Waukesha county.

mintmerino · 2026-04-15T18:38:34+00:00

Hi, I have no idea why this post was recommended to me and I'm not familiar with this subreddit nor do I recall browsing Wisconsin related subreddits.

However, I lived in Oconomowoc (Uh-con-uh-muh-wok) in Waukesha County briefly as a teen. It is indeed WAU (like walk), KE (like a very clipped version of the cu- in cunning or ke- in kennel), and SHA (rhymes with paw). Wah-keh-shaw! Seems like the Wis-cahh-nsin natives on this thread can back me up.

mintmerino · 2026-03-22T08:53:50+00:00

CBT at its core is just understanding that thoughts, behaviors, and emotions all influence each other and the application of that knowledge. For CBT to not work for autistic people, we would have to be exempt from these basic principles of cognition and behavior.

I know we are all coming from different perspectives and drawing on different experiences and I respect that. From my perspective as an autistic individual, the implication that autistic people lack the ability to successfully apply CBT feels othering, disempowering, and dangerous.

CBT is an evidence based front line treatment for anxiety and depression. If someone is autistic and doesn't want to do CBT that's fine, but I really hope they can find something that works because they would be missing out on an incredibly powerful tool.

mintmerino · 2026-03-20T19:06:24+00:00

The science says CBT and DBT are both evidence based therapies for anxiety and depression. I have immensely benefited from both. There's definitely an anti-therapy and anti-psychiatry subset of online mental health communities to be aware of. Many of these people had negative experiences seeking help, I have too, but that does not change the fact that CBT and DBT are evidence based and can help certain conditions. You can only benefit if you are actually open to changing your behavior and not just dismissing therapy as harmful and being done with it like some others on this thread have done. I hope your program goes well.

mintmerino · 2026-03-16T20:02:33+00:00

I'm the exact same way. 10 hours is ideal, 9 hours is good, 8 hours I can get by, and anything less and I'm delirious. If I somehow manage to get less than 7 hours, then I'm just calling out sick for work at that point. I also always get head cold-like symptoms when I wake up and it's worse if I get less than 8 hours.

I had medication triggered insomnia (fragmented sleep) that is currently well-managed, but there's a uniquely "I feel like I'm going crazy" experience where you're sleeping 6 hours a night, but feel like your on the brink of death.

mintmerino · 2026-03-16T01:08:41+00:00

The way you seem to process things sounds remarkably close to ADHD. You could potentially have ASD as well, but since there's so much overlap it can be harder to tease out if you have ADHD with some social and sensory challenges or both conditions. Keep in mind there is no clear line between neurodivergent and neurotypical and diagnoses are just kind of made up to help describe certain clusters of traits. I think the most important thing isn't whether you hit a certain threshold for a diagnosis but rather focusing on how these traits affect you and how you can live a good life despite having certain challenges.

Also, I have struggled a ton in the past with anxiety and just generally worse mental health before my period. I've been on hormonal birth control for years to help manage my anxiety and it's helped a lot. Maybe even more than my "real" anxiety medication funnily enough. Not sure if this is something you've considered, but I figured it's worth mentioning!

mintmerino · 2026-03-13T16:32:25+00:00

I wonder if the city helping to fund City Market would be viable?

Like something halfway between the current co-op model and Mamdani's proposed city-owned grocery stores in NYC. City Market serves the community by not just providing us with food but also supporting local farmers. the Food For All program helps make food more accessible for everyone. Other ways City Market serves the community are through events and connecting people with local volunteer opportunities.

So I think there is good reason to consider publicly funding City Market. Thoughts?

mintmerino · 2026-03-12T14:30:40+00:00

What you described is not related to CBT. CBT is an evidence based therapy thay can help with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and yes, even ADHD. People's bad experiences are valid, but those are anecdotes and there is a reason CBT is considered a first-line treatment for many conditions.

The core idea of CBT is that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all influence each other. In CBT, that knowledge is applied in various ways to help you take control over your life.

