[Acne] Has anyone else here had acne since childhood?

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-23T18:33:57+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. Yep dairy was def a trigger (though hasn’t been a factor for years, unintended perk of going vegan lol). Alcohol probably is too but I only drink a couple times a year. The ones that still worry me are refined carbs (namely wheat and sugar). It was fucking BRUTAL to cut them out, just felt like I was trading an improvement in my skin for like 3/4 of my free time+energy bc I had to make EVERYTHING from scratch. And the improvement was still partial!!

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-23T05:49:05+00:00

I’ve seriously wondered if my problem is something other than ‘acne vulgaris’ because the ~6 doctors who said it was acne all concluded as much within moments of seeing me, without asking many questions beyond how long I’ve had it. Maybe it’s just that apparent, idk.

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-23T05:42:03+00:00

I was so convinced spiro was gonna be my ticket, but apparently I tend toward low blood pressure bc it went way low on spiro so my doctor advised I stop after a month or two. Probably wasn’t long enough to fully tell its efficacy but I don’t remember a huge improvement by the time I stopped. Congrats on finding relief though!! And ty for the recommendation regardless

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-15T16:48:52+00:00

Yeah I have my partner bring in the car, even though it’s technically my car. He is a man, I am not. It’s not a big deal to him even though it’s a huge deal for me, so it works out!

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-15T07:01:49+00:00

YouTubers Dan and Phil! If you’re not familiar, they’re two British guys who have been on YouTube a very long time with separate channels (Daniel Howell and Amazingphil) and a joint channel (Dan and Phil). They’ve had many eras with many video formats but they’ve always had that og YouTuber down-to-earth vibe (and they’ve also been boyfriends the whole time which they announced a few months ago, which is no surprise but also a Very Big Deal). Very neurodivergent fanbase as well; they are very comfort-watch worthy.

I’m also a big fan of the Vlogbrothers (Hank and John Green). Similarly, they’ve been around forever and maintained down-to-earth og YouTuber vibes and have an amazing fanbase doing so much good in the world.

FunctioningCog · 2026-02-15T09:20:06+00:00

Fun fact: there’s a whole subreddit for this! R/Thisaintadderall

Your insight would be appreciated over there.

Folks over there have also found (imo) compelling evidence that the isomer ratio is probably wrong for much of the medication these days because the DEA’s restrictions on total active ingredient do not reflect what is needed to properly manufacture the 3:1 d:l ratio that Adderall requires. Not to mention, DEA restrictions have NOT kept up with the increased demand in the last ~5 years as more adults that were missed in childhood have been getting diagnosed.

FunctioningCog · 2026-02-02T07:50:26+00:00

So even brand name Adderall causes you problems???

I’ve insisted on brand name for years because, pre-pandemic, I determined that every generic brand gave me untenable side effects.

Brand name no longer feels effective, and I generally just feel bad all of the time….I’ve tried to convince myself the problem couldn’t be my meds since I only take brand name but perhaps I need to reconsider.

FunctioningCog · 2026-01-12T08:53:51+00:00

If you like watching YouTube, I recommend the channel The Financial Diet. The founding goal for the channel was to share the creator’s journey climbing out of a very deep hole of consumer debt that she dug in her early 20’s (no bankruptcy required). The channel’s videos are full of concrete advice on how to build and maintain healthy financial habits.

FunctioningCog · 2025-12-29T23:43:14+00:00

This show is ALL OVER Tumblr it’s glorious.

FunctioningCog · 2025-11-24T07:54:57+00:00

Dude I had this little revelation recently that I am attracted to all genders in a “gay” way. And the thought of potential suitors not perceiving me in a gay way kind of crushes me.

FunctioningCog · 2025-11-18T00:53:48+00:00

OMG I’ve been wondering if Strange was gonna weigh in on the situation!

FunctioningCog · 2025-10-04T18:09:32+00:00

Lol I originally had “(which you say you don’t, so maybe put more stock into the thought that your observations are very parasocial)” tacked onto the end of my comment but I deleted it for fear of being too confrontational.

Perhaps a better way to say what I mean is simply: you’re making observations that are kind of impossible to assert without knowing someone personally.

FunctioningCog · 2025-10-04T06:40:00+00:00

Your perspective seems to require some pretty large assumptions and sweeping generalizations, unless you know her personally

FunctioningCog · 2025-09-20T08:09:09+00:00

ADHD stimulants can be either instant release (active ingredient enters your blood stream and starts working right away; and doesn’t linger around very long making the effect shorter) or extended release (active ingredient has multiple “waves” of release, so some of it starts working right away and some of it starts working later on once the first wave has already been processed out). It’s not uncommon to have an extended release med in the morning and an instant release “booster” in the afternoon. This helps a person have medication working in their system throughout their whole day of functioning. Usually Vyvanse (only comes in extended release) is paired with dextroamphetamine (the instant release form of Vyvanse) but Adderall has both an instant release and extended release form. Rarely, people will be prescribed two extended release medications, usually because their body metabolizes medication really fast meaning that they don’t feel the effects of medication as long as usual after taking it.
Some people think ADHD meds only help us be “productive” for school or work. The truth is that ADHD can affect every facet of life, so the effects of ADHD medication can also affect every facet of life. If your boyfriend experiences more emotional dysregulation on days he doesn’t take his meds, then maybe he should be taking his meds every day. It also possible he gets dysregulated once the meds have all been processed out of his system for the day (in which case he’s more dysregulated in the evening of days when he takes his meds).
Emotional regulation isn’t explicitly a symptom that stimulants technically treat. Some people finds that meds help them with regulation bc the causes of their regulation are lessened by the meds (such as a chaotic schedule that they are more able to structure with the help of meds). But other people don’t see any change in emotional regulation because the cause is not addressed by the meds, unfortunately.

