#YEA I HAVE A THERAPIST WHO IS TRAINED SPECIFICALLY IN DID SO | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

stinkrascal · 5 months

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A couple things I was wondering is how did you figure out you had BPD? I know there's a couple disorders that can often get diagnosed beforehand, so I guess how did you know there was more going on? Secondly, what kind of therapy do you feel was the most helpful, if any? I have issues keeping a therapist because they tuxedo mask away after realizing I already have CBT down (which only kind of helps me). Thank you for being open about BPD! I feel like there's so much unnecessary stigma.

hiiiiii!! sorry i didnt reply yesterday i spent all day writing my silly sims stories 😴 i will talk about my experience under the cut!! ty for being curious about it!! <3

umm tbh i was diagnosed in a really weird way lol. so, like, where i went to high school was a really conservative and religious town, and when i was a freshman in high school i was one of the only trans/lgbt kids that was vocally out at my school. there were more of them, my friend group was basically all lgbt ppl, but i was the only person in my school who would demand staff to call me a different name/use different pronouns. but anyways so my lgbt friend group was being bullied pretty badly so our school hired this counselor training in lgbt issues that would talk to us individually about our experiences as lgbt kids who were bullied and such. it was actually really cool you know! but anyways i was one of the students who had to participate in this and the lady who was talking to me realized that i was, like, a really troubled kid lol. and on top of that i was failing all my classes and i had been struggling in school my entire life (like consistently making report cards with at least 5/7 of the classes being failed type of shit) sooooo they basically had this like idk meeting with my parents? where they were super adamant that they take me to a doctor and put me into therapy bc i was struggling really badly and yeah. after that my parents put me into therapy and got in touch w a doctor and i got some treatment and eventually a bpd diagnosis. but yea it only happened cuz of my school forcing them to take me ha.

the truth is i didn't really suspect anything was wrong with me because the way i grew up, i thought everyone acted like me 🤷‍♂️ i think the only time i started really thinking i might have bpd was when i got my first boyfriend at 16, that's when my codependency and attachment issues really started to manifest, and those have always consistently been the bpd symptoms i struggle the most with. but even back then i didn't really know what bpd was, so it wasn't like i was specifically thinking i was suffering w bpd. more so that i knew something was Off about me but i couldn't really explain what it was

unfortunately i haven't gone to therapy in a long time :( and the last time i went it wasn't for bpd treatment at all. so i really can't say what could help you there in terms of therapy. i did group therapy during my bpd treatment but it didn't really help me much.

you're probably not gonna like this answer lmao but i use weed to medicate my intense mood swings and that helps a lot. also just being able to recognize when i need to cool off and being able to use my words to tell ppl that i need to be alone for a minute to clear my head, that helps too. basically just being mindful of ur changing emotions and giving yourself room to feel those emotions and allow them to pass u, without feeling guilt for this, and without projecting those emotions onto other ppl bc at the end of the day it isn't really anyone else's fault that u feel the way you do.

also just try to give ppl the benefit of the doubt in general, ik my bpd makes me SO sensitive like for example. ik we make jokes about this but you guys im not kidding, my favorite mutual reblogging a post from someone else instead of me hurts my feelings so bad some days i have to just log off and go cry about it. CRY ABOUT IT YOU GUYS! it's really awful and totally not grounded in reality 😭 but like it's there, it's something i experience and deal with, and it isn't anyone's fault that it happens, it's just the cards i was dealt with.

so instead of projecting that feeling onto my beloved mutuals and being like Ohhhhh so you actually hate me! You actually want me to kill myself! You've actually never cared about me ever, person I've had two conversations with in total! yeah instead of working myself up for something so silly... i just try to put myself in other ppls shoes, try to remember that when i do things it is not with malicious intent and most people are also not doing things with malicious intent. bc for me, my bpd tends to dehumanize ppl... they arent people with nuance and depth and complex and at times contradictory lives, theyre my Favorite Person, person who does no wrong, person who could never do any wrong no matter how hard they try, and that's dehumanizing, that's unfair to the person!! so by humanizing the other person, by remembering we are all people with rich inner lives and struggles and most of us just want to do our best even when we slip and fall... it helps calm me down from those spirals where im like, ohhhhh god everyone hates me because they didn't reblog a text post from meeeee!!! lol

#jade answers #Anonymous

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unagrancantidaddepanes · 2 years

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LITTLE MY!!!!!!!!!!!

#LITTLE MY #WE LOVE TO SEE A QUEEN #I WANTED TO VAGUELY TRY SHADING AND TONES BECAUSE I LITERALLY NEVER DO THAT FGYFTYDRFTGYH #ALSO I WAS TIRED OF DRAWING WITH PENCILS LMAO #moomin #moominvalley #little my continues to be incredible #ALSO I INTERGRATED YESTERDAY?????#I HAVE DID #NOT THAT I SHOULD NEED TO LIKE PROVE IT OR ANYTHING BUT A LOT OF SYSTEMS ARE GETTING FAKECLAIMED RN SO #YEA I HAVE A THERAPIST WHO IS TRAINED SPECIFICALLY IN DID SO #I DIDNT JUST TAKE SOME RANDOM BUZZFEED QUIZ AND CALL IT A DAY IF U KNOW WHAT I MEAN #LIKE ITS VERY OBVIOUS TO MY THERPIST WHO IS YKNOW. SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO HANDLE PATIENTS WITH DID.#ANYWAYS THE POINT IS I MAY BE HAVING AN IDENTITY CRISIS BUT THE LITTLE MY FANRT WAITS FOR NO ONE #JK THE POINT IS IF I LIKE IDK??? TALK SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT????? THATS WHY #OR MY ART STYLE MIGHT CHANGE SLIGHTLY IDK???? WAS IT EVEN CONSISENT BEFORE LMAO-#JUST SHIT LIKE THAT #ALSO TO CLARIFY INTEGRATION IS WHEN 2 ALTERS STOP DISSOCIATING FROM EACHOTHER AND BECOME 1 ALTER/PERSON AGAIN #YEA #I WASNT REALLY PLANNING ON BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE ONLY ONE OF US USES THIS BLOG BUT I AM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSON NOW?????#SO I FELT LIKE IDK MAYBE I SHOULD MEANTION THAT AT LEAST SOMEWHERE?????????#art moment

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vodid · 3 years

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(sup I'm tossing this your way with no explanation aside from *feels*, and it sorta devolved into more well thought out thoughts later on turning this into a full ass ramble that may or may not make sense???)

Mmmmmm ok so I have a sorta plot bunny with Jazz being under the effects of some sort of mind altering drug and is paranoid as shit/coming across as very deadly to any threat he perceives, and doesn't really recognize anyone around him.

And Prowls just there talking him down and reasoning out his paranoia (not once making him feel like what he's going through isnt real, and is listening to what the other is saying/doing what he wants) until he feels safe.

(low-key wanting to make this their first meeting; neither Jazz or Prowl are as highly ranked as they would be one day. Early days of the war, with so many unknowns and doubts and horrors all around- because it is all knew to them. Not knowing what is safe anymore and just constantly running.

In most iterations Jazz comes from a civilian background where Prowl comes from some line of law enforcement. Prowl would be specifically trained to help de-escalate a situation and in both first aid as well as phycology/therapy enough to recognize what's going on.

