Posts by Michelle Evans

velvetmoose9 said:Well, it isn't standard practice, but if you can't maintain proper hygiene, using a meal replacement like Ensure might cover your nutritional bases...
Just keep in mind that since you don't have a medical prescription for it (as far as I know), it won't be exactly cheap... 🤔

Exactly. Ensure from Abbott.
A 12$4.25oz carton serves as a full meal replacement, and since it comes with a straw, it might help minimize oral buildup. Hopefully... 😁
It’s pricey, sure, but then again, even a Red Bull isn't cheap. At least this actually provides the nutrients you need...

Alright folks, I don't quite get why everyone is picking on his brother just because he’s rambling while drunk. Maybe I'm missing the point, but honestly, I don't see how that part is even relevant to what the author is going through right now.

@Jessica Gomez5, nothing happened to you that isn't a universal part of being human. You're just experiencing life, and someone was blunt with you about it. That doesn't define whether a person is good or bad. Illness is part of life. Death is part of life. They don't discriminate. It seems like you're only starting to grapple with these realities now. Often, facing mortality brings up this heavy sense of guilt over things left undone—and it probably feels even more intense since you don't have your own family established yet. You can't rewrite the past. My advice is to make the most of whatever time you have left with your father. If there are any unfinished chapters between you two, now is the time to close them and give him as much love as possible.
Instead of dwelling on regrets, it's much more productive to focus on how we use the time we have left...

If you're financially stable and feel the need to vent to someone neutral who won't judge or pity you, I highly recommend seeing a professional. I speak from experience. Losing one parent while facing the potential loss of another in such a short window is incredibly stressful. A therapist can help you organize your thoughts and process everything you're feeling...

Megan Jones3 said:I'm not complaining about the warning.

So what was the point of that automated notification? Just to let me know I misspelled "moderation"? Fine... thanks for the heads-up.

I'm complaining because you completely misunderstood George's thread. You handled it like a bot, merging it into a topic that isn't even remotely related... it's actually the exact opposite.

To you, maybe. To me, it fits right in with the other five threads that ended up in the general discussion folder. Luckily, you aren't a moderator...

Thanks. Really.

Since you got a notification about a ban here, I’m not quite sure if this is also a complaint regarding the ban you received for commenting on the moderation team—after being told specifically not to do that...

George's thread, along with similar ones, has been merged into a single collective discussion focused on the emotions people experience during the holidays and their general attitudes toward them. Also, I should probably correct you there—the attached thread actually starts with how users feel negative emotions during that season, rather than feelings directed at Christmas, as you felt the need to correct me in your post responding to the moderator's explanation...

I completely get where you're coming from regarding the need for a baseline level of literacy and reading comprehension. I feel the same way about anyone participating in discussions on this site. Or, at the very least, actually reading what they are replying to. But clearly, nobody cares what I think...

Austin James5 said:Can anyone answer my question? 😁DD, should I go see a doctor for a checkup because of this, and if so, what specifically should I have looked at...

If you're worried, just go. A doctor can give you the actual facts. No one on here can tell you for certain whether you need an appointment or not...

By the way, how can I tell if my dog has worms? What are the symptoms? I haven't been able to find anything helpful online...

click

Austin James5 said:Look, my vet told me rabies shots start at 10 months old... 🙂 if they're wrong, that's on them.

Per US regulations, vaccination is mandatory once they hit three months old.
If you picked up an older pup and they haven't been vaccinated yet, you need to get it done within two weeks of bringing them home.
If your dog happens to bite someone and isn't up to date on shots, you're the one held liable, not your vet.

Just take him to the vet for his shots and microchip (you really shouldn't do one without the other)... they'll usually include a deworming tablet with the visit, or you can just grab one at a Petco beforehand (standard dose is one pill per 10 lbs of body weight).

Austin James5 said:Hi, I have a 6-month-old puppy that hasn't been treated for parasites yet—specifically worms and tapeworms.

Dealing with tapeworms usually happens at the same time you get them vaccinated for rabies. If your pup hasn't had any internal parasite treatment, it’s safe to assume they haven't been vaccinated for rabies either. That would actually put you in violation of local laws, since rabies shots are legally required once a year...

In this case, just take your dog to the vet for the vaccination. While you're there, they can chip him, give him the necessary deworming tablets, and let you know if he'll need follow-up doses depending on what shows up in his stool...
Generally, it's recommended to treat dogs for tapeworms about three or four times a year.
You can also pick up some tablets at Petco or similar pet supply stores.

But seriously, please get that dog its rabies shot if you haven't already...

Oh, look at her acting all wise. :ganuta:

If I could articulate my thoughts quite as elegantly as you just did, I’d say you practically snatched the words right out from under my fingers. Since I can't, I'll just say you perfectly captured everything I was trying to say...

Larry Lewis said:Listen, I get it—really, I do—but back when I was flying solo and completely off my meds, I once split a 5mg Xanax into quarters during one of those deep, dark psychotic episodes. And honestly? That tiny little quarter was enough to take the edge off immediately. It was palpable.

