#posting this on 823 seemed fitting | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cypressmoons · 2 years ago

Text

Top of the List [Al Haitham]

i was so bored at work today that i started writing this. with pen and paper. like i did in middle school before i had access to a computer anytime i wanted. i feel old. there will probably be a part 2 because i can't stand not writing cheesy butterfly-inducing al haitham content, but i also love a good cliffhanger so i hope you enjoy <3

summary: you are one of the top students of the haravatat...key word: one of. for the last year, you have been trying to knock this mysterious person off of the leaderboard on every exam, and hopefully find out just who is beating you without fail each time. the latest linguistics exam may just be the opportunity. contains: no pronouns mentioned. feel free to imagine it with any pronouns you're comfortable with! has little term of endearment at the end that i won't spoil hehe

word count: 823 masterlist

The moon has risen and fallen once again, and just like that, the time has also come for examination results to be posted outside the classroom doors of the Akademiya. The usually quiet hallways are now packed with students, dressed in robes different shades of black and grey, trying to shove past each other to get a peek at the parchment.

You mumble halfhearted apologies at the people you try to pass, mind too focused on seeing your test results to care about their protests. When you finally emerge victoriously at the front of the line, your eyes quickly dart across the list with measurable anxiety, and then your heart sinks.

There it is, your student number, printed in a neat script and sitting squarely at second place.

“Again??” You grumble in disbelief. You studied so hard for this test, and you even felt great about it walking out of the exam room, having answered every question without hesitation and finishing the test twenty minutes earlier than the allotted time. Surely that doesn’t sound like someone who’s failed, right?

Okay, maybe “failed” is a bit of an exaggeration…but a 99 in your eyes is about just as good as a big, red 0 on your paper.

The buzz of whispered discussions feels like it has been amplified tenfold in your ears. For the longest time, you had been trying to beat this mysterious number on the paper and claim your rightful place at the top of the podium. But no matter how much you study, how long you spend in the library or in your professors’ office hours, the student this mysterious number belongs to always seems to come out on top. You curse under your breath, muttering something about how stupid it is that the Akademiya keeps the identities of their top students a secret.

You rack your brain trying to think of any possible person in your classes that might fit the description. Definitely smart, well versed and well spoken, probably a teacher’s pet –

You laugh at yourself, all worked up over someone’s score being one point higher than yours.

But the thing is, that one point translates to a perfect 100, while your 99 sits defeated and humiliating in the second row. You might as well be kicked out of school at this point.

Seeing everyone is busy talking about their own scores, you quickly scribble down the six digits above your number, hoping to match the unending annoyance to a face one day.

“A little frustrated, are we?”

You whip your head around to find the source of the voice, suddenly appearing behind you and closer to your ear than you would have liked. The man, dressed in the same Haravatat uniform as yours, keeps his eyes focused on the parchment with an proud smirk hanging off his lips.

You feel your temper shoot up in frustration.

“Who—what does that even mean?”

He does not respond, nor remove his eyes from the paper. This man has got to have the most perfect timing in the world – testing your patience at a time like this.

“Does it matter?”

He looks down at you, and suddenly everything makes sense.

No.

You stumble over your words as the realization hits you. How could you have been so stupid? All that time trying to out-compete the same anonymous rival, when he’s been here in front of you this whole time? You would have recognized the face anywhere. Being from the same darshan, you practically share all the same classes with him, the only student able to saunter into a classroom ten minutes late with no consequences, who always seems to ace every question the professor throws his way.

Al Haitham.

“It’s you.” You gape at him in disbelief. You should be relieved to have finally unveiled your number one rival in the Akademiya, or maybe rightfully angry at him for beating you on every single test, but instead all you want to do at the moment is to punch him.

On the lips.

With yours.

Gently.

Wait.

What?

You shake your head violently to chase the strange thoughts away. Shouldn’t you be mad at him? For making such inconsiderate comments when anyone with a working pair of eyes could see your obvious annoyance?

If he noticed you going through all five stages of grief in two seconds, he chooses to remain silent. Smart move.

Or maybe not so smart as you watch, fumes almost coming out of your nostrils, the same smirk remaining on his face.

You actually want to punch him this time.

“I’ll beat you one day,” you say spitefully. It is taking everything in you to ignore his sharp features, silvery hair, and the emerald green in his eyes that you pretend not to notice darkening at your words.

Just as you spin your heel to storm away, his voice sounds from behind you again.

“Good luck trying, princess.”

part 2 here!

requests open!

#eeeeek #i luv this man #al haitham #al haitham x reader #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #gn reader #sumeru #moon's writings 🔖

115 notes · View notes

fluffallamaful · 2 years ago

Text

I posted 4,044 times in 2022

That's 1,852 more posts than 2021!

1,550 posts created (38%)

2,494 posts reblogged (62%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kasey-writes-stuff

@mushiewrites

@sleepy--anon

@emmadoodlewrites

@covenofwives

I tagged 2,684 of my posts in 2022

Only 34% of my posts had no tags

#llama thinks - 1,127 posts

#llamas concepts - 823 posts

#llama asks - 687 posts

#lee!dream - 208 posts

#sleepy anon - 151 posts

#lee!george - 138 posts

#soup the destroyer - 128 posts

#lee!georgenotfound - 102 posts

#ler!sapnap - 101 posts

#ler!dream - 98 posts

Longest Tag: 130 characters

#‘if you loved me you’d stop’ ‘if i loved you i’d want to see you smile’ ‘no you’d stop because it’s-‘ ‘and hear your laugh’ ‘stop’

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5 (below)

Nightmare

🦙🦙🦙…

written for Llama’s Lee Dream Month

— Day 1 (Tummy Tickles)

yes i realise this could be classed under comfort as well 😅😂

Summary: DreamXD finds Dream asleep, in a hole, and experiencing a nightmare. Thankfully the god knows a trick or two about lightening up a Dream 👀 EXTREMELY PLATONIC

Warnings: tickling, nightmares D: , XD has four arms

Word Count: 1270

used he/they pronouns for DreamXD

used he/him pronouns for Dream

HOPE YOU ENJOY 🎉

🦙🦙🦙…

DreamXD watched fondly as a soft smile finally sketched itself over Dream’s lips, his expressions of discomfort melting away under the heat of his own growing blush, and his legs kicking out as his body twisted. A small huffed giggle encouraged him to linger over the spot a little longer, tracing illusionary fingers up and down the skin where Dream’s sides met his stomach, and watching in delight when the mortal’s hands twisted into the fabric of his lime green hoody.

It was only on special occasions that the deity would enter mortal dreams, practically only saving them to torment player BadBoyHalo with, or to bring comfort to George in times of distress. The energy required for such an act resulted in him seldom straying from those two reasonings, but even a god could fall victim to feelings as strong as sympathy.

