If your urine analysis comes back clean, you can probably rule out kidney issues. It’s more likely just simple dehydration, which happens all the time.
Also, seeing elevated AST levels on its own—without any spikes in ALT or bilirubin, for instance—rarely points to liver disease. That enzyme isn't exclusive to the liver; it's also present in your heart and skeletal muscles. Since you hit the gym regularly, you're likely dealing with minor, diffuse damage to your skeletal muscle tissue (probably from some muscle inflammation), which causes AST to leak out of those damaged cells. That's most likely your culprit right there.
It’s pretty clear there’s a lot of dramatic advice floating around here—which, honestly, isn't surprising. When someone is under massive amounts of stress, they tend to project that onto everyone else, and people are just human; they struggle to handle that kind of energy too.
Just based on what you’ve shared, it doesn't mean you need a formal diagnosis, intensive therapy, or anything of the sort. What you likely need is acute support and some symptom management, mostly as a preventative measure. After that, you'll just go through a standard period of grieving, which isn't something you "treat." It’s just life. That’s it. If any complications actually arise, you can deal with them down the road... if they even happen. There's no point in stressing over those possibilities right now. Reach out to someone you actually trust, talk to your primary care physician so they can refer you if necessary, or contact a crisis hotline if things get heavy...
granitesurfer36 said:Five days ago, my father took his own life. Pain, despair, bitterness, guilt, anger—even shame... those are just a few of the things I’ve been carrying around. During the day, I can hold it together, but at night, the memory of what he did haunts me. I find myself constantly replaying it in my head. I’m actually scared to go to sleep because even when I finally drift off, I wake up thinking about it all over again. How can I help myself get through this?
I am so sorry for your loss.
The feelings you're describing, and the way you're reacting overall, are "normal" given the trauma of what happened and how little time has passed. This is an acute stress reaction; it isn't a permanent state of being. That said, none of this means you have to white-knuckle it alone. In fact, it would be wise to seek out professional counseling. It could help you navigate this period more smoothly and reduce the risk of developing long-term issues like PTSD. You aren't "mentally ill"—you're just human.
Roger Rodriguez said:I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but I’ve been wondering about the actual effects of mixing antidepressants with alcohol. I take Paxil 20mg for panic disorder, and while the official instructions say to avoid alcohol entirely, I constantly hear people telling me that a single glass of wine with lunch won't hurt anything. But when you haven't touched a drop in three years, does one glass of wine not feel more like a whole liter? Specifically, I want to know: can this actually be fatal? I know there's a risk of depressive episodes, but has anyone ever received a clear answer on whether things like heart failure are even possible? To be clear, I'm talking about larger amounts—for me, that would mean something like three glasses of wine...😂
You aren't exactly going to drop dead. You might just run into some unpleasant side effects. It's probably better to give your time-out nervous system a break rather than playing chemist. You wouldn't try to play volleyball with a broken arm, even if it were in a cast. That's just basic logic.
ironotter65 said:Hey everyone. First time posting here, just looking for some help from good people. I feel like I'm losing my mind. There’s this constant inner restlessness that I used to manage with 3mg of Lexapro. It works, but before that hits, I get this heavy feeling in my chest—like I can't catch my breath. It feels like I can't breathe from my stomach, which panics me, sends me straight to the local clinic, and it's always the same cycle until I finally saw a psychiatrist who put me on Paxil. Now I'm taking 20mg every single day, but the scale is showing less weight, and that really worries me. I get this nausea, almost like I need to burp constantly, and when I sit down to eat, I have zero appetite. I'm forcing myself to eat just because I have to. Has anyone else dealt with this? Thanks a lot.
No need to spiral; side effects like these are pretty common. Just check in with your doctor. These symptoms often clear up within a few days, and if they don't, your physician might switch your prescription. Everyone reacts to medication differently.
Betty Harris15 said:This is really interesting. You have to map out the concept of how to react before it works. But it isn't easy; it takes mental strength and endurance, and I've pretty much used mine all up. I'm just trying to find enough left in me to recover. Poor me.
