Posts by placidtinker80

Good grief, is that thermometer seriously that overpriced? 🙂 Just grab a new one—get an electric one if you can and call it a day, haha.

Noah Harris50 said:I work as a freelance photographer and a researcher for travel books and articles. Not exactly a high-stress gig.

Why is this even worth talking about?

That sounds like a dream job... at least to me. But regarding this whole elimination thing, I honestly didn't realize that's what you'll be doing for the next two months. I don't see how cutting out Wheat and sugar is supposed to help with stress...

Noah Harris50 said:Wheat and sugar are empty carbs. Yeah, they make you fat.

So what exactly are you planning to do for the next two months like you mentioned earlier in this thread? What are you even sticking to...

Noah Harris50 said:Fine, I’ve got a killer "cure" for chronic fatigue. If you want, try it for two months and see if it actually does anything.

A few years back, doctors told me I was allergic to gluten—basically, too much Wheat. Right around then, they slapped a chronic fatigue diagnosis on me, too. I had to figure out how to live gluten-free, and since I had zero clue what I was doing and it happened right around my birthday, my friends gifted me this book about living without gluten and sugar. It was packed with solid advice and recipes that skipped both. Once I started following those recipes religiously, here’s what went down:

1. I found a ton of great new meals and ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

2. I cut ALL sugar and all Wheat out of my diet.

3. I had more energy than I ever thought possible.

4. My belly fat vanished and I looked awesome.

But then life decided to throw some curveballs, bringing along a bit of depression, stress, and anxiety... So, I slid right back into my old habits. Reintroduced the Wheat, started eating stuff with sugar, quit yoga, stopped running. Now I'm right back where I started—in the gutter.

I'm going back at it. I'll check in in two months to let you know how it's going. You in? 🙂

So, what exactly are you planning to do over the next two months? And is it actually true that grains make you gain weight? I can't believe it; that's the first time I've ever heard that.😁

Rachel Kern said:Hey everyone,

My dad recently suffered a stroke, and they also diagnosed him with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). His doctor put him on 0.25mg of Xanax—so, I’m wondering, how risky is it to actually use this stuff? Has anyone here dealt with this before? I’m specifically curious about when someone should stop taking it, because I’ve heard rumors that it can lead to some pretty nasty dependency issues.

Yeah, this is definitely the wrong thread. 🙂 We don't deal with stuff like that here at all; we're just trying to help each other out using "natural" methods, so to speak...

Scott Allen10 said:Honestly, 5 ml probably wouldn't even do anything to you. Most likely nothing at all. Usually, you're looking at a "danger zone" starting around 20 ml or more before things get really scary.

When you get enough air in there—I mean a significant amount—it causes a pulmonary air embolism. It's not a heart attack, per se. Basically, all that air traveling through the veins hits a branch of the pulmonary artery and acts just like a massive blood clot. If it's a large enough bubble, you end up with a massive pulmonary embolism. If it's a smaller amount, the symptoms can be all over the place. You might deal with everything from mild discomfort to absolutely terrifying chest pain, shortness of breath, and feeling like you can't catch your breath... stuff like that. Regardless of how much air is involved, it's a gamble; someone could die, or they might just walk away from it.
If you're actually thinking about checking out, please find a better way to handle things. You could end up stuck in a state where you're still conscious but suffering, which is a nightmare.

I realize that last sentence was a joke... but whatever, maybe for people who are actually seriously considering this kind of stuff, it isn't funny, so I think we should still be careful...

Steven Miller80 said:I find myself nodding along with all of you here; it seems we are cut from the same cloth. For me, the real struggle came from being in a relationship with a girl who was incredibly extroverted. I am deeply Introverted, though certainly not antisocial by nature. Before I truly understood my own temperament, I used to carry this heavy sense of guilt, believing there was something fundamentally broken within me because I didn't enjoy constantly heading out or socializing. To her, recounting endless anecdotes, trivial events, and various life experiences was how she recharged her batteries, but to me, listening to that constant stream of chatter felt like an exhausting drain on my limited energy reserves. It felt purposeless. Most people seem to follow the same predictable social scripts—the endless rounds of coffee dates and the repetitive catch-ups with girlfriends. Then, inevitably, she would insist on rushing out because, you guessed it, she was bored to tears. Meanwhile, I feel perfectly content in my own space; I don't require the presence of others to feel whole or fulfilled.

