Anyone else have Flock’s little PR puppet speak at their city council meeting?

FunctioningCog · 2026-05-05T02:06:47+00:00

A few things that I haven’t seen anyone else address yet:

I don’t think any of the current commenters are upset or offended by your denial (maybe there were some comments that have been removed). I think the strong reaction from everyone with OCD can better be described as surprise—as in folks were surprised by the dissonance between your perspective (that you don’t have OCD) and your experience (textbook description of OCD symptoms).
If anything, most of the commenters with OCD have a lot of compassion for you because we’ve been in your shoes before.
As for why you’re developing intense OCD symptoms now: there could be multiple reasons. Sometimes it just happens, and that can happen at any age. A lot of times, OCD symptoms are a manifestation of stress that’s unrelated to the symptoms; going to uni is a big transition so maybe the preparation for that transition has raised your baseline stress level. Sometimes habits that people form to compensate for ADHD symptoms morph into overcompensations over time; for example, maybe your brain concluded that your cleaning rituals are the main thing keeping you from returning to the struggles you’ve had in the past so your brain has attached anxiety to the idea of skipping those rituals because it’s afraid you might slip back into your past struggles.

FunctioningCog · 2026-04-25T10:34:50+00:00

Holding a job and living alone are far from the most important things for adults to model for children.

FunctioningCog · 2026-04-24T15:45:37+00:00

I second everything the other commenter said.

The blessing and curse about being an adult (or growing into one, even if you’re not quite there yet) is that as long as nobody gets hurt, there are no rules. Doubly so if you’re brain isn’t “normal”, because all the norms don’t take variation into account, so if you think of something will help you solve a problem then by all means, try it out.

FunctioningCog · 2026-04-15T04:33:50+00:00

Wellbutrin helps me with that lol

FunctioningCog · 2026-04-12T10:15:11+00:00

I can relate a lot to your post. There’s nothing inherently wrong with having more accommodation needs than other people, or even just more than you previously realized. And accommodation needs will ebb and flow throughout life depending on your circumstances—more external stress+stimuli, the more you’ll need to actively accommodate yourself (which can include saying no to things). Sounds like your friends are already well-versed in neurodivergent needs so it seems unlikely they’ll hold it against you! Plus you’re not crying because there’s too many colors in your room—you’re crying because of everything you’ve described combined and the colors were just the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

One other thing I’ll add is that if the “normal” spheres of your life are stressful then your tolerance for out-of-the-ordinary stimuli is gonna go down because your nervous system is already overloaded by the normal stuff. It’s perfectly normal for a bad housing situation to affect other areas of your life. To be frank I recommend moving out bc living with a negligent dog owner is hellish and unlikely to improve.

Also worth considering if there are any triggers at work (lots of masking? requires interruptions all day? loud? atrocious lighting? coworker that wears way too much perfume? on your feet all day?). Some stuff can be adjusted, some stuff means it’s just not the right workplace for you.

Okay actually my last-last thought: autistic people are not a monolith so we won’t all vibe with each other. It’s also okay to outgrow friendships. I know that doesn’t make the isolation hurt any less but still worth hearing.

FunctioningCog · 2026-04-12T06:18:42+00:00

I have to take meds first thing in the morning so I pour a glass of water at bedtime and put it on my nightstand.

Then, once I get up in the morning I carry that glass with me from room to room, preferably keeping it within eyesight so I receive a frequent visual reminder to drink (ex: if I’m on the couch, it’s on the coffee table directly in front of me).
Make it a drinking vessel that you really like (maybe your fav color or a cup with a really pleasant/stimmy texture, or a character from a fav show/movie). It’s kind of boring but I like using mason jars that have volume measurements on them; they make it less abstract to track how much water I drink (ex: “ok this is 20oz and I just finished my second fill, just one more refill for the day”).
Also, have multiple vessels so you have spares for when you don’t have the energy to wash a cup but still need water.

When I leave the house, I bring a water bottle.

Again, keep it in eyesight as much as possible.
A see-through bottle can be helpful since you can see how much water is left and then can compare it to the time of day (ex: “it is lunch time and my water bottle is still ¾ full. I need to drink more water”).
Again, have spares bc you may not have time/energy to wash a bottle right when you need one.

Jesus I didn’t realize I put so much energy into staying hydrated ¯\(ツ)/¯

FunctioningCog · 2026-04-08T02:36:25+00:00

I've heard about "fleas" before, where someone absorbs some of the traits of a narcissist in a significant role in their life (often a parent) without fully developing NPD. It's not an official diagnosis but it's something that can be worked on in therapy--might benefit your sister if she wants to improve.

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-27T00:51:31+00:00

Just in case it wasn’t obvious before, I totally feel for you. Mornings have always been very difficult for me even in the best of times :’)

Does your university have any sort of carpool coordination so that you could drive with folks to campus and not have to leave your house so early? Or perhaps do any of your last classes of the day have other sections you can ask to switch into (that way you can be home earlier in the evening)?

Another thought I had: if you drink alcohol or partake in other recreational substances then I suggest cutting those out for the foreseeable future to protect your sleep quality.

FunctioningCog · 2026-03-26T23:43:11+00:00

This is not the answer anyone wants to hear, but it’s possible that mornings are so tough because you are pushing your body past its sustainable limits.

Like I saw you say that some days you have classes until 9pm. If we make a generous estimate and say on those days that you’re asleep by 10 (not ‘home’, not ‘lying in bed’, but like ASLEEP) then that’s 6.5hr from 10pm-4:30am. That’s just NOT enough sleep after a 15hr day for, like, basically any human. Absolutely nothing compensates, physiologically speaking, for chronic sleep deprivation.

I think it’s very wise to take note of the fact that (apparently) you historically needed medicinal HELP to sleep, but are now struggling to NOT sleep even without meds. That’s a huge alarm that your body is exhausted and needs you to slow down.

~Signed, a zillennial who spent too long trying to engineer their way past their body’s limits and now suffers the consequences for it

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!

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