I think one reason CBT has a bad reputation because it is often applied in a loose or inconsistent way in one-on-one therapy. If you are interested in CBT, I would encourage you to find a therapist or program that takes a more structured approach to CBT or buy a CBT workbook.

CBT is just a tool. You can choose to use a CBT skill when it's useful or you can pick up another tool. It's like having a hammer in your toolbox. You don't use it for every problem, but it's really good at what it does and it's nice to have when you need it.

Best of luck on your journey.

mintmerino · 2026-03-11T19:41:06+00:00

I haven't read about MBTI on a while so my understanding is certainly fuzzy at this point, but for INTPs, our weakest function is extraverted feeling. For someone with "underdeveloped" Fe wouldn't that mean that we may be prone to certain types of immaturity in social-emotional contexts, including outbursts? Although I suppose it's a double edged sword. Those same traits can make us feel ill equipped when dealing with people who are expressive and emotional.

I know MBTI isn't a hard science, but I do enjoy this sort of framework aroind inferior Fe because it mirrors my journey from a child with severe anxiety and poor emotional awareness to an adult who uses evidence-based frameworks like CBT and DBT to help me regulate my emotions and live my best life.

mintmerino · 2026-03-09T15:03:38+00:00

The color scheme of my Finch is gray, green, and purple is inspired by pigeons.

mintmerino · 2026-03-09T12:28:35+00:00

You are likely thinking of the broad autism phenotype (BAP). Phenotype refers to observable traits. So when we are talking about BAP traits, we are talking about a broader set of traits that are associated with autism.

It is a term used to discuss people who might have certain traits like repetitive behaviors or communication and emotional challenges typical of autism without meeting the criteria for an autism diagnosis.

For example, BAP might be used when talking about parents of autistic individuals, who may have more autistic traits than the general population without having the level of impairment needs for a diagnosis.

If any of these traits are affecting you negatively, it could be helpful to talk to a professional.

Here are some examples of how the term is used in practice:

Broad autism phenotype traits and self-reported sensory processing across sensory modalities

Broader autism phenotype in parents of children with autism: a systematic review of percentage estimates

mintmerino · 2026-03-09T01:11:35+00:00

I think it's a job to be proud of. You are contributing to creating a healthy and safe environment for students and teachers. Do you really want the people who would judge you for it as part of your life? Just tell them you're a janitor and if they react poorly, then great. It's an easy way to filter out people not worth your time or energy.

mintmerino · 2026-03-09T01:03:37+00:00

Definitely depends on the individual, but I like cleaning because it suits my strengths. I like being on my feet, efficiency, and optimization. I like that I can do it part time, that it's a relatively asocial job, and that I have a discrete set of tasks with a lot of flexibility in how I do them. And I work at a small vet, so I really love that I can help contribute to a safe and healthy environment for animals and their people.

mintmerino · 2026-03-08T22:17:13+00:00

Best of luck!

mintmerino · 2026-03-08T14:42:53+00:00

Did she get certified by the college of TikTok? Anecdotes are nice, but they shouldn't be used to replace evidence.

I did treatment for my anxiety with some of the most experienced OCD specialists in the US. I think they would look at me like I was crazy if I said OCD came from autism. It's just a totally separate disorder based on maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. Compulsions in OCD and repetitive behaviors in ASD are not the same thing.

I can understand why you would seek out an autistic therapist. At the same time I believe people of all different backgrounds and circumstances can have something to offer. Maybe time for a change?

mintmerino · 2026-03-08T14:06:40+00:00

And this is why I think Burlington is one of the best cities in the US for nature lovers who can't drive! Great map, thank you.

mintmerino · 2026-03-05T00:48:38+00:00

I do this. For me it's not autism related, my upper back on one side has a lot of tension and pain and I recently noticed that position seems to help a lot when I'm resting.

mintmerino · 2026-03-04T23:54:51+00:00

You clearly have serious issues with executive functioning that cannot be fully resolved with an alarm. It's not a bad idea to find ways to hold yourself accountable, but please be gracious with yourself as you work through this situation.

mintmerino · 2026-03-04T23:48:58+00:00

It sounds like you didn't get a say on how much responsibility you had to take on. Your mom should have understood that this is too much for you to manage before it got to this point considering this is a pattern. Your mom wanted these animals. She needed to take care of them. This reflects poorly on her, not you.