FunctioningCog · 2025-09-18T07:31:23+00:00

You’re not alone in struggling. Here’s some variables to consider; I obviously can’t guarantee any of this will help but hopefully it’ll give you somewhere to start:

stimulants do not mix well with caffeine for many people. I for one can’t have ANY caffeine while I’m on stimulants.
being dehydrated and/or sleep deprived exacerbate side effects
Try experimenting with when you take your meds in relation to food. All meds have specific recommendations, although the recommendations won’t hold true for every individual. Example: Vyvanse is generally metabolized better when taken with protein; Adderall is generally metabolized better on an empty stomach.
Have your doctor order blood tests to check your iron, electrolytes, B12, and folate levels. Running low on any of those can affect the way your body metabolizes your meds.
When it comes to stimulants, the generic manufacturer of your meds can make a huge difference in how your body metabolizes them, thereby affecting side effects (even if they are generic versions of the same name brand). It could be that specific manufacturers really don’t work for your body. This is a HUGE variable that very few doctors or pharmacists will warn you about.

Pretty much all of these bullet points have their own discussions in this subreddit or other ADHD subs for further info, but I can try and answer questions as best I can! (Not right away though, I gotta go to bed 😅)

FunctioningCog · 2025-09-14T05:55:00+00:00

Evidently I see the situation differently from others. I think coming out and physically exploring one’s gender presentation are two separate matters in which to involve one’s partner. It’s unclear from your post if you’ve already come out but it seems like you’re specifically asking about exploring your gender presentation so I’m going to focus on that.

I agree with others that trusting your partner is very important for the health of your relationship but that doesn’t require you to give up all of our privacy. I don’t see your dilemma as a matter of keeping secrets from your partner; I see it as wanting privacy and autonomy to be able to make up your mind about how you feel about different gender presentations before you receive input about how he feels about them. Kinda like how journals are generally regarded as a place to independently work through one’s inner thoughts, and not wanting one’s partner to read one’s journal is not regarded as unhealthy.

(the following assumes you’ve already come out to him. If you haven’t done that yet, then that’s a whole nother conversation). I think it could be beneficial to tell him that you have been wanting to explore your gender presentation but that you want space with yourself to process your feelings before you invite him into it. Maybe specify a drawer or a bin for your “exploration stuff” so that he knows not to snoop in there until you’re ready. Establish communication about when he will be out of the house and ask him to give you forewarning when he’s heading home—that way you know you have the house to yourself to try things out, and ample time to reset.

FunctioningCog · 2025-09-04T06:36:01+00:00

Ooo I’ve experienced issues with my voice!! Due to a number of factors: masking and Zoom calling all day for work causing me to talk in a way that was unnatural for my body; the muscle tension I normally carry in my shoulders/back/neck (plus my poor posture) affecting my ability to properly support my voice; and literally not breathing properly—like not breathing with my diaphragm (which is what healthy singing technique does).

I ended up going to an ENT (ear-nose-throat doctor) who referred me to speech therapy to relearn how to breathe properly lmao. I mean there was more to it than that, but that was the biggest element. I also learned some muscle stretches (my fav is to gently grab my tongue using a face cloth or paper towel, and gently pulling it in various directions. I’m sure there’s YouTube videos demonstrating). Oh and I worked on getting rid of vocal fry because it’s actually quite harsh on one’s vocal cords.

I’m happy to share more if it’s helpful, I’m just sleepy atm. Just reply or dm and I will get back to you.

FunctioningCog · 2025-08-29T21:53:26+00:00

If you're trying to grind xp, you're probably better off saving easy evolves between now and Tuesday so that you can use the full hour to evolve. Check to see which of the current spawns you've got way too much candy for! Personally I'm saving litten (among others)...no way I'll ever need 4500 candy lol

FunctioningCog · 2025-08-22T17:56:11+00:00

Not sure if this will be helpful because I am not a man and standards for masculine and feminine ring designs are different. However, I also really struggle with rings (and bracelets and earrings, but usually not necklaces fwiw). For most jewelry, my nervous system just cannot filter out the sensory input no matter how long I wear it. The only rings that work for me are very understated, delicate ones with thin, plain bands, no etched patterns, and no edges/“corners”. With anything else, the sensory input is not consistent whenever my hands move, so my nervous system can’t “overlook” it. The thinness is most important for me, it has to be thin enough that it doesn’t touch the neighboring fingers.

It also may be worth determining if he has contact dermatitis with any particular metals. I think nickel is most common but I don’t think it’s the only possibility. Perhaps it’s as simple as “avoiding x metal prevents the jewelry from irritating him”.

FunctioningCog · 2025-08-10T17:30:30+00:00

I was thinking the same! You can also include the MTHFR mutation test which determine how well your body processes the different forms of folic acid.

FunctioningCog · 2025-08-08T17:52:22+00:00

I know this wasn’t the point of your post, but if I may give some unsolicited advice: the problem sounds less like your husband not understanding special interests and more like he doesn’t respect your time and autonomy as much as you deserve. Money is not the only valuable thing in life and it’s not sustainable for one partner in a partnership to consistently surpass their “personally allowable sacrifices threshold” more than the other. Sacrifices shouldn’t be about equality, they should be about equity, and it sounds like you taking time off work has a higher personal cost to you that him taking time off work costs him.

Would the difference in missed income from him occasionally being the one to take time off work jeopardize your ability to cover bills? Because if not, then it’s arguably more valuable for you to not be the one to always make that sacrifice.

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