They had found Dream alone, hidden beneath a low hanging tree and buried several blocks below the forest biome’s surface, in a man made burrow, and fast asleep. DreamXD had found themselves being slightly taken aback by just how vulnerable the mortal appeared to be outside of his prison cell, curled up in the corner of his dirt burrow, with muddy hands clamped tightly to his chest. His skin was much paler than XD remembered as well, possibly attributed to the red glow that the lava fall provide back in the cell, and his once snug fitting lime green hoody now seemed to engulf his whole body, rather than drape neatly over it.

He found himself hovering above the burrow much longer than he expected, encapsulated by the seeming smallness of the ex-prisoner. But what really caught his attention was when Dream started to dream, and his usually hidden face began to contort and twist into signs of pain and anxiety. That’s when XD found himself actually entering the boy’s burrow, carving out a section big enough for them to sit comfortably in and watching with a concerned frown as the boy twisted in his sleep in front of them.

He rarely found himself fretting over human troubles. In fact much of the time a human in distress was actually good news for the death-craving god. For some reason though, the feeling he felt while watching Dream experience his nightmare was much more similar to the way he felt when George would undergo his, and not even a few moments passed before he was already taking control over Dream’s head.

A few light traces were all they had began with, dragging invisible nails through the mortal’s blonde hair, and folding their own real, existing hands in their lap as they awaited for the boy’s frown to lighten. It was a neat trick he had taught himself, being able to control the dreams of mortal beings. He found that a tickle dream never failed to drag George out of a pestering nightmare, and they rarely even had to create an image to pair with the feeling for it to be successful either. All it ever took were a few gentle scratches over his neck and chin, and George’s expressions would almost always break immediately. But for Dream, his face only twisted further into a frown, cementing stubbornly over his face. And so the deity allowed the nails to travel down the sides and back of Dream’s neck instead, gently grazing over his upper back as well.

This time there was a small change. XD noticed that Dream’s hands unclenched in the slightest, falling away from the safety of his chest, and his facial expressions lightened for a moment. The deity’s hands twitched in his lap as he commanded the dream-state ones to travel down to Dream’s lower back, absentmindedly tracing circles and shapes into his cloak as he did the same to the boys spine and shoulder blades. But despite his efforts, Dream’s brows still pushed back down into their frown again, small mutterings of worried nothings falling from his lips as he twisted against his dirt corner. XD tilted his head.

Perhaps the time taken to break differed between humans, or maybe between the intensity of the dream. He huffed, switching the technique to fluttering, and dancing up and down Dream’s sides, occasionally drifting to the skin over his tummy. The temptation to go straight for his stomach all at once was obnoxiously present in his mind, but XD knew that hovering over a bad spot for too long could wake humans up from their dream, and he did not want to overwhelm the boy.

Much to his delight however, Dream didn’t appear to be overwhelmed by the tummy tickles at all. In fact the mortal’s sleeping body almost appeared to twist into the feeling, rolling out from his corner and lying flat on his burrow’s floor instead.

XD had to hold down his noise of excitement when Dream’s frown finally melted away, a gentle blush slowing colouring his cheeks in its place as his hands gripped weakly at the lime green of his hoody. The god took the reactions as a sign to continue, letting the illusionary hand trace shapes and patterns into Dream’s belly, while dragging them up and down either side of his belly button.

Dream’s smile grew wider, a few huffed giggles escaping him and breaking the silence within his dirt burrow. His feet scuffed sleepily against his dirt flooring, hands wringing out the hem of his hoody and twitching each time DreamXD travelled to different spots on his belly. And when they fluttered the fingers over his lower belly, Dream actually spoke.

“E-ehehex dehehehehe…” He murmured, his voice slurred, soft and sleepy.

XD straightened himself up with a start, slowing the dream down to a near stop and analysing the the boy in apprehension. The use of his name only alluded to the fact that the mortal was aware of the god’s presence, but to XD’s knowledge, Dream was only showing signs of being absolutely asleep.

He tilted his head again, watching as Dream settled back into his corner, a sleepy smile kinking the corners of his lips as he pulled his knees up to his chest. A few more muttered nothings escaped his lips, his hands twitching and blush lingering, but his breathing still showed nothing other than signs of sleep.

DreamXD felt a soft smile form beneath his mask, suddenly realising that Dream was in fact not aware of his presence at all, but had simply conjured his existence into the dream that XD was already giving him.

He felt his heart swell, physically shaking away the giddy pride that they had just been showered with, and allowing the invisible fingers to return back to Dream’s belly, watching in adoration as the boy’s body twisted and leant into the touch as before.

“noho-ohoho…”

He even denies it in his sleep. XD found himself chuckling quietly at the thought.

See the full post

104 notes - Posted June 1, 2022

ello!

omg pls i see so many of these that're the other way around, im dying to see techno be the lee and wilbur the ler for once :weary:

lee!techno

ler!wilbur

stomach because for some reason i love that spot

(i'd expect to see raspberries as well... /hj)

prompt from this post

you wish shall be granted

🦙🦙🦙…

Wilbur had never seen Technoblade in such a state, huddled into the corner of his potato farm, and trembling as waves and waves of squeaky giggles washed over him. He was much used to seeing the piglin hybrid standing tall, having to usually dodge around him in Pogtopia’s hallways to avoid getting flattened against its stone walls.

And yet now — with just a few simple pokes to his belly and a couple of teasing phrases — Wilbur had managed to render the great Technoblade absolutely defenceless, as he skittered his nails up and down the spasming muscles over his stomach.

“Who’s got a ticklish tummy?! You do!! Technoblade does!!” He cooed, ensuring to keep his tone as sickly sweet as possible, for ironically that seemed to be what got to the ‘blood god’ the most.

“Wihihihilbur..!” Techno tittered, tiny snorts interlacing through his protest. He attempted to curl himself away into the walls of his farm, but just as before Wilbur only had to roll him back, massaging his hands either side of Techno’s belly and planting a raspberry right in between.

🦙🦙🦙…

111 notes - Posted May 18, 2022

Scars and Feathers

🦙🦙🦙…

(kinda) written for Llama’s Lee Dream Month

— Day 5 (Scars)

this has quite honestly been a wip for so long damn long 😵‍💫 and it’s not late at all shh

inspiration taken from this ask from @starlightrosa from yonks ago :D

Summary: An AU where George and Dream actually get along on the smp. Dream is sad, George knows how to fix it, but wow his technique for cheering him up works so much better than both he and Dream remembered? STUPIDLY PLATONIC

Warnings: tickling, SCARS!! implied torture (in minecraft)

Word Count: 3340

hope you enjoy 👍🏼

🦙🦙🦙…

Water logged soil squelched beneath Dream’s feet, the once sunlit plain now receiving the full force of the blackened sky’s downpour, drenching the biome and its inhabitants in a cooling shower.

Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the growing grey mass that George had pointed out earlier, the soft rumbles of distant thunder having been heard even whilst he was sharpening his weapons that morning. But in all honesty he had just been so excited to take his friend out hunting — after quite literally weeks of convincing him — that he had just hoped that ignoring the weather’s promise would be enough to deter it…

He had been wrong...

Green eyes flickered over to the last few pigs that scampered off into the nearby forest’s sanctuary, Dream’s hands twitching as the thought for reaching his bow nudged at him. Even if he were to shoot and hit in this weather though, the fire aspect on his bow would not be applied, and so reluctantly he dropped his gaze back down with a huff, focusing it back onto the large oak tree ahead instead — the one that sat atop a hill, and had been deemed suitable enough to shield them from the cruel shift in weather, and was particularly chosen

As far as he could tell, George was still following closely behind him, but he was doing so in silence. The only way that Dream even knew that he was still keeping up with him was from the soft sound of tinkering rain pellets over netherite armour. He suspected that he could sense his disgruntled state, for the brunette had even refrained from mocking him once the first rain drops of the day had fallen. In fact he had not spoken a single word since.

By the time they reached the edge of the biome it had felt like hours had passed, and by the time they climbed the hill that the large oak resided on, it had felt like five more. Just as Dream suspected though, the oak served as the perfect escape from the changing weather, providing a dry space to sit comfortably under as they awaited for the storm to pass over, as well as an astonishing view.

He immediately unequipped his armour, laying it out in a neat line in front of the oak’s trunk, and letting out a mopey sigh as he slumped back against the solid wood. He peeled off his mask, frisbeeing it a couple of blocks in front of him and offering a meek smile to the George as the older did the same with his goggles and armour, before joining Dream against the tree.

For a while, the two explorers simply sat in silence, partly because neither of them knew what to say, but also partly because the weather’s antics were just so entrancing. Rumbles of thunder rolled over the plains, the passing dark clouds and occasional lightning strike aiding in the natural phenomenon’s wonder.

The oak’s thick foliage provided them with enough coverage from the heavy rainfall, but even still Dream managed to find a weaker leaf that was unable to hold all of its water. The slow line of drips that formed beneath it provided him with a distraction needed to drag his mind away from the failed hunt, as he used the damp sleeve of his hoody to polish away the rain’s markings from his chestplate. But apparently the expressions off dismay on is face were not so easily cleared, for after a while of silence he felt George take his arm.

The slow paced drips were immediately abandoned as Dream glanced down to his friend instead, quirking an eyebrow up in question. George offered him a small smile in response, gesturing for him to remove his hoody with a single tug to it’s damp sleeve.

At first Dream had been slightly bewildered by the request, but only a few seconds passed before he realised what the brunette was offering, feeling slightly sheepish that he was able to be read so easily. He sighed his defeat, providing George with a reluctant nod, before sitting forward to peel away the wet material from his body.

It was simple really. The two friends had known each other long enough now to spot even the smallest signs of discontent — even when they tried to hide it from each other. And it hadn’t taken them many attempts in the past to find that gentle arms traces could quite literally melt away any and all bad feelings. Although… Dream had figured that a year of prison would have been enough to break such a tradition... Apparently he had been wrong.

He dumped his lime green hoody on top of his mask, running his hand through blonde hair to tame some of the static strands that still longed for the missing fabric. Then tentatively, he leant back against the large tree, offering his arm back to George and watching as a few goosebumps pinpricked over his skin as the weather’s cool air clung to the wet of his black tshirt.

George accepted the arm with another soft smile, bringing it into his lap and rubbing his hand over it briefly to chase away the goosebumps, before dragging the backs of his nails lightly over the skin. Dream hadn’t expected much of it, having assumed for it to not have the same affect as it had done a couple years prior, however much to his surprise he found himself relaxing into the touch almost instantly… as though nothing had changed…

He hummed his content, leaning his head back against the oak and allowing for his eyes to flutter closed.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured. George immediately shushed him, but his hand lifted up from his arm, causing Dream to peak an eye open and look down to him in confusion.

“Wait hang on… I’ve got a…” George muttered, rummaging through his inventory with a concentrated frown on his brow. Dream laughed to himself, sitting up to watch the brunette’s digging.

See the full post

121 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

Don’t Mess With George

🦙🦙🦙…

Based heavily on this clip from Quackity’s sleepover stream

because i was basically just entirely mad that this didn’t actually happen irl >:(

Summary: Quackity and George are having a pillow fight. And all pillow fights turn to tickle fights. The simplest summary I will ever write. QUITE SIMPLY PLATONIC

Warnings: tickling, mild swearing (quackity)

Word Count: 1120

I literally wrote this in a night this hasn’t happened for so damn long 😱 just a short one though 😊 ENJOY

🦙🦙🦙…

“Do you want another pillow George?”

A small smile flickered over George’s lips, the view finder on Quackity’s camera perfectly capturing the American’s plan.

The two friends were having their first ever sleepover. And not only that, they had decided to share the experience with chat, using Quackity’s laptop as a makeshift stream set up in his hotel bedroom.

George was currently situated in his sleeping quarters for the night — ie. he was lying on the footstool. And with his face smooshed down into a pillow, and his bed sheets pulled up snugly over his shoulders, he was as comfortable as he could possibly be. Though even then there was only so much comfort that you could find in a footstool, and his constant complaints had finally got on the last of Quackity’s nerves…

He scrunched his shoulder’s up as the younger approached him from behind, fingers curling around his pillow, and his legs bending upwards in hopes of absorbing some of the impending attack. He squeezed his eyes shut as the view finder revealed the weaponised pillow being raised far above Quackity’s head, a few barked laughs erupting from him as it was slung, square into his back.

He giggled into his pillow, opening his eyes again only to realise that Quackity had lifted his weapon up for round two.

“StOp!! Noho don’t do it AGAi-ehehain!!” George yelled, turning into his pillow as the sweeping bed wear swung down into his back again. He was a little faster to open his eyes this time, but even then he was only just able to catch the pillow’s blur as it descended down towards him once again.

“nO!!” He yelped, shuffling just as the pillow made contact with him. “noho!! s-STOHoP!!”

He began rolling towards his apparently power-hungry friend, letting his legs slide off of the foot stool as yet another blow was sent into the back of his neck. This time however, instead of being lifted again for another blow, the pillow was tossed to the side, and squeezing fingers were suddenly felt tasering into George’s sides.

“NAAHHH NOHO!! NAHAHA QUAHACKITY STOHOP!!” George screamed, falling off the stool all the way, and attempting to scramble away from the attacking fingers.

“You want another fucking pillow George!?” Quackity taunted, a huge smile splitting his cheeks as he followed his friend down, kneading into his ribs, and giggling as they collapsed into the hotel floor, trapped in a mess of pillows and bed sheets.

