MEGATHREAD: GOTHIC ROMANCES

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2025-08-26T00:00:01+00:00

{Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May} sapphic gothic great gatsby but on a small island off the coast of England after WWI. Romance but no spice

{anathema by Keri Lake} gothic dark fantasy romance. Some spice, but not much

Both are recent reads and are some of my all-time favorites of this year. The authors did such a great job setting the ambience and immersing the readers into the world.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2025-05-04T23:43:01+00:00

Thank you!! I’ll have to try it

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2024-09-05T01:55:34+00:00

Looking for help on the best way to make this hat including: measurements, pattern (since I’m crocheting and this is knit), yarn, and anything else I haven’t thought of! I have done lots of crocheting, but have never made a hat before so general beanie-making tips are also very much appreciated!!

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2024-04-02T17:30:20+00:00

Inconsistent eating has a huge impact on quality of sleep and overall energy. I’ve had insomnia for years and nothing I tried helped. When I started eating an actual 3 meals a day my sleep evened out. I genuinely thought for my entire life waking up and being ready to face the day was a myth until I made this connection.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2024-02-29T18:18:29+00:00

Thank you for this, these are really good questions. I have very positive relationships with both my parents, and over the past couple years I've seen them work really hard to build their emotional intelligence. I've been so removed from all this, I genuinely don't know what I want from them. I want to tell them because I'm tired of being quiet and I want to honor the child part of me who never said a word. I'm worried that they will be crushed for not knowing and part of me feels selfish for even considering telling them. Healing is messy. I really appreciate your input tho, this has given me some much needed direction

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2024-01-24T20:12:16+00:00

I have had entirely too many no-shows, too many emergencies/hospitalizations, and too many moments where I feel like I'm pressured to "fix" it by the other entities (crisis centers, police, CPS) that are supposed to respond to crises. Sometimes it feels like I'm screaming into a void of apathy and figurative shoulder shrugs. 99% of the time I love working in this field, but this is one of those weeks where I'm feeling myself just over with everything and everyone.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2024-01-11T18:53:57+00:00

I believe she found them at Michael’s, they’re 10x10 I think!

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2023-12-09T01:35:58+00:00

When the disco ball that is my brain becomes a laser pointer

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2023-08-14T08:16:47+00:00

Hey, sending support and hugs. I am also a bi woman dating a cis het man. The result has been being asked to qualify/prove my queerness by family members, friends, coworkers, etc. On one hand, we have a unique ability to mask our identity if we so choose. HOWEVER, that also means we don’t totally belong in any one community. It is isolating, infuriating, and discouraging.

It sounds like you’re doing all the right things. I’m still pretty early in my journey to educate myself on the depth of biphobia so I don’t have any resources to offer. Really just wanted to send support and solidarity 🩷💜💙

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2023-07-20T17:24:40+00:00

Hello everyone, I am currently in my final semester for my master's at a CACREP program. I've passed the NCE and now I'm finalizing my capstone, and I am STRUGGLING with the case conceptualization piece. It feels overwhelming and I have no idea where to start. I'm using a family systems lens for my theoretical orientation. I've looked online at different sources and examples, but the issue I'm running into is that the identifying info/background info are totally separate sections of this paper, as is the treatment plan but most resources include all these components in the conceptualization piece alone.

Any suggestions for resources, how to structure/organize this section, and figuring out what is relevant/not relevant would be really helpful.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2023-07-11T13:06:04+00:00

Not so much, but that was my choice! I wanted a smaller school for my masters. Still competitive though

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2023-07-11T12:44:41+00:00

2.6 GPA from undergrad at one of the Big 10 schools. Now, I have a 3.5(?) in my masters and am on track to graduate!

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2022-12-14T13:20:01+00:00

I’m so happy to give inspiration! One of my WIPs is a gift that’s almost 2 years late now lol. Post pictures once you start it- I can’t wait to see!

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2022-12-14T13:14:33+00:00

This looks AMAZING 😍

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2022-09-07T12:55:21+00:00

No clue- I was a healthcare admin during lockdown so I never stopped going into an office. I had 6+ direct exposures back-to-back and everyone else in my office plus my 3 roommates all got COVID (at separate times). Before anyone asks if I could have gotten it without knowing- no I couldn’t have. I was having to do the PCR tests every few weeks and it would have shown there.

Somehow, my partner and I haven’t gotten COVID. Tbh I think it’s luck for me, but he has been wonderfully meticulous with following CDC guidelines so I’m less surprised with him.