And maybe i change my idea midwriting this ask and give Jazz undiagnosed PTSD, that flares up really badly after a long stint of undercover work, who's been trying his damn hardest to hide any sorts of there being anything wrong with him. Because to him there's worse shit going on everyday around him and bots all around him are dealing just fine (lmao they're not), so he just has to toughen up. Jazz is the life of the party! Nobody needs whatever he's going through (and he doesn't even know what's going on, he just thinks he knows how to handle things). Prowl catching him in a very catatonic state of mind after instigating a fight in the common room and fleeing before anyone can call him out on anything.

And like, it's shitty and there is a lot of tough mental health hurdles but it ends with Prowl and Jazz just being there for each other and helping each other out. (And it doesn't end with Jazz being magically being fully healed, but learning healthy coping mechanisms and managing his mental health better. AND still becoming Optimus's right hand man with PTSD.)

Like. Sorta want to dive into something that, at least from what I've seen, hasn't been touched upon much in the fandom; mental health at it's toughest and most non cinematic ways? The ups and downs that come along with it?

I've seen Jazz characterized as a bot with many masks- start taking them off then what?

(I also remember a sorta popular fanon Smokescreen who was the Arks therapist? I'm taking that and rolling bby; let's get some therapy for these bots.)

(ahaha noooo this isn't after reading a 170 ch fic dealing with so many similar topics from another fandom and being like ah yes. This but in transformers!)

(but on reality yea this plot sorta is from that fic. It dealt with so many mental health things, and it was heavy. But it was also so good? And properly researched. I kinda want to write this just to get these ideas fully flushed out)

i don't know whats more impressive, the idea or the length of this ask. how did you not run out of characters?????? you are magic

i love the headcanon where jazz isn't as okay as he seems, that he masks his problems and suffers alone. that he's the strong shoulder for many, leaving very few bots for him to turn to when he needs a shoulder. and perhaps that bot isn't someone who ever relied on him before, who has been their own shoulder (if that makes sense) prowl is a strong and composed commander, everyone turns to him when things go awry. the same may apply for jazz's mental health

on a side note about the fandom, i would love to explore mental health in my work, but i'm not someone who understands it very well. i don't even understand myself that well, and i'm sure some long-time followers can confirm haha i have seen a few fics touch upon mental health, including ptsd, but you're right. they're few and far in between

i think it could make for some very good character development (in terms of jazz going from suffering alone to seeking help) and angst/comfort. if you're gonna write this, i say go for it. do as much research as possible and go ham

i'd love to read this if it becomes reality

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robinruns · 4 years

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Should I write something more about my race today?

So my anxiety about the whole thing stemmed from how a year ago I was on my way to a race and hit a deer and totalled my car. The whole process of dealing with the situation with the body shop and insurance was such a fuuuuuucking mess that I went from being like "yea, I might have depression, but it's not unbearable, whatever" to like the absolute lowest lows I have ever been at mentally. I mean it was so fucking bad and for the longest time I just thought this is how life is, or it'll pass. But it didn't, it got worse until I went for help. I'll forever be thankful for @maria-the-ghoul for helping me with that.

Cut to this week Mondat when I saw the sign up for this socially distanced trail run series. I was like cool, I could do this. And then the next morning I woke up and was like nope nope nope, gonna hit a deer, gonna have the same thing happen, gonna be a bad time, cannot do it. I talked to my therapist that morning and she was like, I think its really important you do this race, partially because you are a runner who has not gotten to race and because if you don't face this, you're gonna develop a total block about driving in September and that's not good.

So I went back and forth on it all week until I finally signed up on Thursday. It really wasn't the covid risk I was scared of, it was what if I hit a deer again, what if I get there too late and they tell me I can't run it because the waves are very specific so that no greater than 10 people go out in the same wave, what if I get lost on the trail, what if I forget how to run, what if I have to walk. Basic runner anxiety stuff.

I got there about 9:15, I had registered for a 9:30 start time. I got my bib, hung out until 9:30 and took off. No one else was in the corral with me, so I was still nervous about getting lost, but the trail was well marked.

The first mile was really up and down, I'll be very curious to see my Strava stats on the elevation changes over that first mile. I also quickly learned the difference between road shoes and trail shoes. If it had been wet, I woulda been sliding down the hills. Is this enough to justify me getting trail shoes? Hmm

Miles 2 and 3 were much flatter but my times were slower, as all shade was gone and it was open prairie and I was a bit overdressed. I thought capris and a tshirt would have been good, but shorts woulda been better in hindsight. By the time I was finishing that last .1 I was spent. It's been a long time since I've felt like I left it all out there on a run, but I certainly did today.

I'm still not seeing official results up yet, but my watch says 3.22 miles in 30:50.3 for a 9:35 pace. My splits were fairly even at 9:28, 9:36, and 9:47 so I'm pleased with that as well. I guess knowing I have 2 more races at Badger Prairie, I can pace myself better with those hills in mile 1 so I have more left in the tank for the flats in the last few miles. Also gonna be hitting the hill training going forward.

Will I be a trail runner by the end of the fall? Time will tell, but in the meantime I'm gonna keep taking races where I can get em.

#running #fall trail race series #keep running

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halfusek · 6 years

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BATIM SPOILERS AHEAD

SECRET MESSAGES FROM CHAPTERS 1 - 5

With a sort of analysis/shitposting on my side? Yea.

Chapter 1

There is like two walls with these, that’s a lot. Is he... aware from the beginning now? I mean someone’s crossing this and Henry is implied to be leaving these messages so...?

Choose your fighter.

Ok wow harsh. Haven’t you seen all these cool AUs in his house?

Also can I just point out how... Joey... literally... drew... the Studio...

Oh, my bad.

He drew STUDIOS. Because the damn thing keeps happening over and over again.

Oh fuck if that’s the case then that is clever. I made puns about him drawing the studio before, wish I did something with it before Chapter 5 dropped, that would be hilarious to look back at fvdfjkvnfkj

That’s just depressing. But like... yeah...

Wow Henry you must be a proud mom now

Hey remember when DAGames played Chapter 4 and was interrupting Alice Angel’s monologue by telling her to stop watch him poop

It spells “There never was a choice.” (never underlined)

Those messages are either hilarious or straight up depressing.

It’s... kinda sweet how Henry from the past (pasts) helps his future self (selfs). And encourages.

I’m pretty sure she’s got many hearts in her stock.

STOP WATCHING ME POOP

Henry what the fuck

The falling human made out of the two Ls, the Y and the splatters above it-

Fuck.

GASPS NO WAY

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He is not the creator of the cartoons. He is the creator OF THIS WHOLE FUCKING STUDIO AND EVERYONE IN IT. Like it’s maybe a sort of obvious thought but when you let it sink in... damn

Rest of the chapters under the cut because it’s really long

Chapter 2

ARE THOSE IRL BODIES? YES? NO? SYMBOLS OF THEIR SOULS BEING TRAPPED HERE? WHAT???

Do you remember that? Or only slightly? Oh man. “I should have warned him” thoughts and then you get a pissed off boy in Chapter 5.