“QUAHAHACKITY!!” George whined, cackling as he clawed into the carpeted floor, managing to somehow reunite with his pillow from earlier amongst the layers of white sheets — his saving grace.

In one swift motion he swivelled himself on the floor, using all of the strength left in him to sling the pillow up directly into Quackity’s face.

The younger took a few seconds to recover, and apparently that was all that George needed. The elder rose from the floor, a grappling hand and pillow at the ready. Quackity took a few instinctive steps back.

“Oh shit ohoho shihit!!” He giggled, quickly scanning the room and leaping onto his bed to fortify a defence against the now armed englishman. He stuck out his legs and arms out in front of him, ready to absorb any attack that his friend through at him. Although what he hadn’t accounted for, was for his shielding beanie to slip back on his head. He quickly rushed his hands up to fix it with a gasp, however while his defences were paused on standby, George’s approach was definitely not. A crazed look had settled snuggly in his dark brown eyes, a manic grin stretching the full length of his face.

“My beanie was about to fall off!!” Quackity desperately explained, his giggles increasing as George easily pushed past his defending knee-wall. “Mihihy beheheanie- NOHO“

“You better watch out!! You better hold it!!”George crowed, reaching out to pinch at the younger’s sides. “You better hold it!!”

Quackity let out a strangled yelp, his arms snapping down to his sides, but still managing to leave two fingers hooked over the hem of his beanie.

“NOHoho GeoHoHOrge!!” He giggled, falling back onto his duvet as George began kneading into his stomach. He attempted to wiggle himself away, but the older was quick to act and quickly leapt over his legs, pinning them to his mattress.

“NO-HO!!” Quackity shrieked, kicking his legs but falling into a bout of giggles as George hit a sweet spot over his belly.

“This is what you get! This is what you get!!”

See the full post

138 notes - Posted January 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hoody Trouble

🦙🦙🦙…

i literally started writing this two months ago so excuse the xmas talk lmao

Summary: Dream tries to put on a hoody and fails. George tickles him while he’s wrapped up in the evil evil fabric. MASSIVELY PLATONIC

Warnings: tickling

Word Count: 1850

Hope you enjoy 😄

🦙🦙🦙…

George had stumbled out into an unusually hyper atmosphere that morning, his eyes still stinging with sleep as he attempted to comprehend Dream’s excited babbling. The blonde had practically cornered him in the kitchen, rambling on about some delivery that had arrived only an hour prior, as George groggily poured out his cereal. He had only given a strict ten minutes to consume the entire bowl however, before Dream’s patience had run thin and George was basically herded into the living room, being met by a large brown box that lay awaiting on the living room sofa.

Dream Team Christmas Merch.

It had been so long awaited that George had failed to guess the contents of the large mysterious box three times. However once Dream finally opened it up, and the first glimpse of Christmas themed Dream packaging met George’s eyes, he couldn’t help but join his friend in his excitement.

“Wait! Oh my god I’m going to be the first to try them on!” He exclaimed, the novelty of being in the same country as the merch prototypes urging him to tear through the first layer of packaging. Dream laughed at his eagerness.

“No we have to do it together! We have to do it together.” He urged. Though his request went unnoticed as George began digging through the Christmas themed hoodies.

“Where’s a large!! Come on there’s so many mediums!!” He complained, tossing aside any sizes that weren’t his own. He giggled when Dream began digging through too, both boys feeding off one another’s competitiveness as they raced to be the first one to try on the limited addition merch.

“YES!!” Dream finally yelled, yanking out a hoody and quickly ripping off the one he was already wearing. George let out a screech in dismay, desperately flicking through Dream’s side of the box in hopes of at least beating the blonde in getting the hoody fully on. However as he searched through, he only managed to find small sizes. A pouty frown formed on his brow, though a muffled grunt from Dream was quick to clear up his confusion.

One look over to the blonde and George was immediately thrown into explosive cackles, collapsing to the floor as he watched Dream stumble around, arms stuck in the air, trapped in a hoody that was quite clearly several sizes too small.

“Geohohorge help mehe!!” Dream laughed, attempting to reach for the hood of his fabric bounds. George only laughed harder.

“Dihihihid yohuhu- dihid you gehet a small??” He asked, propping himself on the edge of the couch as giggles still tumbled from his mouth. He watched as Dream hopelessly clawed for his hood, before being sent into another wave of cackles as he realised that the hoody was not only far too small, but it was also on back to front. “OHOH MIHIHY GOHOD!! Dreheheam!!”

“GeORGE!! Hehelp me!!”

“Ihihit’s on backwards!!” George cackled, clinging onto the couch cushions to prevent himself from collapsing into the floor again. Dream’s muffled giggles could be heard from inside his hoody, him shaking around like an inflatable tube man as he tried to free himself.

“Ihihi’m stuhuhuck!!” He giggled, falling back into the couch as his heel clipped the side of it. “Geohohorge hEHeLp mehe!!”

The ravenette’s cackles only continued, him sucking in deep breathes of air in attempt to compose himself, before chancing a look over to his friend’s situation.

Dream was flopped on the couch, legs draping out across the carpeted floor, and arms stuck well and truly above his head, resting over the back of the couch. George had to look away again as another wave of cackles threatened him, but a mischievous idea provided him with the strength to join his friend on the couch, pushing aside the new merch to allow space for himself.

“Dreeeeaamm~” George’s teasy voice coaxed more giddy giggles out of the blonde. He instinctively backed himself into the corner of the couch cushions.

“Geohohorge plehease I neheed hehehelp!!”

“‘Naww did you get yourself a bit stuck?” George teased, voice high pitched and croon-like. He gave a few pokes to Dream’s torso, giggling to himself at the strangled yelps it produced.

“Nohoho DOHn’t!! HEhehelp mE!!” Dream pleaded, twisting away from the ravenette’s fingers, only with the hood covering his face, ‘away’ was rather difficult to find, and George easily followed.

“Don’t help you??”

See the full post

154 notes - Posted January 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

0 notes

your-dietician · 3 years ago

Text

Diagnosing Depression in People with Autism: A Guest Blog Post from SPARK - Part 1

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/diagnosing-depression-in-people-with-autism-a-guest-blog-post-from-spark-part-1/

Diagnosing Depression in People with Autism: A Guest Blog Post from SPARK - Part 1

SPARK is the largest autism study ever in the US – over 100k families – with a goal of speeding up research and advancing our understanding of autism to help improve the lives of all affected. Celebrating its 5th Anniversary, SPARK is committed to finding the causes and treatments of ASD. https://sparkforautism.org/5years/

This article discusses topics that may be upsetting to some people. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 and by online chat.

As a young child with autism, Ben had trouble putting his feelings into words, except when he was angry. During one outburst, he told his mother he didn’t want to live. Although she took him to mental health providers, they focused on treating him for anxiety, rather than depression.

