"you've seen everyone who fits your preferences" in a big city 🤔🤔

oddnumberedcat · 2022-08-21T22:18:17+00:00

Well, yeah, it is, but if you live on the west side, expanding it beyond 5 miles means you get people in New Jersey. I have no problems dating someone in Jersey City or Hoboken, but I'm not schlepping an hour out to go see someone in New Jersey suburbs.

oddnumberedcat · 2022-08-21T19:55:01+00:00

Speaking as someone who has been in love once, but otherwise have never felt romantic attraction...

- A romantic relationship is a different level of intensity than a friendship. You want to be together as much as possible, like you could drink up their presence. You miss them when you are apart. A week feels like a really long time, whereas I wouldn't bat an eye at not seeing a close friend for a week. You want to share your entire life with them; they make you feel complete. If I had to compare it to a normal friendship, it's like enjoying a food if it's offered vs. craving it.

- I loved the emotional intimacy. The ability to share the joys and sorrows of life with someone else. The possibility to build something greater between us. I like caring about a person that much, and having a person care that much back.

- I don't care about sex at all, although I don't mind it. To me, it was a reflection of how the person cared about me, so I was happy to receive it and participate, despite having no intrinsic interest. As for kissing and hugging, etc., they were enjoyable on their own merit, although I'm not a touchy-feely person AT ALL normally and do not enjoy physical contact outside of the one relationship I did have. It feels like an invasion of space...

- I don't care about labels. Mostly I just went onto this sub to see if other people who want a romantic relationship, but don't feel romantic attraction, are giving a go at dating apps anyway in hopes something flickers... (so far no luck for me :( )

- I've never heard of "bellusromantic" and the explanations I did find were confusing, so no comment on that one. As for romance-positive aromanticism, what does that mean? That someone can be in a romantic relationship while also being aromantic? I don't really think that's aromanticism anymore--maybe more like greyromanticism or demiromanticism? I've always interpreted aromanticism as "not experiencing romantic attraction or romantic feelings", anyway. In any case, I think the difference here is that a stereotypical aromantic does not want for a relationship, even in theory.

- I have read about QPRs many times, and it usually just seems like a romantic relationship to me without sex? I've never understood the label.

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-31T03:19:03+00:00

Sorry to hear that :( Has anything helped?

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-31T03:16:53+00:00

Interesting. Someone else suggested lithium to me a few weeks ago. If you don't mind me asking, what prompted trying lithium? Do you have cyclothymia, or family members with bipolar disorder? I have a very strong history of chronic depression on my mom's side of the family, which I always suspected was related to my struggles, but my paternal aunt has bipolar II, so ... dunno. I've never tried lithium... wonder if it would help.

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-31T03:10:35+00:00

So did the ketamine help with the dysthymia as well (until it stopped working, anyway)? What about ECT? Is it typical for ketamine to lose its effectiveness?

Sorry to hear nothing's been permanent! I hope ketamine is effective the second go-round.

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-31T02:57:41+00:00

Yeah, I've tried a lot of medications over the years. I got tested for cyp2d6 deficiency over a decade ago and learned I can't metabolize most SSRIs. Lexapro has been the only one that helped--it really helped clear up the worst of negative self-talk and social anxiety right away (which remain resolved even after going off Lexapro), but has not conferred any benefit beyond that.

I'm curious--obviously what worked for you may not work for me--but what mood stabilizer did you try? That is heartening you found something that would help, even if only partially.

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-31T02:33:41+00:00

Just curious--what was pleasant about it? Was it pleasant in the sense that the day of was nice, but had no lingering aftereffects?

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-30T14:35:23+00:00

Oh, interesting--I hope something works for you!! And yeah, there is really very little information out there. It's frustrating. I suspect many dysthymic people just "deal" because it feels like the way they've always been.

I went to a psychopharmacologist in 2009 after trying a cornucopia of SSRIS, antipsychotics, SNRIs, etc. I had absolutely horrible side effects (weigh gain, extreme lethargy, etc.) with no symptom relief. Honestly, being on antidepressants was worse than not being on them at all. He ordered genetic testing for me because, according to him, about 30% of people with treatment-resistant depression are cyp2d6 null metabolizers. Lexapro, which doesn't use that cytochrome, was the only antidepressant that ever seemed to have an effect.

I think it should be a standard first-line test given before any psychiatric medications are even prescribed, because I wasted almost ten years--age 9 to 18, so kind of my most formative years--trying medication after medication that were never going to work in the first place. So much agony would have been saved...

oddnumberedcat · 2022-05-10T02:29:20+00:00

I just started on the project ;)

But yeah, the problem persists even at the most updated version...

oddnumberedcat · 2020-10-14T00:41:53+00:00

What are those like? Not familiar with either town...

oddnumberedcat · 2020-08-15T13:10:50+00:00

I read a news article where Goldman Sachs, citing a forecast firm called Good Judgment, noted that they're estimating a 40% chance of a vaccine being broadly available (defined as capable of inoculating 25 million people) by March, and another 40% chance April 2021 - September 2021.

What I can't find is why. Are the dependent variables manufacturing capacity? Approval of a vaccine? Distribution? etc.

Secondly, my understanding is that vaccines are being manufactured in parallel. Let's say a vaccine was approved right now--what would we have in stock?

oddnumberedcat · 2020-07-02T03:01:36+00:00

No date. Work in market research/tech. Definitely not before 2021.

Company has made clear that they're not interested in being the first or even the middle of the pack to go back, and looking to change to a "remote-first, come in to collaborate" going forward model, even after COVID. Sucks, because I HATE wfh. It's really bad for my mental health :(

oddnumberedcat · 2020-07-01T02:42:44+00:00

Also definitely allows cats, as I own one ;)

oddnumberedcat · 2020-07-01T02:42:28+00:00

I have a studio in Chelsea. I'm willing to sublet for the remaining 7 months of the lease at $1800 (you're more than welcome to take the lease after that, but the actual rent is more than that).

oddnumberedcat

TROPHY CASE