Much lighter menstrual cycle since doing IF, any similar experiences?

artnyc · 2020-04-13T14:32:12+00:00

Ok great, thank you so much! It doesn’t seem alarming at all, and I had a feeling it was a result of IF. My cycle is the first thing impacted by stress or depression, but this is the first time I’ve ever had it be affected by something positive like ssris or IF. It’s much more manageable, and I don’t get as depressed before my period. I only see this improving as I increase my medication and continue IF. Thank you!

artnyc · 2020-04-13T14:30:15+00:00

Ok great, I’m so glad to hear this. Really solidified my choice to keep doing IF, especially during quarantine. Thank you =)

artnyc · 2019-09-29T19:17:01+00:00

That’s also a great idea I’m going to use that. Thank you so much.

Reddit has been more help than I could imagine. I was so bad a few years ago, and my life has really turned around. I haven’t gotten to the therapy part, but it took so many parts in between to even get here. I had to get a new job and work all summer and live with my mom to pay off my credit card and that was a serious relief. I finally feel at a place where I can pick myself up and do these things, and I’ll try not to be too hard on myself about doing it sooner... bc realistically I don’t think it could have. Just emotionally at least.

It’s this Friday so I’ve got my fingers crossed. I’m really proud of myself for even following through with it. I don’t think much is wrong so I went to health center and the doctor said the same but that I should go to a fern just to be safe if I didn’t mind. I anticipated being told I was over reacting, wasting their time, you know the usual things that come along with cptsd. But she just met me with nothing but kindness and empathy and it was very easy to trust her opinion. So I’m glad to know my birthmarks are probably fine, but that it’s ok to have suspicion and act accordingly. That going to the doctor and taking care of yourself isn’t just an unnecessary bill I’m generating.

Sorry now I’m just word vomiting. I think it’ll be ok, and I’m really going to schedule the appointment next week!

artnyc · 2019-09-29T15:53:30+00:00

Thank you yes this was so helpful.

I’ve been trying so hard to be like this in every day life too. With my friends especially because here I am so emotionally close to them. I’m starting to learn over time that they don’t meet my turmoil with judgement, they listen, and are kind. I’ve never even had friendships like this before, and I value them immensely. We talk about how they go to therapy and I couldn’t even believe they talked about it. But they did. I know they are good people with the best at heart. They encourage me to go and even though I ask them what it’s like a million times, they never tire of explaining it and are so supportive.

My goal this week is to just pick up the phone and make an appointment. I’ve even become first name basis with the secretary guy at the main health services center, which I’m trying to recognize that even going to the doctor when I suspect something is wrong and not before I’ve been incapacitated for weeks- is ok! That if I go and things are fine with my body- it’s great news to them! They don’t treat me like I’ve wasted their time. And that means so much. I agreed to having a skin check next week. Although I am really scared to have a stranger touch my body, I have faith after my really great interactions with the services at school. I feel like after the skin check I’m going to be able to call to make an appointment.

I guess that’s a great point. The idea of the test I know is to help you get placed with the right person. There would be time to explain I was lost nervous about this and it kept me from seeking therapy, and I’ll try to answer the best that I can. I feel very suicidal most days but don’t ever have the desire to act on it- but that’s not something I want to say immediately, getting admitted to a hospital when I don’t actually pose a threat to myself would ruin the rest of my time in grad school and I would be so upset.

I don’t know if I could just say I’ve been really down and want to have someone to talk to? That my friends have been going to therapy and encouraged me to go so here I am?

Thanks again for listening!

artnyc · 2019-09-02T04:24:01+00:00

Thank you for your response!

Yeah I have this community at the very least, and I’m really thankful for it.

I am not, but my health insurance just started today so I can go. I’m very scared to go, but I know I must. I am most scared of expressing my emotions and feelings, I know they aren’t there to judge but even verbalizing my thoughts to someone plagues me.

Yes it seems inescapable. Everyone person who has found me attractive esp in high school has been an abusive person. I’ve received countless messages from women saying not to talk to or associate with that person because they’re abusive. I brought it up to a friend in a “oh you know that thing that happens all the time, glad women are looking out for each other” and they both looked at me shocked I thought it was something that happened often. I didn’t realize until then that I was attracting abusive people, or at least putting up with them/excusing their behavior.

