#like what ibuprofin is to a headache

[gritsnanarchy]

one of the most consistent experiences among myself and the other addicts I was around was the moment of "lmao, this is the big bad scary drug that was supposed to ruin my life the second I touched it?" and like, it definitely turned into that for all of us, but uh. that initial part of feeling like we've been overcautioned definitely didn't help us take what we were doing seriously.

[martian-martian-martian]

this is the nitpickiest of all internet sociopolitical gripes but——

“take pills immediately if you’re in pain, dont just suffer!” is nice, for sure, in theory, and it SHOULD be true, within reason of dosage limits obv.

But unfortunately it falls into the same quite class ignorance as a lot of ‘self care’ retail therapy content.

the same way not all of us can just cheer up by buying ourselves a little treat, medicine doesn’t grow on trees, bethany.

like, im not toughing out these headaches and period cramps because im a spartan warrior:

im doing it because ibuprofin is fucking 15 dollars a bottle, and if i can just get through a few hours of pain, thats a whole day’s dose i can save for another day.

i assess my own body and needs, putting myself first, and come to the conclusions of what is best for me.

non-pharmacuedical or intoxicant related forms of pain relief are VALID and IMPORTANT tools for personal health.

if a hot shower or a mug of tea or a hot water bottle or even some tasty chocolate and your favorite movie can effectively relieve NON-DANGEROUS pain or take it down enough, if that WORKS for you, do it.

like seriously i shouldnt feel like i have to say this but :

just as it’s not a moral failing to take care of yourself, its ALSO not pure ignorance or toxic masculinity or inherently ableist to be practical about your own endurance and only take pills when you really, really need them.

internalized ableism IS real and im not denying the commonality of people, especially women, not respecting their own needs.

but moderation and restriction are not always the criminal delusions of capitalism. sometimes they’re just common sense.

trust your gut (and obv actual medical research as it pertains to your demographic and situation) about what you need and what you can handle.

dont self UNDER- or OVER- medicate because trendy internet therapy speak tells you to.

[good-rwbyaus]

AU where instead of Cinder finding Emerlad, the person who found Emerlad, Dna dna dna BATMAN!

Emerald: Dammit, if I'd have known there would be that many security guards I would have stolen some ibuprofin too...

Batman: A little headache should be the last of your concerns after how many broken bones you left those men with...

E: GAH!! Where the hell did you come from??

B: From your worst nightma... wait. You've got to be 13, 14 at the most, and those guards had tasers and billy clubs. How did you manage to subdue them?

E: Yeah, about that. Why does a grocery store have 5 armed guards?

B: It's a dangerous world, young lady. Grimm could attack at any time, and clearly there are criminals to be on the lookout for. Now you need to answer my question: How did you subdue 5 armed men? You're too young for a combat school, so I assume that training came from your parents?

E: Tsk... They'd have to actually be around for them to teach me anything. No, tall dark and stern, I learned how to take care of myself here on the streets. See? *shows the bag full of food she stole*

B: Ah. I apologize for the assumption, and I'm sorry you've had to go through that. I do my best to protect this city, and the kingdom as a whole, but clearly it hasn't been enough. What's you're name?

E: Emerald... Emerald Sustrai.

B: Judging from what I could see of the incident, I assume you used your semblance back there? Mind telling me what it is?

E: Then why don't I give a look up close! *disappears in front of him, is suddenly behind him swinging the bag at his head*

B: *reacts instantly to disarm and subdue her* Illusions, then. Quite practical for stealth and surprise attacks. Judging by that ibuprofin talk earlier I assume it's rather taxing to use it against multiple people at once?

E: Owwwww... Yes, dammit, but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as this armbar...

B: *letting go of her* Emerald, how would you feel about learning how to really make a difference in this world? To use your abilities for good, and to get a second chance at a stable life... working with me? You'd never have to steal again, though I will work you to the bone training you to do what I do.

E: Wait, are you serious? You want some orphan punk like me to come run around at night kicking asses, and I get a roof over my head and 3 square meals? There's gotta be some catch...

B: I'd be legally adopting you, and you'll have to wear a costume and use a codename in the field.

E: What, like a superhero from a comic book? What's yours?

B: I'm Batman.

E: Pfffffft!!!!! Alright, "Batman", guess I'll be your Batgirl.

B: *already taking out his Scroll* Alfred, call the guy.