So, what I’m saying is, if things are hitting rock bottom and you need an ambulance, any psychiatric med is going to provide some level of relief.

EDIT: I remember one time, right at the absolute peak of a breakdown, I called 911 to come get me. Can you believe it? I actually told them my full diagnosis and everything—they almost didn't laugh, though God knows they wanted to—and then I ended up having to call an Uber just to get myself to the psych ward at Bellevue... you truly cannot make this stuff up.

Unfortunately, based on what I've seen and heard myself... I can believe it. 🙄

Larry Lewis said:Then you turn around and dismiss me when I’m actually being serious, telling me I have a "good sense of humor" and that I should just take it as a joke.

Well, thanks for the clarification. And hey, let me return the favor—compliments to you for using actual, human language for once. And sorry if I’m being a bit defensive—I’ve been on this planet for thirty-five years now, so I suppose I've earned the right to be a little prickly.

Peace Corps

Peace Corps, yeah, I see how it could be taken that way now.
So, no, I truly meant what I said...

Anyway, I’m actually heading off to mess around with some other files now—deleting and filing things away. Or maybe I'll just stare at the moon. Or something else equally productive... 😁

Larry Lewis said:Honestly, I think both you and Taylor Swift are missing the mark on this one—if a person is genuinely struggling through an acute psychotic episode, some medication wouldn't hurt at all; they can deal with the long-term therapy once they've actually made it into the hospital.

By the time those pills even kick in, the paramedics will have shown up and hauled him off to the ER five times over...

Larry Lewis said:I mean, what exactly was supposed to be funny about what you just posted?

There really isn't anything funny about it... 🤷

I was just listing my goals and how I see myself improving. I honestly meant it as a compliment. Just a general one...
(Having iPads at a wedding is a great touch. 🙏 )

I promise, I won't do it again. 😳
I'm off to go cause trouble somewhere else.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Suppose we find ourselves in a small American town where two individuals living with schizophrenia both know each other's diagnosis—perhaps they even attended the same group therapy sessions together.

Now, imagine one of them suffers an acute psychotic episode; his family calls 911 immediately, but in this scenario, neither the paramedics nor the police can arrive in time. In that desperate moment, all they have left is the option to ask the other individual—who is currently stable—to share his antipsychotic medication to help calm the situation.

The complication, however, is that both men are prescribed entirely different types of antipsychotics for their specific needs.

In such a dire crisis, is it more prudent to wait for the emergency responders to arrive with the correct prescription, or is there any wisdom in reaching for the medication held by the other person?

When dealing with acute psychosis, three pink pills and two green ones just aren't going to cut it if you want someone back on track. It's also a bit foolish to play doctor...

Larry Lewis said:Kevin Nguyen3, there is an endless amount of ground to cover here—we could go on forever about brain pathology, our inherent temperament, how medication shifts the needle, environmental factors, our cultural attitudes toward illness, the sheer intensity of symptoms, even those innate flaws we’re all born with... it’s a rabbit hole, truly.
I’ve found myself wrestling with these exact same questions before. It really comes down to whether life simply molds you into who you are—or rather, how life shapes you, though obviously, you have some agency in the matter, yet most of it seems dictated by the immediate reality surrounding you.
Before I fell ill, I was a relentless optimist—the kind of guy everyone wanted around, someone who could charm just about any girl in town if he tried enough.🙂 But once things took a turn, my grandfather—a man who was anything but dim-witted or narrow-minded—told me he had sensed "something" about me since I was just a kid, something he’d actually warned my parents about back then.

In terms of my journey, I’ve managed to crawl from being completely incapacitated to becoming a man dealing with specific psychological struggles, and I am doing my level best to push toward something better—though, honestly, I’m not sure if I can realistically demand a faster recovery from myself.
The bottom line is that I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made in my recovery; that sense of achievement provides a certain stability and the willpower to keep moving forward.

It isn't as simple as being either "healthy" or "sick"—there are so many shades of gray in between.

Your sense of humor is truly brilliant... 😍

(If I may weigh in for a moment... Just a little something to brighten the mood...)

casualridge8 said:Psychotherapy? 🙂

Quite so...

casualridge8 said:@Jeffrey Fisher5, I think you might have missed the mark on this topic. There are actually a few different threads floating around here specifically about ungrateful kids, so maybe give those a look?

What I’m really trying to get at is how people handle that heavy, natural sense of guilt that kicks in when they move away from their parents. And isn't that feeling so much more intense if your parents were actually good to you? It’s a different beast entirely compared to when the relationship was toxic...

How do you all deal with that weight?

Even for someone like Saltillo, the concept of "abandonment" here isn't entirely clear. I might have missed the specific definition mentioned earlier in the thread, but if you could clarify... are we talking about physical abandonment, like moving out once you're an adult, or more about that emotional detachment necessary for healthy development? Or perhaps it refers to neglecting parents when they need support... or something else entirely...

