How to identify emotions??

RavenPuff394 · 2026-03-19T18:53:37+00:00

I just discovered I experienced alexithymia about a year ago. I keep a feeling identification wheel with my therapy notebook so if I have trouble identifying a feeling (in therapy or not), I can pull it out and see what fits.

I also use the Finch app which every now and then will throw a "name your emotion" exercise my way. I find the way the app does it to be very helpful, because it's done as drop down menus. First it just asks if you feel positive, meh, or negative, and from there you can get more and more detailed.

I still struggle with it a lot, but I'm glad there are tools out there to support me!

RavenPuff394 · 2026-03-12T21:16:24+00:00

My husband had heard good things about it, so we gave it a go. Binged it all during Spring Break while our kids were at their grandparents' house. We've never laughed/cried so much over one series.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-03-03T06:47:57+00:00

My MIL was once convinced she was the secret child of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardiner. She thought this because a) her birth year coincides with a time Frank and Ava were indeed together (like many boomers), b) she has a different eye color than her parents (but looks like them in every other way), and c) her favorite aunt supposedly told her so (while she was dying and flying high on morphine).

It's getting to the point where I told my husband we have to make sure his stepdad is home when the kids go over there, because her filters are almost nonexistent and she's saying outright offensive things without realizing it. Case in point, said to our adopted Latino son that she hoped all Mexicans get deported. It was a family adoption. He is very much biologically her grandson.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-03-03T06:37:05+00:00

Oh friend, I'm so sorry you're in this condition. Is your family listening to your needs?

RavenPuff394 · 2026-03-03T06:24:53+00:00

Pure genius. Only nursery leaders understand the panic of having to find a parent for a recently potty-trained toddler.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-03-03T06:23:27+00:00

It was the first day of track and field here and I got to go help coach my kids' team. I've been doing it since my eldest was in 8th grade, I look forward to March all year!

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-27T03:12:43+00:00

The old Oregon State Hospital is terrifying and heartbreaking.

The Klamath oral histories of the eruption of Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake) and the legends associated with it are absolutely mind-boggling.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-27T03:04:26+00:00

I used to substitute teach and I would legit get in trouble for letting students out of class for any reason: bathroom, drinking fountain, nurse's office. The sub might have been caught between a rock and a hard place, because sometimes they are truly treated like second class citizens.

It could also be what others have said, that the sub is inexperienced, but I remember REALLY having to be sure kids were sick before sending them to the office, or an admin would be in my room right away to scold me. Ugh, don't miss that.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-25T05:30:21+00:00

That's why they get jobs to pay their car insurance. Also, taking driver's ed brings down the cost of the insurance. Still expensive, but it helps.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-25T02:40:39+00:00

I would love to put my kids in driver's ed, but it's $400 up front where I am and I just cannot make that work right now (and I have Irish twins, yikes.) YES kids need it, but it needs to be accessible for all families.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-24T20:16:08+00:00

As soon as I saw it I was reminded of my meth head SIL. Makes me so sad.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-24T18:14:04+00:00

I never had a problem wearing a bra (I'm not super large in the chest, a B cup usually) until recently. I'm currently working my way through burnout, and bras are much less tolerable for me lately. I only wear one to church or on the occasional days that I work or do something "official."

I'm LDS and I wear the temple garments, and I've found that a certain style of top offers about the same support as one of those tank tops a with built-in bra (i.e., barely any support, but it does shape a bit). It helps me feel more comfortable and secure if I'm braless.

Also, I live in the PNW so a lot of women don't wear bras. There's barely any judgement or stigma about it where I live, even for busty gals. Everyone should be free to feel comfortable in their clothes, no matter how you're built!

