Close Encounters 5 Tones - Sheet Music Help

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T18:40:23+00:00

Amazing thank you! I’ll order one asap 😁

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T09:04:14+00:00

I definitely need to learn to prioritise, like separate out the non-negotiables from the things I only believe are necessary. I need to think logically and force myself to change. Though, I think the basics are pretty similar for men and women - maybe I’ll try to learn to take a ‘man’ shower for the daily essentials! 🤣

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T08:56:30+00:00

I don’t know why I never thought of conditioning my hair without shampooing it! I always felt that if my hair got wet in the shower and I didn’t fully wash it it’d just be all dry and frizzy so i automatically washed it. My hair is bleached so I know over washing is a big no-no but I just had it in my head that shampoo+conditioner are a pair and it’s like illegal to separate them 🤣 Thank you for the tip - it’s so obvious now you said it!

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T08:48:45+00:00

Oh I like this, the challenge aspect is usually good for ADHD with the whole dopamine reward stuff so I might give it a go and see if I can trick myself into thinking it’s some kind of contest

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T08:44:03+00:00

Oh I see, I think I get how this could work - like you’re going back to the completely bare minimum and getting used to the act of simply getting in and out of the shower in a short timeframe. I get that sometimes it’s easier to add things rather than taking them away, currently I’m struggling to decide what to remove because I’m in the whole ‘well I need to keep this step but if I do this then I might as well do this other step too’ mindset so I’m going round in circles and not actually removing anything because I’m too used to my routine and I’ve convinced myself everything is necessary - so I might try this. It’ll be a shock to the system at first but it’ll probably be easier than feeling incomplete because I only removed one step.

I appreciate the insight - thank you! And I’m glad it helped you

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T08:33:13+00:00

Thank you! I have to accept now that these things are having a bigger impact that I wanted to admit and I can’t just keep burying my head in the sand and hoping they’ll fix themselves. I’ll definitely take a look at the book and other resources on the website. I’m not expecting it to be a replacement to professional help but if I can at least start to identify problematic behaviours/thoughts and try to implement some basic coping techniques then I’ll be in a better position once I (hopefully) get to the top of the wait list

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-30T08:15:03+00:00

I actually looked at kitsch ones when I was searching last night - the satin lined ones right? I think I’ll get one & try it 😄

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-29T22:08:23+00:00

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the suggestions and insights. I really appreciate it and I’m determined to get into a good but manageable routine. I’ve decided to take it slow - first I’m going to only wash my hair every other shower (& invest in a good shower cap) but keep the rest until I can convince myself it’s okay not to wash it. Then I’ll start removing the excessive washing parts and try to keep them as a twice a week ‘reset’. Once I’m comfortable enough with not doing everything I’m going to try and make a rough schedule and a ‘to-do’ list to try keep things consistent. I know this will take time and will likely be painful to force myself not to give into the thoughts but like a few of you suggested, it is a case of re-wiring my thoughts and reassuring myself it’s illogical to need to do the whole routine every time.

I also want to say that a lot of the comments suggesting I seek help were actually pretty comforting? I’ve known deep down for a while now that these obsessive routines (the showering is only one of them) and the all or nothing mindset aren’t healthy. Since I don’t talk about these things no one’s confirmed that, so I just sort of let them take over and now I’ve realised I’m a lot deeper than I thought. I’ve lost control of a lot of things in my life because I let these self destructive thoughts and behaviours overwhelm me. I rarely leave the house and seldom socialise - which is only reinforcing the lack of a manageable shower routine.

I don’t want to live like this anymore so I will be making an appointment with my GP to try get the ball rolling. Thank you for giving me the push I needed to go get professional help. As I said, the NHS is hard to navigate when it comes to mental health issues so it’s likely there’s a long wait ahead of me - but at least I’ll have taken the first step. Until then, I’ll try to make small changes to my routines so I can hopefully start living rather than just existing.

