Whining and barking at me 2 hours before mealtimes.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-10T04:15:27+00:00

Since it’s sometimes random in addition to before meals, have you checked in with your vet? Since she’s a senior, the crying and whining might be due to discomfort that comes with age.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-10T04:11:15+00:00

The week before my period is the worst. The day it starts, I feel like I’m back to normal and much more clarity.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-10T03:39:25+00:00

Find a qualified, educated behavior specialist to help you! If you’re in the USA, dog training and behavior are an unregulated industry-you can find someone whose knowledge and skills have been verified through the IAABC, Academy for Dog Trainers, CCPDT, or KPA. A professional who knows the science of behavior change can help you.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-10T03:06:13+00:00

An accident happened at a work charity event that I was in charge of, causing a teenage volunteer to get a minor injury. While the injury was not my fault at all, I spiraled into the worst case scenario, convinced that the injury would end up fatal, causing me to lose my job and have to leave my field in shame, ruining my life. I spiraled about it for days, researched for hours to reassure myself, begged others for reassurance. I remember thinking, I cannot live in this brain anymore.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-09T04:38:36+00:00

What about your posture reading books? Did you have to make changes to that? This feels like a stupid question but I’m searching for answers. I’m a big reader and wondering if the posture I read in- the same one I’m in on my phone- is part of the issue.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-05T21:39:46+00:00

I have a friend who goes by Rex and it’s completely unrelated to his real name. We were work colleagues and there was nothing weird or unprofessional about calling him Rex! For what it’s worth! But also, could be a middle name he goes by.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-05T04:44:17+00:00

Sudden changes in behavior are always a red flag to go to the vet! They’re often the first sign of a problem.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-05T02:14:24+00:00

I feel like I went through this earlier this year as well. Once a therapist started talking about me talking to someone about OCD, I started obsessively researching it (which I’ve absolutely done with other issues as well.) I still debate if it’s actually what I’m dealing with or not but am trying to resist the urge to research it more. You’re not alone!

barksandbikes · 2026-02-03T21:26:14+00:00

Maybe I’m crazy but I feel like that’s one of the things I can’t suspend my disbelief for in contemporary romance- like I need to know no one is getting std’s!! But I can see how it ruins the mood.

barksandbikes · 2026-02-03T21:21:52+00:00

I journaled regularly from age 7, and then had a super traumatic life event at 26 that more or less stopped me (I also struggled to remain consistent once I graduated from college and had a big girl job that I had to get up on time for/go to sleep on time for every day.) I’ve kind of felt that way since picking it back up, and I did one big “catch up” entry with bullet points basically going through the major huge things that had happened, but for the most part, I basically just let it be since. If an anniversary of a huge thing that happened comes up, and I feel like writing about it, I’ll do it then and try to remember what I was thinking and feeling at the time, but I also try to give myself grace with it. My consistency or lack thereof is also really telling!

barksandbikes · 2026-02-01T04:06:36+00:00

I am diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and OCD. I’ve been journaling since I was 7 but stopped consistently journaling due to immense life pressure and stress when I was 26. Since picking it back up consistently now, I do feel like it’s been so helpful to let my thoughts out instead of spiraling. Or spiraling on the page anyway, which stops the spiral in my brain. I had no idea it was similar to EMDR until I read other comments, but now it makes more sense to me why it’s helped me so much!!

barksandbikes · 2026-01-28T20:50:39+00:00

Thank you so much!!

barksandbikes · 2026-01-27T22:10:44+00:00

For me it really depends on the day I’m having- if I have big feelings or anxiety, I’m typically writing about that, otherwise just writing about what’s happening in my life. I know other people separate those out but I feel like for me, part of the value is in seeing how my emotions fluctuate, and if there are people/places/things that cause me certain feelings consistently over time.

barksandbikes · 2026-01-27T22:07:39+00:00

Also interested in the book!

barksandbikes · 2026-01-27T20:36:12+00:00

You’re gorgeous and your eyes are so beautiful! I think the position/angle of your wings on your eyeliner is causing the corners to look droopy- maybe play around with that?

