OT: General OT Thread [NO POLITICS, RACE OR RELIGION]

[vital_signs]

I don't think I'll ever get over the satisfaction of having a car fly by me just to end up at the stoplights at the same time. Always turn my head and look at them hoping they realize how ridiculous they look. Especially with these gas prices.

[MickeyDavis]

Summer games over Winter games. Winter games are mostly for white people. Summer games are for all people.

For me it's about the sports themselves, not the color of those participating. And I find the winter Olympic sports more fun and interesting ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ReasonablySober]

Read on Twitter

lol what

[RiotPunch]

Read on Twitter

lol what

[ReasonablySober]

If it wasn't for this thread or a text from my mom last night about some skating event I would have had no idea the Olympics were going on.

[Mags FTW]

If it wasn't for this thread or a text from my mom last night about some skating event I would have had no idea the Olympics were going on.

What!?!?! How can you look at these picturesque images and not be gripped by Olympic Fever?

[midranger]

If it wasn't for this thread or a text from my mom last night about some skating event I would have had no idea the Olympics were going on.

What!?!?! How can you look at these picturesque images and not be gripped by Olympic Fever?

Yikes

[MikeIsGood]

If it wasn't for this thread or a text from my mom last night about some skating event I would have had no idea the Olympics were going on.

What!?!?! How can you look at these picturesque images and not be gripped by Olympic Fever?

Honest to god, every single skier, the announcers talked about how perfect and picturesque the slope was. It was so brutally overkill, doing more harm than good in trying to convince people that winter games in Beijing made sense.

[ReasonablySober]

Read on Twitter

I do now regret missing the X Games.

[ReasonablySober]

Watch on YouTube

The interview she gives here is heartbreaking.

[MoreTrife]

I'm guessing the answer is no, but is anyone aware of a LONGFORM.ORG alternative? Such an amazing website I was so sad it shut down the aggregator aspect of it. In the last two years I've slowly stopped going on the internet for mental health reasons other than RealGM, Brewerfan and Longform. The aggregated long articles were always so fascinating and it is pretty much impossible to keep track of all the different sites they pulled from.

[jute2003]

I'm guessing the answer is no, but is anyone aware of a LONGFORM.ORG alternative? Such an amazing website I was so sad it shut down the aggregator aspect of it. In the last two years I've slowly stopped going on the internet for mental health reasons other than RealGM, Brewerfan and Longform. The aggregated long articles were always so fascinating and it is pretty much impossible to keep track of all the different sites they pulled from.

I'm not overly familiar with the content thst longform used to have.

Twistedsifter.com is an enjoyable site to follow along with though. Their shirk report on Fridays is always enjoyable.

[ReasonablySober]

My thing was working from home left me with a lot of bad habits I'm still working on kicking. Living alone, small apartment, and every day was literally the exact same. We were in the middle of the **** back then (I mean, still are but at least we're vaccinated now), and I didn't see or interact with anyone for half a year unless it was over zoom. Every day was 100% the exact same, and I went through the Groundhog Day Bill Murray phase where I just felt like nothing I did mattered, at all. By the time we were back in the office I was happy to do so, but by then my health took a big hit and I just lost a lot of interest in doing the stuff I both should be doing and previously loved doing (cooking, RIP).

I traded depression for crippling, scary as **** anxiety attacks in the last month. It got so much worse.

I got back into the stuff I enjoyed and asked out a girl at work who's been flirting for a year, because I'd been single for two years since my engagement ended, and what the ****, right? Everything is opened up, I'm 4x vaccinated, get back in the saddle.

Literally the next day after asking her out anxiety attacks started. Like, lose conscious at work twice in a week. Panic at home alone. Had to reschedule the date, then had an attack literally as it finally happened. Turns out she's very cool and understands anxiety well. She's been so patient. In the meantime I'm on a new med and I'm supposed to give it three weeks. It's been a full month and I don't think it's done **** ****.

Today I told her I didn't think I could keep doing this because of the increasing anxiety attacks. Have never let her know it's because of her, just that I haven't been in a good place and I'm now obviously not in a place where I can see someone.

Then I was driven to the ER because I thought I was going to pass out, have a stroke, or a heart attack alone in my apartment and die. They ran all the tests, I'm physically fine, and all my issues are brain chemistry and anxiety that they won't fix with a pill.

I was so fine for almost 20 years. Living independently, going out often, volleyball, baseball, and softball teams. Golf leagues, poker nights, Thursday lunches at B-Dubs for boneless. Dates and relationships literally whenever I felt like it.

Broke up with the fiancé, went off my meds a month later, then literally Covid happens two months later and I've been in doors and alone for two years, seeing coworkers and family occasionally. It's when I decide to be social again I find out those two years COMPLETELY **** up my wiring.

