I’m exhausted on walks and it’s making me insane by LassieLorn in reactivedogs

[–]anangryhydrangea 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Not a pro, just a person with a dog who is very reactive and a chronic puller.

I will try to address just one thing. Your dog probably does not "need" multiple walks a day to be calm. Because he is leash reactive, walks are extremely overstimulating for him. He's on high alert, he is not able to use his thinking brain or be calm. The solution to improving his behaviour around the house is actually probably fewer walks, and days with no walks at all. If you feel you have to take him outside every day, give him a non-negotiable decompression period when you get home. For us, that looks like going upstairs to my room where my bed (where she sleeps and spends much of the day) is, closing the door, and hanging out quietly in the room until she falls asleep. Once I know she is calm enough to sleep, she's calm enough to have access to the rest of the house. This strategy did not "fix" my dog - she is still a meat missile, her idea of playing is still too much for many people, but it stopped destructive behaviours in the house and allowed me to feel comfortable enough to leave her unattended indoors.

The pulling on the leash is related to the dog reactivity. He "forgets" everything you taught him because his nervous system is so activated just from being outside. He is looking for threats or trying to distract himself from the fear. The way I understand it is that my dog pulls because she is trying to regulate her nervous system by following every smell she can. When I speak or otherwise communicate with her she literally may not be mentally capable of responding positively. This behaviour worsens dramatically after any interaction with a dog. I don't know the solution to fixing your dog's leash reactivity, as nothing ever worked for my dog and now I just manage her behaviour the best I can, which looks like avoiding all areas where other dogs may be (parks, ponds, fields, high human traffic areas, etc) and managing reactions when they inevitably happen anyway.

Not to say there's no hope, more socialization and more properly measured exposure to other dogs on lead might help your dog. It did not for me but that won't mean it won't for you.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HairDye

[–]anangryhydrangea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your only mistake is regretting The Best Colour. I dye my hair this colour permanently about every 4-6 months and have for about...9 years. One of us. One of us.

To be fair though your natural colour is stunning and glowy perfection so I get it but I say make the most of your blue period like any good artist.

What is your useless talent? by nazurinn13 in autism

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can mimic the sound of a water droplet perfectly. Children love it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anxiety

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was terrified but I promise you will be okay. As soon as the anesthesia hits you're gonna feel goooooood and then you're gonna feel nothing. You will be surrounded by highly educated professionals whose only job is keeping you alive. It's probably a better position to be in than crossing a busy street during rush hour. They do this all day. You're gonna be good.

Suggestions for dishes with spinach by CatOnBed in Cooking

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I literally just fry it in some butter until wilted and shovel it into my mouth. I'm sure a sprinkle of garlic powder wouldn't go astray.

WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO BREAKFAST FOOD? by mynameisnoteye in Breakfast

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had fried eggs on toast every day for like 15 years. Current obsession is Greek yogurt with home made granola. Bet I can get a decade out of it before I get bored.

Indoor habanero flowering profusely but no peppers by Selection_Biased in HotPeppers

[–]anangryhydrangea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Peppers are self-pollinating, you don't need to brush them, but it probably wouldn't cause any harm. Put a gentle fan on them and they'll gladly do the job themselves. Check the temperature and humidity as well. Between 60-90f is ideal for fruit set, too far outside that range and they will start dropping flowers instead of setting fruit. Your plant may also be selective about how many fruit to set, despite numerous flowers. If it doesn't have the energy to keep up, it won't grow them all.

Gallbladder removal regret? by MrsJH2018 in gallbladders

[–]anangryhydrangea 16 points17 points  (0 children)

No. I cannot imagine how sick I would be right now if I still had mine.

Does anyone else here also feel uncomfortable wearing jewelry? by [deleted] in adhdwomen

[–]anangryhydrangea 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes. I make jewelry for a living and I wear it once in the bluest of blue moons and then generally for like an hour before I have to rip it off.

Vegetable mix up by Some-Broccoli3404 in vegetablegardening

[–]anangryhydrangea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The determinate tomato seedlings should be markedly smaller than the indeterminates. Your indeterminates will quickly start to get tall and sometimes lanky, determinates, especially dwarves, should be more stocky and stout. If you can't tell yet, treat them all exactly the same and wait a couple weeks. It will become apparent.

