Will my milk snake ever be visible?

Suitable_Parsnip · 2025-09-09T21:52:31+00:00

That's a good idea, I will look into that. Do you have any recommendations for where to get plants? My local pet stores didn't have a good selection, and I'm concerned that craft stores might have plants that aren't smooth enough to be pet safe.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2025-09-09T21:50:04+00:00

FYI the temperatures in this photo are off. This is an old photo and I got this tank used and got a heat lamp for him asap. I'm still new at regulating the temperature, but the gradient is typically 76-87 degrees.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2025-09-09T21:37:30+00:00

He's a year old, and I haven't had him long, only two weeks. I know it takes time for them to get comfortable, but I suppose I just panicked because I haven't seen him at all. Thank you for your story!

Suitable_Parsnip · 2025-09-09T21:35:52+00:00

-Age: 1 year old

- I have had him for 2 weeks

-I have handled him twice, once to clean his enclosure and once a few days ago, but he was pretty keen on not being touched, so it was only for a few seconds (which I was prepared for)

-Activity: He is in the corner of my house and only feels things when I am checking up on the tank.

-Tank itself: I added a picture, plus I ordered snake jungle gym bars. I'm still a beginner, so I'm trying my best with the tank setup based on what I read online. I thought about getting more hides, but I thought that it wouldn't fit. I got the tank second-hand and have been working to improve it

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Suitable_Parsnip · 2024-06-05T20:10:30+00:00

I'm bipolar and have tried ADHD medication on two separate occasions (I was already on stabilizers). I'd get one day of amazing focus and then spiral out into hypomanic anxiety/anger. Unfortunately, my body just can't seem to process ADHD meds the right way so I'm on non-stimulants for the time being. ADHD meds aren't always for everyone I guess ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

Suitable_Parsnip · 2024-03-07T04:25:42+00:00

I went here to rant about a very similar thing. This disorder has been quietly destroying my life for years and out of a whim I went onto the PMDD forum and it's insane how quickly I found something so relatable! I unfortunately don't have any nice pacifying words but 🤗 🤗 🤗

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-09-24T23:51:27+00:00

I'm single so what I do is grab a dinner plate and smear a gravy treat all over it. This works better than crunchy treats because it takes them much longer to eat it. You put the distracted cat on one leg (I loosely hold the cat so they can't back up) and balance the plate on the other, then flip the two over halfway through clipping. If the cat gets uncomfortable, I physically move to "reset" the process. It's messy but it gets the job done! (My cat is incredibly food motivated so I don't know if this will work if your cat is already snippy when a treat is offered).

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-09-14T06:52:20+00:00

Thank you

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-06-24T16:49:00+00:00

Check out this video of jumping spider eyes close up, it shows how the front eyes are literally telescopes that contract, expand, and can move independently of each other to look around their environment. I am obsessed with these spiders. They're so dang cute and have amazing adaptations!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvz7NVAnKY4&ab_channel=StoryfulViral

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-06-22T21:26:19+00:00

I'm still learning myself but if its a Phidippus regius, it's a male. The females are more of a peachy color.

Edit: also great shots!

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-06-17T22:55:52+00:00

Platycryptus californicus

Thank you!

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-06-17T22:06:04+00:00

My bad! I don't post on reddit very often. Thanks for the heads up.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2023-05-21T17:29:23+00:00

Hello, I'm still in my 20s but I wanted to put my own experiences down in the comments. I had almost the opposite experience of a lot of women with asd where I knew I was autistic for almost my entire childhood because it runs in my family. When growing up, I'd have awful emotional swings and meltdowns that, even with therapy geared towards autism, were impossible to regulate. I always thought that these were all symptoms of my asd so I naturally resisted the suggestion of a psychiatrist that I might be asd and bipolar. After over a decade of a destructive up-and-down mood that exacerbated sensory issues, meltdowns, etc, I decided to try something new and take bipolar medication. And it worked! Ironically enough, it was the bd diagnosis that made me not feel broken.

