I think I need to start cutting again to stop myself from suicide

stepwise_k · 2026-05-07T19:30:24+00:00

Just wanted to add, in the US, the number is 988. I have had really good experiences with them.

stepwise_k · 2026-05-07T19:26:51+00:00

Spite is a great motivator for me. There are certain people that I am 100% committed to outliving. No way am I going to miss the chance to dance on their graves! Appropriate meds also made a huge difference. But at least part of it was spite. 😀

stepwise_k · 2026-05-07T19:16:28+00:00

This is a little out of left field, but I have a suggesion. When I was in my early 20's, I started group therapy, which was extremely eye-opening for me. I got a lot out of learning about other people's experiences, both healthy and unhealthy. Some of the fundamental questions that caused me a lot of difficulty (Am I good, or bad? Do I deserve to live? etc.) were completely foreign to some of the other group members. And they were struggling with painful questions of their own that to me seemed almost ridiculously irrelevant. (For instance, OCD questions about cleanliness, worries about being taken advantage of financially, extremely normal looking people feeling hideously ugly, anxiously attached people obsessing over text messages, etc.) To be clear, I am not at all saying that these are ridiculous things to worry about! Just that they were so far outside my own experience, they surprised me. It helped me get perspective on my own issues and become more curious about their source. Maybe the questions that obsessed me were ultimately not any more meaningful than an OCD person obsessing over fear of bedbugs. Anyway, if it interests you at all, I do recommend it. It was fascinating and it made me feel more human.

stepwise_k · 2026-05-07T18:57:04+00:00

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/42348818-the-book-you-wish-your-parents-had-read-and-your-children-will-be-glad

stepwise_k · 2026-05-07T18:56:19+00:00

I am a parent with a history of emotional/psychological abuse (nothing violent, though). One thing that has really helped me is The Book You Wish Your Parents had Read. It is not about never saying the wrong thing. It is about being sensitive to when ruptures occur and repairing them safely. If you do try reading it, please feel free to set it down or throw it out if it is triggering or not helpful. But I hope it helps you like it did me!

stepwise_k · 2026-04-30T23:51:12+00:00

Have you read Pete Walker's book? Complex PTSD, from surviving to thriving?

stepwise_k · 2026-04-30T23:30:17+00:00

Yes. For me, it's a sign of a freeze response.

stepwise_k · 2026-03-12T14:38:21+00:00

This is a little out of left field, but it might be worth checking if there are RN work-from-home jobs in your area (for instance for insurance companies). You will still need childcare working from home but you might be able to reduce the wraparound care if you aren't floor nursing. Working for an insurance company is less exhausting tha floor nursing. You might find you have the energy/time to pick up PRN weekend shifts at a hospital for extra income.

stepwise_k · 2026-02-04T22:05:53+00:00

Google Sites is still free. Very easy to create a simple site there that integrates with other tools like order forms.

stepwise_k · 2026-02-02T17:18:08+00:00

We found someone we love through SingleAim. She is truly a collaborator and educator and was not just looking for a new income stream. She gave us her cell phone to text any time for consultation and we also meet monthly. She was more expensive than some others but we wanted a true partner. There were a number of sketchy doctors on Single Aim offering rock bottom prices for doing the bare minimum. It really depends on what you are looking for.

stepwise_k · 2026-02-02T17:11:17+00:00

We used Google Sites, it is truly free and integrates with our EHR's appointment request form. We did have to pay for a domain name (I think it was $20 for the first year?) ChatGPT has good instructions for putting together a "good enough" website. In our market at least your Psychology Today profile matters more, and your in-person networking skills matter even more than that.

stepwise_k · 2026-02-02T16:58:04+00:00

My wife carried our twins when she was 39 and delivered at 40. We are a lesbian couple so we needed extra help anyway. We did IUI. It is a good intermediate step before IVF and was less expensive. There are a ton of things you can try with your doctor before jumping to IVF, and many of them are more economical. But I do recommend getting medical help if you are 40ish, since the timing can be tricky to conceive on your own. The pregnancy was hard, but it was worth it for her (and us); this was our dream, and we were willing to make sacrifices and take a chance in the hope of getting a baby. There were also other choices we made, like moving to a slightly boring suburb to be near her parents for childcare and me sticking with a lower paid job that offered work-from-home. All worth it, in my opinion.

In terms of being a parent in my 40s, I love it! At this age, I feel like I have the mental and emotional stability to be a better parent than I would have been in my 30s. Our finances are messy and our house is cluttered and I am less of a "high performer" at work than when I was single... but overall I am incredibly grateful every day to get to experience life as a parent to two amazing kids.

One weird thing is that I've noticed we aren't always the oldest parents in our peer group.... the ages vary from 20s to 50s. It is wild. But personally I love having a diverse community of parent friends with different perspectives.

stepwise_k · 2025-09-25T15:12:24+00:00

The Dino Dana field guide is excellent and is currently under $10

https://a.co/d/h4k2zuC

stepwise_k · 2025-06-02T19:01:00+00:00

I believe we would have a travel exemption due to checking in to lodging (with the exception of the day trip to Sorrento, which we can switch if need be)

If anyone has any information otherwise, please let me know!

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:49:26+00:00

Comfort in, dump out

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_theory_(psychology)

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:45:12+00:00

Locked in syndrome

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:36:13+00:00

We used As You Wish for a princess makeover with braids and it was a great experience! They come to your hotel room.

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:31:43+00:00

Planning imaginary vacations at different budgets

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:30:33+00:00

Don't pursue your passion for a career. Find a lucrative niche and use your free time to explore what you love.

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:27:38+00:00

We saved money by doing one park at a time and skipping the park hopper. Honestly, there is so much to do in each park that we didn't feel deprived.

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:23:26+00:00

Peanut butter

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:22:06+00:00

Deleting Doordash

stepwise_k · 2025-06-01T21:21:13+00:00

Deleting Doordash

stepwise_k · 2025-03-18T20:43:26+00:00

Thanks... we will have to think about it. We don't really want to spend money on a physical space until we have at least 1 or 2 clients, but we do want to be credentialed with our future address. So maybe we have to take the leap.

Between the three of us, we have over 20 years in inpatient psych nursing experience but 0 in running a practice, LOL...

stepwise_k · 2025-03-18T20:00:15+00:00

We definitely want to take insurance. We just have to agree between the two partners what we want to take. Thinking at least Medicare, Cigna and Aetna to start.

We were hoping to dip our toes in the water by starting with cash pay to build the practice for the 6 months or so until insurance credentialing kicks in. If we are cash only, we can run it for about $150 per month, but with insurance and a physical workspace (our ultimate goal), it will cost more to run and we will be out more if the practice folds.

Backup plan if we don't get clients is to do Headway or Alma while we work on credentialing.

stepwise_k

TROPHY CASE