COME ON NOW

Ok. How. How did you write anything there. When. The only time he’s aware would be right after Sammy hits him with the dustpan. So is he like fainting and writing it? So he wouldn’t be able to write anything else like SAMMY IS GOING TO KNOCK YOU OUT WITH A FUCKING DUST PAN because yeah he’s passing out so it’s just... OUCH! Also to confirm this he is facing the way he’s facing when he’s on the floor. God that’s both shitposty and depressing. Nice.

Henry don’t be a dick

So you do sing 👀

I wonder how Henry figured out walking backwards to not trigger the Demon here and write this specific message. Also is Joey behind those closed doors because there’s the whistling.

Is he cooking

Chapter 3

Oh, hi.

Excuse me what

Henry is a Jacksepticeye fan confirmed

Joey is a man of ideas... and only ideas.

Which is why he created a studio, an OC based on a person he has a one sided crush on (me) from who he stole and claimed their OC as his, also made that stolen OC a thing and then made both of the OCs fight in an infinite loop in the massive studio which is behind his kitchen.

This both has a literal meaning but is also like a deeper general thought Henry do you want Joey to create a therapist OC you seem to have some problems

Why do these coffins hurt so much

Who are you asking Henry because Alice sure won’t fucking read that And why won’t you just write it with regular ink why you gotta do it like this

Why does he keep this thing secret? Did he make it? Probably since he’s the one leaving the messages Hmm

I fucking wheezed.

But also imagine Alice just giving her speech and Henry writing something on the wall with his finger Unless he doesn’t write that in a literal sense but like... spiritually Huh

THEY HAD DRINKS TOGETHER AND JOEY WAS PAYING FOR THEM AWW

He’s so fucking gay I swear to fucking gods.

Let’s hop on the existential crisis train, choo, choo.

How can you be kind to people who try to murder you

But this. This. Is such a good fucking work/life thought like damn. I love this game for those.

But are those just some thoughts Henry wanted to get out of his head or does it have something to do with the game because I’m kinda getting pacifist/neutral/genocide route vibes from this. But it it’s not the case it’s still pretty neat, we do meet them, we just don’t have the choice to treat them in some way most of the times.

It’s on level 14 and damn you game damn you yet again. I guess it can also be applied to that moment when The Projectionist is reaching out for Henry who is hidden in the Miracle Station? Like we don’t know what to expect of him because he had that small moment of realisation of... something. And he is also one of Henry’s “old friends”.

Is Is Ink Demon killing The Projectionist a symbol of Joey’s jealousness like Norman: *reaching out in curiosity, maybe to help* Joey: >:( my fren

Chapter 4

Thanks. Roll credits. So Chapter 4 is intentionally pointless in the terms of Henry trying to save Boris. THAT’S FUCKING SAD STOP IT

NOT. MY. DOG. YOU. BITCH.

So Henry is catching up. Joey does regret all that shit he did. I wonder how exactly does it tie here, with Bertie. Maybe that theory I had about Bendy Land being Hell for Bendy? :0c I don’t really think so but that’s a thought.

I’m losing my shit.

Okay that seems like another woke thought.

Henry can’t change not being able to save Boris.

Joey can’t change all of his mistakes. But Joey is the one making it happen over and over again so it might be slightly pointed at him?

Like, pal. Stop dwelling on your mistakes. Move on. Let me the fuck out.

This game is really heavy with this problem:

Move towards your goal, hope, believe, dream, don’t give up. Well actually do if it’s like super hard.

????? This is such a deep uuhhh analysis of this like one of most basics functions of how we people fucking work and live, what keeps us going. Holy shit I am IN LOVE with that.

But oof yeah Henry was and IS the one good at pushing Joey to do the right thing. Man...

Instead of trying to cheer you up lemme just write this message you can’t read real quick.

THAT WHOLE FUCKING THING WAS POINTLESS AND I’M LOWKEY MAD

;_; holy lord sweet baby jesus

Can Henry like be fine fun concept Meatly please

I suggest giving this a read if you as I weren’t familiar with that expression https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/09/23/heels/

Of course it’s a pun on “Time heals all wounds” expression. The word “heels” there refers to contemptible people. Earliest citation: 1934 and it got more popular around that time till something around the 50s-60s according to that website at least. Neat.

That is interesting. I guess we can associate the door with Joey as well since Henry warns himself not to go through them? And the Demon drags Projectionist’s corpse through them. Sorta against his will, heeeeeeh.

They look like they could be interactive but I dunno :0c

Oh, yeah. That two-faced motherfucker. That’s my bitch.

HE GAVE THEM FUCKING NAMES

Chapter 5

I feel like it was kinda exaggerated. Henry they like saved your life twice or so, how salty can you be

OKAY LET ME TELL YOU ONE FUCKING THING

AT FIRST WHILE PLAYING I THOUGHT JOEY WROTE THOSE BECAUSE

I mean why the fuck would they drop this star outta nowhere AND HE IS EXTRA LIKE THIS

But then again there’s this “Don’t go through the door”

Unless Joey did contact him through this as well? But I’m assuming it only because of the stars vfnjksd Idk I like when symbols actualy uhhh symbolise something

ALSO YOU KNOW WHAT’S INTERESTING

This is pointing at ANOTHER way. Without the boat. Possibly the Valued Employee (take the long walk) achievement?

I would check it right fucking now but my saves are fucked and I would have to replay everything again and I’m just too tired hhhh

Also Valued Employee does sound like someone who listens to their boss right?

And I’m getting the impression it’s not all Henry’s writing because it seems as if there is a different personality present? Idk

That sounds like sort of both of them. Joey is cheering for Henry, even if he’s planning to make him go through all of this again. Does he... have to make him go through it? That’s a bit odd. Joey nani the fuck.

I like the idea of Joey saying this ok lemme dream vskjvnskjvs

But it could be Henry (past/present/whatever) trying to cheer himself up like he did with the “Don’t be scared” message (if that was also him)

Oh, Henry...

Once people That implies that real people got somehow affected, right?

I love the halo and the bone, also you can see the bone only if you give it to Boris in Chapter 3

Wait It is The whole fucking Ink Machine Is inside Holy

A cooking gay.

Ink Demon/Joey parallel implication. I don’t think he is Bendy in a straight up sense though. He is/was a soulless boss, just how soulless Bendy was/is. I wonder if there is a studio version of him or HHHHHH complicated stuff

Is it like When people create something good but they just don't know when to stop it eventually ends up really bad And the Demon took The End so his cartoon couldn't be finished and it all had to keep going, Joey had to keep going Hm?

