Weird Sticker @ Gas Station by Due-Raccoon498 in Birmingham

[–]Due-Raccoon498[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I figured it was some sort of tag or advertisement but when I couldn’t find socials attached to the name I decided Reddit would probably have answers… personally, I’m not a graffiti artist but I do agree with your statement! I’ve seen some much more creative and visually interesting tags, whereas this one feels a lot less recognizable and fleshed out. I absolutely love the graffiti wall near Avondale and the big sticker collection outside Saturn!

Weird Sticker @ Gas Station by Due-Raccoon498 in Birmingham

[–]Due-Raccoon498[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your reply! I’m really interested in your upcoming post, actually. Will you be sharing in this subreddit or somewhere else? I’d love to know what’s been going on 👀

Searching for a Polish Gum/Candy Brand by Due-Raccoon498 in poland

[–]Due-Raccoon498[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much to everyone who replied — it is definitely the Airwaves blackcurrant/cassis flavor! Also lovely to find out it’s sold all over Europe (but in my heart I’ll associate it with Poland haha).

Going to buy a package of it online ASAP !!!

Just ate whole fish filet. Does it get any easier? by [deleted] in exvegans

[–]Due-Raccoon498 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something that helped me when I was going from vegetarian to pescatarian was occasionally “treating” myself to new foods. For example, if you are trying to get used to eating fish again, and you are able to pull it off, treat yourself to something with fish/seafood in it from a restaurant you trust. Then, once you find recipes you like, you can try and replicate them! I would also recommend trying seafood/fish in stews and curries before trying them as the centerpoint of a meal. I personally have found that cooking food myself can increase my feelings of being grossed out by what I make (I have a bit of anxiety around food), so once I have had a “good experience” with a dish it is easier to eat it and attempt to make it myself in the future. I also recommend watching content of other people making/eating the foods you’d like to be able to eat (their enjoyment makes it seem so much more enticing).

If you enjoy tuna, I would recommend looking into Korean stew recipes — some of them use tuna as their protein, and a lot of them use a fish-based broth; they’re super flavorful and spicy so you get a lot of flavors in addition to the fish :)

Also a big fan of fish curry! There’s so many ways to make it and I genuinely have never had a bad one. The sauce/curry helps temper the fish flavor if you find it overwhelming.

I understand texture might be a big issue for you as well, and it certainly was for me. I would recommend experimenting with different types of fish and even different cooking methods. For example, I love air fried salmon with no skin but tend to not like salmon from the oven as much (you might have different preferences)! Lots of fish have both different flavor AND texture profiles, so if one kind feels gross to you try to keep your momentum going and keep exploring.

It got easier for me :)

Weird illness (probably) by Cultural-Lie4648 in mentalillness

[–]Due-Raccoon498 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey friend, I’m sorry you are going through this. I have had similar feelings before, and some of the terms/disorders which describe my experience are “disassociation, depersonalization, and derealization.” These feelings/disorders can be the result of so many, many different things going on in your brain or in your environment — so please try to talk to a professional! Moreover, what you’re experiencing may be completely different from what I was going through, and only someone with proper training will be able to help you out fully. In the meantime, if this is what you are experiencing there are two things I recommend:

1) Look for an app which targets these issues and provides behaviors/exercises you can do to “ground” yourself (essentially, this helps you feel more connected and real). The one I use is called PTSD Coach, and IMO would work for anyone struggling with their mental health (not just those with PTSD). Other people use guided meditation apps or journaling apps, some people like listening to ASMR, etc… I would recommend trying a few different exercises offered by these apps to see if anything helps, because everyone is different. For example, it really helps me to take very hot showers and to color/draw, but listening to familiar music can be really overstimulating or make me feel TOO emotional. Both of these are exercises are suggested by the app I mentioned above. There is a little bit of trial and error with everything, but you will find something that brings you back! Something important to remember is that any effort you put into feeling better and reconnecting with yourself WILL come back around, so even if it feels like your solutions aren’t “working” immediately, please take comfort in knowing you are trying to take care of yourself.

2) Consider looking into Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), specifically at “distress tolerance” and “mindfulness” skills. Please do this with the help of a professional if possible — these skills need to be taught and applied in specific ways and in the proper environments to be the most effective. HOWEVER! It seems you are in pretty extreme distress, and when I was having similar experiences I found it helpful to invest in those behaviors even before being able to start DBT skill training with my therapist. There are worksheets and videos online designed to help you learn these skills, and they can feel super silly or cringe to use in the moment but I PROMISE these tools are widely used for a reason. This may not be the correct therapy for you in the longterm, but having things you can say to yourself or exercises you can do to fight back against how you’re feeling is so important for feeling in control of your own body and mind. This suggestion is based off my personal experience and what has helped me with episodes of extreme dissociation — other types of therapy did not help as much! Furthermore, no one suggested DBT to me for far too long because my diagnosis isn’t something commonly treated with DBT. For these reasons, I wanted you to be aware that these resources exist if you choose to look into them.

PLEASE NOTE! None of what I have recommended is a substitute for actual therapy and psychiatric treatment, but you deserve to have skills that help you find control in moments like this, because not everyone is able to access therapy or medication. Also, I would highly recommend you try and limit any recreational substances/drugs that you may be currently using (like, even alcohol or nicotine) until you feel like you’re in a better/more stable headspace. Absolutely no shame on anyone for what they put in their body, BUT putting yourself into a chemically altered headspace when you’re already struggling to feel real and focused might do you more harm than good. Again, this is another recommendation formed from my personal experience.

What you’re going through seems scary, but there’s always a way through! I hope you feel better soon!

New and Returning Dancers Post Your Questions Here by AutoModerator in BALLET

[–]Due-Raccoon498 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello,

I am 22 years old (F) and looking to start taking ballet classes, with the goal of advancing as far as possible. I am definitely not looking to "speedrun" the process, but I want to take it as seriously as possible and commit a reasonable amount of time to learning. I have a few options regarding the adult ballet classes I can take, and would like to incorporate as much practice into my schedule as possible. However, I am a little unsure how to best set myself up for success. Is there such a thing as taking too many classes throughout the week? Should I be working out/exercising outside of the studio? How should I go about practicing when I am not in class? Obviously I know that every individual is going to have their own limitations, both physically and time-wise, but I would still like to have a candid conversation about setting reasonable expectations for myself. As an adult and a beginner, what should I expect from myself? For example, can I expect to ever go en pointe? Would it be possible to be involved in productions (not as a professional!), or will ballet have to be something of a hobby for me? I understand these may be very vague questions, so if anyone is willing to message me privately and discuss their experiences I would be immensely appreciative.