Of course, I realize it isn't quite that black and white. My point is simply that embracing your true nature is essential for your own well-being. This experience left a lasting impression on me because, as an Introverted person, I often feel at odds with a society that seems to demand extroversion at every turn. I suspect it might even be a byproduct of our modern economy and corporate culture; the world seems to favor the loud and outgoing because, let's face it, they tend to spend significantly more 🙄
.

I actually think you should be thrilled about this. So many people would kill for what you have... that ability to be genuinely happy in your own company? That’s something I’ve been trying to achieve for months now, but I haven't figured out how to get there yet.

Steven Miller80 said:For my fellow ISFP types, make sure to check out the section at the bottom of the page

At the end of the day, we are human beings, and stress isn't just something triggered by a demanding job, college exams, or family drama. As people, we carry an endless stream of interests and thousands of fleeting thoughts every single day, all of which can weigh heavily on our mental state. I often find myself returning to that classic piece of wisdom from Socrates—"Know thyself." People throw that phrase around constantly, but I truly believe it is the single most important thing a person can do for their own well-being. In my view, the most effective way to actually achieve that level of self-awareness is through meditation.

To give you an idea of what I mean, a close friend of mine once attended a Buddhist meditation retreat where participants were required to maintain total silence for ten full days. It was intense. She hit a massive psychological wall on the very first day, much like many of us do, simply because she was finally forced to confront everything swirling around inside her. That is the hardest part. Our modern world is practically engineered to provide constant distraction; it’s designed to keep our minds occupied and entertained in a thousand different ways, specifically so we can avoid the daunting task of sitting with ourselves.

When you really sit down and think about it—what do you actually need to survive? What do you truly need to find genuine happiness? The list is surprisingly short. Everything else is just noise. Once you realize that, you can approach those necessary tasks with much less friction. We really ought to internalize that truth.

Thanks, I read it, and honestly, quite a lot of it really hit home for me.🙂

I honestly think the MOST important thing for everyone dealing with this—and anyone else, really—is realizing we have to find happiness within ourselves. We can't just sit around waiting for someone else to make us happy. Other people are supposed to complement our lives, not be the sole source of our joy; if we don't learn how to be content on our own, we’re basically doomed. For way too long, I was completely hyper-focused on my boyfriend. My entire mood for the day depended entirely on him, which sounds exhausting because it was. It turned me into an unhappy person because that wasn't real happiness. And don't even get me started on what he put me through... it absolutely wrecked me. Now that he's gone—well, it's been almost six months now—I realize this is actually the perfect time to finally learn how to love myself and be happy solo. Is it easy? God no, it's tough. But I think reaching this realization is a massive step forward.

It’s actually the exact opposite for me. My stress isn't coming from academic pressure at college or having too much on my plate—it’s coming from something else entirely. Now I’m dealing with a different issue altogether: nothing interests me, and nothing brings me joy. I’ve been trying to keep this to myself, telling myself I should just push through and try to change it, but I can't. I just can't find interest or purpose in anything anymore, and honestly, I feel like that lack of spark is making me even more on edge... I took a test, and this is what it says:
our Type is
ISFP
Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving
Strength of the preferences %
33 50 25 44

Thanks for the advice. I’m assuming this esophagoscopy is a much easier procedure than a standard gastroscopy...

Noah Harris50 said:Yeah, that's the classic line they drop when they run out of things to say or don't want to admit they lost the argument. I'm not buying the homeopathy thing either. I've swallowed enough of those little sugar pills to know they don't do squat. Nothing ever works.

I reckon regular yoga—like, five times a week—and staying active actually helps. But honestly, I'm so burnt out right now I can't even find the energy to start, so I just keep telling myself I'll get on it tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.