So like there is no message on Henry’s second desk

But it does trigger the same dialogue AND IT HURTS

Actually a lot of people missed the arrows so just so you know

But I thought we don’t like doors

Also it’s the last hidden message so I do believe it has a special meaning

CONCLUSION get Henry outta here and give him loads of therapy

Is his fucking last name Stein because he made monsters via the Ink Machine by powering it goddamnit Joey don’t trick people into creating that shit

#bendy and the ink machine #batim spoilers #bendy and the ink machine spoilers #chapter 5 spoilers #halfpost #long post #long fucking post #oh my

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themeed · 3 years

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well i managed to crawl out for a month but uh. last night was a big trigger fest.

went to my friends with another friend. they complimented me on my weight loss and said it was obvious i had lost a shitton. (which. like 20 pounds, yeah, i... guess thats a lot but its not Enough).

other friend struggled w ed in middle school. their mom made some Comments recently and now they're uncomfy and they asked about weight loss. friend we were visiting said they could stand to lose maybe 15 or 20 pounds if they wanted, but they certainly dont qualify as fat.

which. is the same amount as they congratulated me on.

we all compared body types and fat content. comments on our thighs and stomachs and backs and chests.

and i am now. wearing my comfort hoodie. watching youtbe. dissociating. ive had 630 calories today because i know i cant restrict super hard so fast. i smiled this morning after skipping dinner and waking up hungry, that lovely hunger that aches but doesn't hurt. you know you could eat but you're not Hungry hungry even if you can feel your empty stomach. its... a good feeling.

im gonna have a sandwich and some ice cream for my second and final meal for the day and itll probably be some... 430 cal, ending around 1060 for the day.

gods. i want to go to sleep. i want to lie down and waste away.

on the way home a song from my mental loop playlist came on. then one from a self harm perspective. my friend and i listened to an anxiety vent playlist. scream sang the whole way. it didnt help. made it worse?

maybe.

im not doing so hot. im worried about my job status too. and rent and my dads birthday.

i think im gonna go pass out. this totally counts as my journal for the new List Of Organization.

i pasted it on my freezer fridge door.

ive made progress recently, in terms of philosophy and uncovering and understanding my issues. responsibility and suicidal thoughts and attachment issues and how much im hurting and have been hurt and dissociation as a coping mechanism for mental and emotional abuse and then as an anxiety mechanism too. and to cope with school and the boredom and not being able to do what i want and the lack of freedom.

i dont know if ill ever get to the point where i uncover why i hate not being free in my own definition. like thats such a core part of who i am and i am terrified of that being rooted in abuse. if i dont value freedom who am i? but also... i think ive always valued freedom. i think how i approach it has changed. when i was small i didnt care about the opinions of others and their actions or anything. but here i am now caring a Lot. and part of that is... in later elementary, from then on, peoples opinions and words started precluding actions that infringed on my routines and worldview. and then it scaled into full on abuse by my mother. words started mattering a whole FUCKING lot, and actions as well. words had to be careful, actions could be covered up with the right motive and words. a tool for power and put downs. and i hated it and feared it.

and when i started fearing others, noticed how i wasnt free to Be anymore... i started panicking and dissociating and i couldnt handle NOT being me so i stopped.

i stopped being me because i couldnt stand to see me destroyed or warped or killed by the spirits of envy and hatred all around me.

that makes it sound so poetic, but i was scared and it was terrible and awful and scary. and i cant say i regret it because im still not me.

ill never be the same me again. im not even fully me of now.

freedom is. so important to me. it sucks that that was put in jeopardy. that a singular sun in my world was destroyed on someone else's whims, for someone else's COMFORT. as if the mind of child is something okay to smother when they disagree with you.

fuck that. i hate her. i hate this. i hate that this happened. i hate that im not me. i cant hate myself. i cant even be myself and i hate that fact its frustrating.

im making progress but i dont know if i can even hit a point where i comfy enough to be me. if i can reach an understanding with the others and stope fearing. if theyll ever stop being frustrated with me long enough for us to effectively communicate. if we can. if its fair for me to expect or ask explanations for emotions and rules. if its okay. if ill ever be okay again.

im crying now.

im gonna get some water and curl up.

just asked that we all have access to this journal here in the system. i.

im scattered. hey, more progress ig.

insight, at least.

i need a therapist but i dont know if im willing to trust someone with all of these innermost thoughts and ideas and the backstory. i dont know if i can trust a strangers judgement.

what if they call me a liar and call it a day?

yea we can just move on and find a new therapist. it will hurt though. leave us with more issues. devastating to be invalidated by someone with a license. like yea the system has issues and all and you cant guarentee people dont have bias or are otherwise a good fit or even fit for the job every time. it still sucks that i have to go into this with that uncertainty. it makes it harder and easier, i think, to know that. therapists are imperfect, theyre people just like you and me. i just. thats more comforting than i thought it would be. i thought realizing they were professionals meant like. their word has to be taken as holy or some shit. no it doesnt theyre people. theyre trained, but quality control is questionable and bias is extensive and training is sometimes pretty niche. i need to look for someone specifically trained in like. 4 or 5 things. like. anxiety, depression, borderline, osdd/did, autism, add/adhd, possibly ocd, and DEFINITELY cptsd. i dont know what exactly i have but i know i have more than one and i kinda need to work through a shitton and find out whats UP. seriously. i might need medication. id like to try cbt/dbt first and work on integration/personal identity first. but holy SHIT.

im not mentioning ed beyond In The Past if i can help it ahfjfsgkf. like ed i have in hand. i know its a way to feel in control because im afraid of the world and also to approach the body i want, fulfill society standards in a way i wish i didnt care at all about but i do care at least a little despite my denial, and to combat dysphoria/prepare for top surgery.

gods above. im kinda fucked up huh. like more at once than i think is possible and i might be giving myself more issues if i dont handle my new job in a healthy way.

fuck.

anyway. yeah. im back. im not better than ever but im making progress. todays a bad mental health day so far. i want to lose another 10 pounds before i see a therapist just in case. if they say i should try losing weight i am going to glare flatly and absolutely spill how much ive lost but not the timeline or ed habits. but yknow. 165 or so before starting? puts me solidly in the Chubby At First Glance But Not Super Overweight category.

me and my friends also tried to weigh my tits the other day. kitchen scale and leaning down put them at 4.5 lbs each, theyre big enough to try, but thats probably an understimation by like, 40% just by sheer volume. thats like. 10, 15 pounds minimum of boob weight. i want it gone. gone. away please. off my body. no tits or an A cup. and an A cup is highly unlikely so full top it is.

gods. okay ive gone on long enough im going to get water and lay down now. im still dissociating pretty heavily.

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slrlounge1 · 5 years

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11 Fitness Tips & Tricks To Battle Wedding/Production Day Hangover

Health and wellness is a consideration every professional photographer should take into account to be the best possible versions of themselves. As photographers, we can find ourselves in odd positions or hiking miles for the perfect photos. Add in the additional weight of the photographic gear we carry and the hours we many times will be carrying it, and you have the perfect storm for soreness, fatigue, and what we in the wedding industry call a “Wedding Hangover.”

Learning how to combat the dreaded post-shoot fatigue is something every photographer can benefit from, regardless of niche. I’ve caught up with some of the best photographers in the industry and asked them how they battle this very real issue, so check out what these photographers had to say on how they keep themselves in the best shape to create the amazing photos you’ll find from them below. I hope their answers will inspire all of us to continue to work to be the best versions of ourselves for not only our clients and our livelihoods, but for ourselves as well!

Anna Nguyen Stratton – Website | Instagram

Don’t ever forget that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. You should try to take care of both so that you are performing at your absolute best. It can take a huge toll creatively if your mind is feeling weighed down by the stress of running a business and emotionally being there for your clients. A few ideas that have worked well for me in the past is journaling, taking an electronics/social media break, seeing a therapist, and getting monthly massages (this is two-fold benefits!). There are lots of ways to take time for yourself, find the one that works best for you! I also find that clearing my system of sugary drinks or caffeine until the 11th hour (haha) on a wedding day (that little bit of soda for that extra push!) with drinking lots of water (at least half your body weight in oz) 2-3 days and on the day of the wedding not only keep me from becoming dehydrated, getting tired faster, but it also helped clear my mind so I could be creative. I pack with me a 30oz bottle with a straw built in that I drink from on the day of and I refill as necessary.

