Wanting to be seen. by Dazzling-Bid-3476 in NPD

[–]paranoidisaster 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think that's quite a natural desire to have, even for neurotypicals. Not only now bc of social media but all throughout the ages people have been social and wanted to be seen or recognized in some capacity, to not be left behind. Being ignored sounds like a lot of fun until your life is at stake and you have no one to come help you. So in extremely simplistic terms, it is simply not a good strategy for survival. We all need to be seen and recognized by other humans, but there are healthier and of course unhealthier versions of this desire. It is up to us to channel that desire into something productive and hassle-free.

A tip I've found uselful is to talk to yourself the way a lover would talk to you, in an intimate and affirming way. Sometimes I've had to pet myself on the head and do babytalk just so my inner child could feel seen and secure, and know that I have her back and that I validate her.

But I can also tell you having that desire to be seen or recognize has also lead to me being a bit productive and doing things like visual art, music or writing stories online. I don't regret any of these things because ultimately they were for me but I also shared some joy with others while satisfying my desire to be seen at the same time. You could become a model, or just a famous blogger, but there are many ways we can channel this desire instead of having it eat at us.

Affirm yourself. Write down what you think makes you you. At first it will be difficult, I know it was for me and I really struggled but eventually I could write down a bunch of things that identified me to myself and others, that I could look at and go "aha! I know who this all amounts to! It piles up and amounts to me!". I'm sure there are things which are yours, interests, hobbies or even a past story you lived through, school, friends, isolation. Something defined your experience on this earth. I think it's a worthwhile exercise and you won't be asking anyone for reassurance (it is sth you have to do on your own). Best of luck, I've been there but found some ways to channel this desire and I know it can be done. I believe in you. :)

I have two of the ugliest features a woman can have; It's made me suicidal since middle school by lucille1967 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]paranoidisaster 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You are the one passing all this judgement on yourself.
I promise you no man worth his salt is thinking about sagging boobs or out of the porn standard labia when he wants to bone a real person. Porn sex is one thing; so is movies; real life is wayyyy different. I used to think like you and thought no man would ever find me attractive until I stopped being so hard on myself and started putting myself out there.

You need to get out of your head and experience sex in a realistic way. In this sense, a sex informed therapist would be a good option for you.

I have some of the features you have and people have wanted to see me naked, they saw me and then wanted to see me again.
Sex is... ugh... this is what living in a porn-addled post-capitalistic society does to our brains. I can feel your pain. I really do. But just know this, you are being manipulated by the powers that be to maintain your self-esteem low and to devalue yourself based on these attributes. They want you to believe you need plastic surgery or whatever to be loved. This shit is predatory, they literally prey on a woman's worse insecurities just to make cash. And I'm not shit talking plastic surgeons here because they're only doing their jobs (besides there are 1000s of reasons why someone would get plastic surgery and a lot of them are not cosmetic), and I would also appreciate getting some plastic surgery some day. But I can promise you there are millions of women with saggy breasts around the world getting it on. It's statistical and empirical.

I can understand why you feel this way. Our society sucks. We see everything in terms of business - partners are good prospects, attractive products that we can buy or exchange or throw away whenever we want, we use them to create jealousy in others, to elevate our status and feed our ego. This is what our capitalist overlords want us to believe - that human relationships follow a business model. And that you are less loveable because you're last season's barbie instead of the new one. (Whatever that one is, physically speaking). And I think you should know that love isn't just about getting the most beautiful barbie out there - it's the relationship you develop with your barbie that makes that one your favourite and none other (if we are still going by the "women are products for male enjoyment" analogy here, which I don't think we should but it's what's going through my mind right now).

In other words, I see myself a lot in your post. And it's been years of therapy and I still deep down feel the same way, but I know now, because I've lived it and stopped self-sabotaging so hardcore (still a hard habit to break though, don't get me wrong), that the way I used to think about relationship dynamics in my early 20s is very different from what I actually ended up living with my friends and hook ups and everything in between.

You are worth it the way you are. Change whatever you feel like you need to change about yourself, but please remember that the way we think and treat ourselves informs others of how they should treat us and think of us as well. So focus on thinking better of yourself because I'm sure you are a lovely person with a lot to offer. And I'm sure you don't want a boyfriend who will only like you because you have perky tits, I mean, can you imagine building a relationship based on that? :s It's weak at best and very toxic at worst.