[artnshitastic]

I almost always will immediately assume that people hate me, don’t like me, or they have a problem with me. I’m not quite sure why this is. I’ve always been this way to a degree, and maybe it has something to do with my mom’s passive aggressiveness or with Jeremiah ghosting me all of those years ago. Maybe it’s worse now that my anxiety is back and ready to conquer my brain. Again, I’m not quite sure. I am sure that I do not like this and I wish for my anxiety to just melt away. That would 100% be ideal. I would love that if we’re being honest. 

today I went to therapy and I told my therapist that I was raped. I’m not sure why I was so intent on telling a professional that I was raped, but I was and today is the day that I finally told someone. I’m proud of myself, truly. Also, I hate that I feel like i just relived that in my head. Talking about it gave me a headache for some reason, and no amount of food, ibuprofin, and coffee is fixing it. Maybe just talking about it is hard enough as it is. In any case, I’m very happy that I told my therapist about what happened. She validated that yes, in fact, I was raped. Even though there was no penetration, it is still rape. I am free to use whatever words I please to talk about it, so if that word is rape then I can use that word. 

We also talked about why I might have such a strong anxious response to work, and we think it’s because the rape amplified my anxiety. My therapist told me that anxiety tends to manifest or intensify as a result of PTSD, which is good information for me to know. For some reason I feel like crying right now and I don’t know if it’s the good or bad kind of crying. I guess there isn’t really a good or bad form of crying if you look at it. It’s just a release of emotion- that’s all- and any kind of release like that is good right?

A few times in therapy I almost cried talking about the rape. That was probably the first I talked about it out loud since I first told Brandon. It was a good thing that I told her, and it was a big thing for me. She told me she was proud of me for being so strong in telling her, and that she commended me. I really like that she encourages and compliments me when I do big things like that, because in my mind I don’t see them as big things. I don’t compliment and encourage myself enough because I’m too focused on the negatives and my failures. I don’t think that’s love, and maybe I don’t truly love myself. I’m not 100% sure. 

This is the first I’ve really nurtured and cared for my soul in a long time. I’m sitting on brandon’s porch right now, listening to calm and atmospheric music, sipping on a decaf coffee, and the clouds are sporadically sprinkling a light rain. The trees are blowing in the cool breeze and I can sit out here in a hoodie and leggings. I think I really needed this. I know I’ve tried to take breaks from work in the past, but this is so much more than a “break”. This is refreshing. Brandon is sound asleep in the living room and I’m out here taking up all of the space and fresh air that I need. I need to start allowing myself to take up space, to give myself room to breathe, time to calm and center myself.

In therapy we talked about how I’m burnt out, and my therapist put this really well: “You’re burnt out, but on a much deeper level.” After working my ass off for years, I am finally in a place where I can take a break and I’ve had a hard time learning how to do that. I need to give my soul time to heal from my self inflicted burns. It’s like my self harm injuries. They take a long time to heal, and until they do, they itch and cause you to draw your attention to them. My attention keeps getting drawn to how I need to work. 

i’m not sure what to do with this knowledge. I feel goalless, and as a person who doesn’t do well without a goal, this really eats me alive.

[catholically19-blog]

The Merits of Holy Water

A I wrote about sacred water and its own objective. I'm Catholic, so I shall discuss it from my standpoint. And hopefully inspire people from all religions and denominations to utilize it.

The Church Celebrates various times of this year with sacred water. Two very unique moments in our own lives is that we're born and baptized, and also the day we die. Our whole existence is outlined in two occasions, and the two are touched with holy water.

Then we've got a Number of Other special Times like, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, in which the priest celebrating Mass sprinkles holy water on the whole congregation.

When It regards the private use of the blessed water, over the years I've used it to relieving pain from sprains and headaches. Additionally to bless my loved ones and the cars they drive when seeing in Atlanta.

Can This lucky water work for whatever, besides for dependence functions? I am only able to tell from my adventures of the true usage of it. A couple of years ago, I had a torn ligament in my hands which necessitated a very costly surgical procedure to the tune of fifteen million dollars. Without qualifying for Medicare at the moment, my choices were limited, and I was not keen on the surgery in any way.

My Only solution was to endure the acute pain of the accident. I just could not stand this, and all I had at my disposal was Ibuprofin. I said my scenario into a elderly sister of mineand from the blue she said,"Why don't you use holy water!" She probably was not a believer at the water to make a solid case, but I loved her and I did what she suggested.

I utilized the lucky water for four weeks in A row by dipping my hands in it at least one time each day. This was ten decades back, along with also the hand was completely cured within a month. The pain hasn't return, and I'm scanning this narrative with my hands working the keys.

Is lucky water for everybody? If you do not have medical insurance to cover your invoices and pains, then why don't you try it out!

2 Years back, I had been admitted to ER in Emory Hospital in Atlanta. My lungs was so hurt that my breathing had been nearly completely impaired. An x-ray was shot through the time that I sat in a wheelchair at ER, while still being awarded Albuterol to open my bronchial tubes that I could breathe.