When it comes to moving out of a parent's house under a cloud of guilt—especially when that feeling lingers long after the fact—it’s a bit complicated to label them as "good" parents, regardless of how the child chooses to see them...

casualridge8 said:Look, I haven't lived under my parents' roof for ages! 🙂

Have you all actually read up on this? It’s essentially based on a Freudian thesis, isn't it? 🙂

The whole "should I move out or stay put" debate... honestly, in my specific situation, those kinds of tips just don't really apply. 🙂

If you’re feeling guilty and have recognized that within yourself, then the actual theory doesn't even matter... regardless of who came up with it... 🙂 Speculating about Freudian theories won't get you anywhere, whether they're right or wrong... You have a real problem at hand, and everything else is just noise... 🤷

Kevin Nguyen3 said:Wait, isn't the deadline actually 2033?😕
For a Class C license, you have to pass medical exams every five years.
Back when I first got mine—man, that was back in the old days, before everything changed😢—nobody ever asked me for another single checkup. Ever!
And look at me now! I’m out here driving with significant vision issues, not to mention my mental state... can you even imagine?🙄

I've edited my reply.

It looks like anyone holding an unlimited license has to swap it out by 2033. At least, that’s what the news reports were saying. (link1 link2)

But if you have to get a replacement before then—say, if yours gets lost or destroyed—you're forced to undergo a full medical exam just like a first-timer. And regardless of how healthy you are, they'll slap an expiration limit on it. No more "unlimited" status. That's what happened to some people I know... better watch you don't drop your license in the toilet or something.😁

You have to go through the whole medical process even for a renewal, because there used to be certain restrictions. They aren't doing selective exams based on specific issues anymore like they used to... everything is comprehensive now.

fadedlynx96 said:That is a solid answer.

My usual approach was simply to say nothing at all and avoid making it an issue, which always resulted in passing without incident.

I am not suggesting this is the superior method, but if you happen to forget your specific condition or its symptoms when questioned—perhaps because memory loss is itself a symptom or a side effect of medication—then everything remains technically fine, does it not?

I know from experience that I have forgotten vital information, so forgetting a diagnosis is entirely plausible.

As for the psychometric testing, I believe anyone can pass those written assessments, provided they aren't facing a direct interview with a psychiatrist, which is a much more difficult hurdle.

If I claim to be perfectly normal, I know nobody will believe me, so I won't bother saying it; however, I truly am normal, and I hold driver's licenses in several different states, including America.

Hmm. Even if someone genuinely forgets, or chooses to "forget," it won't matter much to the family doctor signing the paperwork. Without that clearance, you can't prove psychological fitness to pass the driving test or get a license. I don't remember exactly how things used to be since I took my test ages ago, but nowadays, the system if nobody catches it, then you're good to go isn't really reliable. At least not here in the States.

Having a condition involving psychosis doesn't mean you're automatically barred from driving or lose your license. However, Alexiss should be aware that it could become an obstacle or lead to certain restrictions...

Eric Mitchell55 said:Can people diagnosed with schizophrenia enroll in driving school?

It really comes down to a doctor's assessment...

Before you sign up for driving school, you have to pass a medical exam with an occupational health physician. They issue the certificate confirming you're mentally and physically fit to drive. That certification is based on documentation from your primary care doctor, who has to list any existing medical conditions...
(link)
You'll also need to bring along reports from any specialists treating those specific conditions.

Under the standard federal guidelines for driver health screenings, certain psychological, psychiatric, or neurological conditions can result in being labeled "unfit" or "temporarily unfit" to operate a vehicle. (See Article 13)
(link)

jadetinker85, please, let's not troll here. Sch is a serious, debilitating mental illness that has nothing to do with what you're saying. You can't just "stop thinking about cake" to make symptoms disappear... There is no such thing as willpower when it comes to delusions or hallucinations. If it were that simple, patients wouldn't be spending weeks in psychiatric wards during an episode, and long-term medication wouldn't be such a necessity...

Benjamin Robinson3 said:He told me Rivotril might be more effective than Xanax, and since I'm young, I'm starting to wonder if Xanax is even the right call for me.
I have another appointment with him this Friday; hopefully, he can monitor my reaction and maybe adjust my prescription with some more pills.
I saw some posts here saying you all had good results, so I’m really hoping for the same—I just want this mental fog to finally clear up.
I actually received my official diagnosis today, and it's listed as F43.2. It feels pretty accurate, though I suspect I might be sliding into a deeper depression, but I guess my psychiatrist will be the judge of that.

Right now, I'm taking one 0.5 mg tablet in the morning, one in the afternoon, and two before bed.
Do you think it would be okay to switch things up and take two tablets in the morning or afternoon instead? I don't feel much benefit from the dose if I'm mostly just using the heavy dose at night to help me sleep.

No. There’s a specific reason your dosage is structured this way, and if you have any doubts about how to take it, you really should clear it with your doctor first.

Generally speaking, the largest dose is meant for bedtime, so following your prescription exactly is the best way to go...

(click)