It doesn't really take that much effort. Once you hit on a good strategy, just write down the procedure. Once it's on paper, you've got it. Done. You just pull it out whenever you need it. There's also a chance you'll end up with two or three different "mental scripts" instead of just one, which you can swap between as needed, but that's about it. Nothing fancy.
Betty Harris15 said:haha... glad you guys started a discussion, thanks for the suggestions. Maybe this topic went deeper than just diet, which obviously becomes an issue when everything else in life is falling apart. My real question was actually how to build character—specifically, how to face the life struggles that have been hitting me hard lately. Seriously, I won't dump all this on you, but these last few days have been the worst of my life. And now... once everything peaked, you know what happened... I can't even take a bite of food. That Emotional Freedom Technique method sounds tempting, but honestly, when you think about it, it's a double-edged sword.
redharbor9 said:Yeah, that’s a solid tactic. You could even pull that off in certain types of psychotherapy. Keeping a food journal might work, though you gotta be careful it doesn't spiral into an eating disorder 😍. It wouldn't hurt to set up a chart—one column for what you ate, and another for the situation, feelings, or thoughts that triggered it...
Once you actually catch those patterns and realize why you're eating, you can start swapping them out for something else. Like, once you spot the pattern where "if X happens, I eat Y," then next time you hit X, you shut down Y before it starts by doing something else instead—like going for a walk, grabbing an apple, or jumping on a video game...
One more thing—think about which thoughts or beliefs (let's call them "B") sit between X and Y. For example: X - Fighting with my boyfriend * Y - Anxiety and binge eating
*B - We should always agree, and since we don't, I should have prevented this. Since I didn't, I'm a bad partner and he won't want me anymore, so I might as well just suffer.
What turns the irrational B into something rational (Quincy): Quincy - Even if we don't agree all the time, we can still have a perfectly healthy relationship. Despite this, I am a good partner, and he will still want me if things are meant to be. So, there's no reason to just spiral into suffering (instead, I face whatever the future brings).
Whenever X occurs, lean into the Quincy (over the B), and you've laid the groundwork to change Y! Then, you get a much better behavioral pattern—staying busy with what you were already doing, starting something new, or, if you actually are hungry, adding a different kind of food to the mix.
And don't force it!!! It’s a process, not a sudden pivot! It takes time for new behaviors to stick.
By using this method—introducing the 'Quincy'—you aren't forcing Y; you're creating the right environment for it to happen naturally 👍, so to speak. You're utilizing your own cognitive potential rather than relying on training designed for animals (no joke). That's basically my point.
Yeah, there's really no point in making comments like that. Eating disorders didn't just pop up out of nowhere; they were around in the 1900s and they're still here in the 2000s. Honestly, I doubt they'll ever go away as long as humans exist.
They’ve always been around. But I think the issue goes way deeper than whatever that comment was getting at...
Aaron Howard27 said:So you found your salvation in snacks? Seriously? What century are you living in? You’re probably still stuck in the 1900s! Instead of just sitting there eating, maybe try flashing a smile and finding a new guy to chase!! Oh yeah!! It’s like some of you just don't know how to actually enjoy life, right? 🤷 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂
It's pretty funny coming from someone who treats women like nothing more than sexual objects 😢—because clearly, guys like that have zero actual life. I highly doubt they've ever had a deep connection with a woman, which is a massive, massive loss in itself. 👎
It would be the exact same thing as with a healthy person—they’d basically be pre-emptively sedated, except they wouldn't have any actual symptoms to clear up. Plus, you'd still have to deal with the usual side effects.
redharbor9 said:It's too early to say she has discipline issues. How is she supposed to fix them if she isn't actually building any discipline? Unless she's planning on being hypnotized, there's no magic way to get instant self-control. She can start working on it by changing her diet like I suggested. If she actually wants to lose weight, she'll have the motivation. And if she's motivated, she can finally break out of those cycles by fixing what she eats...
"Building discipline"—now that's a phrase worth noting. Building things up is the exact opposite of trying to force a sudden, violent turnaround.
We seriously need a thread dedicated to psychotherapy!