Ben is now 20. The pandemic turned his world upside down to the point where he attempted suicide. It was only at this point that Ben finally received a formal diagnosis of and treatment for major depression.

He is not alone. People who have autism are four times more likely to experience depression during their lifetime than the general population, according to a 2019 analysis of many studies. In fact, about 40 percent of autistic adults, and 8 percent of youth, have had depression.1

Adults on the autism spectrum were five times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population, according to research from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. And, where the numbers are truly telling, almost half of those people who tried to take their lives had not been diagnosed with depression before their attempt.2

Depression is one of the more serious conditions often found in people who have autism. Unfortunately, it is also often misunderstood or even missed by families, caregivers, or doctors.

Is it Depression or Autism?

The symptoms of depression may be harder to recognize in people on the spectrum. Sometimes that’s because “high-profile problems,” such as aggression and self-injury, draw doctors’ attention away from depression and anxiety, according to some researchers.3

Other times, the signs of depression may be mistaken for autism itself. Although depression and autism are very different, some symptoms may be found in both conditions, explains Rowan University autism and depression research psychologist Katherine Gotham, Ph.D.

These overlapping traits include lack of interest in socializing, sleep problems, trouble concentrating, and having an emotionless facial expression and monotone voice.4-6 And sometimes, symptoms of depression may differ from textbook examples. Rather than looking tired and sad, a depressed person who has autism may be irritable or agitated, or have emotional outbursts, according to research.3,5,7

Unfortunately, there are no lab tests or scans for depression. Doctors typically rely on a patient’s ability to describe his feelings. That’s a heavy burden for people whose autism impairs their ability to communicate through words, facial expressions, and body language.

Children and teens may not be able to label their feelings as guilt or worthlessness, some of the words doctors are looking for when considering depression.7 Even adults who speak fluently may struggle to identify their moods or emotions, a condition called alexithymia.8

The Lens of Depression

If we look at Ben through the lens of depression, a nuanced story will emerge. When he said that he did not want to live – a warning sign – a psychologist did not think he was seriously depressed. The reason? Ben also reported that he needed to meet some fellow students to finish a project. Because of this additional information, “they said he does not fit the profile of someone who’s depressed.”

But what if his desire to follow rules, a common trait of autism, or his perfectionism could also explain his concern about the project? Unfortunately, because Ben earned good grades, health care providers seemed to overlook his depressed feelings. The good news is that researchers are exploring ways to improve doctors’ ability to diagnose depression in those with autism.

When Should You Suspect Depression in Someone with Autism?

Doctors and researchers agree that it is important to look for changes in someone’s sleep and eating habits, in their interests, and their irritability or agitation levels. This is crucial, particularly if the person cannot describe their feelings. Doctors may rely on information from relatives or others about such changes when evaluating someone with autism.

“I think initially we were hypothesizing that depression might really look different in people with autism,” Gotham says. “What we have found so far is that depression looks different in some people with autism. But it looks a lot like the depression that we know, in a lot of people on the spectrum.

Depression Risks from Childhood through Adulthood

Who is more likely to experience depression? According to research, risks include:

A family history of depression or bipolar disorder, which may have existed before a parent had a child with a disability 5,10

Experiencing trauma, including bullying 11,12

Being verbal and having at least average intelligence 10,13-16

In children and teens, having anxiety or another psychiatric condition10

Being older.

One’s risk for depression rises as they move from childhood to adulthood, whether they have autism or not, Gotham says. “At each stage of life – childhood, adolescence, and adulthood – people on the autism spectrum appear to be at a greater risk for depression compared to the general population,” she says.

One stage, the transition to adulthood, poses a particular challenge for people who have autism, with stresses that may increase the risk of depression, says Dr. Robert Wisner-Carlson, Robert Wisner-Carlson, chief of the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Outpatient Program at Sheppard Pratt, a mental and behavioral health system in Maryland.

Students with autism often receive an array of services through their public schools. But when they graduate, usually between ages 18 and 21, they lose school services, such as speech therapy, social skills instruction, and psychological help. They may not qualify for help under the adult disability system. Even if they do qualify, they may have to wait a long time to receive services. The sudden loss of services “can be a huge jolt,” says Wisner-Carlson, like “falling off a cliff.”

Other factors can influence risk. Families of people who have autism seem more likely to have a history of depression and bipolar disorder, Wisner-Carlson says. “The genetic studies of psychiatric illness and autism show a lot of genetic markers that overlap.” And other factors play a part, too. Research shows that children who have autism are bullied at a higher rate than other children.17 Bullying is linked to depression in typically-developing teenagers, and one study found psychiatric effects from bullying into adulthood.18,19

Some aspects of autism itself may add to depression. For example, rumination – repeatedly thinking about things that upset you – is a risk factor for depression in the general population. People with autism have repetitive motions and obsessive interests, which may be related to rumination.20,21 Another study found a link between depression and the planning and organizational problems often experienced by people who have autism.22

The risk for depression is not spread evenly across the spectrum however. People who are verbal and don’t have an intellectual disability are more likely to be diagnosed with depression.

Some wonder if depression appears to be more common in verbal people because it’s easier to diagnose and research them. “How do you identify trauma or depression in someone who’s nonspeaking or has very low communication skills?” asks social worker Dena Gassner, an autistic member of the SPARK Community Advisory Council. But, she warns, “The illusion is thinking those are the only people we’re struggling to identify.” Even verbal people may escape diagnosis, she says.

Clearly there is still a lot that needs to be learned about properly diagnosing depression in those with autism.

Resources

References

Hudson C.C. et al. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 47, 165-175 (2019) PubMed

Croen L.A. et al. Autism 19, 814-823 (2015) PubMed

Charlot L. et al. J. Ment. Health Res. Intellect. Disabil. 1, 238-253 (2008) PubMed

Gotham K. et al. Autism 19, 491-504 (2015) PubMed

Magnuson K.M. and J.N. Constantino J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 32, 332-340 (2011) PubMed

Stewart M.E. et al. Autism 10, 103-116 (2006) PubMed

Leyfer O.T. et al. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 36, 849-861 (2006) PubMed

Berthoz S. and E.L. Hill Eur. Psychiatry 20, 291-298 (2005) PubMed

Williams Z.J. et al. Assessment Epub ahead of print (2020) PubMed

Pezzimenti F. et al. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Clin. N. Am. 28, 397-409 (2019) PubMed

Chandrasekhar T. and L. Sikich Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 17, 219-227 (2015) PubMed

Ghaziuddin M. et al. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 32, 299-306 (2002) PubMed

Matson J.L. and M.S. Nebel-Schwalm Res. Dev. Disabil. 28, 341-352 (2007) PubMed

Mayes S.D. et al. Res. Autism Spectr. Disord. 5, 474-485 (2011) Abstract

Greenlee J.L. et al. Pediatrics 137, S105-S114 (2016) PubMed

Hollocks M.J. et al. Psychol. Med. 49, 559-572 (2019) PubMed

Zablotsky B. et al. Autism 18, 419-427 (2014) PubMed

Copeland W.E. et al. JAMA Psychiatry 70, 419-426 (2013) PubMed

Wang J. et al. J. Adolesc. Health 48, 415-417 (2011) PubMed

Gotham K. et al. Autism Res. 7, 381-391 (2014) PubMed

Patel S. et al. Autism 21, 181-189 (2017)PubMed

Wallace G.L. et al. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 46, 1071-1083 (2016) PubMed

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');

fbq('init', '1547202075599663'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

0 notes

evanthenerd83 · 7 years ago

Text

2018 Story Index

Individual Fiction:

Above Our Heads (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171160253741/above-our-heads-flash-fiction-793-weve-been): Weight matters.