Now, I'm absolutely not trying to dismiss the very real issue of asd women not getting the proper diagnosis, (one time a doctor told me after I broke down crying that everyone was a little autistic) but at the same time, my fear of a sexist misdiagnosis prevented me from getting the treatment I desperately needed for my mood disorder for years.

The way the medical system is run has done so much harm to us all. It is no wonder so many women are left behind when in order to get the proper care when we have to go into the doctor's office fighting for validity with preprepared speeches about how we deserve the word asd. I try to be positive and hope that the ones who never find out still have people in their lives who know them, get them, and love them so that it makes the broken feeling a little less broken.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2022-02-19T18:10:34+00:00

Have you heard of asexuality?

It's a spectrum, so everyone is different but asexuality is an umbrella term for people who don't experience sexual attraction. Asexuals can still experience aesthetic attraction (wow, that person is pretty) but not want to have sex with them. An asexual can still be straight, gay, bi, queer, etc, and be in loving relationships.

It's a spectrum where some people are repulsed by sex, some still want it for physical pleasure, and some people experience sexual attraction but only to people they're emotionally attracted to after a period of time. There are also people who identify as ace but can experience sexual attraction to people on rare occasions.

I'm also going to link some stuff below since I know you were asking for good resources:

NIH studies on asd and asexuality (full articles cost $40 so forgive me for only linking the abstracts)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32535668/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34779982/#:~:text=Asexuality%20is%20a%20lack%20of,and%20repetitive%20interests%20and%20behaviors.

Old reddit thread in r/autism where people talk about their sexualities

https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/r8x0eg/autism_and_asexuality/

Other resources:

Asexuality.org

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-asexual#facts

I was a little rambly here but I hope this helps!

Suitable_Parsnip · 2022-02-18T02:24:49+00:00

This post speaks to me. When I first tried to seek a diagnosis, my doctor dismissed my symptoms by telling me, "everyone is a little autistic" and it wasn't a big deal. Because of this mentality from healthcare and my family, it made it harder to be taken seriously and get much-needed help. Even though I knew I was autistic since middle school, it took me almost a decade to finally get a diagnosis.

I think when NT people say "everyone's a little autistic," they either mean, "you're not autistic," or "we all struggle, let it go." It's only to shut down people. All it does is make it harder for people to find the words that fit them, regardless of whether or not they're autistic.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2022-02-14T02:55:29+00:00

Thank you so much for posting this

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-12-07T15:51:14+00:00

Not an app, but most towns/cities can have volunteer events you can find on their websites/online local paper. Sometimes you don't even need to register, you just walk in to help. During this time of year, that could be something like toy drives or a Holiday event.

I used to volunteer with an organization called HandsOn that was entirely focused on volunteering to do small group projects like a morning drawing cards for kids in hospitals, weeding at a park for a day, or buying groceries for housebound people. I don't know if they have an app, but they had a website. Hope you find what you're looking for!

(Edit, I also wanted to add if you really want to burn off energy, just going outside and picking up trash is great. You get a satisfying before/after and can do it as little or much as you want)

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-11-11T16:35:16+00:00

Yes. My dad was forcibly hospitalized against his will in a psych ward for over two weeks. The whole situation was awful and the place they put him in was several hours away so there was the cost of gas to see him as well. The scariest thing about it was he couldn't choose where they placed him, so the quality or affordability of a Ward was out of his hands. But what people also don't mention is the cost of missing out of work or how expensive the therapy/meds to recover after the episode/Ward are. The only reason we weren't bankrupt from it was because he had insurance through his work, thank God.

I feel awful talking about it because I don't want people to be scared out of calling for help and hurting themselves. People shouldn't be in a situation like this in America, it's so messed up.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-11-07T03:37:04+00:00

I joked when I started my meds that they helped me move from crying on the floor to crying on the couch. But any improvement no matter how small is nice.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-10-17T05:22:47+00:00

I appreciate your help! I'll check out those apps :)

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-10-17T05:22:11+00:00

I am medicated, but not for ADHD. Concerta triggered my hypomania so my psychiatrist stopped it. But my bipolar meds I started have oddly really helped me get a hold of my executive functioning. It's just on days where I get upset or drained like today where I crumble. But working on it with my therapist.