What exactly is this "primal therapy" everyone's talking about? Someone actually asked me about it the other day, and honestly, I’m still drawing a blank.
Look, I’m just saying it isn't my top pick. Especially since, based on her first post, she’s clearly struggling with discipline and is already dealing with some serious burnout—those "vicious cycles" are starting to set in, which is something I definitely factored in. Besides, if it absolutely has to be the last resort, it can always stay that way...
I agree, but I think it works both ways. If you force the behavior first, those beliefs eventually shift once you realize how much better you feel—or in her case, when she sees the weight dropping.
It’s not quite that simple, though. You could easily get the exact opposite reaction. Or worse, someone could have a traumatic experience with a diet and end up with an entirely new set of problems. Personally, I prefer it when people actually use their intellect and capacity for abstract thought as an advantage. I'm not a fan of methods that work just as effectively on animals. Humans are animals, sure, but we have enough specific complexities to make that distinction matter.
redharbor9 said:Look, my issue was a massive sugar addiction and how it basically wrecked my life. When I was dedicating an entire desk drawer just to candy, it was manageable. But once I hit a breaking point and bit into a Hershey's bar wrapper and all together because I couldn't wait long enough to open it—that's when I realized I needed to change.😍
The whole reason I brought myself up is to show you can kick a sugar habit. She probably has the same struggle... you just have to grind through those first few days. Same goes for any other junk food.
That works a little differently... But whatever. Not worth the debate...
Yeah, I phrased that poorly... but the point was the difference between refined and natural sugar.
Spot on. Only thing is, why does having a BMI of 19 matter? (That's pretty low, so I'm asking.)
Why would it matter? I only mentioned it because of the raisins I'm constantly snacking on. Every time people see me eating them, they look terrified I'll gain weight since they're so high in calories...
Well, that's somewhat true, but it's more effective to shift your mindset first before jumping into behavioral tactics. That was my thought process.
Why would that matter? I mentioned it because of the raisins I'm constantly snacking on. Every time people see me eating them, their reactions always seem to stem from a fear of gaining weight since they're so calorie-dense...
I love them too—dried fruit and nuts in general. As I've mentioned before, I'm quite twiggy, with a BMI around 17... I don't think it's solely due to that, certainly not, but it's true that they're high-quality, easy, and affordable foods. It's just one piece of the puzzle.
redharbor9 said:Nah, they won't. But you gotta grind through those first few days. When I switched over to the Hayev regimen... if someone had handed me a gun during those first couple of days, I would've pulled the trigger. Now? I'm loving life.
Though I suspect your struggle was a different beast entirely from hers, assuming you even had one to begin with.
redharbor9 said:The calorie count isn't the point—it's about how much healthier and different this kind of sweet is. Fructose breaks down before it can wreck your blood sugar like refined sugar does, which means you aren't crashing and craving more junk immediately.
I eat this stuff all day long. My BMI is 19. People freak out because they see calories and ignore everything else about what they're eating. Thinking calories are the only thing that matters? That's just plain wrong.
That works a little differently... but fine. It's not worth getting into... I don't have the energy.
I eat that stuff all day long. My BMI is 19. People freak out because it's high in calories, but they completely ignore other nutritional aspects. Calories are the only thing people focus on, which is a fundamentally flawed approach.
That's accurate. But why mention having a BMI of 19? (That's pretty low, so I'm curious).
Betty Harris15 said:I don't know. Maybe I should focus on things that actually help—study up a bit and start using methods that might at least stop me from constantly thinking about food. When I say "professional literature," I mean stuff like positive psychology or similar concepts. I’m not looking to read some trashy Oprah-style book titled "Lose Your Extra Pounds."
Maybe the whole point is just being more satisfied with life in general and feeling more confident... then everything else might just fall into place. I don't know, starting is just hard. Laziness is one of humanity's biggest hurdles. Like I said before—it's all in your head. If your mind is a mess and you're insecure, indecisive, or lazy, you run into issues like my diet struggles, or even worse stuff like health or mental problems. You know how it goes.
I think the most crucial part is the misconception regarding how we manage our own emotions.