Paul King8 said:IIIIIIIIIII??? Is there any way to actually beat this thing just by being stubborn and powering through on my own, without having to drag myself to some doctor's office?
Give it a shot. But what does that actually mean to you? Are we talking about avoiding a doctor entirely, or are you trying to dodge the medication too?
Hypnotherapy might be an option. I’m sure people like Ena and Sacreus could give you the rundown on how that works.
restlessskipper39 said:I suspect I’m dealing with the same issue. While I can manage it for now, I worry that as the years go by, things might start to spiral out of control. For instance, I have these rather silly little rituals where I insist on doing everything in a specific sequence. In the morning, it’s always bathroom first, then brushing my teeth, then washing my face, and so on. If I deviate from that order even slightly, I get this nagging feeling that something terrible is going to happen that day. It feels somewhat like a superstition, I suppose.
It might be tied to anxiety or general dread... we distract ourselves with these patterns just to give the brain something else to chew on to keep the panic at bay. Maybe. Who knows.
Dove, where did you disappear to? Haven't seen you around the forums in ages.
Paul King8 said:Can someone please help me out with a quick question? Look, I know most people deal with some kind of mental tic or OCD-style loop, just usually way milder and barely even noticeable, but I’m trying to figure out where the actual line is when it comes to these "glitches" in your head. Like, at what point does having too many of them—to the point where they actually start messing with your day—mean you need to go see a doctor? And honestly, can you even fix this stuff just by trying to control yourself? Thanks!
The answer might be buried right in your own question... specifically here: "At what point should you actually call a doctor because these 'glitches' are becoming too frequent or intrusive?" It really comes down to those last three words. The moment you notice they're starting to get in your way—like when you realize you spent an extra minute on a simple task just because of some "mandatory little ritual"—that's your signal.
Brandon White4 said:So, I'm dusting this thread off a little bit...
My "disorder" 🙂 isn't really about doing compulsive stuff, more like these obsessive thoughts. I guess I've noticed things too, like how when I'm hanging laundry, I feel like both clothespins on one item need to be the same color, or maybe two matching socks need identical clips, but I haven't really gone that far with actual compulsions. 🙂 Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention, and I'm only just starting to realize some things I was totally oblivious to before.
The real issue is that a few months back, I met some people online, and I chatted with them so much that I basically became obsessed with the whole relationship thing. I kind of neglected my actual life at home—my husband, my friends... even my work stuff was just being done super fast and superficially, just enough to get by. And then later, I’d feel so guilty about it, even though I’d just keep doing the exact same thing over and over.
I just lived inside these little worlds I built up with those two guys. I was living in my head, you know? Mentally, I was always there with them instead of being on "solid ground" here with my husband. He described me as living "like a shell," which is honestly such a perfect way to put it. He was totally right.
Eventually, both of those "relationships" fell apart (after quite a while), and it hurt like crazy, leaving me with a million questions in my head. Looking back at myself during that time, I can't even believe what I was doing. It’s like it wasn't even me. But something was pulling me toward them; I was just completely consumed by those chats, that closeness, that connection... I felt like I *had* to hear from them, otherwise I’d spiral into a panic attack or anxiety, or I don't even know what else to call it. I went through depressions, and honestly, even now, I find myself crying at least five times a day, and the thoughts of them still haunt me. I mean, I got so close to them and built up these entire worlds, I surrendered myself emotionally to it all (this reminds me of that "inner world" someone mentioned in a previous post), so even now that I've come out the other side, the thoughts just keep flooding in and won't leave me alone...
Sorry for the massive wall of text, but this is probably the shortest version I could pull together from everything that's been happening.
I've always had an "addictive personality," I don't smoke or gamble 🙂, but once I get hooked on something, it just grabs me and eats up all my time and energy. It's not even like I want it to happen, it's just that I can't find any peace until I see it through to the end.
From everything I've read from you guys so far, it feels like this isn't going anywhere without meds or therapy... Any ideas....?
It’s a shame that even when people realize they’re struggling, they won't go to a psychiatrist because of the stigma or just plain fear. My therapist actually told me a little story once to help break down my resistance to meds and therapy.
(I used to deal with OCD and social phobia, and pills were never an option for me.)
She said: imagine a lumberjack working alone in the woods. Suddenly, an accident happens and a tree falls on him, crushing his leg. What would his diagnosis be? Probably a crushed limb or a broken bone. That’s a relatively "simple" injury to treat, and after a year, he could fully recover. But what’s the real problem? The real problem is the massive log pinned against that broken leg—something weighing a ton that requires outside strength and assistance to move before the injury itself can even start to heal. See, the injury isn't the biggest hurdle; it's that heavy log (which represents our skepticism toward doctors and medication) that keeps us stuck. If you don't move the log, the whole situation turns toxic and spreads.