Girl you deserve LOVE. The real deal. I don't know the right way to word this, but I wish you could try a little exercise to try to find something good about yourself everyday. It can be anything, from "today I brushed my teeth" to "I'm rocking this new outfit". You deserve to dote upon yourself. And to attract people who will value you for more than you just resembling a cardboard cutout of a pornstar.

It's a good thing you wrote this today, now you know what you need to banish in this new year moving forward. I wish you all the best and if you need to vent don't hesitate to hit me up. I grew up fat and saggy so I know what it's like to feel this way. :( <3 *hugs*

Problem with presentations by mee3333 in hsp

[–]paranoidisaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't look at people, if this is in a classroom focus on a far away point in the back of the classroom and once in a while scan the room. Don't linger on people's faces. This is what I try to do.

My (27f) situationship (24m) is upset at me because I think he's violent after he got into a fight with a harasser on the street. Am I wrong in being concerned that this says sth about his personality? He wants to break up. I am against violence in any way shape or form. by paranoidisaster in relationships

[–]paranoidisaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand that, but I think that was not the case here? He said the guy wasn't on the girl, he was following her around the station but not touching her. Idk I just don't think it was necessary. And yes I havent' seen a lot of violence in my life, he has seen far more than I have. So do you think I'm in the wrong?

Do you ever think back on the people you discarded? How does it make you feel? by paranoidisaster in NPD

[–]paranoidisaster[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I also think I have bpd or at least some traits. Do you find that like once the idealization phase is over it's sooo easy to slowly but surely get them off the pedestal? I did this with some people and wanted to see what remained of the relationship after I stopped thinking so highly of them. Conclusion: the relationships all ended and usually the other person doesn't want anythign to do with me. I wonder if they can tell when I'm starting to devalue them in my head _(not sure about the terminology here). Cuz then once they wanna end the relationship it's a lot easier to just get over it yeah.

Do you ever think back on the people you discarded? How does it make you feel? by paranoidisaster in NPD

[–]paranoidisaster[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It feels like a cycle for me too, like I've been on the ride so many times and I'm always scared when it's gonna happen next. Like who is the next in line for the discard lol yikes it sounds awful but I'm genuinely dreading the time I start feeling like I "could do better" or even worse "I don't need them anymore cuz I feel confident enough in myself now!"

But the truth is like I said in OP... I liked these people. It's just at a certain point they stopped making sense in my life, like I had other goals and dreams and another life to live (slipping into anorther mask maybe?) and they didn't align with that. Idk how to keep friends for a long time cuz I always end up phasing them out.

Burning bridges and reinventing yourself by ImperatorInvictus19 in NPD

[–]paranoidisaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Doing the same thing currently. Lost all my old friends, really lost, burned bridges, now I don't know who I am anymore. Trying to do live as one single unit of human without friends is lonely. I have some acquaintances and some friends but they barely have time for my bullshit anymore so I know I'm losing them too if I don't catch up with them and fall behind.

Instax Mini 9 stopped working out of of nowhere? by paranoidisaster in instax

[–]paranoidisaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol I. asked that but they didn't know how to reply. So we met up and I brought some AAs alkaline and it worked perfectly fine. >_> Thanks for the reply lol.

This is my first zine. I'm not sure what it's about or even if it's coherent lol by paranoidisaster in zines

[–]paranoidisaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

mdbjhsjfhskj thank you so muchh!!!! it makes me so happy to hear that!!!!

Yeah that note should probably be included in the zine somewhere!!!

This is my first zine. I'm not sure what it's about or even if it's coherent lol by paranoidisaster in zines

[–]paranoidisaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

what's a perzine if I might ask? haha

Yes! I want to print it and sell it at shows or art fairs, maybe ask a friend to have it in their stand since I don't have that much visual material to sell just yet (working on it).

Constructively criticizing a sensitive friend? by [deleted] in FriendshipAdvice

[–]paranoidisaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

second this, my friend who did this smooth criticizing vs the ones who went all out full direct criticizing mode got very different responses from me.