The x-ray revealed a serious congestion of the lungs And bronchial tubesbut I did not have pneumonia. A half days later, I had been discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health.

I Remember having sprinkled the water in my chest each hour expecting to come from this wreck that I was captured in. I never expected to wind up at ER!

Did The lucky water function for me? I would like to think so, and that is where religion comes in. It is accessible at Catholic churches, and the parishioners are welcome to complete little containers and take them all home. I really do, and I have for several decades.

Should anybody wish to test Out sacred water, remember, it's totally free and should not need to be bought on the Internet. You simply have to attend a Catholic church, also get it to get it's available once the church is available for services or visitation. You'll have to take your own little plastic jar. I get mine at Walmart close to the pharmacy from the travel department.

Incidentally, the Water is"holy" since it's blessed by a priest or a bishop of this church. Additional denominations have their own rituals to follow to create water sacred. However it has to be accomplished by means of a minister or a reverend of a church.

Why is it that I recommend sacred water to anybody? I Do it because it is a means to remain in touch with God. Prayers also get the job done, but you would like to add lucky water to anoint a sick individual at home or in the clinic, and yourself, obviously.

Please do not Have anybody drink it isn't intended for this goal. It should just be employed to make contact with your skin of the individual. And the exact same is true for the healthful and the loyal.

You do not need to be Catholic to use sacred water out of a Catholic church. Just make sure you use it properly, and do not give it up after a day or two of usage.

For My hands injury it took fourteen days for the pain to go off, totally and completely. And from the next week of dipping my hands in the water that is blessed, I managed to maneuver the thumb as regular as ever. I gave it the following week to get good measure.

When you have nothing to lose by attempting Something new, do it. Not all in existence is medication and physicians, Surgeries and treatment. Occasionally somebody brings up a remedy, a remedy, And thought, and it does the job.

[somedaysiamspike]

This is not a pretty picture. Here I have, assembled on my piano bench/coffee table, every medication, homeopathic, and herbal supplement that I have taken over the last three weeks. Folks, I have never been so sick in all my life. It usually takes an act of Congress to make me take an aspirin, so I'm incredulous as I stare at all the attempts I've made in the quest to actually feel somewhat normal again.

I am writing this as a public service. See that tall skinny prescription bottle on the left? It's an opioid, a narcotic mixture of Hydrocodone and Ibuprofin. It's nasty stuff, and people are dying by the thousands in the U.S. because of this and similar drugs. Seriously, we could let the 9/11 attacks occur 10 times, and they wouldn't take as many lives as the current opioid epidemic is claiming each year in our country. All I know is that the opioid you see before you messed up my brain like nothing before. I've since learned that others who have taken such medicines have suffered irreparable damage.

This all started when I felt some tooth pain while on a trip to D.C. I called my dentist back in Charlottesville and said I thought my old root canal was flaring up. We made an appointment for Friday, the next day.

Sure enough, our initial thoughts were correct. The root canal would have to be redone, but I wouldn't be able to make an appointment with the specialist until Monday. My dentist, therefore, decided to proscribe me two medicines -- an opioid and an antibiotic -- to get me through the weekend.

I must admit, I'm a little at fault here. My resistance was down. I had arrived back in Staunton from D.C. at 3 a.m., so I was tried and grumpy by the time I got to Charlottesville. I didn't ask about the medicines the dentist was prescribing, as one should always do. I figured: "She knows what she's doing. If she thinks I need this stuff to get through the weekend, I'll stop at the pharmacy and get it."

Wow. That stuff really did me in. By Sunday, I was burying my head in the pillows on the sofa, just praying someone would come along and put me out of my misery. TNT would have been a relief. For the first time, I learned how it felt to have a "splitting" headache. (It really does feel as if your head is splitting in two.) The thing is, I thought the source of my pain was the root canal, so I unwittingly kept making things worse by taking the pills that I thought would help.

Eventually, I put two and two together and stopped taking both prescriptions, but the floodgates had already opened. I developed all the symptoms of my first-ever migraine. I could not sleep. None at all. I was having weird micro-dreams and hallucinations. (There was one point, inexplicably, that all I wanted to do was watch Taylor Swift videos. What was that all about?) Gradually, very gradually, I have improved. I'm no longer hyper-sensitive to light, and I no longer have perpetual head pain. I'm still exhausted all the time, but it's going to take a while to fully recover my usual vim and vigor. I'm usually a very patient person, but I'm not a patient patient, so it feels long overdue to be a functional member of society again. Don't worry about me, folks; I'm going to be fine.