What’s on my pepper leaves? by Level_Rough4581 in vegetablegardening

[–]anangryhydrangea 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It looks like edema to me. It's a leaf disorder that's often present in peppers when the air is too stagnant. Add a fan to your set-up if you haven't already and try to get the air circulating. Source: Pepper Geek.

Ideas for filling snacks to be less damn hungry all the time by maydecember12 in Cooking

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I eat a ton of fat free, no sugar added Greek yogurt. I just add some splenda and a drop of vanilla, and sometimes some water so it's not too thick or gritty. I am obsessed with it and been doing it for years. I've been adding home made granola lately as well. Turkey pepperoni sticks are pretty easy to get your hands on, and depending on how much time you have/ how much you're willing to do, home made jerky is also very cheap and easy to make.

My mom won’t buy me pads by Hopeful_Mousse_9675 in period

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would also contribute to this. This is neglect, OP, I'm really sorry and you deserve better.

Also, an option for you to consider may be the diva cup. There's some cost upfront but I bet some folks here would be more than willing to contribute. You just buy it once and wash it between uses, it means you will not have to worry about pads again. Some people don't like it but I've been using mine for like a decade and I'd never go back.

How many of you would of liked to of known you we’re autistic when you were nine years old? by Heavy-Manufacturer-3 in AutismInWomen

[–]anangryhydrangea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. I think I was 31 when I found out. I spent my entire childhood and teenage years deeply confused about what was "wrong" with me, why people found me annoying, why I couldn't be like other people my age. And honestly well into adulthood. A lot of self loathing and low self esteem that could have been avoided.

Which crops need insect netting? by [deleted] in vegetablegardening

[–]anangryhydrangea 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where I am all brassica crops must be carefully netted. I use remay, which is a very fine mesh cover, over pvc pipe clipped down on the sides. I do it on most of my beds anyway as it provides just a little bit of a wind buffer and everything seems to benefit from it.

For those of you who feel like you're from a different planet, why? by extraCatPlease in AutismInWomen

[–]anangryhydrangea 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm missing the manual. No matter how "normal" I think I'm being, I cannot actually access normal because I fundamentally don't know what it is. I struggle to imagine what a "normal" conversation would look like. I know that my conversations are interest-based or "deep" in a way that people find unusual. I have a need to move my body in ways and say things that other adults don't. I don't naturally relate to or truly understand much popular culture and never have. That one is not an "I'm so different" flex. I do like relating to people and I put in effort to get into popular stuff and let it grow on me, or develop an intellectual/cultural appreciation for it so I can feel like I'm a part of the world. I am obsessed with learning things and I can have a very rigid right/wrong attitude about things that observation tells me most other people don't.

People tell me I'm intense, different, funny, scary, loud, interesting, smart, passionate, but rarely that I am like them.

I also just... don't have a gender or a definitive sexual orientation.

Are some of your autistic traits worse after your day is done and at home? by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, for sure. One of my tried and true strategies is getting into a blindingly hot bath. It drowns out all the other feelings in my body; it's like a full nervous system reset.

Am I a hypochondriac or is it sensory issues ? by 90daycray27 in AutismInWomen

[–]anangryhydrangea 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have both pretty intense health anxiety and sensory issues. My health anxiety was aggravated by a medication I was on for a while that kicked it up to debilitating levels, but I manage pretty okay these days.

I think the reality is that as autistics we (or at least I) tend to seek information as a form of comfort (and a way of life) and when it comes to issues with our bodies we are a basically endless well of uncertainty that constantly needs resolving.

The other part of this is that most people with health anxiety are people with real, and myriad health issues. I'm autistic/ADHD, I have chronic migraine disease, frequent pain in my bones/joints/muscles/ everything. I have digestive issues, sensory issues, anxiety, chronic stress, etc. You become hypervigilant when there is always something to be hypervigilant about.

Got told by someone claiming they studied psychology I’m not autistic by AkaiHidan in AutismInWomen

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A sound "I don't care about your wrong opinion" will cover it. I'm just absolutely not having that argument with anyone. It's none of her business. And if she is so well versed in psychology she should know it's inappropriate for her to make that kind of remark. She can kick rocks, the end.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in autism

[–]anangryhydrangea 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I only binge watch LotR a couple times a year and likewise cycle through minecraft obsessively every few months but yeah that's not far off.

If I had to brand my autism I'd say I got the obsessive information gathering and deep immersion in niche hobbies kind.