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Pessimism is a trait usually associated with negativity and a cynical outlook. But did you know there is another type of pessimism that can play a role in planning for success? Defensive pessimism, as it's called, is a strategy that offers an alternative approach to navigating all the unexpected circumstances life may present.
Talking about trauma is not an easy feat. But if you're constantly reliving a specific traumatic event or cycling through negative thoughts surrounding the trauma, confiding in a trusted loved one can help you feel less alone. A supportive community is integral to trauma recovery, and you don't have to go through it all alone. You can tell about your trauma.
You may hear the term "tough love" thrown around in conversation. While tough love isn't always verbal abuse, it can sometimes cross the line. Knowing the difference between tough love and verbal abuse can help you refrain from using verbal abuse or being the recipient in a verbally abusive situation.
I have an extreme case of schizoaffective anxiety, and I’m preparing for major surgery. I’m getting knee replacements in both knees--one at a time. This anxiety spike about surgery is multi-faceted.
Mindfulness can be a helpful tool for coping with anxiety. Mindfulness is something I have become more familiar with and increasingly utilized over the years as I have practiced it as a strategy for managing my anxiety.
I left the UK to undergo alcohol treatment in South Africa, so it was inevitable that this would alter my perspective somewhat. However, after spending more time in this new environment, several striking realizations about the UK's negative relationship were crystal clear. After talking to numerous people from the same country and background, there was a common thread of early exposure to alcohol having long-lasting consequences. In short, I learned that teenage drinking can lead to addiction.
My depression is a disability. In my six years as a mental health blogger, I have often encountered people who believe that depression is temporary and those who cannot overcome it quickly are weak-willed. Despite various depression awareness campaigns, I have noticed that most people still minimize the effects and consequences of depression. These folks are so close-minded that they hang on to myths and misconceptions even in the face of cold, hard facts. It can be impossible to silence such naysayers for those of us who are living with this condition. But even if we cannot silence them, we must not internalize their misconceptions about depression and realize that depression can be a disability.
One surprising part of my mental health recovery journey was experiencing heightened emotions. I had successfully dodged painful feelings for years, developing a fear of feeling. But now that I'm recovering, I've felt my emotions more deeply, in almost an overwhelming way. Fear of feeling can be difficult to navigate, but it ultimately enhances my life experiences.
Sometimes you need to surrender to yourself. I learned this recently in the most unusual way. To jump right into it: I can't orgasm. Well, that's not entirely true. I can orgasm by myself with relative ease, but I can count the number of times I've orgasmed with another person on one hand, and most of those occasions have been helped along by technology. For a long time, I figured it was just my anatomy; some bodies were built to orgasm, but mine was not. I had other things going for me—it was what it was. 
When I sit down to think about it, I often trace my anxiety back to James Parker. James Parker caused childhood trauma that left me anxious for years.

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Natasha Tracy
Hi She_Has_No_Name,

Thank you for your comment. I'm so sorry for what you've been through. I wish I could say something to make it feel better, but I suspect that's impossible.

What I can say is that you're right to hope. There is always the possibility of positive change. Getting help -- new help, additional help, etc. -- can be very hard and even disheartening at times, but it can also work, too.

I'm sending you some warm fuzzies. I know how hard it is, but the fact that you're still here speaks to your strength.

-- Natasha Tracy
Rue
Thank you, Gyss. My friend is letting me borrow some long gloves. I'm working on stopping self harm, I was clean for 3 months but I relapsed last night. Thank you so much.
Rue
Hey, I hear you. First I would talk to your boyfriend about how you feel. I would tell him maybe why you self harm, and open up to him why you are afraid of your parents finding out. Also explain to him that self harm is like an addiction, it's hard to stop and It's normal to relapse. I understand why you are afraid of your parents finding out, and I'm sorry that you're afraid that your parents will be mad at you. I really would open up to them if you could, because they might be able to find resources for you. I really hope that this helps you Chanel.
she_has_no_name
Girl, you just basically told the story of my life. I'm 41 years old. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 5 years ago. And unfortunately where I live the Healthcare system is a disgrace and the real help isn't available unless we have the money or insurance coverage to pay for the right therapy and the right professionals. I'm honestly suffering, and have been stuck in my bipolar depression for my entire life but most severely being the past decade or so. It's now become so debilitating that I cannot have any life at all. I can't even spend time with or around family and friends, or strangers for that matter. I've lost the strength and tenacity and desire even because honestly the Healthcare is so disappointing, it's so bad I can honestly say, I wouldn't trust the Healthcare system in this province, to save my life. It's a sad true, I could go on more about that but I'd run out of space LOL... But reading your story really helps my heart. I feel like quite a damaged human whose life will now just consist of existence with a constant suffering battle with mental health and there feels like very little hope for me. It's also very hard to be taken seriously for the illnesses I have. I also have misophonia, self diagnosed since no one even seems to know nor care about what it is. I've had it all my life I just didn't know what it was until recent years. All the same, because of you, I will try to hang onto that last thread of hope that there is help for me and that I will get it and may be able to get out and live a normal kind of life. As of now I'm isolated to myself 98% of my time, I'm also a single/only parent been raising my son on my own, he's 16, also has alot of the same mental health issues but he's stronger and he has been able to get some help while its most crucial in life, so he hopefully doesn't end up with long term untreated and undiagnosed issues, making it harder to get better, like myself being in my mid 30s before even getting a diagnosis and improper treatment since then, it feels like it may take another half of a lifetime for me to get well. Here's to having a chance, and thanks to people like you for sharing your story and knowledge and inspiring us, the lost ones, LOL ♡ one love to all ♡
Jeremy
When I was 8 years old, I peed my pants in the supermarket. My mom drug me to the bathroom , told me to finish, then left. She came back with a bag of small size Attends briefs. I was diapered and made to finish shopping in only my diaper, a t-shirt and shoes. I was kept in diapers the whole summer and was rarely allowed to wear pants over them. Once school started again, I was allowed to wear pullups during the day but was still diapered every night. This was the normal routine until I graduated high school. I went to college but went back to diapers 24/7. I've been diapered full time for almost 30 years now. I am fully dependent on diapers, all because I wet my pants when I was 8.