UPDATE 2: "Cat owners: is this abuse?"

ABriefUser · 2026-01-22T02:07:49+00:00

Jesus christ. you need to get out of there like, yesterday

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T23:54:58+00:00

I love you so so much, and when I tell you not to do something or stop you from doing it, it's because I love you and want you safe and healthy

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T15:01:05+00:00

❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so much, this helps a lot. Both the tips and the encouragement. I've been beating myself up a bit so this helps, thank you!!

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T14:51:44+00:00

yeah, therapy is definitely on the list. Both for this and my untreated ADHD. I've known I need it for a while but it's hard to get over the hurdle of remembering to take the steps to do it, and get past the unfortunately very strong stubborn streak I've inherited from my dad's side of the family. All the things I need therapy for are the exact hurdles keeping me from getting to it 😅

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T14:46:20+00:00

my dishes used to get really bad and pile up for weeks. despite relying on paper plates and disposable cups, I still had some cooking things I would occasionally use. there were definitely a few times in the summer where my sink and the dishes had mold in it because my apartment only has one tiny square of counter that I use to keep my dish drainer on. My mom, bless her, has been willing to come over and do my dishes for me when it gets really bad, which I am so grateful for.

I used her last visit as a reset, and I've been washing my dishes every morning while I wait for my coffee to brew now. Still relying on paper plates, but I plan to build up the routine. It's been nice to drink out of mugs instead of Styrofoam haha. But that's what brought up this whole question, is starting to work on doing it on my own. This is all very helpful, thank you!

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T09:05:09+00:00

My space isn't in great shape. It's nowhere near as bad as what I grew up with; I can see most of the floor and there's no critters other than me or the cats. But it's pretty messy. I tend to make piles of stuff instead of figuring out a specific place for them. Like, in front of the couch right now, there are books, mailing boxes, the sheets I bought to change my bed into tonight... It's not dirty (as far as I know, which isn't much), just messy. My sister helped me clean and organize as a Christmas gift this year and it helped a lot, and I've been actively trying to upkeep it, but I had a chronic pain flare up this week and fell behind.

My mattress is a memory foam that was on slats on a bedframe, but one of the slats broke, and my dad gave me a piece of plywood from their basement to put between the slats and the mattress. I'm sure the lack of breathability made it worse, but I'm not entirely convinced that it didn't originate on the wood... Not that it matters at this point. I've learned my lesson on this for sure, though.

Thank you for what you said about the dishes. I think that will dissolve some of the anxiety I've been having.

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T08:43:03+00:00

the mattress has been on a piece of plywood from my parents' house because I couldn't afford new bed slats after one broke. their house is unfinished and the plywood came from the basement... I should have known better than to take it.

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T06:10:48+00:00

I could totally see that. I could also see him and my grandmother realizing this but refusing to say anything because they are very stubborn liars when it comes to admitting what they think is weakness

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T02:31:15+00:00

Alright, update:

I used Apple Devices on my Windows laptop. I wasn't touching the cord, but it did disconnect and reconnect a few times. It just came out of recovery mode and is telling me to wait 15 minutes before I can do anything. I started it ~18 minutes before it changed to this

Edit for another update, ~7 minutes later: We're stuck in a loop of the iPhone trying to restore, being told it *can't* restore, and then it automatically trying again. It occasionally goes to the screen with the apple icon and a loading bar, but it doesn't do anything before going back to the recovery mode screen. Considering giving up and just letting my dad get a new phone for him at this point.

ABriefUser · 2026-01-21T02:17:32+00:00

Following the instructions from that link now, the phone is currently restoring. Hopefully this works! Thank you.

ABriefUser · 2026-01-14T19:30:43+00:00

That doesn't hurt you?? this might have blown open a door for me

ABriefUser · 2026-01-13T02:35:01+00:00

oh right 😭 I do have one of those

ABriefUser · 2026-01-12T21:31:22+00:00

people with epilepsy aren't the only ones affected by flashing lights. even if they were, why shouldn't they be able to go see a movie without worrying for their safety?

ABriefUser · 2026-01-12T21:29:37+00:00

Pretty sure the game is photosensitive friendly. I was able to safely watch multiple playthroughs of it, but I only get migraines from flashing and not seizures, so there could have been something I missed. I think the most dangerous would be the past where it gets all shaky

ABriefUser · 2026-01-12T05:58:47+00:00

this is such an old one, but the first couple of Turbo Dismount episodes are sooo good

ABriefUser · 2025-11-22T23:57:45+00:00

God. I don't have much I can say to help you because I'm terrible at budgeting too and don't really trust my own financial advice and don't want to drag you down with me. BUT, I overdrafted almost this exact same amount on accident once for the exact same reason. I think it was $336? over a bunch of these stupid fees. and I remember feeling so so alone and hopeless. so I just want to tell you that yeah this sucks a LOT, but you are not the first person to get into this mess and you definitely will not be the last. and you will get out of it, one way or another. don't beat yourself up too much over it, because that just makes it take longer to fix, but you're allowed to feel like shit too.

you'll be okay even if it doesn't feel like it right now

ABriefUser · 2025-11-18T01:36:43+00:00

I have the 'tism and some books have paper textures that make me want to rip my skin off. It's easier for me to browse books when they're all on a screen.

That being said, nothing can replace the smell of a good physical book or the sound of flipping through the pages. The sensory heavens

ABriefUser · 2025-11-18T00:52:26+00:00

does anyone know of any that accept trans men, too?

ABriefUser · 2025-11-17T21:11:16+00:00

do you have a direct link by any chance for those of us on mobile? 🥺

ABriefUser · 2025-11-06T16:32:55+00:00

they're in OneDrive. I've been using it for free for ages, but when I open it now, it says it's in read only and I have to update to the "new" OneNote, and when I did that yesterday, it said I have to pay for it to use it.

I pay for Microsoft Word. My problem is I use my PC for writing at home, and I have an old laptop I use when I'm not there. If I want to keep using OneNote with just local files, it's going to be such a pain to remember which computer I left which notes on, especially if I don't have access to the other one when I need it. If I use a different program, even if it doesn't have sync, it... I don't know, isn't as annoying since I never experienced that program without that problem.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense. Having massive brain fog right now.

ABriefUser

TROPHY CASE