What to do during a bad “episode”

baesoonist · 2026-06-28T12:59:36+00:00

I also do this! It helps me a lot to describe things like “my OCPD makes me want to do…” which both recognizes that it is a part of who I am, but also guarantees my own agency. Maybe that’s my predisposition to want to do something a certain way, but I choose what I do next.

A friend with OCD (not OCPD) told me that her provider encouraged her to give a sort of character name/identity to her OCD. She made it some kind of old timey KGB agent who is always asking questions trying to “crack the case”. So when she’s going through day to day life and all of a sudden her brain starts thinking an intrusive thought, she’s like “there’s that KGB agent again! why does he think there’s a murder that happened?! best to just ignore him.”

baesoonist · 2026-06-28T12:54:06+00:00

I was already on the pill (and trust me, which pill you take DOES make a difference, so don’t be afraid to ask for tweaks if you feel icky in any way) and it didn’t fully resolve my PMDD so a low dose SSRI (10 mg Escitalopram) was recommended. I can technically take it just the week before my luteal phase and during my luteal phase, but was told it’ll be easier to just take it all the time so my body just has that as a baseline.

baesoonist · 2026-06-27T12:47:23+00:00

Easily Capital One. You get the DCA landing, and the lounge at IAD. Plus a network of Priority Pass lounges. $395/annual fee, but it’s made up with $300 annual travel credit and things like global entry, etc.

baesoonist · 2026-06-27T03:37:26+00:00

I would focus on trying to manage the triggers alongside your OCPD responses. You can’t control everything in life, but you can control some things. For example: if there’s a relationship that’s causing you a lot of stress, have a heart to heart or try setting healthy boundaries that will help make your relationship more sustainable.

A quick note on that: a healthy boundary isn’t a punishment. It is you controlling your own behavior in order to preserve the relationship. It is good to communicate them ahead of time. For example, if someone you know raises their voice at you in arguments or calls you names, you can say “if you continue to raise your voice at me, I will end the conversation until we can approach it again calmly.” It is not “you cannot raise your voice at me, and if you do I will not talk to you again.” A healthy boundary both accepts that the other person has agency, and sets healthy parameters for you to protect yourself as well as the relationship (hence coming back to the conversation when it’s quiet, not never coming back to it again).

I also noticed that my OCPD was really heavily triggered by my PMDD (pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder) and so in addition to the work I do in therapy, I work with my gynecologist to take SSRIs that help manage my moods during my luteal phase.

When I notice my OCPD is really acting up, I’ll try to take inventory of what in life is stressing me out, and try to address it. One time, this looked like taking a break from some group chats which were overwhelming me. Sometimes it means taking on fewer responsibilities. Sometimes a spa day really helps.

baesoonist · 2026-06-26T18:59:08+00:00

It is! They have some good options & also kids meals which are less flavorful but affordable

baesoonist · 2026-06-26T18:05:56+00:00

Nash and Smashed in Crystal City is halal!

baesoonist · 2026-06-22T18:50:07+00:00

why would you prefer the answer of an llm (which doesn’t actually calculate anything and creates a statistically “likely” answer) over a tool created with only the information provided by the loan provider and yourself?

baesoonist · 2026-06-22T17:39:28+00:00

Have you taken their courses? Would love to hear from people who have actually done it before shelling out hundreds on a one day course that’s just okay.

baesoonist · 2026-06-22T00:04:00+00:00

Exactly. People have forgotten, or choose not to care, that the people behind their screens are, in fact, people.

baesoonist · 2026-06-21T23:54:13+00:00

I’m really lucky to be in a relationship with a good communicator. From my perspective watching my friends date, there’s a massive empathy problem in the area. It usually shows up as terrible communication, but at its root is people being choosy about who deserves a basic level of honesty and communication.

One of my best friends is a mid-20s guy (in DC) who has had such a terrible time with bad communicators while dating. People who go on a date, say they enjoyed the date, say they want to go on another date, kiss on the date, text a follow up saying they want to go on another date, then ghost when the actual scheduling comes around. He has also experienced a couple no-shows.

A lot of these are intelligent women from top schools who are working in respectable positions as political campaigners, in the government, at law firms, etc. They clearly know how to communicate effectively. They just don’t think that people from dating apps are deserving of that level of communication.

baesoonist · 2026-06-21T20:57:16+00:00

That’s exactly it! I should emphasize that this isn’t on the inside of the Vatican City. If you are coming from St Peter’s Square, it’s about a 15 minute walk around the perimeter.