Jared Gant – Website | Instagram

A little over two years ago, I cut all refined sugar and nearly all sugar from my diet. This single adjustment has changed my health (and, without being overly dramatic, my life). My energy level, ability to focus, quality of sleep, among other things have all benefited. I don’t find wedding days to be physically difficult, but what I struggle with is a sore back from sitting at my desk for hours editing and completing other photography-related tasks. I have found that getting up at least once an hour and moving around, paired with 10-15 min of stretching daily, has drastically minimized that discomfort. This is something that anyone could do. Additionally, I enjoy lifting free weights. For less than $100, you can buy a simple set and work out where and when you want. They’re inexpensive, portable, and really you can keep a set in your office and knock out a few sets whenever you have time.

Brian Mullins – Website | Instagram

I’m in my 40’s and in my 14 years spent as a photographer, I’ve suffered 2 torn rotator cuff injuries (partial tears) from shooting too much. One of my tears came from working out TOO much and not giving myself enough rest. The other came from simply overshooting and overworking. Both injuries boiled down to one simple thing, not taking care of myself and listening to my body. I’ve found there is no magic bullet for staying in shape but one thing holds true, everything in moderation.

Let’s face it, wedding photography is a physically (and mentally) taxing career. If you don’t adequately prepare for its rigors and listen to what your body is telling you, it will make the choice for you and prevent you from working.

For me, a good diet including lots of veggies, good clean sources of protein, LOTS of water (half my body weight in oz daily) and watching the caffeine intake (which admittedly is a problem). There are some weekends where I will shoot 3-8 hour weddings back to back. It’s amazing how much better I feel on morning #2 and even morning #3 simply by changing my diet. I’m still absolutely wrecked at the end of those weekends but functional. Compared to before where I would literally need a day to recover.

Exercise is really different for each person. I’ve hit the weights, run 5k’s, kickboxing and even just tried being “active”. Every time I’ve been injured it’s from going too far into one thing. Balance really is key, especially as you get older. So now I run a couple of times a week, hit the weights a couple times a week and kickbox the others. If I’m feeling really run down or weak, I’ll still go but won’t push myself.

Citlalli Rico – Website | Instagram

I had to change my diet drastically 4 years ago and started working with my beloved nutritionist who gave me an awesome recipe for a “day after wedding” smoothie. It works like magic:

2 cups of spinach 1 or 2 bananas 1 teaspoon of peanut butter 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed 1 tablespoon of vegetarian protein powder

It helps your body and your brain after a long day of intense thinking and moving.

Vanessa Joy – Website | Instagram

I do yoga! Yoga specificities for Photographers actually. It targets exactly where my problem areas are and strengths and stretches them. There are tons you can do by my fav is the Post Wedding Hangover that you can find right here!

Amii & Andy Kauth – Website | Instagram

Besides chasing 5 children around every day? We have a well-equipped garage gym (used to do CrossFit back in the day), train jiu-jitsu, and eat clean (mostly). We’re also getting back into snowboarding this winter + surfing in 2019! We’re in our upper 30s (Amii)/low 40s (Andy), and we think we’re 20 … probably act like it too (more often than not). We attribute it all to: regular exercise, eating well, and having positive attitudes.

Megan Allen – Website | Instagram

As a wedding photographer, I used to have the most brutal, hit-by-a-mack-truck wedding hangovers the day after a wedding. I was sore, emotionally tapped out, and it really took a full 24 hours for me to feel back to “normal” after a wedding day. Coming from being a collegiate athlete to having my butt kicked by a single day event was a wakeup call for me for my overall health, not just on the wedding days, but every day. I found myself getting winded on adventure shoots with my couples, and I realized, if I want them to climb a mountain with me, I have to be able to physically climb the mountain myself, and not be a health risk in the process! After a year of struggling, I really examined myself, my goals personally and for my business, and hired a personal trainer. He got me on the right track in both the gym and nutrition (spoiler alert: when you’re 30+, you can’t eat the cookie dough at midnight like you did when you were 20 and running 3+ miles a day for basketball), and I began to feel completely different, both on wedding days and every day. I now work out with weights 4-5x a week, focusing on a different area each day, as well as a few days of cardio, be it stairs, the treadmill, or a bike. Nutritionally, I watch my macro intake, choosing to go for a high protein diet that allows me to fuel my days in a solid manner, and not just go for that 5th cup of coffee to spur the next 3 hours. I’ve felt a huge shift in my ability to move and stay engaged on a wedding day, and I also don’t feel the wedding hangover blues nearly as much — it has to be one heck of a wedding for me to be sore the day after now!

Shivani Reddy – Website | Instagram

As photographers, we are on our feet anywhere from 10-20 hours. This has horrible consequences for our several parts of our body and requires some TLC to alleviate the pain. After you’ve come back home and showered, (hopefully that is part of your post-shooting routine), lie in bed on your back and elevate your legs so the blood rushes down. Flex and point your toes to roll your feet in clockwise & counter-clockwise movements. Then, flex and grab the arch of your foot and pull it down towards your chest. I learned this trick from years as a dancer, being on my feet and placing immense pressure on them for hours on end. Stretching all over is always a good idea (yoga is golden for post-shooting days!), especially if you are carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders and back!

Sean LeBlanc – Website | Instagram

To stay fit throughout the year, I play ice hockey twice a week. I grew up playing hockey (almost made it to minor pro) and have a love for the game. Hockey provides a great cardio workout and really helps clear your mind while having a lot of fun with good friends and colleagues. My wife and I both run our businesses from home and have two young busy boys so we get up early to get our workouts and hockey games into our schedule. My wife will stay home with the boys while I head to the hockey rink for a 6:45AM game and vice versa (except my wife hits the gym). Then when I get home I feel energized and ready to tackle the day.

Pye Jirsa – Website | Instagram

Wedding and production days are one-part creative, and one-part construction worker. They are grueling days that would leave me with back injuries, shoulder pain, and aching knees. Interestingly, it all went away with strength training. In 2014 I decided to make a lifestyle change by eating clean and regularly doing HIIT. Within months, the back injuries vanished, I felt light on my feet, and I could lift significantly more weight without tiring. The day after, or even night after production, I could still go running for miles. Today, here’s what my regiment looks like:

1. Sunday Meal Prep (low-fat/low-carb) 2. Mon (Chest/Back), Tues (Legs), Wed (Shoulders/Arms), Thurs (Core) 3. Yoga 1-2x per week for flexibility/recovery

Eric Talerico – Website | Instagram

This year I will be 40 and I’ve never felt better in my life. Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the past 7 years has taught me a lot about myself and my health. I know how far I can push my body before it breaks, literally, and how to prepare for extremely physical days that are required of a wedding photographer. Through much trial and error, I’ve learned that good health is a lifestyle, not a quick fix, and I feel best when adhering to a few basic principles. The first, and most important, is getting enough rest. I shoot for 8 hours every night, especially the days before weddings. I discovered that I am much more creative when well rested, which is important when you are a creative professional. Second is a healthy diet. Over the years I cut out processed foods, preservatives, vegetable oils, refined sugars and refined carbs from my diet. I also eat organic and natural if that option is available and only drink water and coffee. It’s not easy, and I’m not going lie, I have my cheat days, but following this routine on a consistent basis has worked wonders for my overall health. I also do intermittent fasting which helps with those long weddings days when you don’t have an opportunity to eat. The last is engaging in physical activity. It’s not so much the type of activity that is important but rather finding something that you are passionate about. If you are passionate about a physical activity the health benefits will be the easy part. I find that maintaining these 3 principles help keep me in tip-top shape, especially for those long wedding days.

