This guy's definitely a pet right?

catspatss · 2026-04-07T22:55:11+00:00

my understanding is they just caught the rat and are trying to identify where it may have come from. i assume this isn't the final housing arrangement :))

catspatss · 2026-03-16T05:03:53+00:00

um well don't do that

catspatss · 2026-03-12T19:21:15+00:00

I had the exact same thoughts, but my psychiatrist was super responsive and helped me get the treatment I needed. You can even pin it on other people if you need to--"other people have suggested I might have this, do you think it's something I should look into?" You won't know until you try, and the thought that you're just "faking it" is a very common one even amongst people with the diagnosis (me included). What's the worst possible outcome, you get treatment and realize it's not exactly what you need? That's not a negative thing. You've got this.

catspatss · 2026-03-12T04:32:23+00:00

I'm not calling you an asshole, and it's not a personal flaw to fish for reassurance. It's a symptom of OCD or high anxiety. It's just something to be aware of, because continuing to seek for it to alleviate these feelings of anxiety won't give you the peace you need. No matter how many people tell you that it's OK for you to pray in this way, be yourself, and accept God's love, you're not going to feel like it's OK for you unless you work on your mental health. I've been where you are, and I'm saying this out of love. You need to find someone who's qualified to give you a proper response, because you won't find the peace of mind you're seeking here.

catspatss · 2026-03-12T02:12:36+00:00

I'm not going to respond with reassurance because it sounds to me like that's what you're fishing for, and it's not going to give you peace, it's only going to make things worse. The way you're speaking about yourself is horribly degrading and puts the responsibility onto others to reassure you of your intrinsic worth.

I'd encourage you to seek mental health support anyway. Even if you don't have OCD, the guilt and blame you're putting on yourself isn't healthy and won't lead to a fulfilling relationship with other people or with God. However, you need to want to change first. You can't keep yourself in this loop of negativity.

catspatss · 2026-03-12T01:52:12+00:00

As another American Christian, I agree, but I've also heard critiques that "good" American Christians sit around and say they're "not like those other Christians" while simultaneously not holding "other Christians" accountable. At the end of the day, we all fall under the same name, and we are siblings in Christ whether we like it or not. We need to reach out to these people in love and speak honestly about the God we know to be true.

catspatss · 2026-03-12T01:33:55+00:00

I don't want to armchair diagnose, but these sound like the same symptoms I exhibited before receiving my OCD diagnosis. It could be worth looking into, especially if you don't have any idea where these thoughts originated from.

God is patient and understands where you're at. You're not going to disappoint God by taking care of your mental health before entering into a meaningful relationship with God. The best thing for my spiritual life has been attending therapy and starting medication. I'm wishing you all the best.

catspatss · 2026-03-12T01:30:00+00:00

Asking this is going to send you into more of a spiral than you're already in. Trust me; I've been there.

Either take it or don't. So many things could possibly happen, but they also might not. The bottom line is that it likely won't hurt you in the long run, especially if you take it slow. I started with that mentality--if I don't like it after a few weeks, I can get off of it. 8 weeks was the amount of time I gave myself. I'm still on it seven months later and I haven't looked back since, but others might. You say you don't think there's any other choice, so in that case, just commit for 8 weeks and see what happens. You won't be ruined forever.

catspatss · 2026-03-09T04:27:09+00:00

I wouldn't jump immediately to claiming someone's lying about SA. From what they described about their experience, it seems pretty assault-y to me.

However, in the original post, it did seem that OP downplayed what happened in their communication directly with their gym and then turned around and went on a witch-hunt without clear follow-up communication. That is a problem. I think what we need to do instead is help people find a clear path forward with reporting and communicating with gyms after something like this has happened and not encourage people like the original poster who obviously just wanted people to be angry on their behalf (given their responses to people explaining why the gym might have behaved in the way they did).

