LGBTQ+ Megathread & Lounge (Part 2)

Community General Discussion
4412

I tend to get those “One day I’m going to die. Nothing forever. Just nothing forever. Nothing” panic attacks when I try and sleep. Even with all the meds and gummies to knock me out.

Sometimes I have to just grab something like this old Piplup plushie I have. Just to squeeze it tight basically to get some of that dread out of me.

You just brought up pokemon and so I felt like sharing that.

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4413

I’m diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Here are some things that (sometimes) help me in no particular order. I’m not the best at writing but here goes:

  • Deep Breathing: I always forget the exact seconds but it’s helped to know the exhale is supposed to be longer than the inhale.
  • Positive Affirmation/Thinking: Just saying “I got this,” “I can do this,” “I did great,” other things like that have helped. I know you said psyching yourself up doesn’t help but make sure to try to believe what you’re telling yourself. Also, you can be thinking these positive things while doing whatever stressful thing you’re doing. If you’re anxious from a thought that’s bothering you (something like wow i did a bad job) then twist it to something positive or at least neutral (I did ok/I did great).
  • Thought Stopping: This one usually works for me if I’m ruminating or making up catastrophic scenarios (my brain likes doing that for some reason). When you realize what you’re doing and making yourself anxious just tell your brain to stop. Redirect your thoughts if you have to. It sounds dumb, but for some reason, it’s actually helped. I can go from thinking my whole family is gonna die to just nothing and moving on to thinking about some other random thing.
  • Talk yourself through what you’re doing. I guess this kind of goes with positive thinking but just being like “I’m gonna do this specific action now and it will be ok.” I’ll give an example where this helped me recenty cuz I feel like I didn’t explain well. I went to a restaurant alone and I was just like “Ok I’m going to eat now. I’m eating my food. Like a normal human being. I’m doing good.”
  • Read other people’s success stories. It’s motivating to hear about other people doing things that might usually be stressful. I know hearing about some of my friends (one of which is on these forums :wink: ) has really helped me in trying things. I remember back when I got my first job it was after one of my online friends with an extreme anxiety disorder got one too. Seeing she could do it made me realize I can too.
  • Meds: I’m not sure how many meds you’ve tried or are viable for you since you have pre-existing conditions, but it may take trying a couple before finding the correct thing. I tried so many I had given up. I coincidentally found some that work. I started experiencing an extreme amount of nerve pain and my two meds have lowered my anxiety. Not much but it’s noticeable.

That’s pretty much it, I think. I’ve tried a lot of other grounding techniques but they haven’t worked for me. My therapists have all said I just need to practice them outside of anxious situations though, lol. I can name/explain a few if you’d like. Another thing I’m gonna try soon is a meditation class in September because my landlady wants me to attend. We’ll see what happens I guess :laughing:

Sorry for the humongous post, but one last thing. I have a success story to share today. I went to a pride event alone today. It was an amazing experience. I met new people, saw my first drag show, met the drag queen who was performing, and overall had a good time. I was super anxious before going for many reasons, but while I was there I was able to forget my worries. :grin:

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4414

This advice is so good! Thank you very much for sharing.

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4415

Yeah well… don’t feel particularly good for anything right now. Tonight has been… let’s just say rough here.

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4416

I hate homophobia and tranphobia. ugh

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4417

So do I. And yet…

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4418

Are you ok? Did something bad happen to you?

As any righteous person should. I know it comes from all sides especially at this time of year but I’ve got your back.

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4419

No, I’m not. No one would be, after allegations of mentall illness, and suggestions that access to affirming care should be lost.

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4420

I must have missed something big. I tried scrolling through all the things I didn’t see but I missed it. I’m so sorry you had to see that. One of the hardest parts of having a mental illness is feeling like other people don’t take you seriously or make fun of you and it can be really hurtful and drive us into holes when people reinforce it. But just like you may have seen that, I know that you have seen many people tell you how valid you are, and how much you are worth to everyone around you. And I will be even one more person. I can’t always do anything to stop you from being hurt, but I will try to do everything I can to help you heal.

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4421

Thing is I know I’m not mentally ill. These people want to label trans people as such.

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4422

I’m so sorry. I didn’t read it right and I didn’t mean to imply you do. When it comes to that type of rhetoric, it’s a healthy mix of projection and hyperbole. Many real doctors and actual associations know that being trans is not a mental illness at all. Even if they want to try and lie and spread propaganda, there is always facts to counter it.

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4423

No worries. This game community has a very long way to go…

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4424

Pizza

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4425

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. The reason why this keeps happing is because it keeps being allowed to happen. It’s why I don’t hardly ever leave this thread anymore. It’s getting to the point where there has to be some sort of complicity because there’s no other reason or excuse. I didn’t see what has you so upset but I’d bet my eye that it’s the exact same people saying the exact same things being enabled by the exact same “moderator”. Now I feel bad, because I don’t know what advice to give when it comes to bigots having the keys.

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4426

It is upsetting on what another people has been saying, honestly, makes me do wish there was more moderation within the forums, and ones to cover times when main ones are asleep.

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4427

These forums are… nothing good anymore, if they ever were. Not a remotely safe environment.

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4428

They fired most of the CMs the ones remaining delete anything lgbt related that’s not int he megathread and I doubt they lkook in here at all

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4429

anyone who wants to get spooky should watch " late night with the devil " its… magnific

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4430

Watched this with the wife two nights ago. Highly highly recommend. But don’t bring the kids, haha.

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4431

No offense, but this is why I came to this thread. I know the people of this community have probably dealt with the worst kinds of anxieties, so I figured they could give real advice based on real experiences. A little different than mine but anxieties and depression is the same.

I’m not dealing with mine well most of the time. I just find it funny that I can come to forum of strangers and find more commonality, and even if it’s brief, friendship than I can in the world.

I have been given a lot of support and tools here. I’m going to try them. I, myself, find it odd that while I’m going through an attack I don’t realize that it’s happening. It’s like a wall and I can’t get through it. It’s not every occasion either. I’m new to this. I recognize things mostly in hindsight.

Thank you all!

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