What are some of your favorite tips & tricks for battling post-shoot days?

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rachelthompsonauthor · 5 years

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Is it possible to balance PTSD and real life? It is, if you realize you have it, know what to look for, and get the help you need.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized, after dealing with migraines for over twenty years, they could somehow be related to the childhood sexual abuse (CSA) I experienced when I was eleven. No neurologist had ever asked about my past. Why would I think there would be a connection?

I started therapy in my mid-thirties for postpartum depression – my shrink was great. He helped me deal with the here and now of anxiety and depression. Triage, if you will. We eventually delved into my past and he diagnosed me as having PTSD from the CSA. (I wrote a post all about migraines and treatment here if you’d like to start with that post. That’s not what this post is about.)

You have to understand – I had no concept whatsoever why I hated crowds and noise, why going to Disneyland with my husband (at the time) and kids made me cry and tremble (it’s supposed to be the happiest place on earth, right?), or why slamming doors and drawers (my ex was a slammer) made me jump as if I were in a horror movie.

I pushed myself through these experiences for years, not realizing how much worse that made the hyper-vigilance. How would I know? While my shrink was helpful in many ways, we didn’t discuss a connection between PTSD and my current chronic pain.

Migraines have had such a huge effect on my life since my late-twenties — how can I not have known about this PTSD link? It’s mind-boggling.

Fast forward another ten years or so: I’ve written and released Broken Pieces (in 2013), moved to a new city, separated from my now ex-husband, and started seeing a new trauma-informed therapist who shows me all kinds of studies showing the link between PTSD and chronic pain. (Not every survivor of sexual trauma gets PTSD – typically, it’s anywhere from 30% to 50%; Source: Harvard School of Public Health).

Let’s talk more about PTSD, pain, and how to balance it all.

Defining PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is defined as a state of extreme anxiety and hypervigilance which begins after some type of traumatic experiences such as a rape, military combat, or natural disaster.

The symptoms of PTSD may include reliving the traumatic event over and over again, avoiding people or places that remind you of the trauma, or exhibiting symptoms of the flight or fight reaction. (Source: Very Well Mind.) (Freezing is also a natural response to trauma. To learn more about the three types of freezing, read this informative article from Jim Hopper, Ph.D. in Psychology Today.)

PTSD and Pain

It’s well-known that people with PTSD are at higher risk of heart disease, immune disorders, eating disorders, addiction, and depression. But did you know that we’re at higher risk of pain issues (e.g., migraines, back pain, fibromyalgia) as well? Most survivors don’t. I didn’t. In fact, most physicians and other health-care practitioners don’t know (or at least don’t ask about it when taking a patient’s history).

My own experience was fairly unique, in that I was a Big Pharma rep – I called on dozens of neurologists as a rep who treated migraines. I saw several as a patient. One, in particular, was ‘the guy’ – well-known internationally as The Migraine Doctor. Not once did he ask about my past or PTSD. Just threw a triptan* at me and said ‘if it works, you have migraines. If it doesn’t, you don’t. And don’t smoke. You’ll stroke out and die.’ Yea, charming.

*Triptans are formally known as serotonin receptor agonists. Triptan drugs work like a brain chemical called serotonin. This helps quiet down overactive pain nerves. In other words, triptans reverse the changes in your brain that caused your migraine.

Point is: with all of the training (and I sold neurology and migraine meds), with all my interactions with internists, neuros, GPs, FPs, nurses, PAs, etc., not once did we discuss past trauma as a connection to pain. This is major gap.

Tip: Find a physician you’re comfortable with, and tell him/her about your sexual trauma. I’m very open about it now with all my healthcare practitioners. They are welcoming, and it often changes their treatment plan.

Studies show that pain is one of the most common physical problems reported by people with PTSD. This finding holds true no matter what types of traumatic events they experienced—for example, a motor vehicle accident, physical assault, or combat injury. People with PTSD are also more likely to report pain-related disability.

In one study of volunteer firefighters with PTSD, approximately 50% were having pain (mainly back pain) compared with only about 20% of firefighters without PTSD.

In two other studies, from 20% to 30% of patients with PTSD had frequent and chronic pain symptoms.

You can also look at this situation in reverse: Many patients with chronic pain problems also have PTSD. In fact, from 10% to 50% of people getting treatment for chronic pain have PTSD as well. These rates of PTSD are higher than those found in the general population. (Source: VeryWellMind)

Why is this? Think about it. If you are tensed up due to hyper-vigilance, you may suffer from tension headaches which can lead to migraines *raises hand*. From this same article:

Some symptoms of PTSD may cause pain. For example, PTSD-related hyperarousal symptoms often cause tense muscle pain that can become chronic. More below on hyperarousal (and no, it’s not sexual, ya dirty creatures).

…and the light bulb goes on

Three Main Symptom ‘Groups’ of PTSD

PTSD is complicated. Though it can affect each person in many different ways, there are identifiable characteristics which are grouped in this way:

Re-experiencing: manifests as if we are reliving the event(s) through flashbacks, dreams/nightmares, or intrusive thoughts. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t experience some kind of flashback to when I abused as a child. The thoughts pop up out of nowhere during the course of my day.

Sometimes I expect them if I’m working on my books or poetry, or watching a movie or reading a book that has that kind of content. Most of the time, though, these flashbacks are unwanted visitors that come and go.

Very rarely do these flashbacks trigger me, and my guess is I’ve become so used to them, I just go on about my day. Once in a while, though, I will be triggered out of nowhere.

Tip: What triggers you may be different than what triggers me. Make note of past triggers and discuss with your therapist. Work through them IF you feel it’s okay. There is a vast difference between being upset and being triggered. Ignore social media’s definition. Trust your instincts.

Avoidance: is exactly what you think it means – consciously or subconsciously changing your behavior to avoid scenarios associated with the event(s) or losing interest in activities you enjoy. It can also mean ignoring our health and mental health needs because that would mean acknowledging or talking about our experiences, which can be so shameful and debilitating for many survivors, they’d rather suffer in pain than seek help.

Shame is powerful. So are you. Remember, you’ve done nothing wrong. If you’re in pain, get the help you deserve.

Hyperarousal: okay, buckle up for this one. Hyperarousal can take many forms. Here’s a list from Medical News Today:

find it hard to go to sleep or stay asleep

feel irritable and quickly lose their temper

find it hard to concentrate

constantly feel on-guard (hypervigilance)

be more impulsive than usual

feel like their muscles are more tense than usual

feel pain more easily

feel their heart beating faster than usual

feel jumpy and be startled easily

breathe more quickly or less deeply than usual

have flashbacks about a traumatic event

Hyperarousal can cause trouble sleeping, anger, concentration issues, and impulsiveness (as well as what I referred to earlier: avoidance and re-experiencing). Therapy can take many forms here and is so incredibly helpful in teaching us ways to cope with these issues.

