bloc that will eventually become its own new superpower. I naturally doubt the "good intentions" of big powers and nations; I just expect a different model of the same system of dominance we have now. The silver lining is that if BRIC pulls it off, we'll at least have a counterweight to the USA. Having competition is always better for small players like us, whether we're talking micro-level stuff (like when a major carrier finally shows up in a city like Chicago) or macro-economics.

Even during this recession, BRIC has shown that certain countries—especially those not totally shackled to the dollar or the US economy—can fare much better with milder consequences (looking specifically at Russia). If we pivot toward them and their shared market (loose as it may be), we could come out ahead too. My only fear is that our politicians are completely blind to all of this. They still think the only question worth asking is "USA or EU" and which one we should fall under the wing of. They don't seem to see any other options.

Anyway, that's the short version... I didn't come here specifically for this topic, so this is just a quick fly-by. 🙂
I actually came to see if there was any chatter about the Democrats winning in Japan after 50 years, which ties back into this globally (the Democrats in Japan don't want to rely so heavily on the USA, showing how the rest of the world's economy is shifting toward different relationships), but you can barely read about that in our media, let alone find it on a forum.

Hopefully, more people will chime in... but I'm afraid I'm just wishing for the impossible. 🙂

Well, you've made a solid point. Personally, I find this subject fascinating, even though I am completely uninformed in this field. In fact, I struggle to distinguish between the World Bank and the IMF. Both deal with finance, but to a layman like me, it feels as though the IMF handles the dirty work for the World Bank, while the World Bank stays somewhat sidelined, presenting itself as the "good guy," whereas the IMF is viewed more as the "policeman."

Furthermore, I cannot fathom how the IMF manages to avoid generating significant returns from its activities, such that it doesn't have to sell itself. After all, no (semi-)private financial institution—and indeed, none of these massive institutions, which are indirectly owned by perhaps twenty or fifty of the most powerful financiers—provides loans without interest. They certainly can provide them, but then they demand something in return. And even that quid pro quo eventually converts back into money, so it all leads back to the same place.

Simply put—I don't know what else to say.

It seems to me that the success of the BRIC nations might be linked to coal exports, at least in the case of Russia and Brazil.

And don't even get me started on oil, given that Russia possesses oil, coal, and various other minerals.

But considering the intensive construction of new coal-fired power plants and the increasing export of coal—which is much cheaper than oil, though its price likely rises alongside oil prices—these countries are reaping the profits.

Brazil is quite large, and that's if you factor in their iron ore...

Dana Morales64 said:Does anyone else deal with people you just can't stand? I mean, no matter how hard they try to be engaging, they just grate on your nerves—to the point where you wouldn't want them anywhere near you under any circumstances. For me, it’s those high-strung types—people who are constantly wound up, living in this perpetual state of tension where every single move and every little step has been meticulously calculated beforehand. I've even got relatives like that... it's exhausting. Why can't they just be chill? Just relax and be spontaneous—letting things happen naturally instead of overthinking every word and every gesture. I've realized that people who are actually laid-back and spontaneous don't struggle with making or keeping friends. I've met plenty of spontaneous folks—usually out at a bar or a concert—and honestly, hanging out with people like you is such a breath of fresh air.
Why is it that certain people get under our skin just because they're different from us? It’s a simple lack of compatibility, sure, but why does it feel so irritating? I can't be the only one feeling this way.

Why must some people feel the need to plan every single detail before they dare to act? If you are an open, easygoing person, isn't the whole world your oyster? Because of that openness, you are an optimist, you speak your mind without hesitation, you aren't weighed down by excessive diplomacy, and it is far easier to find emotional release through being transparent... perhaps I am being too subjective, but I truly believe that life is much easier for the open-hearted. They find it much simpler to fight for what they believe in. Now, whether they have an easier time from a philosophical or spiritual standpoint, well, I certainly doubt that. But when it comes to breaking through and making a mark on the world, they definitely have the upper hand.

I honestly struggle to deal with certain open-minded people. Not all of them, of course, but some. These "open" types can be incredibly witty, pleasant, and fun to be around. However, the moment you actually need a favor, they suddenly become deaf and blind to your existence.

About two weeks ago, I was swimming in a river. My younger brother happened to be nearby. While I was waist-deep in the water, a sudden cramp seized my right calf. In a moment of panic, I tried to perform a backstar jump to get out of it. It was pure luck that I managed to pull myself together, pushing toward the shallows using my remaining three limbs while massaging my leg like a hard stone and shouting for my brother. But my brother was too busy laughing with a couple of other jokers to hear me, even as I yelled that I had a cramp.

The only ones who heard me were some small children, who couldn't have helped me anyway. By the time I reached the muddy shore and sat down to massage my leg, they had already wandered off. It wasn't until a woman noticed I was acting strangely and asked if I was okay that I finally got some attention. I told her I was fine, just dealing with a calf cramp. She offered to call my mom, which I didn't appreciate at the time because I thought the cramp would pass quickly, but it didn't. Eventually, I had to ask a stranger to call my mother, who then called my brother. He came to pick me up, and that was the end of it.

But in short, thanks to those "cool," spontaneous, fun-loving types, I almost ended up drowning!

Robert Scott11 said:I mean, first off, how on earth do you even go about defining what a "mentally healthy" person looks like in this day and age?😕

A healthy person is essentially someone who does not exhibit symptoms of psychosis or neuroticism. While it is true that we all experience bouts of neuroticism from time to time, a truly healthy individual is one who does not manifest these traits to any significant degree.

For those of you who are truly struggling with your mental health, I have a thought to share.

Is there any way to actually measure the concentration of serotonin within the brain, or perhaps gauge how ready the receptors are to release that serotonin at the regular intervals required for stability?

Could it be that your mental illness is rooted in pure physiology?

crimsonheron80 said:Do you really think you can buy any of that without a prescription?

I cannot say for certain what my thoughts might be, yet I shall certainly take the opinion of Nicole Barrett76 into consideration.

James Ramirez10 said:Just get yourself some health insurance, for goodness' sake.

Oh, I certainly have my own coverage. However, isn't it truly heartbreaking to think of all those people struggling through gig work and freelance contracts, where nobody is contributing even a single cent toward their medical coverage? Surely, there must be so many left behind in such a precarious position.