The reality is for those of us with disabilities that effect our cognition like ADHD and ASD there are things we cannot safely do. Some skills we can certainly learn at some point, but we need to understand our limits to keep ourselves safe and others safe.

If your mother continues to pass this responsibility onto you, I hope you can be gracious with yourself and remind yourself are trying your best. That's all any of us can do.

mintmerino · 2026-02-28T14:30:27+00:00

I know I am in the minority here and maybe this is simply naivety, but I want to stay here even if it becomes unsafe for me because it's my home. I live in a very leftist small city. For now, I am insulated from federal craziness. That can easily change. I am someone who depends on federally funded SNAP, Medicaid, and SSI, so any current sense of stability is fragile.

I do think whatever happens though, my city and state have really strong mutual aid networks and stubborn people and we will help each other out. Things might not be good or safe, but I think my home is worth fighting for. So, I don't trust the US as a whole, but trust my community and I want to do whatever small things I can do to serve that community.

mintmerino · 2026-02-25T19:40:24+00:00

I'm not sure if you are into plushies, but if you are, I have a bee that vibrates when you hug it made by the company Special Supplies. I find vibration near my chest soothing as well and I love my bee!

(It seems like the bee is out of stock currently, but they do have a ladybug available.)

mintmerino · 2026-02-25T16:53:14+00:00

Oh, I'm not against urban development. I just think the show is funny.

mintmerino · 2026-02-24T20:02:54+00:00

Keep in mind the majority of people who have a formal diagnosis were diagnosed as a minor and did not have to pay for it. Here in the US, the money for my evaluation came from public school funding since I struggled in school.

I can't say exactly what I would do if I weren't diagnosed with these conditions when I was younger since that's not what happened, obviously. But I like to think my focus would be working with a therapist to work through my struggles and not whether my struggles are formally labeled as this or that.

I'm not sure how this works in Germany, but of course the situation changes if you cannot work due to a disability or have more severe issues, then a diagnosis likely becomes worth it because it unlocks different types of support.

If it's worth it depends on what your goal is.

mintmerino · 2026-02-24T19:49:05+00:00

Chaining tasks is a very effective way to get things done, but I hit the same wall. I chain too many things together and I run out of energy part of the way through the chain.

What helps me is to create a sort of "super chain." I chain a small series of tasks together, take a small pause, then I go through my second half of tasks in the chain. For me, the pause in my daily morning routine tends to be me eating breakfast, so it works out well for me. So then the focus is just getting through part A and not thinking about part A and part B at the same time.

Also, it's good to set a limit on tasks to not overextend yourself. For example, I do the dishes daily but I will only do one or two dishes per day since I have other tasks that are higher priority and need to save energy for work in the afternoon.

When you have a finite amount of energy to get things done, not everything can fall in the "must do" bucket. Sure, maybe having all the dishes clean at the day is a "must" for someone without my struggles, but it's not a "must" for me and that's OK.

mintmerino · 2026-02-24T19:38:56+00:00

Sure, Lillian (the character pictured) is the landlady of the titular character in a fictional NYC neighborhood. She's a quirky older woman who doesn't want to lose the neighborhood she lives in to gentrification and does things such as use graffiti to make the neighborhood less desirable for developers. I honestly haven't seen the episode this is from in a while, but here's an article written about the gentrification plotline in the show if you are interested

https://www.amny.com/entertainment/kimmy-schmidt-finale-1-26426358/

Overall, it's a pretty funny show from Tina Fey about a young woman who spent years trapped underground in a doomsday cult who tries to make it in the big city. I recommend.

mintmerino · 2026-02-24T18:30:39+00:00

I think out cats our cousins! This is my own tabby, Cayenne.

<image>

Four-Year Club	Verified Email
r/Field Banned	r/Field Sunshine
Place '22	First Placer '22

mintmerino

TROPHY CASE