[jschligs]

My thing was working from home left me with a lot of bad habits I'm still working on kicking. Living alone, small apartment, and every day was literally the exact same. We were in the middle of the **** back then (I mean, still are but at least we're vaccinated now), and I didn't see or interact with anyone for half a year unless it was over zoom. Every day was 100% the exact same, and I went through the Groundhog Day Bill Murray phase where I just felt like nothing I did mattered, at all. By the time we were back in the office I was happy to do so, but by then my health took a big hit and I just lost a lot of interest in doing the stuff I both should be doing and previously loved doing (cooking, RIP).

I traded depression for crippling, scary as **** anxiety attacks in the last month. It got so much worse.

I got back into the stuff I enjoyed and asked out a girl at work who's been flirting for a year, because I'd been single for two years since my engagement ended, and what the ****, right? Everything is opened up, I'm 4x vaccinated, get back in the saddle.

Literally the next day after asking her out anxiety attacks started. Like, lose conscious at work twice in a week. Panic at home alone. Had to reschedule the date, then had an attack literally as it finally happened. Turns out she's very cool and understands anxiety well. She's been so patient. In the meantime I'm on a new med and I'm supposed to give it three weeks. It's been a full month and I don't think it's done **** ****.

Today I told her I didn't think I could keep doing this because of the increasing anxiety attacks. Have never let her know it's because of her, just that I haven't been in a good place and I'm now obviously not in a place where I can see someone.

Then I was driven to the ER because I thought I was going to pass out, have a stroke, or a heart attack alone in my apartment and die. They ran all the tests, I'm physically fine, and all my issues are brain chemistry and anxiety that they won't fix with a pill.

I was so fine for almost 20 years. Living independently, going out often, volleyball, baseball, and softball teams. Golf leagues, poker nights, Thursday lunches at B-Dubs for boneless. Dates and relationships literally whenever I felt like it.

Broke up with the fiancé, went off my meds a month later, then literally Covid happens two months later and I've been in doors and alone for two years, seeing coworkers and family occasionally. It's when I decide to be social again I find out those two years COMPLETELY **** up my wiring.

Sorry to hear man. I was fine for nearly 25 years, then I started getting horrible panic attacks and overall anxiety. My theory is it was from smoking so much weed in college and my young adult life, that when I had to interact without partying, it caused me to freak out. I get bad attacks before large gatherings (including Bucks games FML) but I've found a few ways that helped. I currently take Escitalopram (Lexapro) nightly, and have an as needed in Clonazepam. Removing myself from the situation helps but I don't think its a good solution. I hate being reliant on medicine, but the Clonazepam changed my life in terms of dealing with sudden onset anxiety attacks. The Lexapro maybe works, but I couldn't tell ya for sure as I still get attacks. I did gain a good amount of weight (I was skinny to begin with though) and there are a few other side effects. I'm much better now than I was, but in Nov 2020 during COVID when my daughter was born I was in a bad place. Hope you figure it out, you'll find a solution. Even if it's just the as needed meds.

[Jez2983]

Really good of you guys to bring this stuff up. I think particularly typing stuff out helps because you aren't pressured to stay stuff due to the presence of someone else, which I think really helps with anxiety.

I haven't been diagnosed but I'm sure I have issues with it that really surfaced before my kids were born. That was when I had a lot of insomnia. Haven't had that for years now, thank goodness.

This last 18 months have been hard. I moved interstate for a new start and now those 3 years have passed the shine of working at a new place has worn off and I can really see what the place stands for. Its not all bad, it's just that the people I work for have migrated to Aus, so their lives are very much geared to maximizing their work opportunities. I'm more privileged so that doesn't have the same appeal.

I've been angrier, I'm sensitive at times and I slipped into a hole last week. I wasn't too bad, and someone sent me a text out of nowhere that pulled me out of it. I now can see how if that had persisted for a few days it could have turned into something more.

Anyway, I'm seeing a GP next week. I don't think I need meds or even counselling but I need to start the conversation.

[Jez2983]

I have totally hijacked both of your stories. RS, always here if you want to flick a message, even over FB messenger or Whatsapp if that's easier.

js I don't think it's ever weak or a problem to be on the meds, sometimes you just need them to stop stuff getting worse while you chart your way through. You're a good man, and I'm sure you're a great Dad.

[ReasonablySober]

I have totally hijacked both of your stories. RS, always here if you want to flick a message, even over FB messenger or Whatsapp if that's easier.

js I don't think it's ever weak or a problem to be on the meds, sometimes you just need them to stop stuff getting worse while you chart your way through. You're a good man, and I'm sure you're a great Dad.