For now, I'm sticking to vitamins. My doctor mentioned that chronic stress wipes out your B-vitamins and Magnesium, so I started this daily cocktail:

Morning:

double the recommended dose of B-complex
600 mg Magnesium + calcium
4 EyeQ capsules
35 mcg D3
2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil
1 multivitamin

Uvece:

500 mg Vitamin C
100 mg Iron

Here's my symptom list:

exhaustion
insomnia/trouble falling asleep/waking up constantly
fainting spells/dizziness
irritability
intense restlessness/anxiety (hitting me in waves out of nowhere)
brain fog/trouble concentrating
bad memory
heart palpitations
neck tension + headaches
twitching all over (chest, heart, head)
constant worry
inability to relax
short temper
indecisiveness
feeling totally checked out/apathetic

My symptoms are pretty much identical to yours... how are you feeling on this regimen, and where on earth did you find such high doses of these ingredients? 😁 You mentioned you went through "major" stress—do you want to talk about what happened?

Do you really think there isn't any other way to get things moving besides doing another gastroscopy?

I've got the Helicobacter too 🙂 But honestly, I think this whole breathing issue is just nerves...

Robin Stewart44 said:Noah Harris50, I totally felt that description of how everything just hits you all at once... Honestly, I’ve stopped calling my current phase "stress" and started calling it "post-stress." While I was actually going through the thick of it—and thank God, the hardest life hurdles are mostly behind me now—my body seemed to be running on autopilot. My mind felt steady, focused, even. But now that the dust has settled (even if some small stuff is still lingering), the fallout is finally hitting me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just flirting with depression, though I don't even know how to put this weird headspace into words... I don't have any major tics or anything, just an occasional muscle twitch in my arm. My massage therapist says it's linked to my neck; apparently, my upper back and neck area are still super tight and she just can't work them out no matter what she does, which seems to be a thing some people here mention too. But man, the chronic fatigue is real. I've lost interest in things, I'm irritable for basically no reason, and physically, my doctors think my lymphatic system has basically stalled out. Because of that, my legs swell up constantly for months at a time, regardless of whether it's a heatwave or freezing outside. It’s this heavy, throbbing pain that's just hard to deal with...

How do you even fix this?? I'm honestly stumped... I started yoga about a year and a half ago, and while it feels good, it’s not the magic fix. Just like > mentioned above, I can't ever fully let go. I go through the poses, but I never hit that deep state of total zen. I exercise, I take breaks when work slows down or when I'm on vacation, but nothing seems to actually clear this fog... Maybe talking to a pro, like a therapist, would help me sort through my thoughts and get things back in perspective...

Has anyone here messed around with homeopathy? If so, what was your experience? I tried it along with Bach Flower Remedies, but after that first little wave of feeling calm, I ended up feeling way more tense and snappy than before. I had to quit because I was overreacting to everything at work, which was definitely not a vibe... My practitioner told me it was just a sign of all the old baggage from the past being purged from my system, but honestly, I just can't afford to be in that unstable state right now...

I've also been trying reflexology (you know, those foot massages that target different points)... It helps calm me down in the moment, but the effect doesn't really last. It’s way better than regular body massages, which honestly just seem to make my skin look great lately, haha...

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread...

I'm in the exact same boat... I nail the asanas, but I still can't relax at the end. Honestly, I think it's just a matter of practice. That you have to push harder and eventually it'll get better. It's the same for me; once all the stress passed, the symptoms started manifesting, and it's been a year and a half and it just won't go away. I also have that sense of total apathy... As for homeopathy, I haven't tried it; to be honest, I don't even know what it is. 😕

So, I’m guessing you’re speaking from personal experience here?

It pops up once in a while... but not all that often. Does it have anything to do with nausea?

Eric Wright29 said:That's how panic attacks present themselves alongside acid reflux. It could be that GERD is triggered by anxiety, which then sets off a feedback loop.

To know for sure, I actually just wrote about this on another thread...

Has anyone else here actually tried yoga? I gave it a shot, but honestly, I just can't seem to fully unwind, though it really is a wonderful practice nonetheless 🙂

Waiting 😉