Dissociation

Not all survivors experience dissociation, which experts explain as the mind escaping the body until the assault is over. I experienced it. I didn’t know because I didn’t have the language for it. I simply watched myself from a tree while the abuse occurred each time, waiting for it to be over. After that, I dissociated frequently throughout my childhood and teen years, mostly in times of stress, until I could do so on demand.

I still can – quite the party trick.

For me to dissociate without being aware is rare, though it happened recently this past summer at a small, local art gallery where my daughter interned. Hot, crowded, loud — I completely checked out mentally, yet I had no idea. I grew quiet, my eyes were glazed and unblinking as I rushed from here to there.

My guy figured it out and hustled me out of there, but even he didn’t recognize what happened at first except that I acted strangely. I didn’t have any way to tell him it was happening because I didn’t know myself.

Tip: Talk to those closest to you about dissociation. Tell them what happens when you dissociate so they can look for clues in case you’re unable to identify when you’re in it. Let people help you.

Triggers

What does it mean to be “triggered?” In recent years, people on the internet casually (and oftentimes, callously) refer to being triggered, particularly in response to political conversations. Beyond that, survivors themselves often confuse triggers with stress. Stress is a normal part of our everyday lives and everyone experiences stress; triggers are specifically associated with anxiety.

From a mental health perspective, being “triggered” more narrowly refers to the experience of people with PTSD re-experiencing symptoms of a traumatic event (such as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation) after being exposed to a trigger that is a catalyst or reminder. (Source: VeryWellMind)

It can be hard to tell the difference for survivors if you’re constantly in a state of anxiety and worry, and feel as if everything is a trigger for you. This is why seeking mental health services is crucially important. Most of us are ill-equipped to know the difference.

I’m not a shrink, yet here are some handy tips I’ve learned to use when faced with situations you’re not sure how to handle:

Is what’s bothering you somehow linked to your past abuse in some way? Is it causing a flashback, avoidance, or hypervigilance (as mentioned above)? Then that’s likely a trigger.

Alternatively, if you find yourself angry at what somebody said, that’s a normal stress reaction and you are likely not triggered. You are a normal human having a normal emotional reaction to stress.

Tip: Whenever you feel stressed out, write down what it is specifically that’s bothering you. Is it a daily activity, someone’s voice, specific foods, the time of day? Journaling can be extremely helpful in determining what is a stressor and what is a trigger.

There is a lot to manage when you have PTSD as a result of sexual trauma (or any kind of trauma). Don’t diagnose yourself. Get help. You deserve it. We all deserve it. We deserve love, compassion, and support.

And always remember: you did nothing wrong.

Read more about Rachel’s experiences in the award-winning book, Broken Pieces.

She goes into more detail about living with PTSD and realizing the effects of how being a survivor affected her life in

Broken Places, available now on Amazon.

The post How To Effectively Balance PTSD and Real Life appeared first on Rachel Thompson.

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topicprinter · 6 years

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Hi, I’m Manny. After going back to school, a few failed attempts and finally learning how to code myself, I’m finally officially launching Pocketcoach today: A chatbot for people who struggle with stress and anxiety. 🎉 Here’s how I did it and the lessons I’ve learned.For a long time, it bothered me that a topic as important as mental health isn’t getting the attention it should. It’s not taught in schools, not on the job, and only the luckiest among us learn from their parents what it takes to live a happy life.But mental health is a huge issue. Everybody on this planet is trying to live a happy life — one way or another. Nobody chooses to suffer. But so many of us are struggling with our mental health. It’s not as obvious as other problems because it can often be hard to see what’s going on inside a person. But it’s everywhere — whether we acknowledge it or not.I wanted to do something about that. It became clear, the only way to do this is going back to school again and get some psychology training. Specifically, I enrolled in the most fascinating course imaginable. Applied Positive Psychology. Instead of mainly focusing on what’s wrong with people, positive psychology is an umbrella term for research that wants to figure out what’s right with people, what makes them happy and what we can do to become happier. Learning all that was great and I really loved it but there’s this strange problem: All these interesting insights that could really help people in their daily lives didn’t really make it out of academia. Many academic papers are never even read by anyone except for their authors and journal editors. That’s what I wanted to change; I wanted to make all those fascinating insights and tools to live a better life available to as many people as possible. And the best way to do this, I thought, was to use technologyStep 1: Goal-coaching via WhatsApp. I started off with WhatsApp-based coaching to help people reach their goals. The idea was to text people twice a day — once in the morning and once in the evening — to help them set goals, check in with their progress, help overcome obstacles and everything else that’s important for reaching one’s goals. (There’s quite a bit of scientific research on this topic, and that can be really useful if you want to make a change in your life.) The goal was to learn about text-based coaching and then automate it. A nice idea but I ended up with a lot of conversations but no way to automate them at all.Messaging with each user twice a day cost me a lot of time. I also had to create graphics and gifs along the way, do marketing and go over old conversations to improve them. My early adopters were happy but this simply wasn’t a scalable solution. I couldn’t go on texting people every day for little money. It was a hard decision but I realized it was time to move on.Step 2: Typeforms to the rescue. I had also learned that you can’t just guide people through the same process regardless of whether they’re starting a business or want to lose weight. The obstacles, the timeframe and almost every other aspect of a conversation will be quite different. It might seem obvious, it wasn’t back then. At least not for me. Anyway, I decided to focus on the one goal that matters most: living a happy life. And where better to start than with those of us who are currently stressed, anxious and unhappy. From that point on, my focus was to help people build the skills to better cope with anxiety. There are scientifically-validated therapy approaches out there, but how could I make people learn the skills they’d learn in therapy if there was no therapist? I knew I had to make it both simple and engaging. And ideally, add a bit of fun. So here’s how that went: I created a series of lessons and exercises and wanted to bring them into an interactive format. Typeform was the perfect tool for this. In case you don’t know, Typeform is a form-building tool, probably the most elegant and beautiful solution out there. I had to re-purpose it but it worked. Was it interactive and fun? Well, kind of. Could have been better, that's for sure. All kinds of people tried it though— some even kept using it for a long time. But without the technical skills to take this to the next level (and without finding a co-founder who’d go along), I eventually hit the same road block as before. I had developed something that a handful of people liked — but nothing more. And I lacked the skills to improve what I had.Step 3: Do it yourself. At around the same time, Facebook opened its Messenger API for chatbots. I wanted to make use of this new platform but stick to the same concept (small but daily interactive lessons and exercises). That’s when Jemil, a friend in San Francisco who had just gone through a few months of training as a software engineer, agreed to help me get Pocketcoach off the ground. Next to his part-time job, he spent his free time building an initial version of the chatbot. He soon got a full-time job and was out of time but this really made me (finally!) realize: I needed to learn to code if I wanted to create something that really works! And that’s what I did. As Jemil’s version was built in JavaScript, that’s what I started with. I began to learn with freeCodeCamp. It’s simple and free, which was exactly what I wanted. I also started to go through online courses (mostly on Udemy), some of which are truly helpful. And yea, you can also find great videos on Youtube, for free obviously. Reading books on Python helped me the least, I think. What worked best was getting my hands dirty and struggling with real code from day one. After a while, I switched to Python and built Pocketcoach from scratch again. If that was such a smart move or not, I can’t really say. At that time, it seemed like the right decision. Along the way, AWS (Amazon Web Services) really gave me a hard time. Jemil had built the bot on a serverless architecture and I tried to stick with that for as long as I could. AWS really isn’t made for programmers who just get started and there are lots of things that can make it feel overwhelming. Not least their terrible documentation. I eventually decided to abandon the serverless architecture in favor of Python’s popular Django framework. In hindsight, I can say this: I’ve spent way too much time optimizing things that turned out to be irrelevant and I was much too willing to start from scratch just because it seemed like I had run into unsurmountable problems. But the one positive lesson I have learned is that it’s so much easier to learn how to code if you have a project that you truly believe in. I don’t want to bore you with much more detail but this much needs to be said: Along the way, I had help from some of the most amazing people without whom this would have probably been impossible. Just to name the most important ones: Thank you Alex, Ashwin, Gabe, Jemil and Johannes.How Pocketcoach works. So today, I’m finally officially launching Pocketcoach: A chatbot for people who struggle with stress and anxiety. Pocketcoach ‘lives’ in Facebook Messenger and it will message its users once a day. Just like a friend that wants to check in.In small, daily conversations, Pocketcoach users learn to deal with repetitive thoughts and uncomfortable feelings. Step by step and through a combination of exercises, background information and some fun, users build the skills to cope by themselves. And in the end, they will have the tools to live a bit more happily. That’s basically it.Is it going to make a difference? I’m confident it will. No single approach is going to be right for everyone but Pocketcoach clearly does its job. While some people really need the help of a therapist, not everyone wants, needs or has access to professional help. I’ve been testing the beta version for a long time and the most motivating moments were when beta users shared genuinely encouraging feedback.During the last months, this message from a user has been featured on my personal victory board. A place where I save little and big wins to cheer me up when I feel down and need something to get back on my feet again: “I also want to thank you for putting your time and effort into creating Pocketcoach; your help is more valuable than you may realize. I think it’s important to let you know how much it means to have someone be there to help you fight the anxiety. Even if it’s a bot, there’s a team of caring people behind it — so thank you.”Where do things go from here? Truth be told, things are still not perfect. I’ve been working on Pocketcoach for so long that I’m even kind of embarrassed to admit it. I’ve failed before and part of me is scared I might fail again. But I’m doing my best and I keep working towards my goal. I’m truly happy I finally have something to show to the world. But in a way, that’s just the start. My hope is that today’s launch is the next step in making Pocketcoach into something that really makes a difference in some people’s lives.Originally published here: https://medium.com/@pocketcoach/how-i-struggled-failed-then-learned-how-to-code-and-now-finally-launch-on-producthunt-4cbf728c9220

