#conquer anxieties

[world-prayers]

Prayer to Overcome Fear of Failure

Conquer your anxieties and embrace your destiny with this powerful Prayer to Overcome the Fear of Failure. Break Free from the Shackles of Self Doubt today. Fear of failure can paralyze even the most determined soul. It is a universal struggle, a thief that steals our dreams and stifles our potential. But with help from above, you can shatter its hold and obtain the fulfilling destiny that…

[moonlightmagical]

what prozac and therapy does for a motherfucker!!!!!!

[sergle]

I heard someone talk about this one time, and now, I'm shocked to notice that I experience essentially NO sense of accomplishment/satisfaction after completing something. like. like. like.

[motof1bfs]

Max Verstappen, #1

At times, it’s almost too easy for Verstappen. - Time.com

I know my goat - 🏁

[sunnibits]

TODAYS THE DAY

[0809sysblings]

Amane, indoctrination, and gaslighting

and why voting Amane innocent would be the best course of action

I've been wanting to write a big post on Amane talking about indoctrination and such. Because I see takes sometimes that make it clear the person doesn't really... Get It.

Most of what I'll be explaining comes from my personal experiences growing up.

Additionally, most of what I say when it comes to outcomes (i.e. "If x happens, Amane will do y") will be based on the assumption that realism, not entertainment, is prioritized in the writing and that there are no major holes in our knowledge of what's going on. Theoretically anything could happen since this is a fictional scenario and we don't know everything when it comes to the world, the cases, and the characters. Not to mention my situation was nowhere near as extreme as hers. So although I probably have a better understanding of it than most people, I definitely can't claim that I know what she's gone through.

Personal anecdotes I add to better support my points will be in the small font (this!) since I don't want them to distract from the main text and so that they can be easily skipped for those who may be worried about being triggered. But if anyone needs plain text descriptions, I'll happily provide them!

!! TW for child abuse, religious abuse, and cults !!

I recommend skipping my personal anecdotes if more detailed discussions about these topics are a trigger for you.

At the heart of "good" (read: successful) indoctrination is gaslighting.

Since gaslighting has been one of the many psychology terms completely watered down and distorted by the internet, I will define it just so we're all on the same page!

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation used to make the victim question their own sanity, sense of reality, or power of reasoning.

Basically, you can't trust yourself. You can't trust your thoughts, your feelings, your interpretations, etc. You become completely reliant on other people (usually specific people who are the ones doing the gaslighting) to figure out what's real/true or not.

Toxic/extremist religious groups like to take gaslighting a step further though. Not only do they make it so you cannot trust yourself to judge what is right or not, they may also teach you that what feels wrong is actually right. You can see where this can start to cause some issues lol.

Anything your gut may tell you that contradicts what the group/cult leaders tell you—"this is wrong!", "this is bad!", "I don't want to do this..."—must be ignored. Because those feelings and thoughts, according to the leaders, are actually the sinful part of you trying to lead the good and faithful part of you astray. They make you question yourself to make sure you never question them.

They will figuratively or literally beat this into you until your first instinct is no longer to listen to your gut and do what it says, but to dismiss it and do what it's telling you not to do. Existing becomes a chronic power struggle between your unconscious mind and your conscious mind. Unfortunately, the fact that you're struggling often then gets used against you as proof that you need to follow their teachings. Because if you're unhappy, then you must be doing something wrong. You just need to have a little more faith, dedicate a little more time to the religion/group, go a little harder into your duties... Only then will you feel better—feel more enlightened.

An integral part in making all this work is isolation. If you don't somehow isolate the members, they may figure out that they're being manipulated and abused.

Now, isolation doesn't always mean purely physical isolation (though Amane is being isolated physically to at least some capacity). Psychological isolation is almost just as powerful. An almost universal psychological isolation tactic used by extremist groups and cults is the "Us vs Them" mentality. We can see this being very prominent with Amane. A lot of things she talks about with regard to the cult involves an Us-vs-Them dynamic. There is "Us", the cult, and "Them", everyone else.

