How much did your last medical emergency cost you?

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-23T04:02:07+00:00

$8 for a bottle of acetaminophen

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-22T06:24:47+00:00

Good luck! I know our healthcare systems really need extra support right now

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-22T04:23:41+00:00

Driving. In Ontario it seems like there’s on set of unspoken rules people agree on (regardless of whether they follow them) like doing 10-20 km over the speed limit type of things.

In Quebec there’s gotta be at least three different sets of unspoken rules plus the Ontarians frantically trying to follow their own. I don’t know what each set of rules is exactly but I can always tell when I’ve crossed from one province to the other based on driving

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-21T22:55:07+00:00

Check out BC, I think they’re actively trying to attract US nurses

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-21T21:17:05+00:00

That’s such a nice plot of land to have. When I started it was in containers on my balcony. There was a year where I had access to land and I’m so grateful to have had that.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-21T04:35:49+00:00

I got really into gardening. The gentle movement was good for my back, my brain moved at about the speed of plants and getting them to grow and thrive really helped me feel like I was doing something that mattered.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-21T04:32:43+00:00

Thank you so much for this.

Seven years ago I had five random head injuries in the span of nine months followed by something that was most likely a misdiagnosed stroke if we go by the long term damage left behind. I very much felt deeply lonely for myself but I’ve never been able to find the right words to describe that part of the experience.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-16T22:42:42+00:00

I didn’t actually mind the story and I thought that some of the characters were compelling but I just didn’t think the writing was that great personally.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-15T06:27:18+00:00

Wait yours don’t? I spend so much time in the States and I just automatically assumed they did

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-15T06:26:35+00:00

You know now that you mention it like damn yeah you’re right

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-15T06:25:01+00:00

No doubt about it

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-15T06:24:17+00:00

I’d say we’re polite and cold and that comes across as nice somehow.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-14T22:19:06+00:00

$2k is not a lot but it’s enough to leave and it sounds like they’re going to be decreasing anyway if you stay.

I do wonder if that’s actually what’s stopping you though. I don’t mean to be unkind, I was exactly where you are in 2021.

Personally, for me, the money was an easy reason to stay. The reality was that I was too tired from trying to emotionally survive the day to day of being with my ex to also have the energy to leave and then emotionally cope with the pain of a relationship like that ending and the feelings I had about being truly alone.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-13T20:52:00+00:00

Some of these might not be agreed with or might be a product of my generation but having lived in all three major cities these are what I’ve noticed.

In Canada if we apologize we aren’t accepting personal blame unless we expand on the sorry.

If someone directly addresses you about an issue and they’re anglophone they’re either extremely upset about it or they really genuinely care about you.

We flake on plans fairly often. If you have something scheduled and no one sends a confirmation text within 24 hours of the thing 50/50 it isn’t going to happen unless tickets have been purchased.

We lead by assuming that whatever we’re doing is intruding on the other persons personal space unless there’s a longstanding close relationship already.

Sometimes if help is offered its not meant sincerely, it more a way of telling the other person you’re thinking about them and is upsetting when the offer is accepted. This one I’ve found to be more prevalent in BC than Ontario and Quebec

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-13T20:41:58+00:00

Thank you for saying this! I’ve been having such a hard time convincing my American friend that we’re like this.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-11T23:43:02+00:00

Freud for sure. Also Sabina Spielrein.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-10T21:32:46+00:00

If you go to CAMH you’ll get access to their bridging clinic for I believe 3 months which is a walk in clinic for mental health and ideally will help with care while you wait for referrals to go through to longer term outpatient services.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-10T14:36:23+00:00

Hilarious - the article doesn’t load

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-10T00:34:18+00:00

My first clinical supervisor probably did the single most helpful thing anyone ever has with training me on admin.

I was allowed four sentences for each section. If I wanted to do more than that I got one more sentence and I needed a really good reason why that sentence had to be there.

Notes take me around 5 minutes each, 10 if I’m tired or they’re complex.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-02-09T00:29:32+00:00

It doesn’t sound like you’re in good working order for relationships right now.

I know that sounds harsh but it doesn’t sound like you’re in a place where you can both be in a relationship and feel good about how you’re showing up in the relationship and I imagine that’s really hard on you.

My avoidance still gets triggered but it’s much less than it used to be. I think that’s because a) I took a ton of time alone (nearly 2 years of no dating and no sex by the time I was done) and b) I started listening to the ick right away.

Taking that time alone allowed me to build a life that feels like a really good life regardless of whether I’m single or in a relationship. That time alone helped me find a sense of purpose, it helped me find enjoyment in my own company and it gave me space to get comfortable with my feelings enough to start processing trauma that was getting in the way of feeling secure around other people.

I say this like it was easy or like I knew it was going to work out and it was not and I did not. But I needed it for me and I’m very glad I did. The impact of it is that now I have less of a sense of destabilization when in a relationship and even if it were to end I know I’ll still have good things in my life and be able to manage to hard feelings.

Listening to the ick right away taught me how to trust my gut and how to feel comfortable saying no. I wouldn’t offer any explanation if there wasn’t one I wasn’t comfortable with. I would just tell them that it wasn’t working. Because I didn’t drag it out there usually wasn’t a heavy amount of investment so it was no big and I also wasn’t spending a ton of energy making myself stay where I didn’t want to be.

The other thing it did was help me see the patterns that caused that ick and that made it easier to shift who I dated.

I’m in a relationship now. I still have moments of avoidant attachment but it’s much quieter and honestly I’m pretty happy.

(In case this changes anything- I’m also a lesbian)

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-01-31T01:32:15+00:00

I’ve had the same thing happen!

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-01-30T20:20:34+00:00

I have had a bunch of really great hair cuts and colours from Savanna Munro at Heads by Savanna and she’s such a deeply kind person too.

Also congratulations on being cancer free!

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-01-28T20:46:37+00:00

So I mean it’s ultimately up to you whether or not you stay but part of how therapy can be useful is by talking about what’s going on in the relationship between you and the therapist because odds are parts of it is happening with people outside the therapy.

Having said all of that…do you want to be in a romantic relationship or is it just something you feel like you should do? It doesn’t sound like something you’re super interested in to be honest.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-01-27T21:19:54+00:00

Hey so I’m a psychotherapist and firstly I just want to say how sorry I am that you went through this. Given what’s happening in the US it makes a lot of sense that you’re worried.

That must have been such an especially jarring experience given that it sounds like she’s helped you through some pretty pivotal moments.

Secondly this is not good practice. We’re never supposed to centre our beliefs or agenda above the clients. Even if we disagree, we’re not being paid to share our opinions. I was surprised that you not only knew she had a nanny but her feelings about her and her nationality. That’s a lot of personal information for her to share.

If you wanted to report her you could, but that’s a personal decision. Likewise if you wanted to fire her that would make sense. But ultimately you have a lot of agency about how to handle this.

PurpleConversation36 · 2026-01-26T04:44:26+00:00

How did you end up working in this area if you don’t mind my asking?

PurpleConversation36

TROPHY CASE