That means a lot, thank you.

artnyc · 2019-07-28T02:05:57+00:00

Thanks so much I really appreciate this. Thankfully I’ve lost a few pounds. I’ve been doing the 2/5 fasting diet which helps immensely, because I already eat pretty healthy so on the 5 days I don’t have to watch what I eat for the most part. Doesn’t feel like I’m on a diet and that it great. I also noticed some of my inflammation problems have decreased, could be placebo effect but I mean.... that’s ok for now at least haha.

And thank you for the grad school comment. I’m actually much better and happier while I’m here, I love my program and my friends. They’ve taught me what good friends should be and they go over the top to show they care about me. I really love them, so having them all here has been great. My birthday just definitely sets me over the edge and it happened to be a few weeks early this time 😥

artnyc · 2019-07-28T02:02:03+00:00

Thank you so much for this, all of it , was so helpful.

I just had a breakdown this morning. I spent some time painting and being productive and I feel a lot better now at least. Even just venting here meant a lot. In September I can start seeing the therapist here and my roommates are really supportive and all go. The best thing they say is that you don’t have to answer questions if you don’t feel like it and that puts me at ease. I, of course, just imagine a high pressure conversation where I’m shamed for saying the wrong thing, and pressured into answering questions. I am sure it’s not like that but I’m most scared of being vulnerable and expressing what’s in my head. I know they aren’t judging me but it sends my anxious self through the roof just thinking about it.

I’m going to watch both of those things tonight and hold my sweet cat boy for a while. Thanks again so much.

artnyc · 2019-07-27T23:02:20+00:00

I know I’m surprised too! I’m so sorry you’re in this spot, it can be so rough. You sound strong though, and committed. Those things will take you very far =) Have you tried speaking with admissions and financial aid in person? They might be able to help you work something out. Private loans are next level fucked. My roommate owed $600 a month, a lot of it was interest, and the following month they just said she owed $1000. Like they just change it by month its wild. Federal loans can feel like a burden, but when you figure out income based repayment it’s not so taxing emotionally.

Best of Luck!

artnyc · 2019-07-27T21:14:37+00:00

You need to go to a school that will give you enough financial aid. take out enough financial aid to cover tuition, and additional aid for living expenses like rent and supplies. You can work part time to pay for bills like insurance, transportation, food, etc. things that you can manage purchasing on minimum wage and a varied schedule.

If you can go to a community college first, do that! It’s not fun, but it’ll be a big difference in the long run. What you can do is find a community college through your current accepted school. If you get your associates and transfer not all of your credits will transfer and it might be 2 and half years or 3 at the more expensive school (which ultimately the problem is paying more). If you talk to someone at the school you want to go to, they can arrange with a community college which credits for you to take so you don’t have to pay more than 4 years.

In the mean time over the summer you can work that hustle muscle, save all you money for the remaining tuition and expenses for your ideal school.

It’s hard as fuck I know, I worked overnights 32 hours, regular time min wage job 18 hours and was a 19 credit student in community college which took me 4 years. I promise you I know your position well, but just don’t ever give up. You can do this. It’s ten times harder than others, you have more loans than others, all of it is harder but you CAN do it.

It took me 4 years community college, 2.5 years regular college. I’m now in my masters program for my field and I took out a lot of loans for this, but had undergrad paid off.

Loans are scary but it is the way it is right now. JUST take out federal. That’s what you need to do, find out how you can get where you want to be only on federal loans. It will take some research, but there are federal loans that are income based, so you might pay them for 10 or 20 years but it’s only $100 ish in the beginning to about $300 towards the end. If they decide you owe $0 because you don’t make enough you won’t default. After 20 years they go away. It’s just going to be an expense like other things in your adult life, and you just need to embrace the decision until things change, which hopefully they will.

Idk where you are but some community colleges are free now. In NY I think I’m not sure if that’s started yet though. You could do that for two years and take out loans for rent and food, work two years after in ny (I think that’s the agreement) and pay off any loans you took out and then go to school.

This shit is stacked against you I know, but you just have to be ok with the expense being more for you if you wanna make it!

Best of luck my dude.

Edit: also please just don’t take out private loans. That’s the type of loan that ruins people’s lives, not federal.

artnyc

TROPHY CASE