Believe me, as much as I hate that any of you may be going through ****, selfishly I admit I have a little comfort knowing I'm not alone in what the last couple years have done to everyone on some level. I don't even have it bad compared to so many I know and have read about. My brain has just been screaming otherwise for a while now and I haven't been able to tell it otherwise.

But like you said, it does help to write it out, read it and process it. Putting it out there in a somewhat logical progression helps.

Very much love to all of you who have been going through your own ****. Like I said, you're not alone and you're loved. You've got friends.

[Matches Malone]

Anxiety is one of the worst feelings. I spent almost half a year throwing up in the mornings before work because my anxiety would be through the roof, and I would have to lay in bed in my work clothes before I could get up. My body was fully in panic/fright mode, and I was paralyzed by the fear. Got a break with the pandemic coming shortly after (allowing me to work from home), and I've been working home since. But in that time, I was able to start talking to a therapist to start working out some of these issues and managing the anxiety a bit more (mainly relied on medication to help). I've had pretty bad anxiety and depression for about 8 years now, so I'm a bit numb to it now, but every once in a while, I'll get a bad attack where my mind just runs on a loop, causing anxiety to just constantly flow.

[KidA24]

My thing was working from home left me with a lot of bad habits I'm still working on kicking. Living alone, small apartment, and every day was literally the exact same. We were in the middle of the **** back then (I mean, still are but at least we're vaccinated now), and I didn't see or interact with anyone for half a year unless it was over zoom. Every day was 100% the exact same, and I went through the Groundhog Day Bill Murray phase where I just felt like nothing I did mattered, at all. By the time we were back in the office I was happy to do so, but by then my health took a big hit and I just lost a lot of interest in doing the stuff I both should be doing and previously loved doing (cooking, RIP).

I traded depression for crippling, scary as **** anxiety attacks in the last month. It got so much worse.

I got back into the stuff I enjoyed and asked out a girl at work who's been flirting for a year, because I'd been single for two years since my engagement ended, and what the ****, right? Everything is opened up, I'm 4x vaccinated, get back in the saddle.

Literally the next day after asking her out anxiety attacks started. Like, lose conscious at work twice in a week. Panic at home alone. Had to reschedule the date, then had an attack literally as it finally happened. Turns out she's very cool and understands anxiety well. She's been so patient. In the meantime I'm on a new med and I'm supposed to give it three weeks. It's been a full month and I don't think it's done **** ****.

Today I told her I didn't think I could keep doing this because of the increasing anxiety attacks. Have never let her know it's because of her, just that I haven't been in a good place and I'm now obviously not in a place where I can see someone.

Then I was driven to the ER because I thought I was going to pass out, have a stroke, or a heart attack alone in my apartment and die. They ran all the tests, I'm physically fine, and all my issues are brain chemistry and anxiety that they won't fix with a pill.

I was so fine for almost 20 years. Living independently, going out often, volleyball, baseball, and softball teams. Golf leagues, poker nights, Thursday lunches at B-Dubs for boneless. Dates and relationships literally whenever I felt like it.

Broke up with the fiancé, went off my meds a month later, then literally Covid happens two months later and I've been in doors and alone for two years, seeing coworkers and family occasionally. It's when I decide to be social again I find out those two years COMPLETELY **** up my wiring.

You don't know me, I don't know you, but if you ever need a zoom to chat, or want to mindlessly play something on boardgamearena.com I'm around (same username there).

I know you really used to enjoy cooking, I all but stopped exploring new things during the pandemic, but recently got back into it, reading The Food Lab by Kenji Lopez-Alt. Truly been enjoying experimenting and setting off the smoke alarms in my place.

[LittleRooster]

I have totally hijacked both of your stories. RS, always here if you want to flick a message, even over FB messenger or Whatsapp if that's easier.

js I don't think it's ever weak or a problem to be on the meds, sometimes you just need them to stop stuff getting worse while you chart your way through. You're a good man, and I'm sure you're a great Dad.

Believe me, as much as I hate that any of you may be going through ****, selfishly I admit I have a little comfort knowing I'm not alone in what the last couple years have done to everyone on some level. I don't even have it bad compared to so many I know and have read about. My brain has just been screaming otherwise for a while now and I haven't been able to tell it otherwise.

But like you said, it does help to write it out, read it and process it. Putting it out there in a somewhat logical progression helps.

Very much love to all of you who have been going through your own ****. Like I said, you're not alone and you're loved. You've got friends.

I’m sorry you’ve been going through all that. I have and do struggle with anxiety myself, for many years. Feel free to shoot me a message if you ever need to talk. Seriously


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