A Crown Fit For A (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176765957296/a-crown-fit-for-a): His coronation didn’t go as planned.

A Demonstration Of Force (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176803254591/a-demonstration-of-force): An experiment.

Always The Little Things (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173351222816/always-the-little-things-flash-fiction-828-its): The universe can be ironically unsettling sometimes.

An Unstoppable Force Meets An Incorporeal Object (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173256107606/an-unstoppable-force-meets-an-incorporeal-object): A boy runs into a girl in the hallway.

Artificial Intelligence And Organic Emotions: An AI develops emotions that take their toll.

A Short PSA On Dental Hygiene (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173388803131/a-short-psa-on-dental-hygiene-flash-fiction-829): Completely normal.

Autism Speaks (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172754647576/autism-speaks-flash-fiction-815-autism-is-the): A story about mental illness and the negative side effects.

A Word With The Creator (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171088200956/a-word-with-the-creator-flash-fiction-791): Hello, its me.

Black Fur (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/180307631901/black-fur): You wont even see it coming.

Blooming Maturity And Dying Flowers (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/169679232861/blooming-maturity-and-dying-flowers-flash-fiction): A woman makes a decision and a little girl pays the price.

Blue Sky (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170414602231/blue-sky-flash-fiction-594): Paradise was always there, we just had to look up.

Born To Burn (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173510613246/born-to-burn-flash-fiction-832-it-all-ended): Evil incarnate.

Case #901- The Sewer Serpent (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176948694146/case-901-the-sewer-serpent): An odd event in Georgia.

Chocolate Milk (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171860443371/chocolate-milk-flash-fiction-802-i-love): A love for milk, a need to survive.

Closet Light (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170376774701/closet-light-flash-fiction-784-when-i-was-a): A little girl tries her best to pray the dark away.

Corpse In The Moonlight (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/177055767196/corpse-in-the-moonlight): Something is always left behind.

Cosmic Boredom (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170339909711/cosmic-boredom-flash-fiction-783-boredom-is-an): A universal truth.

Daddy’s Sick (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/177443741381/daddys-sick): I must be the one to blame.

Dead Batteries (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176264851061/dead-batteries): Don’t throw your phone away.

Don’t Run (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172889291236/dont-run-flash-fiction-819-if-you-ever-find): Don’t follow your instincts.

Doors And... (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172990638116/doors-and-flash-fiction-820-dont-open-the): Two siblings find themselves in a predicament when home alone.

Dying While In Water (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/178632696246/dying-while-in-water): It’s a wonderful way to spend eternity.

Empty Box (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175707107881/empty-box-flash-fiction-871): Better keep it closed.

Everything You Know About The Reaper Is Wrong (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173288626491/everything-you-know-about-the-reaper-is-wrong): The grim reaper doesn’t exist.

Exorcism (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174052622786/exorcism-it-is-upon-my-sweat-speckled-brow-that-i): A man frees himself from his demons.

Eye Problems (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/169614725296/eye-problems-flash-fiction-772-one-of-my-eyes): A story that has some basis in reality.

Eyes Cold Treat (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173222637991/eyes-cold-treat-flash-fiction-825-whats): Don’t take anything from strangers.

Footsteps (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175606054391/footsteps-flash-fiction-870): They are so annoying.

Friends Don’t Let Friends (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173573210141/friends-dont-let-friends-flash-fiction-833): Age old advice.

Go To Bed (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170088368061/go-to-bed-flash-fiction-779-jacob-decided-to): A boy should really listen to his mother.

Guilt (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/179787337366/guilt): It never leaves you.

Hairy Henry (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175037909106/hairy-henry-flash-fiction-432): Not what he seems.

Happily Ever After (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173124026236/happily-ever-after-flash-fiction-824-the-evil): A twist on the classic fairy tale ending.

Here’s A Joke (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171195923281/heres-a-joke-flash-fiction-794-heres-a-joke): I don’t think that you’d find this particularly funny.

Here There Be Snakes (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/179108475321/here-there-be-snakes): A story that’s based on a personal fear.

Human Strings (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/177938538551/human-strings): Strum me like a guitar, baby.

Hunter’s Advice (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/180343283941/hunters-advice): Want to save some money this thanksgiving?

I Am Not (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174910922371/i-am-not-flash-fiction-860): A new distorted reality.

Ignorance Is Bliss (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/169849960846/ignorance-is-bliss-flash-fiction-775-we-gaze-up): Don’t question anything.

I’m So Glad I’ve Found A Girlfriend (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172822724931/im-so-glad-ive-found-a-girlfriend-flash-fiction): A desperate teenage boy meets the girl of his dreams.

Little Slip-Up (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175471841346/little-slip-up): Oops.

Long Hair (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170300372966/long-hair-flash-fiction-782-as-the-little-girl): A good reason why you should always put your hair up before going to bed.

Long Live The Princess (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/177479091201/long-live-the-princess): Sibling jealousy at its worst.

Looking For Trouble (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/169769511011/looking-for-trouble-flash-fiction-774-if-you): There are some strange things around the house.

Monsters of Old (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/169186648331/monsters-of-old-flash-fiction-771-the-monsters): How foolish are we?

My Mother’s Voice (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174819307851/my-mothers-voice-short-story-28): A boy reunites with his mother.

My Sister, The Brat (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174597774361/my-sister-the-brat-flash-fiction-855-i-killed): Siblings always fight.

Nothing Matters (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170110437546/nothing-matters-flash-fiction-780-tw): Why should we bother being good people?

Other Things To Worry About (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171826824066/other-things-to-worry-about-flash-fiction-801): Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Our Last Trip To The Beach (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175104367486/our-last-trip-to-the-beach-flash-fiction-862): A married couple come across a strange object.

Overwhelmed (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176300801581/overwhelmed): And overworked.

Piece By Piece (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175268362286/piece-by-piece-flash-fiction-865): A man is tortured in the woods.

Rabid (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/180514737066/rabid): Get your pets vaccinated.

Refill Its Water Dish (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/177548793516/refill-its-water-dish): A murderer forgets something very, very important when planning a murder.