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stina25-blog1 · 6 years

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Massage & It’s Infinite Benefits

Why do you get bodywork? Do you do it for the relaxation? For that "ahhh" feeling? Do you do it for aiding in recovery? What about mental health? Or maybe rehabilitative work? I know for me, my reasons for getting a massage have changed throughout the years and are usually based on where I'm at in my life at that specific moment.

I am going to tell you what and why it has worked for me, and then over the next 5 days, I will talk about why I know it will work for you.

I used to only get massage so I could get that hour to relax, to feel that "ahhh" moment on the table. To me, massage was something you treated yourself to every now and then. It was something you did on vacation or maybe twice a year. A nice "treat" as it were. But deep down I had this passion for bodywork. I didn't know exactly how or why massage could be more than just an hour to relax, but I knew I wanted to learn more. I had the desire, now I just needed the tools.

Once I became a massage therapist I began to learn more about the health benefits of massage and how it could help repair and heal muscles and instability in the body. How it was more than just that 60 mins of relaxation but more of a necessity for my well being. Yes, it still helped give me that relaxation that I was looking for, but it had also became beneficial for my mental health. It helped me feel centered again. It was healing trauma that I thought I had dealt with. Muscle memory? Yea, it's a thing. And I will talk more about that in my next post.

Working in an office for 13 years, I dealt with the typical muscle tension that you see in people who sit at a desk all day. Tight upper shoulders, neck tension GALORE, tight hamstrings and sore glutes from, you guessed it, SITTING and staring at a computer. All day. I was your typical rise and grinder who didn't really think twice about my issues until they became this really annoying pain that I had to get taken care of ASAP. So, off to get a massage I would go and surprise! I would feel 10x better. Massage was helping me with my posture and retraining my body mechanics so that I wouldn't need to "just deal" with those daily aches and pains. I was releasing tension and at the same time showing my body where it should sit and how. Was I perfect at it? Nope! Which is why getting massage for maintenance was crucial for me during this time.

Now that I'm not sitting at a desk all day, my needs for bodywork have changed. I stand most of my days now instead of sitting. As a massage therapist and a CrossFit Coach, I'm walking and standing a lot. I get aches in my feet that I didn't know was possible. My forearms and hands are sore. I STILL get tension in my upper shoulders and neck. Any of this sounding familiar?

I also train 5x/week doing CrossFit and lifting weights which is essentially tearing down my muscle tissue. Everyday I put my body through something new and I beat the hell out of it. And while I LOVE it, my body needs help. It doesn't just repair itself on it's own. So, I get bodywork done to help in my recovery and to keep my body mechanics where they belong. Massage keeps my soreness at a minimum and has been CRITICAL in aiding in recovery from any injuries I have had.

I'm also someone who had (yes, past tense) suffered with migraines and chronic headaches for 20 years. You know what helped? Bodywork. And a whole overhaul of my nutrition...but we can talk about that some other time. What I want to emphasize is that bodywork is an all around healer. Whether its tension, trauma, injury, mental health, sports recovery, recovery from surgery, pregnancy (I could keep going) it helps in ALL of it. As humans we need that connection, that touch.

Bodywork is more than 60 mins to relax. It's healing. It's reconstructive. It's LIFE. :)

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slrlounge1 · 5 years

Text

11 Fitness Tips & Tricks To Battle Wedding/Production Day Hangover

Anna Nguyen Stratton – Website | Instagram

Jared Gant – Website | Instagram

Brian Mullins – Website | Instagram

Citlalli Rico – Website | Instagram

I had to change my diet drastically 4 years ago and started working with my beloved nutritionist who gave me an awesome recipe for a “day after wedding” smoothie. It works like magic:

2 cups of spinach 1 or 2 bananas 1 teaspoon of peanut butter 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed 1 tablespoon of vegetarian protein powder

It helps your body and your brain after a long day of intense thinking and moving.

Vanessa Joy – Website | Instagram

Amii & Andy Kauth – Website | Instagram

Megan Allen – Website | Instagram

Shivani Reddy – Website | Instagram

Sean LeBlanc – Website | Instagram

Pye Jirsa – Website | Instagram

1. Sunday Meal Prep (low-fat/low-carb) 2. Mon (Chest/Back), Tues (Legs), Wed (Shoulders/Arms), Thurs (Core) 3. Yoga 1-2x per week for flexibility/recovery

Eric Talerico – Website | Instagram

What are some of your favorite tips & tricks for battling post-shoot days?

from SLR Lounge https://www.slrlounge.com/fitness-for-photographers/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #SLR Lounge

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topicprinter · 6 years

Link

#/r/startups #reddit

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