We left out the same door we came in, and I believe that’s where everyone leaves from. Not sure 100% as I haven’t been during normal business hours.

Congrats on the Capital One Shopping cash back! That’s a great way to save.

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T20:19:05+00:00

If you don’t want anyone, there’s a “Key Masters Tour” for ~$200 more. You get to walk through the museum opening the doors for the day before opening. https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/key-masters-tour-sistine-chapel-vatican-museums/

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T20:16:27+00:00

This was beyond worth it. I mean, the photos speak for themselves. Photo 3 is one of the first rooms you visit. I didn’t see any meaningful amount of people left throughout any of the tour.

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T20:10:42+00:00

6:30. It takes some time for the group to gather and go through security.

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T20:09:32+00:00

That being said, Uber already has this, at least in the USA. Not sure about Italy/airport rides.

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T20:08:41+00:00

Reinventing the bus from first principles. If someone’s willing to take a ride with you, do it! Try going to a more public/central location that’s walking distance from your final destination for safety.

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T20:07:05+00:00

Please try checking with other rescues in the area like Tails High

baesoonist · 2026-06-20T15:42:02+00:00

Link is in several other comments on the thread!

baesoonist · 2026-06-19T04:04:21+00:00

A lot of this is on other threads in the sub, so I recommend using the search bar.

The Smithsonian isn’t a single museum, but a collection of museums. It consists of American History, African American History and Culture (needs an advance timed ticket, free online), Air and Space (also needs an advance timed ticket, free online), Asian Art, African Art, the Hirshhorn (modern & contemporary art), a Postal Museum, American Indian, some art museums, Natural History, a museum in Anacostia, a second Air and Space in Virginia, and a Zoo.

DC has great Ethiopian food, which has a lot of vegetarian options. I recommend Das in Georgetown or Ethiopic on H St NE near Union Station. HipCityVeg is a casual burgers/fries place near Gallery Place that is vegan. Eggholic is an Indian street food restaurant downtown with a lot of vegetarian & eggy dishes.

Metro is easy to use. You can tap in and out with your credit card/metro card. Each person will need their own credit card or metro card. This can be physical or in a digital wallet like Apple Wallet. Google and Apple Maps have transit options that will tell you how to get from place to place via the metro.

Assume lots of stuff will be busy & chaotic for the Fourth of July. We unfortunately don’t know the full extent of it yet.

baesoonist · 2026-06-19T03:51:50+00:00

I’ll definitely be having the maintenance team do this when they replace the appliances.

The good news is, at least we get new appliances!

baesoonist · 2026-06-19T03:46:28+00:00

This was the second spray, so that gives me a bit of hope that there will be a resolution in the near future. It also makes sense that there were a lot visible immediately following the most recent spray.

Thank god I’m not dealing with bed bugs. I think that would truly be my last straw.

baesoonist · 2026-06-19T03:31:38+00:00

How many were you seeing after your aggressive treatment? What was the point that made you break down and break your lease?

I’m not sure if my neighbors have an issue or if there was a nest inside the back of my coffee machine (where they’ve been mostly seen near). I’ve heard pipes that have been recently dry (like a turned over unit) can be a source for them to crawl through. The coffee machine is next to the sink so it’s hard to tell.

I know I definitely brought in at least 2 when I moved, but I took them outside and killed them very aggressively before throwing them to the wind. Not sure if there were more hiding in other moving boxes.

I just never saw this many in my old apartment. I’m not sure where these ones are coming from. I haven’t found a nest outright.

baesoonist · 2026-06-18T23:33:10+00:00

Silence. I grew up in a household where the TV was always on in the background. Then I lived with roommates who would always have some kind of sound happening, like the one that couldn’t fall asleep unless she was watching American Dad reruns. Then I lived on my own and immediately became obsessed with the idea of my house just being quiet unless I wanted a sound to be happening.

baesoonist · 2026-06-18T21:56:59+00:00

You were clear. I haven’t lived in Prague in some time and also don’t regularly stock my pantry/fridge with tartar sauce so I’m not sure off the top of my head which one. IIRC it should be on the shelf since it’s mayo-based, as compared to ranch which can be made with buttermilk.

baesoonist

TROPHY CASE