I don't know if that little story would be enough to convince you to go see a psychiatrist, but I know it didn't make me regret my own decision to stay away.
ironwolf82 said:People don't realize how tough this work actually is if they haven't had any real experience with it. It’s one thing to live in a big city and head out to a farm in rural Iowa once in a while to help your grandparents or just do it as a hobby. The real issue is that when you're managing crops or livestock, everything has to be done within these strict, narrow windows of time, and you need serious manpower to pull it off. I can't do it all by myself along with my mom; you just can't maintain quality, and honestly, you end up working without any heart in it. Ugh. Personally, I dabble in ranching, but anything with fewer than five head of cattle is just too small to be viable, and scaling up requires an incredible amount of effort... There is definitely money to be made in agriculture—I don't make a fortune myself, but it's there. But then you see the people who are out there grinding 15 hours a day. Their entire existence revolves around the job. Maybe they don't want it to be that way, but the nature of farming just doesn't allow them to organize their lives any other way. They never take vacations, their bodies break down quickly, and there's so much envy among them, neighbor against neighbor. They lack basic manners and act like they're always right and everyone else is wrong. It makes talking to them pretty difficult. At least, that's how it is in my neck of the woods, not that I'm making a rule for everyone everywhere... Folks working the land often have zero stamina because they're constantly exhausted. And the idea of "healthy living" on a farm is mostly a myth since there's such heavy use of pesticides and herbicides. They end up poisoning themselves first, and then everyone else. Plus, standing out in the sun when it hits 100 degrees? That’s just brutal... Where am I getting this impression? It's what I see whenever I head back into the city and just sit back to observe. You can spot people from rural areas easily; they look drained, weathered, sun-scorched, and honestly, a bit worn down. It’s almost hard to watch. They stand out so much from the rest of the urban crowd. And they always have that same excuse: "Oh, I have to rush home to finish some chores." They can never truly relax; they're always tense because farming demands it—if you miss a window today, you might never get that chance back... I have a degree in chemistry...
It’s actually quite interesting reading your perspective. Please, for God's sake, don't spend the rest of your life doing something you hate. Don't be afraid to venture into the unknown or take a risk. Be a dreamer and chase your own vision, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Plenty of massive entrepreneurs and titans of industry were considered dreamers or "crazy," but they took the leap and believed in themselves. There’s a businessman in my town—maybe one of the most successful ceramic manufacturers in the country—who arrived in Chicago decades ago from overseas with nothing but a single suitcase. He was practically starving and penniless. People called him a dreamer and a fool, but today he owns a factory that supports dozens of families.
hiddenskipper59 said:It’s the same vibe as when Kit Richards grabs the mic. I mean, alright, let's be real, it's not like Mike is some kind of songbird or anything. 😉
but at the end of the day, what actually matters is whatever it is that has kept them going for forty-five years now. And honestly, if you're asking what's missing from Mike's vocals, please, spare me.
Matthew Ruiz2 said:Are you two some kind of synchronized clones?
Haha, I need to go off-topic for a second... we have the same avatar and we're both listening to ZZ Top, but I swear on my life, that guy above isn't my clone. It's the first time I'm seeing him. 😁 🙂
Pawn loans at a Bank of America branch in San Diego
no collateral required required paperwork: loan application, standard bank form copy of a government ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) “basic information,” standard bank form A contract for a purpose-specific term deposit in the currency linked to the loan, held for at least the duration of the loan term loan amount: minimum $1,000, maximum up to the total deposit amount deposit details: 100% of the loan amount, held for the duration of the loan term funds are released once the loan is fully repaid (either at maturity or through early repayment) you can reduce the deposit by the amount of the loan already paid off, provided you maintain the 1:1 ratio interest rate - fixed, determined by the term of the deposit (matching the loan term), and can be as low as rates for non-purpose savings (standard term deposits) loan interest rates: the spread between the loan rate and the deposit rate 3.0% for loans up to $15,000 2.5% for loans exceeding $15,000 fixed rate, set by the loan term (which matches the deposit term) disbursement: in USD at the Bank of America selling exchange rate directly into the client's checking account repayment: via monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual installments, payable in USD at the Bank of America selling exchange rate on the day of payment
Christian Castillo60 said:George, did you actually go in asking for Prozac, or was it something your doctor prescribed? How long were you on it—and what kind of side effects hit you then versus how you're feeling now that you've stopped? I assume you’ve probably covered this in an earlier post, but honestly, I can't be bothered to dig through everything from the beginning; it's just easier if you give me the short version. Best,
My doctor prescribed it to me; I didn't specifically ask for it. I was on it for about six months. Side effects? Mostly just some mild fatigue, a bit of increased appetite, and a pretty significant drop in libido—there were stretches of a week where nothing would happen, no matter how much porn or erotica I watched, just zero response. But honestly, you shouldn't sweat it too much; whenever I was actually with a beautiful woman, things always seemed to work out fine enough.😁
Do you live near the coast? Have you ever had one of those days where you can't even step foot in the ocean because of all the "pollution" floating around?
