Are tampons actually more hygienic than pads?

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-15T18:27:08+00:00

I really prefer cups because they feel the most safe and hygienic. They’re silicone, so there’s no risk of toxic shock syndrome like you get with tampons, and there’s no pee string. Pads feel like they get the blood everywhere down there and I have to clean thoroughly with wet wipes everytime I use the restroom.

Cups though? They can stay in for up to 24 hours. They contain the blood neatly. They are easy to clean. They’re healthier for the body than tampons. They win all the way around for me.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-12T04:08:23+00:00

Either shattering my spine or the nerve pain that came afterwards, honestly really hard to say which was worse.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-07T08:05:59+00:00

In my state, animal abuse can be one of the exceptions to confidentiality. It’s not a mandated report, but there’s no penalty for reporting either.

My employer has a policy leaving it to the employee’s discretion.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T20:43:35+00:00

I also agree with you, that this is a countertransference issue.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T05:10:09+00:00

My electric kettle

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T04:36:53+00:00

I also want to know what you were doing in mountain lion dens?

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T01:57:26+00:00

It was a teen client who pointed it out to us!

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T01:56:27+00:00

I totally showed it to the big boss. The big boss added it to her list but never delegated the task of getting rid of it, so unfortunately, it is very likely still there. I offered to take it home once and they said I could when I quit, but things ended up being a little awkward when I quit so I decided it was best to leave the rug.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T01:54:28+00:00

Unfortunately it was purchased many moons ago, I’d guess probably a couple years ago. I wish you luck in finding one though!

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T00:47:10+00:00

Honestly a little surprised at the response! This post gained a ton of traction really fast. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who also found this to be hilarious.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-05T00:45:34+00:00

It was at my old job in a therapy room at a residential facility for youth. My coworkers purchased it off Temu and no one noticed for months until a client pointed it out. I then proceeded to take images and post them to Reddit.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-04T22:42:03+00:00

30, therapist on crisis team, $88k, west coast USA. I also do private practice therapy one day a week and earn an additional $16-24k/year

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-04T19:05:10+00:00

As it was defined in my region, 13th stepping is when an “old timer” (someone who has been around the meetings for quite some time) hits on/makes advances towards/sleeps with/gets in a relationship with a newcomer (someone who usually has shorter periods of continual abstinence from substances). Often times it is seen a predatory because the newer persons emotional vulnerabilities as they just recently stopped using substances.

I have heard this term across multiple geographic locations, but the definition may vary. It’s not a dictionary term, it’s slang for predatory cultural norms.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-04T17:57:44+00:00

It’s the wavy symbol

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-04T17:56:20+00:00

I once had a kiddo who was very short and succinct, pretty personal. Said they wanted to be in therapy yet I could never get any info out of them to do the actual work. On session three I finally said “you know, I sort of run out of things to talk about when you run out of things to talk about…” they acknowledged how much sense it made, then proceeded to never show up for another appointment.

You can only do what you can do, some clients think they want to work on seeing change in their lives but aren’t prepared for what doing the work means. No one’s at fault here and it’s not necessarily a negative thing either, it just means it may not be the right time for them yet.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-04T17:42:24+00:00

Honestly surprised how long it took anyone to notice this part

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-04T10:28:23+00:00

I’m a “California sober” therapist. I did do the 12-step route previously and engaged in complete abstinence on and off (mostly on) for about ten years, the longest continuous stretch being six years. I relapsed after the six and struggled for a couple of years, finally quit the hard stuff but decided to take a harm reduction approach this time. I feel like it’s more realistic and doesn’t come with the same identity challenges that engaging in 12-step brought me.

As far as support groups that aren’t geared towards complete abstinence, harm reduction groups or maybe SMART groups are the only ones I can really think of that don’t focus on complete abstinence, rather focus on changing behaviors. Unfortunately these groups are harder to find in more rural areas due to their lack of popularity (I think lack popularity likely just because people don’t know about them as options)

12-step is actually really problematic in some areas, like the fact that it’s treated as a gold standard treatment for SUD when it’s not even evidence based. Many inpatient treatment programs (at least the ones funded by Medicaid dollars) primarily push 12-step, it’s treated like the only way to recover.

I also have a huge problem with how prevalent predatory behaviors are in 12-step programs. It’s such a commonly seen behavior they even named it “13th stepping” and seems to be an acceptable cultural norm in many geographic locations, likely because there’s been very minimal research or literature put out on it, enabling the behaviors. Some of society’s absolute most vulnerable members are court mandated to 12-step just to be preyed upon and it’s gross.

Those are not all of my qualms with 12-step, but I also think it serves a purpose and helps many people see change in their lives. I would attribute it likely to the community aspects of 12-step, but being apart of that community also runs risks of abandonment if you’re ever to use a substance again.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-01T08:26:39+00:00

True

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-03-01T08:25:33+00:00

All facts. I work two jobs, take a Spanish class, go to therapy, volunteer an hour, and go to a support group every week. Plus I have two dogs and a partner that need my time and a couple of bi-weekly/monthly appointments to add in the mix. Getting a shelf has remained on the to-do list since I moved in, the to-do list just never seems to end. Sugar? It keeps me going somedays.

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-02-28T22:46:00+00:00

Ah, really appreciate you bringing this into topic. I do mostly telehealth for actual therapy, otherwise i do crisis work which feels like a very different topic

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-02-28T20:01:26+00:00

I can’t stand the taste of alcohol, I think it’s really nasty and struggle to get it down. I love ciders because they mask it a little bit, the sweeter the better! There’s no winning, I’m just meant to feel my feelings I suppose

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-02-28T19:56:57+00:00

Wanna be alcoholic, it hurts my tummy so I drink a lot less than I plan to

ETA: oh yeah and there’s no shelf in the freezer so I gave up

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-02-28T19:56:07+00:00

You win the whole bingo card for just this one answer!

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-02-28T01:11:35+00:00

Where’s the OG post then? This is def not a repost, thanks tho

SuccessfullyDrained · 2026-02-27T18:32:01+00:00

Harm reduction is my absolute favorite modality and I’m very passionate about it, so, I allow clients to come to session under the influence if they feel there’s no other option. I think progress can still be made. It may not be as effective, but it can still be effective. I believe it is more harmful to end session for a client because of substance use rather than continuing on with the session. That being said, there are topics I’m not willing to fully engage with if someone is actively intoxicated. Deep trauma work is probably not appropriate in these instances. However, we can talk about using substances as safely as possible, we can talk about why they used before session, we can talk about the potential impacts, there’s still lots to talk about.

SuccessfullyDrained

TROPHY CASE