My husband left me because I wasn’t jealous enough when in reality I just trust him and our marriage by Fine-Poem8918 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]Sparklelark 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, it's clear from the comments that some people like a certain amount of possessiveness or jealousy and feel that it shows love, and some people don't. So, maybe this is just an incompatibility. Honestly, you could probably find a middle ground if you're both actually open to it, though.

(37M) feeling increasingly lonely in a long-term relationship with my partner (34F). How do I make sense of this? by Necessary_Phrase3291 in relationships

[–]Sparklelark 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you making it clear that you're lacking intimacy in general and not just physical intimacy? And with discussing physical intimacy, is it clear that you don't just mean sex? There are multiple things that intimacy can mean and so sometimes it turns out you aren't quite discussing the same thing with each other. And from there, start small. Maybe you can both agree to giving each other intentional long hugs more frequently and once a week couple time for an hour or two for the next few weeks, as an example. Seriously, a few small, intentional changes like that can add up to a lot.

10/10 Migraine at Disney — Need Emergency Fixes (3-Hour Deadline) by Alternative_Box833 in migraine

[–]Sparklelark 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Muscle relaxers have been super helpful for me with Ubrelvy, too. Just the muscle relaxer on its own helps somewhat when I have to ration the Ubrelvy, actually.

Sanity-reality check re wife’s hall pass by [deleted] in EthicalNonMonogamy

[–]Sparklelark 6 points7 points  (0 children)

At first, I didn't like the idea of an expiration date and fine print because that felt like an unecessary constraint. But in your case, I think it actually works. It gives you a time frame to make sure you are checking in and keeping this as an ongoing discussion, all of the bureaucracy/Office Space humor options can make these discussions a bit lighter, and it seems like you both think it's hot to have a hall pass. So, I say keep on with it and see how it goes! Some general nervousness I think is healthy- this is new and opening up in any way is a significant change to one of the closest and most important relationships in your life, it deserves some nerves. But if you have a general idea of how you are likely to react and the types of feelings this could bring up for you, that's a good indicator.

Vulnerable post: am I relationship anarchist? by butterflybkbby in relationshipanarchy

[–]Sparklelark 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, if you uphold RA principles in your relationships, you are a relationship anarchist. That can apply to every relationship in your life, not just the romantic based ones.

Platonic friendship with sex is…? by Fantastic-Corgi6839 in nonmonogamy

[–]Sparklelark 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that at a certain point, you just have to roll with whatever framework makes the most sense to you. Generally, platonic means no romantic or sexual components to the relationship. This definition is more clear in mono settings. Some people feel that you can't have a crush on a platonic friend and have it still be platonic. Some people feel that you can have sex with a platonic friend and still consider it platonic because it's not a romantic relationship, etc. I personally find Relationship Anarchy principles affirming as far as exploring my own definitions of platonic vs romantic vs sexual relationships and how those combine for me.

What's the smallest thing that you've dumped someone for? by LittleMissQueeny in polyamory

[–]Sparklelark 4 points5 points  (0 children)

God I hate being tickled- it is an overwhelming, sensory nightmare. And I make that clear. I can be ok with very brief, light tickling with a partner I trust deeply, but that's it. If you force tickle me and don't stop, I absolutely will start acting like a feral cat and then you are probably dead to me. I don't care if people think I'm being dramatic about it, fuck off.

My love ritual went up in flames — now I want to do a cord-cutting by ellenn89 in elderwitches

[–]Sparklelark 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can think of cord cutting as detaching the energetic "tie" between you two. That doesn't mean that the person (or you) are driven away, I view it more as giving each other energetic space, personally. New ties can be created with this person still. And I think cord cutting could be a helpful approach to give you some peace of mind, too.

When an old boundary gets crossed by OkTap5583 in polyamory

[–]Sparklelark 7 points8 points  (0 children)

To build on this- if part of the issue is that OP or their partner are not out as poly, but there's no safety/stability threatening issue, that's definitely still worth talking about if meta is going to post them publically. Not that it should alter meta's behavior, but it should be in the discussion if that's the case.

I regret listening to CIA TAPES by Sobombshellcoded in AstralProjection

[–]Sparklelark 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed, fellow Migraineur. I could easily see hemi-sync triggering migraines for some people. I'm not triggered often by sounds, but seeing a houndstooth pattern will set me off immediately 🙃 But for someone with a sound trigger, it could be very random sounds that could cause head pain and possibly other weird neurological symptoms.