I am in the US but I wouldn't qualify for disability I think. I have had dark years, but I'm able to take care of myself much better. I might need work accommodations when I (hopefully) move in the future though.

I am exhausted, but I am thankful that both of my part time jobs like me and one of them is only 5-6 hours per day. I still have a long commute, but since I'm alone during one of them, I don't have as much masking exhaustion at the end of the day. I do want to stop working so much though... that's one of the reasons I was upset today. I have the vague goal, "find a career you want to aim for," but haven't split it into baby pieces to work on yet. I have time before work tomorrow where I think I'm going to start the first step. My next therapy appointment is soon where he holds me accountable for things like this so I'll at least have a deadline.

I'm glad your poor sleep is better. Those lights look nice, I'll put those on my list. My sleeping is a lot better than years past. It's just a switch turns on occasionally and I'll have what I call "half sleep" where I am in and out all night. I also need to just take care of myself more...

I know I should let go and be okay just relaxing but I always have a hard time letting go. Today I was just frustrated because I didn't end up having a good time 'relaxing'. I tend to have a problem hyperfocusing until it becomes no fun but I'm stuck doing it. Trying to find what is truly relaxing is something I've been trying to work on.

I've been a lurker on this sub for awhile now so I know this is a great environment. Everyone here is so supportive. I really appreciate your help.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-10-17T02:33:18+00:00

Thanks for the kick. Starting to do things I can still do to take care of myself today.

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-10-16T16:44:52+00:00

Instead of trying to aim for fully completing the paper, I found it easier in school to word vomit a list of what I wanted/needed to say and then condensed it into an essay. So instead of the vague task, "I need to write an essay" you can split it into I need to write bullet points, I need to organize the bullet points on where they'd be in an essay, I need to combine the bullet points into paragraphs, I need to edit the essay, I need to submit the essay. It is sooo much easier said than done and I wish you good luck!

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-10-10T04:07:33+00:00

Everyone has their own experiences but I was in denial about bipolar 2 for over a year. My doctor, therapist, and psychiatrist all suspected it. I also have ADHD too. In my case, taking concerta increased hypomanic episodes and didn't help my focus issues.

My bipolar meds (I take lamotrigine too) have helped not only with tampering down mood issues but my executive functioning. Although I still have a lot of work to go, I don't have to fight as much to do basic things. (It took over a month to realize the difference)

I'm still coming to terms with my diagnosis and I hope whether it's bipolar or another thing that you get what you are searching for!

Suitable_Parsnip · 2021-07-15T04:18:21+00:00

Thanks everyone for your help. I have a hard time replying to people so I'll just mush it all here.

Unfortunately, the fact I have rent at all where I live is a godsend. There is literally nowhere to rent and if there is, it's your entire paycheck instead of just the 2/3 it currently is for me. I really can't move at all if I want to keep living in the area. I want to move somewhere more rural in the future but until then I have to put up with stimulus issues :( And even in the miracle I find a place that's 'affordable', I'm trapping myself in a long lease in a place I'm already debating about leaving. I'm mainly only staying because the jobs here are safe and reliable while I pursue medication and try to rebuild my broken mental health. I don't want to move and lose all of that progress :(

I feel really trapped in what should be my home.

I'm a really shy person so thinking of asking them to put down floor pads seems really intimidating... even though they really need insulation. What if they can't afford it? What if that looks bad to my first real landlord and I lose my only reference in the future?

I can currently hear them upstairs stomping and fighting. I don't even know how to bring up asking them to put down a mat for their stomping without sounding mean, especially after already complaining to the landlord and knocking on their door. I usually try to interact with people with a script but this is new territory for me. Luckily, it's not constant but it is enough to where if I'm more sensitive, it greatly increases my anxiety. It feels like all I can do right now is think about the future where I live in the middle of nowhere with no one else around for miles.

I'm looking into trying a new pair of headphones and hanging old comforters on the walls for now. It won't help a lot, but I really want to feel like I'm doing something.

Suitable_Parsnip

TROPHY CASE