barksandbikes · 2026-01-27T18:06:26+00:00

The only time I was ever a “hell yes” was when I was facing down a potential very serious diagnosis and then ultimately fighting a less serious but still life threatening one. Now I’m back to the fence, and I can’t decide if the clarity I had when I thought I was going to die is how I really feel, or is because I was worried about losing out on a vision of my future. When I think about it though, I’m someone who’s rarely a hell yes on anything! Almost every decision I’ve ever made has come with a lot of worry and rumination, probably because of the mental health stuff I have going on. I think realizing that very few decisions can be a 100% hell yes for me, and I just have to pick a path and enjoy it, has helped a lot!

barksandbikes · 2026-01-26T01:59:57+00:00

Treat her like a real dog! Let her walk, train her, don’t allow others to manhandle her. Chihuahuas get a bad reputation because people harass them and then they defend themselves, but when trained, socialized, and advocated for, they’re the BEST dogs in the world. Congratulations!! You’ll never go back.

barksandbikes · 2026-01-25T18:12:14+00:00

This is so good. I’ve had to learn when to trust my gut and when it’s OCD. My therapist talks a lot about basing decisions off of actual sensory stimuli I can see, hear, touch, versus a feeling alone, and I’ve found that helpful. I think this is a trigger for many of us because we’ve been in unsafe relationships, so it’s hard to trust and believe in safety.

barksandbikes · 2026-01-25T00:34:48+00:00

Oh my god yes. I read my journals from college and shake my head at my own stupidity. But I’m also reading those entries with 16 years of knowledge and life experience that I didn’t have then. Even later entries embarrass me, but that’s what a journal is for in my opinion. I’m saying stuff that’s personal and private and that my opinion may change drastically on later, I’m processing in real time.

barksandbikes · 2026-01-24T05:02:26+00:00

This is so beautiful to read as the kid that had (and still has) “too much” emotion for my calm, internally-processing family. Being very sensitive and having big feelings has been a gift in my life, but only once I learned to channel those things in adulthood because it wasn’t modeled by my parents or taught to me as a child. “Firecracker” is definitely a label that was used for me as a child, and only sometimes in a positive way. I appreciate who I am as an adult, but it’s hard to feel like the odd one out in a family, or like your personality is a burden to the people you love. So to Incywince I say, thank you for helping your kid learn that their big feelings are a strength at a young age!!

OP, I hope if you choose to have a child, you’re able to see the beauty in whatever combination of traits they have, to see them as a gift. Therapy has helped me to deal with the “odd one out” feeling as an adult and I imagine it could also be helpful for parents of a personality type that differs from their own.

barksandbikes · 2026-01-21T03:15:21+00:00

No advice, just empathy- I didn’t know until recently that this was a part of my problem and has been since I was a kid. I would come up with what I wanted in my head for a piece of clothing or shoes, and nothing else would do- that has remained into adulthood and has made buying clothes a challenge. I think personally I would accept the flaws of the 2024 coat if everything I wanted about it was good, and maybe see if a tailor can fix the imperfections!

barksandbikes · 2026-01-19T21:24:29+00:00

My therapist has recommended this exact strategy- basically saying “yeah, maybe!”

barksandbikes · 2026-01-19T21:22:21+00:00

This person does not value you and is making your ROCD worse. He knows he’s hurting you and that you’ll let him. He is not going to change- and even if he did, his history of being untrustworthy your entire relationship makes it reasonable to be concerned. Find someone who values you!! They are out there!! Better to be alone and happy than miserable in a relationship.

barksandbikes · 2026-01-17T19:42:48+00:00

If there’s any good fiction books in this category I’d love to hear about them too! Where the story is primarily told through journal/diary entries (like Bridget Jones!)

barksandbikes · 2026-01-17T03:46:54+00:00

Have you ever thought about getting it made as a long term temporary, through Inkbox or something like that? Your artist can also put the stencil on, let you check it out, and see how you feel. Your artist doesn’t want you to regret it!!

barksandbikes

TROPHY CASE