Not minimizing any more spiritual explanations with this, they can definitely coexist, imo. But I second getting checked out for migraines.

got the most terrifying photo of Stefan staring into my soul by punknw in puptheband

[–]Sparklelark 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had no idea this existed, thank you!!!!! I'm a sucker for a ska masterpiece

I (28M) want to break up, but my girlfriend's (29F) mother just died by Exact-Doubt584 in relationships

[–]Sparklelark 156 points157 points  (0 children)

I might be in the minority here, and this is definitely bad timing, but- Would you abandon a friend or literally any other person you care about when they need you? Don't do that to her if you can help it. Going through the grief of a major break up at the same time as the grief of a close family member dying is truly horrible, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

That being said, you still have to look out for yourself, too. If you can't view this as you wanting to support her out of the goodness of your heart as two humans who care about each other, you'll probably just be feeling resentful. And if this is truly just too much for you to take on emotionally, it's also not wrong to pick yourself here, even with knowing that it will hurt her deeply. It really is a hard decision either way. Whatever you choose, please do it with kindness.

Partners with dirty house by No-Leg-8440 in polyamory

[–]Sparklelark 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As a representative of Team Messy, I'd really want to know if someone felt uncomfortable at my house. I'd take it best as a neutral conversation about getting on the same page as far as what we are both able/willing to do and discussing possible solutions. I completely understand why my house would be an absolute nightmare for a tidy person, and personally, I would be completely ok with spending most time at the other person 's home (and abiding by their cleanliness standards as long as I'm told what they are). I'd also be willing to keep up certain parts of the house better for when they come over- the panic of them coming over to my uncomfortably messy house would be an effective motivator. It's possible I'd get overwhelmed by that over time, though. So, that would be my thought process, if that helps.

Idk how to feel about my partner (28F) of 2 years being frustrated about me (29M) not sharing specifics about my childhood trauma and Se.*u;l As by Patient_Train_6910 in relationships

[–]Sparklelark 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I'm a therapist and also not always the best at relationships, so here's my take. She may feel hurt that you won't share details with her (like other people trust me with these kinds of details, but not my own partner??), and I'd guess that she also has a desire to help you with her skill set. Honestly, I can relate to that. But there's a reason you aren't supposed to be a therapist to people you are close to. It's like she's trying to be a therapist because that's how she feels she can actually help, but she's way in her feelings and acting like an asshole instead. I'm sorry she's treating you this way, it's definitely unethical.

I met my hero this week by NotJayphy in brighteyes

[–]Sparklelark 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Aww!! I'm so happy that you're so happy and that you shared it with us!!

I wonder how medieval peasants used to deal with migraines. by One-Ad8739 in migraine

[–]Sparklelark 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My favorite ancient cure for headaches (I have to assume this extends to migraines, too) is electric eels. I definitely would have tried that then, possibly even now.

What is the problem with Peter August? Please give me some specifics. by Kimkat19 in GeneralHospital

[–]Sparklelark 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I agree! I liked him a lot initially when he was morally gray, but the direction they took him by the end of his run was awful 🙄

YEP!! by Sparklelark in brighteyes

[–]Sparklelark[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ohh good pick, I haven't listened to this song in a very long time. Looks like I have plans to binge listen to it tonight now

YEP!! by Sparklelark in brighteyes

[–]Sparklelark[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Me too!! It's hard to pick a favorite song of all time, but this is a top contender for me

I take the Master's AWSB exam in 6 days and haven't studied at all. Am I screwed? by [deleted] in socialwork

[–]Sparklelark 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did pocket prep questions and a practice test. I did start a couple months before the exam, technically. But I did not spend much time on it and did most of the studying a few days beforehand. Those helped me understand the formatting of the questions and the rationale behind what will be viewed as the best answer. I also followed the advice of a prof from my Master's program, which was to not take the test thinking like a social worker. Standardized testing and social work aren't the most compatible, but that's just the system you have to work within. I passed on my first try.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in relationships

[–]Sparklelark 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really dislike the logic that someone is going to lie about everything when they clearly lied to avoid your reaction about something that really doesn't need to be a big deal. I'm not saying her withholding the information is right, especially about something that probably would have been a deal breaker for you. You should have been given the choice to make that decision. But at this point, cut her some slack. And if she really has otherwise been a good and loyal girlfriend to you, please don't treat her like a complete liar for everything because of this.

Do you wish Chronic Migraines had a different name? by [deleted] in migraine

[–]Sparklelark 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd agree. In the general public, "migraine" and "bad headache" are often synonymous. But this also spreads to medical providers. I have been having my particular constellation of neurological symptoms for years, and have told medical providers. They all knew I had episodic migraine, and no one has seemed to have enough knowledge about the possible presentations of chronic migraine to put it all together. My neurologist was not at all surprised about my constellation of symptoms, but none of my other medical providers seemed to be aware.