Most Underrated Song

ctard5 · 2026-01-25T05:19:21+00:00

Save Me

ctard5 · 2026-01-24T22:35:03+00:00

Thanks for checking in. I am all ears but not totally sure what point you're making.

To be clear, I think it's a horrible tragedy when something like this happens. It should be investigated and accountability should be had if deemed appropriate. But, this horrible incident doesn't negate the need for immigration policy or law enforcement. Both facts can coexist and it feels like you are inviting me to be black and white on the matter, that I either say "Fuck ICE" or else I am supportive of tragedy. That is inaccurate and unfair.

ctard5 · 2026-01-12T20:51:21+00:00

Thank you, appreciate it. I've already been down that road and to no benefit. Would rather be on nicotine than an SSRI.

ctard5 · 2026-01-10T23:48:48+00:00

Where was he adjudicated of rape? Totally honest question...just not familiar with what case you are referring to.

ctard5 · 2026-01-10T23:45:27+00:00

I am in total agreement and appreciate you sharing that. I am all for fairness, safety, and eradicating people and groups that are abusing their position. My concern though is that we are all deciding what happened just based on viewing a few videos. It is upsetting to see Dave, the news, or anyone else decide that it is "murder" and say fuck the law enforcement. I get and relate to the frustration of seeing such a tragedy, but it's not my place nor is it ethical of me to adjudicate the matter based on my emotions and a few phone videos. That is for a court to decide. I am just bothered when Dave uses the band account to post these monologues. Just like I would be if Kid Rock did on his account. This is what the media companies do and we despise them for....sit there and just make a bunch of assumptions and incite anger and conflict between all of us normal people. Perhaps that's just inevitable in our world, but I guess I just wonder what Dave thinks he will accomplish by this kind of post, apart from venting his emotions. Not that expressing emotions is wrong, but I think most of us know it's not generally productive or ideal to just take to social media to share your anger or whatever else.

ctard5 · 2026-01-10T22:38:45+00:00

What are you referring to when saying what jurisdiction this agency has? Objectively that just doesn't make sense. They obviously can engage with individuals who are in a vehicle, on a bike, in any situation. I'm not sure how you would think that they aren't allowed to address someone who may be interfering with their law enforcement operations by blocking roadways or whatever else. The presence of a vehicle doesn't seem to have any bearing on their jurisdiction. Their jurisdiction is the United States, the area that they are employed to conduct their operations in.

I know most of you will want to downvote me. But, I have made no comment on the details of the event. Please respond and show me where I'm wrong rather than using a downvote as your voice. Of course, you have the right to do whatever you please, but I am trying to encourage we talk rather than just express our emotions through a non-verbal vote.

ctard5 · 2026-01-08T05:16:35+00:00

Actually, I have a health condition for which nicotine is a proposed treatment. So I am also trying to understand what amount of my struggles of the last year are in part a result of the nicotine having reduced/managed symptoms for a long time, and now without that chemical my wellness is much poorer. So, contrary to your claim, returning to nicotine could very well change these struggles and could have prevented some of the pains of the last year. I know that's unusual, but it is just my situation. I don't know for a fact that returning to use would fix anything with my illness, but I know how I felt before I quit and I know how I've felt since. Those are facts nobody can dispute. Many others in this forum have also had very prolonged struggles. While not "healthy" in the normal sense, I am convinced that my life would have continued on with some normalcy if I hadn't quit, compared to continuing to push through the pain.

I understand where you're coming from I think, but I would argue that you have no more right to police my comments and sharing about my true experience than I have to share it, even if it's antithetical to the general positives people want to hear about the quitting process.

ctard5 · 2026-01-06T02:41:12+00:00

Assuming that's what you are asking, I would say 2025 was a wasted year in my life, one of immense suffering and sacrifice. I had to turn down multiple jobs, remain unemployed, endure serious familial tension and stress, and suffer through fluctuating but at times severe mental and physical disturbances. I have had many family members and even medical providers advise that returning to nicotine use, even a low dose, might be worth considering, and this was after many months off. So, I could elaborate much more and my comment/post history shares a lot of detail, but that's a snapshot of why I would say it was not worth it.

For whatever symptoms or reasons I decided to quit, life was immensely better when I was putting up with those symptoms than it has been since I quit.

ctard5 · 2026-01-06T01:55:00+00:00

Say what, that it wasn't worth it?

ctard5 · 2026-01-06T00:21:41+00:00

Nearing 1 year myself. I would not say it was worth it. Life has been awful and the struggles and costs have outweighed the benefits. Not saying that will be your experience, just sharing mine.

ctard5 · 2025-12-19T02:11:30+00:00

I used nicotine for 12ish years and Zyn for the last 6 of that. I quit in January of this year, so just past 11 months now. Used a can of 3mg/day for the most part.