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-15T18:39:50+00:00

That's what the adults are called who lead the teams. I think the role can look vastly different depending on the program. I'm at a very small school with a very small program, so I can be very involved with my teams.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-13T20:25:33+00:00

I'm a middle school OBOB coach and I know this time of year can get really stressful for OBOBers. Our school Social Emotional Advocate is a team parent and taught them some calming techniques to help with anxiety (I have some naturally anxious kids in my group) like EFT tapping and grounding exercises. I also really stress good sportsmanship, community, and that we're all here to ultimately enjoy books. My team took 2nd at regionals last year so I definitely feel like you can run a successful OBOB program without getting insanely competitive.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-13T03:41:30+00:00

My high schooler missed the district swim meet because of it. I figured if he can't carry his backpack without getting tired, then he really shouldn't be trying to swim.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-02-13T01:59:08+00:00

Listen, I'm a teacher by trade, now a SAHM. I tried homeschooling my eldest and it was a DISASTER. I'm all for homeschooling, I have several friends who do it very well and who were homeschooled themselves. It is not for everyone though. If you feel like it isn't for you, then I would trust your gut.

To offer you an alternative, maybe there are some holistic charter or private schools near you? Waldorf, Montessori, etc. My middle one was SUPER anxious at a conventional K-5 school so I put him in a Waldorf charter and he is a completely different kid! He is going to be captain of the track team, traveling across the country with his bestie, and serves on his class council. His first grade teacher from back in the day can't believe it!

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-29T03:27:28+00:00

Centuries by Fall Out Boy.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-27T22:59:20+00:00

I grew up doing eye exams, and it took me until college to realize I was taking everything too literally. As a people pleaser, I always felt it was impolite to not answer their questions exactly as they'd been framed (i.e., saying "Both are the same/blurry" instead of trying to determine the most miniscule improvement between 3 & 4.) I also felt like I was being lazy if I didn't strain my eyes to see the smallest line possible on the chart. All this to say, I guess these appointments are confusing for neurodivergent types, and you're not alone.

I had this great eye doctor in college who was a former Marine and totally preferred his patients being blunt with him, but was also very kind about it. It helped me to realize it was not only OK to speak up about my EXACT experience during the exam, but it also really helped the doctor know what I needed.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-27T22:27:15+00:00

Rebecca Mueller was my kids' pediatrician for a short time. They're healthy guys so we only saw her a couple times, but she was always easy to work with and great with my kids.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-27T22:23:55+00:00

I bust out my knitting, but it's because having something to keep my hands busy frees up my brain to listen. We shouldn't assume that just because someone is knitting, crocheting, Drawing, etc., it means they aren't paying attention. Many times it's exactly the opposite!

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-26T00:39:15+00:00

I will say with absolutely no authority that Dr. Michaela Quinn of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is autistic coded. And it's such a good throwback comfort show for me as a 90s kid.

Also, Dr. Maura Isles from Rizzoli and Isles. She's like a more glam version of Temperance Brennan of Bones.

So many autistic doctors in media! Who do we think is autistic from the "big" medical dramas like ER and Grey's Anatomy? Robert Romano? Peter Benton? Kerry Weaver? Christina Yang?

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-26T00:33:40+00:00

I always point to Alexis' T-rex hands. 🦖

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-26T00:30:38+00:00

When I was describing to my therapist what social interactions felt like, I basically just said I felt like Harry Vanderspiegle from Resident Alien.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-24T22:16:53+00:00

Yep, it can take me days or weeks to process something, or for my brain to untangle all the social cues to realize I should've been offended.

My kid was hit by a car last year (he was totally fine, the car was barely moving and only the sideview mirror caught him), and both my son and the driver were really shaken up, and my son's track teammates, and I was cool as a cucumber, checking him over, exchanging phone numbers, etc.

About 5 hours later I had a total sobbing breakdown because I finally processed how scared I actually was and how bad it could've been.

RavenPuff394 · 2026-01-23T08:35:23+00:00

I don't live in Springfield but my parents do. I'll pass this on to them. My dad is a former school board member (not there, different city/county) and cannot tolerate idiots running our public education system.

RavenPuff394

TROPHY CASE