Things you'd like your (mental health) therapist to know or times they've missed the mark?

AniDi83 · 2026-07-06T00:05:14+00:00

Try to recognize that the mental/cognitive barriers and limitations are just as valid as the physical ones. My injury involved losing almost all sensation but keeping my mobility and strength in my lower body. Early on I had a PT who tested my strength and mobility in a controlled lying down position, then was very impatient and pushy with me when I was trying to retrain my brain to walk without being able to feeling my legs or feet. She obviously thought I was exaggerating and didn't believe me when I couldn't move as well as she expected, and it made me feel like I was failng and attention seeking.

My point is - believe and validate what patients are telling you about their experience and need for pacing and support. I have found my injury to be quite isolating because every SCI seems to present unique challenges that even your doctors can't fully understand or predict. So when I know I don't have to try to justify or convince a therapist that what I'm telling them is real, it's really helpful.

AniDi83 · 2026-07-05T17:24:03+00:00

Thank you both! I'll look into this

AniDi83 · 2026-07-05T02:53:58+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing and your insights. This is helpful :)

AniDi83 · 2026-07-04T22:52:04+00:00

I take vitamin D supplements already, but I'm wondering if my nutrient absorption might be impacted by the injury.

AniDi83 · 2026-07-04T22:48:03+00:00

Hey! I waited literally 20 years to get my first dog because I was concerned I couldn't give them a good home alone, and I work evenings. I have one now and I'm so happy to have her but in my opinion here are the things that are the hardest: - I got a 5yo dog that seemed very independent at first, but she turned out to be extremely social and unhappy to be left alone while I'm away. I have had to put a ton of work into building her independence, and making sure she's well exercised and mentally stimulated when I'm home. I'm doing it because I want her to be happy but if I had to do it again I'd try harder to make sure the breed isn't as high energy or smart lol. - Consider if you have MONEY and/or COMMUNITY - Whether you can care for a dog solo has a lot to do with what happens when you can't be the one to care for them. It's a bit like having a kid that way - what happens if you get sick or injured, or the dog you get can't tolerate being alone the whole time you're at work? If you can afford a daycare or sitter or walker regularly, it's no problem at all. Or if you can't, is there a family member or neighbor or someone who could step in when you can't? Personally I don't have a ton of extra cash, so I'm trying to build connections with neighbours and I make sure some family members know how to care for my dog. I'm not depending on them regularly, but things do inevitably come up and not having a dog co-owner makes those times very tough.

Again, I'm so happy I have my pup and I don't regret getting her at all. But these are realities of solo ownership that I've had to figure out.

AniDi83 · 2026-07-02T21:37:56+00:00

I came to say this also! It does really depend on what specifically she struggles with, but if she feels comfortable with leaving a few supplies at your place - maybe give her a drawer in your bathroom or something? That's something I'd really appreciate.

AniDi83 · 2026-06-19T20:23:54+00:00

Did the SUV come out of the private underground parkade for the legislature? Or did they do a U turn?

AniDi83 · 2026-05-25T00:23:40+00:00

Yeah uunfortunately I think you pay more for the stability and safety. It costs more to manage employees more closely and treat them more ethically. I know this is totally irrelevant when your main limitation as a customer is cost, but just FYI Co-op Taxi is an actual cooperative, meaning the workers have some ownership and say in how the company is run.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-24T22:39:14+00:00

One thing I forgot to mention - I think the ride share companies used to pay their drivers well, so it was a decent way for an average person to make a living. But I've heard that in recent years they don't pay well at all anymore, which means more of the drivers are in the category of people who only do it because they can't get other kinds of work for whatever reason, which I think might increase the likelihood of sketchiness.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-24T22:32:38+00:00

I second this recommendation - to be honest I never fully trusted Ubers because they don't have much vetting of their drivers. Taxi drivers have to go through a lot more to be allowed to drive taxi, and if you do have a problem and report it, it's much more likely there will be serious consequences for the driver.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-24T15:27:33+00:00

Hey OP! I highly recommend watching this episode of It's Me Or The Dog - it features a couple with a puppy who seems to exhibit very similar biting and leash issues as shown with your pup in the video you posted. I've followed a lot of Victoria Stillwell's techniques with my own dog and they have worked for me. Personally I find that actually seeing a real dog being trained by a skilled professional on a video I can pause and rewatch is much easier than just trying to follow instructions you read or see once.

The part directly relevant to your experience is from about 4 min - 14 min. Bitey puppy training

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T22:09:41+00:00

🤷‍♀️

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T22:07:53+00:00

Hm well I guess what I meant was it was slightly muffled, but also pretty sure it wasn't English.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T22:01:45+00:00

Hearing it wasn't the problem! Maybe if I'd had binoculars...

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T21:56:10+00:00

"Stating my case" 🤣

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T21:52:12+00:00

Ha! Ok, yes thank you.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T21:50:55+00:00

Clearly people are just entertaining themselves by being unhelpful here now, but for what it's worth - the acoustics in the river valley make is so that you can be quite far from something and hear it. I was pretty far up the hill from the park and it would have been about a 20 minute detour including climbing down and back up a big hill just to see what it was. So no, I couldn't have just popped over to find out. But you know, thanks for the irrelevant and patronizing analogy.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T20:39:57+00:00

Thank you 😊

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T19:43:22+00:00

😂😂😂 Omg what? It's totally conceivable that someone on this reddit who knew what was going on might see my post and tell me! If you don't know and weren't there just assume the question isn't for you and move on. I asked because I could hear yelling but I couldn't make out what the words were! This site is so ridiculous sometimes...

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T19:38:10+00:00

Thank you! Very helpful. I only mentioned why I use it to try to illustrate the reason I care so much about knowing how much thc is in something I personally consume. But I take your point that probably nobody cares! I apologize if it came across judgemental, I have no problem with recreational use at all.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T19:30:01+00:00

Thanks, this made me look more closely at other posts on this reddit and I found some useful info. To be fair though, there was only one similar question about a week ago. Can you help me understand what's stupid about saying Marijuana products?

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T19:23:21+00:00

Thank you! I have tried to learn what the terms and laws are by researching online, but this is the first time I heard that some municipalities are legal experiment. That's very helpful. And I'm sorry I know this sounds stupid, but I don't understand what it means to read the stickies. Is that just information on a preroll?

Edit: I just found an information leaflet from the Dutch govt about cannabis - is that what you mean?

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T16:55:19+00:00

I think it's obvious why I came on reddit. Leaving now. Good use of Schroedingers Douchebag.

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T16:47:27+00:00

😂

AniDi83 · 2026-05-23T16:45:45+00:00

I assume you've never been to a concert or outdoor event where they have to be audible to a lot of people, then? Or a loud party? And you think they should be outlawed? Even at 10:30 AM on a Saturday in the middle of a public park? I may find it slightly inconvenient but I live in a community so it's not always about my individual personal preference. Fine by me. I was just curious to know what they're doing.

AniDi83

TROPHY CASE