At one moment in your life, you hit a patch that you never thought you’d recover from. And now here you are. And you’ll survive the next moment too.
It’s kinda cool how someone can just pop into your life all of a sudden and become so important to you within such a small amount of time. I think that’s what makes life so interesting though. There’s always a reason to be hopeful for the future because you never know what good things will come your way next.
my intrusive thoughts have definitely improved, personally, but actual intrusive thoughts are so horrifying that it creates a vicious cycle of stigma –> ppl dont want to talk about what its actually like to have intrusive thoughts –> lack of information on what intrusive thoughts ACTUALLY are –> stigma.
the point of intrusive thoughts is that they’re really scary. having quirky ideas are just thoughts. those are just normal thoughts. intrusive thoughts are distressing and painful. that is why they are debilitating.
i think it would help if ppl who dont experience intrusive thoughts imagined them as….behaving more like flashbacks than normal thoughts. ppl with traumatic flashbacks dont intentionally have them. theyre a part of your brain attempting to process trauma, and more importantly, its indicative of your brain going back to a dark situation instinctively because of a trigger.
intrusive thoughts are similar. they’re just relative to the current situation rather than throwing you into the past. its your brain literally applying your trauma/illness to whats happening around you.
if you were heavily exposed to violence or suicidal ideation in the past, your first intrusive thought when in the kitchen with your s/o chopping carrots might be “stab yourself” or even “stab your partner.” its horrible, but its your brain reverting back to what it was exposed to. its not any more morally corrupt than seeing a knife and having flashbacks to an act of violence you witnessed that traumatized you in the past.
you wouldnt tell someone having a flashback that they’re doing it on purpose or that theyre intentionally having a flashback bc they want to traumatize others. dont do the same to people with intrusive thoughts.
Accidentally annoying someone doesn't make you a horrible person and you don't have to spend your whole life censoring yourself to prevent it from ever happening.
Friendly reminder that the reason you feel so much better is because of your meds, don’t stop taking them unless you talk to your doctor first, you really do need them, I promise.
Sometimes good posts are made by annoying people so I’ll help out
These are Safe Shorts. They were made by Sandra Seilz after someone attempted to rape her. If the fabric is torn, an alarm will be sounded.
This is the Rape-aXe, invented by a South African doctor by the name of Sonnet Ehlers. After interviewing a rape victim who wished she had teeth down there, she made this. If someone’s penis is inserted and pulled back out, the teeth will sink in, and can only be removed by a doctor.
The Killer Tampon (couldn’t find a site for it), made by retired anaesthetist Jaap Haumann. When penetration takes place, the sharp end will slice the offending appendage.
The Anti-Rape Belt (also couldn’t find a site), made by a group of Swedish teenagers led by Nadja Björk. It requires two hands to undo.
Anti-Rape Underwear/Bra (once again), as made by a group of Indian students. Will deliver an electric shock when met with unwanted advances, as well as sounding an alarm.
Undercover Colours. Made by 4 male undergraduates at North Carolina U, they change colours when in contact with chemicals or drugs that cause unconsciousness. Used in case you’re wary that your drink has been roofied.
These are just tools to help, but in addition to being mindful of your situations and staying safe, they can help when the worst happens.
Stay safe.
You’re not alone if you’re feeling burnt out or you’re running on a low tank. Acknowledge those feelings and take a moment to pause in the present. Take a deep breath in...and out...before you reflect on what you need to move through these difficult feelings.
i am not joking we need to force teach cooking in schools. like. it is an essential thing for survival. do you know how easy it is to make things if you know even the bare bones shit about how cooking works. we need to teach teenagers how far you can take an onion and some other veggies it''s sad that people grow up not knowing how to prepare literally anything. and i'm not talking about oh this home ed class taught me how to make chicken nuggets at home i'm talking about learning the balancing of sweetness and acidity and saltiness and bitterness and shit like that and techniques and oil temperatures and how meats cook. it needs to be taught because it's literally not even that difficult and it matters so much