Yeah, maybe I should just go hit the jackpot at a local bingo hall so I don't have to stress about finding the best financing deal on an installment plan. Just kidding. 😁
Christian Castillo60 said:I was on Zoloft for a while before I decided to quit. Now I'm taking St. John's Wort, and I think the effects are actually decent. I'm not going to get into my age or anything like that here. Clearly, nothing came of that email. 🙂
I'm not quite sure what to say to you... You should probably take a step back and think about why you started these rituals in the first place. In my experience, there's usually a heavy link to anxiety. If you aren't comfortable sharing your age, maybe you could at least mention what diagnoses you're dealing with? (Assuming there's more to the story than just OCD)
And, naturally, a little smiley face for good measure 🙂
Steven Reed said:Look The total amount has to stay under your limit—if you're using a Debit card and your limit is $3333, then the total price for everything you buy on an installment plan can actually be up to $3333. With a standard Mastercard, you can pay in installments, and only the monthly payment itself counts toward your credit limit.
That’s exactly what I’m trying to pin down here. Just so I can put this to rest once and for all: 😁 does a Mastercard only charge the first installment against the limit, while a Debit card hits you with the full total at once? So, if I try that pre-holiday shopping spree, the Mastercard works fine, but the Debit card just results in "your card was declined" because the total is too high?
Look at all those "horrors" you’ve listed up there. I don't have any of that anymore. I don't worry about sentence order or repeating myself constantly... I went to see a decent doctor who put me on Prozac, and those symptoms almost completely vanished. If I hadn't stopped taking it, they probably would have disappeared entirely. I still deal with some minor annoyances here and there, but it isn't even close to how things felt five, six, seven, or eight years ago. How old are you anyway? You're saying you don't want to take pills? Why not—it isn't such a big deal to just take a tablet in the morning and one at night. If you take Prozac for six months, you'll be fine. 🙂
Maybe try handing out flyers at the local community college near $6.75 during class breaks. You can find plenty of listings on Craigslist. Also, check out Indeed; there are tons of job openings there that don't require a specific degree or certification.
Are you avoiding waitressing because of anxiety disorders—too much social interaction—or do you just feel like it's beneath you?
So, what’s actually the smartest way to handle installment plans? Let’s say it’s that pre-holiday rush and I decide to pick up a fridge, a microwave, a big-screen TV, and some gifts for friends. Total comes to $2,000 $0.00 and I want to split that over 12 months. My credit limit on my card is $1,000 $0.00, so theoretically, the transaction should clear because they only charge me one twelfth of that $2,000 $0.00—basically less than two hundred bucks. Then I just settle the remaining installments every month whenever my regular paycheck hits. Is that how it works?
P.S. Honestly, all this stuff with cards, loans, installments, interest rates... it's a bit over my head. I just realized how much money I’ve bled out of my Debit card over the last year simply because I didn't bother to learn how any of this works.
On the bright side, the rewards book arrived almost immediately after I first used the card, and the points show up at my door like clockwork. 😁
Michael Johnson6 said:Basically, here’s the deal. Whether you’re using a Chase installment card at participating retailers offering interest-free financing, or just swiping for a purchase and relying on a revolving credit line, your entire purchase amount is tied up against your total credit limit. However, when you buy something via an Visa/Mastercard consumer loan spread over 36 months, only the individual monthly payment is deducted from your available credit. The limit only shrinks by the amount of that single installment, not the full price of the item.
So, if I use a Debit card, the whole amount hits my limit, but with a Mastercard, it’s just the first installment or one part of the total? In that case, wouldn't it be smarter to pay everything off on the Mastercard instead?
I don't get it. If I have a $10,000 $0.00 limit and try to take out a 36-month loan for $10,000 and one cent and they deny me... what is the point of having a Debit card then?
It’s not exactly an essay, but you know how I used to feel like I had to repeat every single sentence five times just to be sure. Honestly, I'm kidding—I don't have the energy for that anymore. Between everything else going on, I just can't find the time, and besides, what’s the point of this forum if we aren't actually talking? There’s no reason for us to be shy about it. It’s a relatively common disorder.