Personally, we were taught that those who weren't believers of our religion were out to get us or will, at the very least, get us hurt/killed somehow. We were told many people wanted us dead just for being believers. You had to be careful and watch out when interacting with non-believers; you couldn't trust them. God was constantly testing you via others, and you had to make sure you stayed faithful.

This in particular is why no matter if you vote guilty or innocent, that itself will not actually do anything to change her beliefs. Voting her guilty will not make her start to feel bad and then question her beliefs. Voting her innocent will not make her listen to us and then question her beliefs. If we make her have any doubt about the cult, that's just proof to her that what we're telling her is wrong and is just another "trial" from God for her to overcome. So, changing her beliefs should not be a factor considered when voting since it's completely irrelevant. Everything can be twisted to support the cult. That's just how it works.

I don't think any amount of punishment will make Amane "come to her senses". I mean... what could we possibly do to her that she hasn't already had to endure? Punishment will likely only escalate things even more. Not to mention that having a bit of a fascination with martyrdom isn't all that uncommon in those who have been religiously abused and indoctrinated. The threat of punishment may only serve to motivate her to double down on her beliefs and behavior. Not to say she wants and likes punishment. It's obvious she's both scared of punishment and wants it to stop. After all, that's most likely the motive behind the murder.

Even prior to Amane's age, I was already fantasizing about being a martyr. A part of me almost wanted to be killed for my religion and community. It was seen as something extremely admirable. The ultimate sacrifice, if you will. We were taught that if given the choice between saving yourself by denying your faith or letting yourself be hurt/killed by standing your ground, you should choose the latter. Of course, I also did not want that to happen at all. It scared me shitless. But we weren't allowed to be scared about that stuff. It was seen as questioning God and the religious authorities, which was completely taboo. So I had no choice but to "want" it.

Isolating Amane is the worst possible thing we could do to her. No one gets better from being isolated, and this goes double for people living in abusive environments. She's been isolated her whole life. The best thing for her would be spending time with the other prisoners without restrictions. The more time she spends around people who have no connection to the cult, the better. Trying to argue with those in cults about why they're wrong and why they are in a cult (because most don't even recognize they're in a cult due to the gaslighting, indoctrination, and stigma) will almost always backfire. The best thing to do is to just be there for them to have someone to interact with who is not a cult member.

The only reason I left the extremist religious community I grew up in was because I made a friend who was not affiliated with it. I don't think I would've been able to see that the conditions I was living in were Not Very Good without that friend. He didn't even really do anything to actively help me. Just learning more about the real world through him was enough to make me start looking closer at my life.

To vote her guilty would be to continue isolating her. Not just physically as the guilty prisoners get restrictions put on them, but it's also an inescapable psychological isolation. Innocent vs Guilty is just another Us vs Them dynamic.

I fear that, if she ends up guilty this trial, she will likely be voted guilty again in trial 3. Her aggression will probably only escalate as she feels herself becoming more and more cornered. And since I know many people are voting her guilty solely to make sure she doesn't hurt Shidou or other prisoners, I can only imagine what the voting will look like for her in trial 3 once she's forced to become even more aggressive to protect herself.

And tbh... I can't imagine that having a prisoner with 3 guilty verdicts will make for all that interesting of a story for them. Not that it would be boring, per se. But having variety would, in my opinion, be the most interesting and entertaining! So, if nothing else I've said has been able to sway those who vote her guilty, then think about the entertainment factor!

Please vote this severely traumatized 12 y/o girl innocent. We can give her so many secret cakes to eat.