But, meanwhile, what are we doing to ourselves? As well all know, the U.S. medical care system is abysmal, and it has nothing to do with Obamacare. The problem began decades ago, when we essentially abandoned proactive medicine. A doctor should be telling you to eat better and exercise, instead of handing out pills at the drop of a hat. If an overweight person has joint pain, proscribe a diet -- not a pill.

But the pills keep coming, and they have to get stronger and nastier. And more addictive, with more side effects. Opioids are now almost as dangerous as white guys with guns, and that's really saying something.

So lay off 'em, folks. Do your homework before taking anything. Learn about natural remedies. Believe me, you never want to experience what I've just experienced.

By the way, for the record, here's everything in the photo:

- CVS Allergy relief tablets. I was so concerned over sleep that I had a doctor check out my ears for possible wax buildup. Turns out I had seasonal allergies for only the second time in my life. Great timing, huh? I found the CVS tablets in my medicine cabinet and took one before getting a homeopathic from my store. - Allercetin. The allergy homeopathic from my store. - A homeopathic migraine remedy. - Ibuprofen. Yeah, I know, but I was so out-of-it, I was trying anything I could find. - Aleve. Ditto. (Although Aleve did seem to work, and without any side effects.) - Amoxicillin. The antibiotic. Also, I suppose, a source of my agony, but I've never had a bad reaction to antibiotics. - DGL. Licorice, to soothe my queasy tummy. - Activated charcoal. Also to soothe a queasy tummy. - Hydrocodone-Ibuprofen. Evil incarnate.

#Onward and upward. #Healthy trails to all ...

[star-baby-boy-archived]

It helped that Kenshirou wasn’t trying to pressure him to tell anyone. Seitarou took a deep breath and looked up at him again, nodding as he promised to keep it to himself, and that Hitoshi would too. He kept his head up as Kenshirou asked about a diagnosis and potential treatment options. Yes, it was hard to talk about, but if he couldn’t bring himself to tell Kenshirou, then who could he talk to about this? (Probably still Hitoshi, but only up to a point.)

“She says it’s Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and that if we focus on treating that, anything else will go away.” Anything else. Such tactful phrasing. “She wants to do another session or two before she gives me any medication.”

She was determined to learn all the details about his darkest times, to understand what had caused his mental upsets on those occasions and if he was at risk for repeating those. It was important for her to understand those things before she prescribed him anything. In order for him to put those talks off until another day, he offered to talk about his early childhood instead, when he’d first encountered bullies, and some of his more recent experiences with anxiety.

When Kenshirou inevitably, but gently, asked what he meant by “anything else,” Seitarou sighed a little. He didn’t like talking about any of this, but Kenshirou needed to know what he was getting himself into. Or rather, what they were getting into, together. He wasn’t going through this alone, Kenshirou had made that clear to him.

“Dr. Kimura explained that sometimes people with anxiety will get a bit depressed because of it, or vice versa, and that by treating the main issue, the other will go away too. She thinks I fall into the first category, so treating the anxiety should be enough.”

Hopefully. In theory, that was the plan. Seitarou had to admit, it sounded really nice to have these burdens of his just melt away. He wanted that, he really did, it was just going to take some work.

“I don’t think… I like the idea of being on medication,” he admitted. “It’s not like it’s embarrassing to take ibuprofin for a headache, though, so I don’t know why it feels different than that.” Maybe because it’s a prescription, maybe because taking it acknowledged some kind of deficiency he had. He wasn’t afraid of medication itself, so that wasn’t the source of his discomfort. Whatever the reason, it just didn’t sit right with him.

“Oh, I fear that’d just pique his curiosity further! The guy always knows when I’m trying to get him off my back, and he doubles down on the questions in response, trying to get me cornered.”

Musashi could be relentless when it came to his teasing, but he wasn’t a bad kid. Just too curious and bratty for his own good sometimes.

Kenshirou immediately noticed the shift in Seitarou’s mood when the subject changed, and he nodded with a hum when he was informed that Hajime didn’t know of the therapy sessions.

“I see… That’s all right then, you are not obligated to inform all your close colleagues of this, since it is such a personal matter. Hajime simply cares for you like a responsible supervisor should, and it’s understandable that you don’t feel the need to tell him what’s going on exactly. I’ll keep quiet about it too, and I’m sure Hitoshi will, as well.”

He noted “lilac” and “honeysuckle” in his phone’s note app, so he’d remember what sort of items to narrow his browsing to. He’d buy a small set so Seitarou could have a few different types of bath products to spoil himself with.