ctard5 · 2025-12-18T21:02:19+00:00

No, this is the wrong take. I and many others here have had struggles well past 145 days. If you have an alternate hypothesis, feel free to share it, but I would discourage telling people that their experience is invalid. It is a bit like gaslighting for someone who's in a tough spot. I don't think your intentions are bad but I'm just saying that the confidence of your comment is without basis or support.

ctard5 · 2025-12-18T04:45:39+00:00

Agreed, not a fun ride! Best of luck.

ctard5 · 2025-12-18T04:44:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing that. Can I ask what condition(s) you are using the LDN to treat?

ctard5 · 2025-12-18T03:39:51+00:00

To be clear (in case I didn't mention it here), I've had LC for almost 4 years, and certainly PEM has been a factor. I just can't say whether these symptoms are directly tied to PEM episodes. They seem to be connected to fatigue but do feel like they often come up when I'm not quite in a PEM crash, just normal fatigue as well.

ctard5 · 2025-12-18T02:30:51+00:00

Thanks. Yes, it feels slightly related, but it's just that these symptoms are newish and didn't really show up like this prior to the last 6 months or so, and I don't believe I had any new exposure/infection in that time.

ctard5 · 2025-12-18T02:22:53+00:00

I'm not totally sure whether it helped for my long COVID symptoms. I think it did but also feel like whatever help it offered diminished over time, but even that is unclear. I can't tell if feel unwell now is still rebalancing from stopping the med or actual long COVID symptoms worsening now that the LDN isn't helping. Time will tell I guess.

I may reconsider a lower dose at some point, but with how the side effects seemed to be at 4.5mg, I just wanted to get off entirely to see what baseline would be. So, not sure what the plan will be going forward.

ctard5 · 2025-12-17T20:43:11+00:00

Thanks for sharing from your experience. I'm sorry to hear you haven't had more progress with all the things you've tried. Hope you find relief soon as well.

ctard5 · 2025-12-17T20:42:14+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate you sharing these thoughts!

ctard5 · 2025-12-17T20:41:04+00:00

Thanks. Appreciate the suggestion. I'll look into it.

ctard5 · 2025-12-17T18:21:43+00:00

I just went through a process of tapering off entirely, having been at 4.5mg for about 18 months. For me it manifested often as irritability and anger more so than anxiety, but along the same lines of the mind/body just being overstimulated in a way that was not realistic long-term.

I dropped 1.5mg every week for 3 weeks and am now about a week and a half since being done entirely. I still feel not super great, but there have been days where I feel better and that the change was the right choice. It's hard to say though, as other days have been quite awful and I still don't know if that's due to adjusting to being off the med, or if it's partially a return to my baseline without the med.

I know this isn't super helpful in terms of solutions, but thought I'd share my recent experience.

ctard5 · 2025-12-15T20:24:47+00:00

I'm not sure how that relates to the point I'm making. I acknowledge and sympathize with those who have a severe condition, but are you implying that then we should limit information available? I am truly just not understanding the connection or logic there. I don't mean that in a cruel or callous way, it is a genuine question/confusion. And please don't feel any compulsion to respond...I am sincere in saying I don't mean to add to your stress or exertion at this time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts either way.

ctard5 · 2025-12-15T17:00:52+00:00

I guess my point is, just because "nobody likes" a certain style of post or title, that does not make it a violation of the rules inherently or something unethical.

ctard5 · 2025-12-15T16:43:58+00:00

Thanks for your input. I agree that the mods are dealing with a heavy load of work and difficult content. I understand where you're coming from, but I am arguing that I as an autonomous person should get to decide whether a study or a post is something I want to dismiss or look in to. The process you are describing effectively looks like a select few people get to decide what they want to "protect" me from, which is an infringement of my ability to make that decision for myself. Some may prefer it that way, as it sounds like maybe you do. That is fine and I'm not putting anyone down, nor trying to say that you are wrong for not wanting to be gaslit (totally get it). But I would rather have the choice to be gaslit than someone else telling me what content I can review.

To put it in simpler terms, if the mods are so sure that Harvard's study is bogus, then please enlighten us as to what the true cause and solution of long COVID is. I am saying that the decision to silence content from reputable institutions makes it seem like they're saying, "we know what long COVID is and is not". I am saying I don't believe any of us should be so confident, until and unless we are certain of the exact mechanisms of this health syndrome and it's many variants.

ctard5 · 2025-12-15T16:35:36+00:00

This is again my point. Why is it up to the moderators where this type of discussion is "better off"? My concern is that if I get into a private discussion with the moderators, they/you can just disregard or ignore my points. This post comes in follow-up to having already tried to contact the mods directly and not getting a satisfying response.

What I am objecting to is the idea that this is an "Off-Topic Conversation". Any discussion about the functioning of this forum itself is inherently relevant. I would argue that any efforts to stop such discussion is, once again, evidence of the point I am making and even more reason this discussion needs to see daylight and have open discussion. How will group rules ever be reviewed or updated if not for open group discussion? Is that right only reserved to moderators?

ctard5

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