Self-Control (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175743979721/self-control-flash-fiction-872): We all have dark thoughts sometimes.

Skeptic And Believer (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171792016151/skeptic-and-believer-flash-fiction-800-i-think): Believe.

Smooth Surface (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170262591611/smooth-surface-flash-fiction-781-i-climb-up-on): A sailor is stranded in unfriendly waters.

Snuggling After Dinner (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173091843056/snuggling-after-dinner-flash-fiction-823-i): How romantic.

Something Strange Happened Last Night (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172855784556/something-strange-happened-last-night-flash): Can I tell you guys?

Something Wrong, Something Gone (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173479011126/something-wrong-something-gone-flash-fiction): A woman comes home to find something off.

Stroke of Midnight (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175777741911/stroke-of-midnight-flash-fiction-873): An old man faces an inevitable horror.

Sweet Spotlights (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171123841596/sweet-spotlights-flash-fiction-792-the): Take a bow before your eternal audience.

The Box (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170606865536/the-box-flash-fiction-787-one-afternoon-while): A curious little girl is just too curious for her own good.

The Children Are Sleeping (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172688766331/the-children-are-sleeping-flash-fiction-814-our): A parent’s worst nightmare.

The Dead Can’t Harm The Living (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173763080641/the-dead-cant-harm-the-living-flash-fiction): A woman and her husband come across a car crash and make a common mistake.

The Monster (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/170011012251/the-monster-flash-fiction-778-tw-violence-the): There are monsters inside us all.

The Moon Pest (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173731687496/the-moon-pest-flash-fiction-848-the-moon-pest): A creature is hiding and its prey is panicking.

There Are Other Buttons (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174376491556/there-are-other-buttons-flash-fiction-854-i): How could I have been so blind?

There Is Something Hunting In The Canadian Wilderness (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172029844221/something-is-hunting-in-the-canadian-wilderness): The inspiration for Silence Reigns.

The Toy Chest (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171049033646/the-toy-chest-flash-fiction-790-i-used-to-have): A teenage boy doesn’t want his childhood.

They Love It When It’s Quiet (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174658490786/they-love-it-when-its-quiet-flash-fiction-857)

They Still Had Each Other (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176018982806/they-still-had-each-other-flash-fiction-874): Anything goes when adults aren’t around.

Time To Play (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/180376611736/time-to-play): A story about a boy and his friends.

Trick of the Moonlight (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172097350651/trick-of-the-moonlight-flash-fiction-805-you): A common experience.

True Self (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173699867636/true-self-flash-fiction-838-freud-was-right): Embrace your own.

Turn On The Radio (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176479246111/turn-on-the-radio): A piece of a puzzle that spans countless worlds.

Validation For Self Destruction (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/178853669036/validation-for-self-destruction): Every ghost needs her audience.

We’re All Hosts (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/177514156291/were-all-hosts): You can’t get rid of this parasite.

What Is The Imagiscape (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/178886188586/what-is-the-imagiscape): Dive into the pool. Return with a story.

What Scares Me (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173026205336/what-scares-me-flash-fiction-821-what-scares): I thought you’d never ask.

What The Dead Leave Behind (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/179074383101/what-the-dead-leave-behind): Always look.

When Hell Opened Its Gates (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/178006116971/when-hell-opened-its-gates): You should know a bit of Georgian lore.

Witness The Lesson (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/175072201106/witness-the-lesson-flash-fiction-861): I was there when it all ended.

Poetry:

A Girl’s Touch (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171446745656/a-girls-touch-poetry-248-the-girl-in-the-red)

A Nightmare (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174366900851/a-nightmare-poetry-267-i-had-a-nightmare-last)

Inner Mystery (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174784251796/inner-mystery-poetry-281-i-can-feel-her-hands)

Medicate Me (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/176552718141/medicate-me)

Strings (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174431891806/strings-poetry-273-just-a-puppet-on-a-string)

The Fan (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174400650091/the-fan-poetry-272-a-dusty-fan-spins-and-spins)

The Hole In Me (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/174333577411/the-hole-in-me-poetry-266-it-couldnt-have-been)

Untitled #1 (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/171468286276/untitled-1-poetry-249-on-bleed-wed-shores-i)

Untitled #2 (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172373464676/untitled-2-poem-251-in-every-mans-heart)

Wake Up (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/172697452796/wake-up-poem-255-the-scarlet-star-peers-heart)

Two Sentence Stories:

Hum (https://evanthenerd83.tumblr.com/post/173388924921/i-dont-hum-anymore)

#evanthenerd83's storytime #story index #microfiction #poetry #two sentence horror story #scary stories

11 notes · View notes

ellenlucasonlinedatingblog · 4 years ago

Text

The Fascinating Link Between Alien Abduction Reports and Sadomasochistic Fantasies

A surprisingly large number of people report having had paranormal experiences. For example, in a 2013 HuffPost/YouGov poll of 1,000 American adults, 32% of respondents answered yes to the question: “Have you ever had any experiences that you would consider to be ‘paranormal,’ that is, experiences which cannot be explained by current scientific understanding?”

A paranormal experience could, of course, include a number of different things. For some, this might include saying they’ve seen a ghost; for others, it might include saying they’ve witnessed a UFO, or perhaps having been abducted by aliens.

As someone trained in the scientific method, I’m admittedly quite skeptical of paranormal reports like this. My mind is trained to go to alternative explanations—explanations rooted in science that could potentially explain them.

In this post, we’ll focus on such explanations for those who report having been abducted by aliens specifically because, as you’ll see later on, there’s an interesting connection between alien abduction claims and sadomasochistic fantasies (and, after all, this is the Sex and Psychology blog!).

In a fascinating 1996 paper published in the journal Psychological Inquiry, social psychologists Leonard Newman and Roy Baumeister explored some of the possible scientific explanations behind reports of UFO abductions [1].

One is that this might be part of the false memory phenomenon. Psychologists have long known that human memory is fallible, but many people fail to realize just how easy it is for false memories to be implanted. For example, in the 1980s, people were in a panic about ritualistic child abuse taking place in Satanic cults.

“Many people fail to realize just how easy it is for false memories to be implanted.”

There was a fear that widespread abuse was taking place and that people were repressing these memories because they were so traumatic, which prompted some psychotherapists to help bring them back as a means of relieving unexplained distress. As psychologist David Ley writes:

“In this era, therapists promoted a nationwide quest to root out evidence of children being sexually abused by hidden Satanic cults. The memories of those experiences were suppressed by psychological mechanisms, but through a blend of hypnosis and careful questioning, therapists could bring those memories flooding back…Families were disrupted, lives destroyed. Though it seems hard to believe, across the country, numerous people went to jail for decades, convicted for hideous crimes where the sole evidence was these recovered memories of long-forgotten abuse. But groundbreaking research by Elizabeth Loftus demonstrated that the very techniques used by therapists to ‘recover’ memories also worked extremely well to implant false memories and to create realistic, recalled experiences of things that never happened.”