[cherriepicking]

i really need to reblog stuff more. and actually post. unfortunately my social anxiety is so bad it genuinely even reaches into this territory.

like i can't reblog something without being like "oh op is gonna think i'm weird and so is everyone who sees the fact that i reblogged this and also if i reblog this then it seems unfair to not reblog every piece of art or post i see that i like, instead of just when i have something i wanna say/put in the tags"

so i just. don't. whoops

[restinthewest]

Y’all this summer my aunt and uncle who live in Alaska are going to fly me and probably Hallow out to come visit them… they live on some land right outside a picturesque game refuge and we’re going to go hiking and fishing and waterfowl hunting with their field labs and this is my actual dream come true im so excited

[spenjelly]

I wanted to share smth that I’ve found helpful lately:

It’s not going to last forever.

You got fed something you’re intolerant to and feel like you’re burning? You will feel better eventually.

You have to go through a social situation you find scary? Eventually you will get to go home and sleep.

Your period pain is debilitating? It is a cycle, and the cycle will eventually end.

You have an interview? They’re what? An hour or two? You have the rest of the day to not be in an interview.

You have to go through TSA? It’s mostly just waiting in line and then like 2 minutes of apprehension. Then you get to leave.

Suffice to say, sometimes something is or is gonna suck, but that’s ok, because it’s going to end.

This too shall pass, ig

It doesn’t apply to everything ofc, but I still find it helpful for when it is.

[yappy-doo]

applying for a job today….i’m so nervous

[kikiswords]

when anxiety randomly appears remember to listen to the monster snippet from epic the musical posted by jorge rivera herrans on youtube

[upnowapp]

Conquer Sleep Paralysis with Self-Hypnosis for Better Sleep

Sleep paralysis can be a frightening experience, leaving you feeling unable to move or breathe, often accompanied by intense fear or hallucinations. While it can be linked to sleep disorders like narcolepsy, it can also occur in otherwise healthy individuals. To reduce episodes, improving sleep hygiene and using relaxation techniques such as self-hypnosis can be beneficial. With self-hypnosis for sleep, you can manage sleep anxiety, relax your mind, and improve your sleep quality. Visit UpNow.com to explore more strategies for conquering sleep paralysis and improving your sleep.

[anonamelie]

My room is my safe haven, my place where I know I can escape from the world around me. Secrets I pour out to strangers on the internet and writing my stories while rewriting my own is what’s confined within these walls. If you would’ve asked me three years ago if I wanted to leave the house, go outside, I would deny my interest. I would deny it, but I so desperately wanted to. Fear is what stopped me.

During those two years, it felt like a chore to wake up, to even function and get work done, but I did it anyways with a fake smile adorning my face and a heavy heart burdened with anxiety. It got so bad that some days the thought of leaving my room sent me into a panic, so I hid and continued to go about my day slowly suffocating on the anxiety looming inside my mind.

I was always filled with dread, desperation, and emptiness. Nothing could calm me but the feeling of safe that my bedroom provided. I’m lucky to even have a bedroom after the intensity that is everything. I’m lucky. I got out.

I got out and now all I want to do is run until the air has left my lungs, and even then I still want to keep running. I finally feel free from expectations and what people will think. I’ve finally started to get my mind in a place where it can heal.

Part of healing is hurting. It hurts to know that I felt so unsafe that my brain told me to hide, to never go out because bad things were happening. I had to stay. Now I can be free. I can run and run and run. I can laugh while the breeze whips my hair around in different directions. I’m free.

It took a long time to get to this place in my life. Hell, there was a time I thought it’d never come, that it’d be better if I was gone, but it has and now I never want it to end. I want to continue running forwards, and sometimes I look back at my safe haven and long to comfort that person that’s within those walls.

For now,

I want to keep running.

[arthyritis]

Me taking cute little photos just because they make me feel good about myself has been my favourite part of this year so far

[snuffalufagus]

fucked up my own subway order bc scareds so now i have mustard n pickles 😭 but yoooo the chickpea patty tasted so good wow

[i-drew-a-dog]

If someone could tell my body/brain that I'm not being hunted for sport and am in fact watching Dan and Phil play the Sims that would be great...