you shouldn’t care about "optics"
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    It’s really sinister to bully a group aggressively and then point when their mental health falters to justify the bullying.

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  • how's your week going, Beehaw
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    Couldn’t be better. Returned to work with no issues after completing a partial hospitalization program.

    Figured out I need to connect with the trans community again IRL to cope with the gestures at the news and the United States political discourse.

    Fortunately, that’s not so hard to do in the Twin Cities.

    Might write like a gonzo article about the Kafkaesque experience of trying to pretend everything is fine while the youth are dying and there’s real question about continued access to lifesaving medical care.

    That all probably sounds a bit dark but I am coping and maintaining optimism. I’m not ashamed of not being cis anymore and that’s a big deal for me.

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  • Beehaw decides: what *is* the set of all genders?
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    I guess it depends on whether we’re willing to say a gender exists if theoretically possible though not ever embodied. Will artificial sapients have gender identities?

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  • How's your week going, Beehaw?
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    It’s just good to know true joy and exist in my body more often. It was really heavy for so long. I made small talk at a lab appointment prior to and at a haircut following group today.

    The hair stylist ended up being a specialist in sensory issues so it was very nice to have that kind of chill, mindful haircut. I nearly fell asleep!

    Oh! And I’m doing all this while dog tired from insomnia but I’m in a pretty good mood and getting more sleep every night 😸

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  • How's your week going, Beehaw?
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    Checked into a partial hospitalization program last week because my social anxiety and agoraphobia got too big to manage alone.

    The past few days have been perhaps the first I’ve felt joy and love in their full forms 😸

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  • Nonexistent moderation on Beehaw /c/neurodivergence
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    Cluster B personality disorders have a heavy stigma because of the abusive behaviors so common to the disorders.

    It’s hard to have a neutral conversation about NPD if you have been traumatized by someone with NPD or other PDs. Personally, I will usually distance myself from anyone with cluster B traits to protect myself since those behaviors are very triggering for me. That’s more about me than it is about them.

    I also understand that personality disorders are some of the most painful disorders to have in virtue of the great human pain of the world taking issue with something that you are and can’t easily change. If you’ve got NPD and are in therapy, working on your behaviors, and striving not to harm others with your hurt, that’s commendable!

    When people complain about narcissists, they’re probably complaining about abuse perpetrated by narcissists. It’s an important distinction that isn’t commonly made. Nobody wants to devote care and understanding to somebody they see and unlikely or incapable of reciprocating. But that’s an asshole assumption to make.

    It’s pretty disheartening to see a community that’s big on inclusivity respond judgmentally and FWIW, I’m glad you shared the article. At the same time, I would strive not to take the backlash personally.

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  • What is this weird pop up image of a keyboard on my screen?
  • RadioRat RadioRat Now 100%

    It seems to happen when the link image is gif or webm. I’m on mobile safari and get a black popup with the image in question in top left corner when I load a beehaw page that has a link like this. Can tap to make it go away but it is jarring.

    Edit: here’s the example link

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  • It's all "ableism is bad! Support people with mental disorders!"...
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    I hope people struggling with Cluster B personality disorders get the help they need. However, I’m too traumatized by abuse from people with these disorders to engage with anyone who exhibits the associated toxic behaviors.

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  • Ally in training...
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    I think I can see the point of confusion- the reason for illustrating physical sex as a spectrum is that it’s easier to lay out the concept of gender identity as an analogue.

    It’s also possible that gender identity is structural but brains are complicated and linking mechanisms to behavior is hairy.

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  • Ally in training...
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    To me it seems like the important question is:

    Why wouldn’t one do something that makes others feel valid/happy/comfortable for so little effort?

    It’s easy to respect name and pronoun preferences and admit when mistakes are made. One needn’t to dive into the full nuance and complexity of trans experience to understand that.

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  • World Central Kitchen halts operations in Gaza after strike kills staff
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    It was intentional. WCK coordinated with the IDF on the route plan.

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  • Children to no longer be prescribed puberty blockers, NHS England confirms
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    Kids are going to die because of this.

    37
  • House Bill 500 Takes Away Kentucky Workers’ Lunch and Rest Breaks and Cuts Their Pay - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy
  • RadioRat RadioRat Now 100%

    Not surprised the state responsible for Mitch McConnell is really good at voting counter to its best interests.

    14
  • Good chair that is *affordable* ?
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    Got a refurbished steelcase for ~300 with no regrets.

    3
  • Tech Job Interviews Are Out of Control
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    Probably by design, to be honest. Jobs tend to be very anti-parent, especially in US states where FMLA is legally protected.

    I’m fortunate to work for a company that has a culture of prioritizing real life so you can do your best work. Sadly, that’s antithetical to next quarter thinking, so it’s not the norm.

    The dumb thing is (in my experience) parents seem to work harder and stay at companies for longer than childless folks. They’re just shorter on free time and need some basic flexibility to address emergent issues. Not to mention being better at teaching and managing in general.

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  • Jon Stewart skewers Biden, Trump in ‘Daily Show’ return: ‘What the f‑‑‑ are we doing here?’
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    Really hope there will be follow-up call to action and education on civic engagement and organizing. But not counting on it.

    2
  • Looking for tips on meeting trans / queer folk to be friends with
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    • Facebook groups, unfortunately 😬
    • independent booksellers
    • meetup.com
    • Unitarian church
    • drag shows and gay bars
    • pride
    • dating apps
    • hormone clinics sometimes have info for support groups
    2
  • 23andMe’s Fall From $6 Billion to Nearly $0
  • RadioRat RadioRat Now 100%

    Don’t get sequenced and encourage your relatives to avoid as well. It’s not worth risking your genome getting leaked.

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  • [SERIOUS] How do you handle emotional flashbacks?
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    It was a really rough time after I got the cPTSD diagnosis because it really changed the context of my life. So my brain, being so very helpful, decided to do a 24/7 stream of my past for reconciliation. Probably not a unique experience so here’s tips I could have used earlier on:

    • mindfulness practice is paramount so that you’re not just like dissociating into oblivion or getting consumed by flashbacks. James Gordon’s “The Transformation” (also printed as “Transforming Trauma”) is pretty solid on the mindfulness stuff, though some of it needs to be taken with like a fistful of salt.

    • sleep hygiene is everything since without it, symptoms are worse and you’re less equipped to cope. Do not be afraid to get psychiatric help if nothing is working. The last thing you want is to be in urgent care after being awake for four days straight.

    • get on some anxiety medication. Helps with the sleep and with having more mental space when flashbacks hit

    • weekly therapy

    • lean on supportive humans in your life. DBT might help stand in if you don’t have those, but you need to be careful that it’s not a group dominated by cluster B personality disorders (I.e. people like your abuser(s))

    • schedule time for soothing activities that you enjoy

    • exercise. Doesn’t have to be extreme, but like try and at least walk for half an hour a day.

    Tl;dr - sleep, mindfulness, therapist, psychiatrist, support of loved ones, self-care, exercise

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  • Edit to add image description: A basset hound sleeps his side atop of a pile of blankets with his tongue poking out.

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    2

    If you’re already living your dream life, please share as well! How do you most want to spend your time?

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    RadioRat Now
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    RadioRat (he/they)

    RadioRat@ beehaw.org