On to business, though…

“After your session you did text me to say you made it, but I couldn’t ask for much detail then because I had some errands. Could we talk about it now? I know that it’s upsetting, but I would like to know the things you’ll let me hear. Has Kimura suggested any potential options for recovery yet, or is it a bit too early for her to know what you might be suffering from?”

If he didn’t know about the diagnosis yet, it meant that he hadn’t been asking Kimura about her sessions with the lieutenant, probably out of a fear of making Seitarou feel betrayed or violated. It wasn’t unreasonable caution, it did usually feel very unpleasant or even heart-breaking to suddenly realize that someone other than your trusted psychologist had been nosing through the personal information without permission… Kenshirou kept a respectful distance, content to wait for his partner to open up to him about these sensitive matters.

He’d only breach the medical privacy agreement between Kimura and Seitarou, if it was indicated by her that Tanabata could be at risk if Kenshirou didn’t know exactly what terrible thing had begun to plague the boy. Only if things got truly dire, would Kenshirou attempt to force his way in to rescue his lover.

[autism-asks]

It’s important to remember that one can cause the other if you’re prone to both. It is really common for me to get overloaded when I have a migraine. And sensory overload can cause a terrible headache (not always a migraine but sometimes).

Migraines often have auras. Most report a wind up period, basically. For me light gets more intense, my eyes might feel sort of like they’re burning, sounds are louder, my baseline headache might feel deeper (I basically always have at least a 3 on the pain scale of a headache). I might start talking slightly slower, even slurring some of my words - that’s usually immediately before migraine onset or during it. They can also have auras afterwards, which most people don’t realize.

(Other common aura features are flashing lights, lines across vision, nausea, anxiety/fear can be part of an aura, dissociation, dysphoria, feeling hot/very hot, blind spots, zig zag lines across vision, tunnel vision, your field of vision might seem to vibrate or pulsate, dots/colored spots/sparkles, confusion, disorientation, forgetfulness especially concerning [typically simple] words, not being able to properly judge size and/or distance, executive dysfunction)

With sensory overload, there’s usually no warning or it’s a very short period of time. Migraine auras can last for literal days (a migraine, from aura onset to aura departure, with the actual headache in the middle somewhere, can feasibly last for 14 days). 

It can be really hard to tell the difference, because unlike Os, I’m very touch sensitive during migraines. I can also shut down during them. I’m more likely to go non or semi verbal. I can’t always understand big blocks of text or a lot of reading, but I can usually write just as eloquently (I cannot speak as eloquently as usually).

What I would suggest is to keep a journal every time you have either. You can put at the top what you think it is or if you have no idea, but write down all the symptoms, if you had warning, if there were after affects, if something like ibuprofin/a painkiller helped, if you become sensitive to certain foods, does caffeine help or hinder, etc etc etc. No one else can really tell you if what you’re experiencing is one or the other, we can only give our best guess. As Os and I have shown, one person’s migraine can look more like another’s overload, and vice versa. I’m sure if you journal it, you’ll find patterns and it can better help you determine which is which and, more importantly, might help you take care of yourself better (you will probably start to recognize warnings for migraines and can take the necessary precautions, you might even discover you have a short warning for overload, you can figure out what works best to help with symptoms, etc).

If you do decide to journal, note any pain in your head, where it is, and what kind. For me, a lot of migraines feel like my brain is a sponge that’s been soaked in a watered down liquid pain. When I have overload, I find any pain is more an itching, often behind my eyes or ears. Depending on the overload, I might have stabbing pain near my temples (like an ice pick), but I also can experience that during a migraine, it’s merely not the only pain I’m experiencing. For migraines, pressure on certain pressure points can help, but not often with overload. You might find a pattern if you map where and how and how intense any pain is.

- palp

How can I tell the difference between a migraine and sensory overload???

Migraines come with hypersensitvity to most senses (not everyone experiences all of them, but photophobia and sound are the two most common), which can make an already hypersensitive person even more sensitive. Which can then make sensory overload more likely. So basically, it can totally be both.

As for telling the difference.

For me at least, when I have just a migraine and not overload, I don’t have the shutdown or meltdown accompanying it and there’s generally not any anxiety, just a bunch of pain. I’m sensitive to light,sound, and smell. Moving makes the pain in my head worse. I’ll have visual auras and disruption to my depth perception. I can still also often do things, like answer asks (guess who is currently dealing with one).

For sensory overload, I often have shutdowns or meltdowns, and it takes everything I have to just cope with the sensory input. Everything in all of my senses is painful and screaming at me. The key thing for me here is also if I’m touch sensitive. Sensory overload makes me touch sensitive, but migraines don’t.I also don’t experience distortions of my vision for sensory overload- everything just seems too bright and too busy.

- Os