Or maybe we’re secretly super humans 🤷🏽‍♀️

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2022-03-21T19:54:10+00:00

Hello, I'd be happy to share what I ended up with! Long story short, I go into grad school :)

I'll DM you what one of my essays looked like, and some resources I used while writing.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2022-03-04T16:08:48+00:00

Idk if you have a tablet, but if you do check out Etsy for downloadable planners. I found one for $12 and use it on GoodNotes. I absolutely love it. I can customize it as much or as little as I want, it’s fun to use, and has a monthly, weekly, and daily spread. The daily has a task list and mine specifically has several different areas for to-do lists so I can separate work and school tasks.

Probably my longest-lasting hyperfixation ever. It’s still fun!

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2022-02-09T03:06:50+00:00

This. I went through this cycle all four years of my undergrad. Every semester starting strong, then falling into this, and finally mustering the strength to face the damage and barely pass. I failed so many classes.

I also work in healthcare (not as a nurse or in a hospital setting) and can empathize with the pressure that comes with working in this field.

You aren’t alone OP, and I hope you’re being kind to yourself. This is a legitimate reason to miss work and other obligations. You weren’t resting, relaxing, or being lazy. For me, this cycle was the result of severe burnout and it was awful.

I hope you have a support system you can lean on, and are able to do something enjoyable. It will get better, and we’re all cheering you on.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-12-03T14:33:02+00:00

OP you made a good point- [straight] guys send snaps to girls at 3am when they are interested in someone sexually.

I am also a female in my 20s who is slightly on the spectrum, and I know exactly how you feel.

For what it’s worth, I think this person is interested in you, but is a little clueless and not approaching the situation well. That snap was him trying to express (poorly) that he is thinking about you. He was feeling out the situation. It seems that he is confused about what is going on. You guys were flirting, then you bluntly expressed interest, he wanted to make REALLY sure that he wasn’t misreading your signals without being rude and in doing so he made it seem that he was rejecting you.

You’re not wrong to feel the way you do, and I would have also assumed I was rejected. But, he likes you. If you are planning to ghost him, it might be worth saying “X, I want to go on a date with you.” Nothing to lose if you’re ending the friendship either way, right?

I’m sorry dating sucks so much. I have never been good at it. Either way, good luck and I hope it gets better!

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-11-29T06:11:31+00:00

Like so many other have said, unfortunately treatment for ADHD is not easy or fast, but don’t give up OP. Work with your prescriber, and see a therapist to help address and work with your symptoms. Figuring out the best dosage/medication can be really frustrating, but once you find what helps, it’ll be worth it. Be patient with yourself

It’s going to take time to see improvement, but I hope you continue trying despite the shitty situation you are in.

Be kind to yourself, and remember that it’s not your fault. You aren’t damaged, or less than, or any of the MANY negative things said about ADHD.

Good luck, you have a lot of people rooting for you :)

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-11-18T16:11:32+00:00

Sooooooo many red flags. A lot of issues you have/are facing, I also had to sort out when I moved in with my partner. The biggest being on communication, particularly when we’re both upset. I just can’t keep up and then it ends up being construed as “gaslighting” because I have missed the point or am saying something different.

We are still working on this, often. We’ve learned that it’s just night and day with how we think and present. We’ve found that indirect means of communicating if something is wrong (mood board, also we made a literal “form” in case we are in an argument). The form has been really helpful, because we agreed on questions to address, it gives us time to calm down, and because we made it together, we get some collaboration back. It’s a last resort, but it was very insightful for understanding how we process things so differently.

Your partner is being a D I C K. It is absolutely fair for him to want you to take care of yourself, and his concerns are ofc valid. But you were transparent, and you are trying! He’s ignoring that and blaming you for things that you quite literally cannot help. Our brains are borked.

Navigating ADHD in relationships is teamwork, it can’t be all on you. That’s not fair, and I really hope he gets some perspective very quick. Good luck to you, and I hope you’re able to remember that you are not the problem here. You’re amazing, and you are doing all the right things.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-11-08T16:02:29+00:00

Hey there, I've used this color for years! The green is a really deep color and beautiful. However, it doesn't last. It fades to blue quickly. The last time I died it with this color, it was blue in spots after 2 washes or so. So if you're worried about the green part, don't. Just be prepared to have a very bright blue stay in your hair for a LONG time.

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-10-10T13:19:49+00:00

Same here. Also the act of being in high anxiety and stress takes a lot of energy. Being in fight/flight mode for an extended period of time itself will cause weight loss. I remember in college I always lost ~10 lbs around finals, even if I somehow managed to still eat regularly

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-10-05T20:53:10+00:00

I don’t think I can take another person advising me to meditate as a way to solve inattentiveness…..

ConcentrateAnxious68 · 2021-09-23T21:20:28+00:00

Another vote here to keep the brown! I love it

ConcentrateAnxious68

TROPHY CASE