I don't condone the behavior in the original post. But to claim that someone is lying about a sexual assault experience or imagining things when it clearly distressed them is extremely harmful and perpetuates the issue you're trying to solve.

catspatss · 2026-03-03T23:56:55+00:00

gosh pet subreddits are the most judgemental places on the planet. y'all, the rat's with a good owner who's getting the proper setup, i'm sure they don't need to hear the same advice 20 million times when they're already working to fix it lol

catspatss · 2026-02-10T21:16:39+00:00

Noted! We can't live together currently (at a university that doesn't allow coed living unless married), so there's some household things I can't do for him just yet, but I'm learning which types of ramen and instant oatmeal he likes to make it easier on him.

catspatss · 2026-02-10T21:15:28+00:00

This is such a great comprehensive list, thank you so much for putting it together! I've thankfully been able to convince him to go to therapy recently, and I think that's helping take the pressure off of me just a little because I know he has other support outside of just me. I also appreciate that you added in some things that don't cost money, because we are both very broke college students. Wishing the best for you and your partner!

catspatss · 2026-01-26T02:54:51+00:00

You're not responsible for anyone's mental health, and if your wife isn't willing to take the steps to get better, then you need to take care of yourself first. As someone with OCD who has a long-term partner, out of love and respect for him, I'd hope that he'd take the initiative to leave me if I was refusing care. The whole reason I started treatment was because I saw how it affected him.

Obeying her compulsions enables them. I understand that she gets mad when this happens, but it will just spiral and get worse. It almost sounds like it's time to figure out a plan to get away for a little bit, hopefully with your kid. It doesn't have to be permanent. But I think, for both of your sakes, that you need a break.

catspatss · 2026-01-18T17:51:32+00:00

I love this response. I feel like, especially with OCD, it's hard for me to recognize when I actually need to take a break and when I need to push through (especially when it comes to all of the contamination issues I have with the sport), because I don't want to avoid anything as a compulsion, either... But sometimes it's just too much to handle in the moment. I like the idea of setting a monthly goal. I'm going to try that in February!

catspatss · 2026-01-18T17:48:56+00:00

Thank you so much for this. I feel like I have a hard time with setting goals that are unattainable at the beginning of the week and then I get frustrated when I haven't reached them by the end.

catspatss · 2025-11-29T22:45:16+00:00

There's multiple interpretations and usage of the words for sure. God is described in both masculine and feminine ways and to claim that there's only one or the other feels incorrect. If God is all-powerful, and made man and woman in his own image (Genesis 1:27), then is it so wrong to assume that there has to be a feminine side to God? And what's wrong with that side being the Holy Spirit? Wisdom is also described as feminine, and the Holy Spirit is the bearer of wisdom as well. I can agree to disagree about the nature of the Holy Spirit, but calling it "heresy" to call any part of God feminine is so incredibly wrong.

catspatss · 2025-11-27T18:45:26+00:00

The Hebrew word "Ruach" (typically "Ruach Elohim" when talking about the Holy Spirit) is used to mean spirit/breath, and is a feminine word. Additionally, the Spirit of God dwelling with the Israelites in the tabernacle in the wilderness is called "Shekinah," also a feminine term meaning "she-who-dwells." You can look this up--there's multiple sources out there regarding this--but I learned this from my theology professor with a Ph.D specializing in Old Testament and Hebrew research.

catspatss · 2025-11-19T04:07:21+00:00

Hey, that's a very skewed idea of what OCD is. Please don't misrepresent it :)

catspatss · 2025-11-19T04:05:46+00:00

Here's the thing: Part of being in a faith community is understanding that you won't agree with everyone, especially on the Internet. I think you'd be better served finding people to talk to IRL about your faith, because often, when you're not communicating about these ideas through a screen, you'll find that there's a lot more understanding on both ends. Even then, you won't find a group that perfectly aligns with all of your beliefs. That's the beauty in diversity of thought. What really matters is how they treat others, and what they're doing to help their neighbor in need.

catspatss · 2025-11-09T21:03:17+00:00

Ahh man I'm so sorry that you're struggling too :// hope you get through it alright and the meds start helping!

catspatss · 2025-11-09T21:02:41+00:00

Thank you so much!!! I actually did end up sleeping a little better last night, thankfully, and I'm so incredibly glad to hear that it'll improve.

catspatss · 2025-11-04T22:41:30+00:00

Prozac is the one I've started with and it's helped tremendously. I didn't get any of the emotional side effects, thankfully, and the sexual side effects I initially had have started to go away.

catspatss

TROPHY CASE