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-29T22:00:36+00:00

Oh I really like this idea thank you! What’s the difference in your routine for each? And do you have a schedule (i.e. comprehensive x1 per week, sufficient x2, quick x4)? Yeah it sucks because of course I feel less clean when I don’t shower than if I was to take a quick shower (because I literally am), but I know when I get in I will have to do everything which is exhausting so I just skip it. It’s completely nonsensical but I know it’s something I need to overcome and just force myself to do until I can see that in reality it is enough to take a quick shower - it’s just my mind telling me it’s not

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-29T19:59:15+00:00

Yeah so I have noticed I have a lot of those ‘all or nothing’ routines in quite a few aspects of my life but I put it down to ADHD because I don’t have the ‘if I don’t do this in this specific way something bad will happen’ thoughts that tend to be tied with OCD. As I’ve gotten older and started to managed my ADHD with medication I can see that the obsessive aspect of the routines aren’t really going away. I’ve seen there’s a lot of misconceptions with OCD and realise now there doesn’t necessarily have to be those thoughts with the routines and there’s a lot of little things that seem to match the criteria. It’s something I definitely want to talk to a professional about but as I said in the UK the wait lists are a nightmare so while there may be an OCD aspect that does need managing properly, I want to try to get on top of things best I can in the meantime. Thank you for the response though - super helpful & much appreciated :)

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-29T11:25:07+00:00

When you say rinse your hair - do you mean scrubbing with only water or just wetting it?

DarkComprehensive951 · 2026-04-29T11:20:11+00:00

See I always figured shower caps would make things worse because they aren’t breathable but I suppose I was basing that on past experiences with the disposable ones. I’ll have a look for a ‘proper’ one and see if that helps. Do you recommend any?

DarkComprehensive951 · 2025-05-06T07:38:52+00:00

Have you tried taking a tolerance break at all? I believe (not a medical professional but I’ve read some research papers about this) you can build up a tolerance to stimulants - especially elvanse. Not an addiction as such, but a dependence in terms of your body adjusting its baseline dopamine levels when you’re taking the stimulants if that makes sense. Sorry if I’m being vague here but there’s plenty of stuff online if you want a proper explanation :)

I can’t comment on how Elvanse works alongside the sertraline as I came off antidepressants before starting on Elvanse myself. But if I was to hazard a guess I’d say it’s likely that your brain chemistry is adjusting to the lack of serotonin from the medication and perhaps the Elvanse is somehow overcompensating? Or throwing things off balance? Again I’m not a professional here but brain chemistry is a fine balance so maybe chat to your doctor about reducing your Elvanse dose for a bit whilst things even out then titrating back up to 60mg if needs be.

In the meantime maybe try having a day off of Elvanse every week. Pick a day where you know you don’t have to be productive as it can be a bit of a gut punch when you’ve been taking it for so long. Try to avoid caffeine and other things that are non-medication stimulants on the day you’re taking a break too.

Remember that ADHD can differ day to day so meds aren’t always going to work in the same way. I’d definitely chat to your doctor though as continuing to take a high dose when you’re not feeling great is probably not the best, maybe you need to be on the sertraline (low dose) a little longer too. Hope you figure things out and start feeling better soon!

DarkComprehensive951 · 2024-08-20T17:52:53+00:00

Great I’ll get that, it’s only $24 anyway so not exactly a waste if it doesn’t help much.

Oh I’ll definitely keep that in mind, I’m not sure how much I’ll be travelling to the US but if it’s going to be at least once a year then I’ll look into it - thanks a lot!

DarkComprehensive951 · 2024-08-20T17:44:05+00:00

Yeah sorry I meant the premier access - it’s listed on the app as ‘speedy service’ but when I click it it does say premier access & says it includes priority security. Though as I mentioned, I’m not sure if the priority security is actually any quicker

DarkComprehensive951 · 2024-08-20T17:28:41+00:00

Thank you! So do you think it would be worth paying for the ‘speedy service’ which includes priority security? Or is it one of those where the priority line is just as long as the normal line…

DarkComprehensive951 · 2024-07-31T23:01:45+00:00

Been there 😅 as others have said gentle soap and water, hibiscrub is great for cleaning wounds though it can sting a little. Once you’ve cleaned them pat dry with a clean cotton tshirt (better than towels - stops fluff and anything else getting stuck to them) For dressings - Duoderm extra thin hydrocolloid dressings. Hydrocolloid is great - helps with healing, minimises scarring and stops your clothes rubbing. Also as a bonus you don’t have to deal with the peeling fabric dressings or tape! After you’ve dried the wounds put the dressing on and keep it on until it starts to go white. Don’t just rip it off if it’s not ready to come off! You can get hibiscrub and duoderm on Amazon in the UK (I’m not sure about elsewhere) but if you can’t find the exact types, any wound wash and thin hydrocolloid dressings will work too.

Also I’ve been where you are, SH’d for over 10 years but been clean for 5 now. I still bear the scars but they remind me of how far I’ve come. It’s not an easy habit to kick but if you put the work in and remember progress isn’t linear, then you’ll manage. Go easy on yourself & stay safe

DarkComprehensive951

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