As Newman and Baumeister discuss in their article, many people who report UFO abductions recalled or “recovered” their experiences during hypnotic states, which are precisely the circumstances under which many false memories have been shown to be implanted. It’s easy to see how this could happen if, say, the person performing hypnosis has a strong belief in UFOs and is working with a highly suggestible client who is motivated for answers behind their feelings of psychological distress.

Related to this, another possibility is the fact that some people just seem to have a more difficult time distinguishing dreams from reality. For example, consider people with the sleep disorder narcolepsy, a condition in which people suddenly fall asleep at undesired times, such as in the middle of a conversation or during a social activity.

“Some people just seem to have a more difficult time distinguishing dreams from reality.”

They move very abruptly between states of sleep and consciousness, and it’s thought that this might lead to more dream-reality confusion. In fact, in one study of narcoleptic patients, 83% reported having confused dreams with reality before [2]. For example, as noted in this study:

“One man, after dreaming that a young girl had drowned in a nearby lake, asked his wife to turn on the local news in full expectation that the event would be covered. Another patient experienced sexual dreams of being unfaithful to her husband. She believed this had actually happened and felt guilty about it until she chanced to meet the ‘lover’ from her dreams and realized they had not seen each other in years, and had not been romantically involved. Several patients dreamed that their parents, children, or pets had died, believing that this was true (one patient even made a phone call about funeral arrangements) until shocked with evidence to the contrary, when the presumed deceased suddenly reappeared.”

Narcoleptics aren’t the only ones who sometimes confuse dreams with reality, of course. In this same study, researchers recruited a control group of healthy, age-matched individuals, of whom 15% reported having had experiences of not being able to separate dreams from reality (or “dream delusions,” as the researchers termed this). Thus, while narcoleptics experience this at highly elevated rates, people without sleep disorders sometimes have this experience, too.

This study didn’t specifically address alien or UFO abductions, but dream-reality confusion could provide another plausible means through which some people might come to believe they have had a paranormal experience.

There’s at least one other possible explanation—and this is where we get to sex. As Newman and Baumeister argue, sexual masochists are a subgroup of people who might be especially susceptible to believing they have been abducted by UFOs.

Why is that? Because, in their view, escape from self-awareness is one of the defining elements of masochistic activities, such as being bound, humiliated, or subjected to pain. In their words, “masochism is a particularly effective means to deconstruct meaning and escape the self. It temporarily undermines key aspects of the self.” It is “an escape from everyday life and the ongoing pressures of modern selfhood.”

“Sexual masochists are a subgroup of people who might be especially susceptible to believing they have been abducted by UFOs.”

What masochists fantasize about and desire sexually holds a lot of parallels to the activities that abductees describe. As Newman and Baumeister argue: “The main features of masochism—both actual activities and fantasies—are pain, loss of control, and humiliation. All three of these themes dominate UFO abduction accounts.”

For example, when you look at the scenarios that abductees describe, pain is often one of the main features—people frequently say they were subjected to unpleasant and painful activities aboard UFOs. They also often report being restrained—tied or pinned down—in a way that makes them lose their sense of control. They say they are frequently subjected to humiliating sexual acts, too, such as being led around by the genitals or having unwanted devices inserted in their rectums.

Incidentally, my own research on sexual fantasies is consistent with this: I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want, and among the many things I asked about were fantasies involving aliens. Alien fantasies were correlated with having more fantasies in general about receiving pain, being humiliated, and being tied up.

Newman and Baumeister go on to claim that: “Abductees overall seem to fit the profile of people who would be expected to be drawn to fantasies of escaping the self. These people would thus be especially likely to construct a classic UFO abduction narrative when hypnotized.”

Thus, they are not suggesting that masochists in general tend to believe they have been abducted by UFOs or aliens; rather, their claim is really that this is a subgroup of persons who might be especially prone to false memories or dream-reality confusion involving UFO abduction. The motivation to escape the self that underlies many masochistic desires may predispose masochists to construct such scenarios and, under the right circumstances (e.g., recovered memories during hypnosis), they might even come to believe them as true.

Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology ? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram.

[1] Newman, L. S., & Baumeister, R. F. (1996). Toward an explanation of the UFO abduction phenomenon: Hypnotic elaboration, extraterrestrial sadomasochism, and spurious memories. Psychological Inquiry, 7(2), 99-126.

[2] Wamsley, E., Donjacour, C. E., Scammell, T. E., Lammers, G. J., & Stickgold, R. (2014). Delusional confusion of dreaming and reality in narcolepsy. Sleep, 37(2), 419-422.

Image Source: 123RF/imogi

You Might Also Like:

3 Reasons People Engage in Sexual Sadism and Masochism

The Psychological Origins of BDSM: 8 Things That Draw People to Kink

Vampires and Werewolves and Mermaids, Oh My! How Many People Fantasize About Sex with Mythical Creatures?

from Meet Positives SM Feed 5 https://ift.tt/3iM4ffN via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Meet Positives SM Feed 5

0 notes

youzicha · 7 years ago

Text

It’s all very well and good to say that Rationalists should talk more about feminism/should read Judith Butler/etc, but I can’t imagine that just saying so will have much effect.

Back in the day, Yudkowsky didn’t just say “read Kahneman and Tversky”, he spent several years writing blogposts about particular studies of their’s, with an emphasis on how they fit into his general story. Cousin_it didn’t just say “read Schelling”, he wrote a review explaining some of the cooler things in the book, to get people interested. David Chapman didn’t just say “read Kegan”, he writes long posts which both explain the developmental level theory and explain why Chapman thinks it’s relevant to knowledge-production in the post-modern condition. Scott Alexander writes a ton of blogposts summarising the books he reads and tying them back to his other interests in psychiatry, rationality, etc.

Like, you don’t have to convince me that it would be good for me to read Butler. But my list of Books I Should Probably Read Sometime currently has 823 entries, none of which are getting read while I compulsively refresh tumblr all day. And right now on tumblr, there seems to be more posts saying “reading feminist theory is great!” than there are posts about feminist theory.

66 notes · View notes

jazmaniaa-blog · 7 years ago

Text

hairstyleonpoint.com Short Razor Cut Hairstyles Snapshot

New Post has been published on http://timehairstylefrom.us/hairstyleonpoint-com-short-razor-cut-hairstyles-snapshot.html

hairstyleonpoint.com Short Razor Cut Hairstyles Snapshot

Everybody knows that if you look better, you’re feeling better. However, there is certainly a whole lot out there about Short Razor Cut Hairstyles that it is difficult to really know what to hear and what things to ignore.

Short Razor Cut Hairstyles | Original Pictures therighthairstyles.com | 677 X 1024

Remember to deliver the sneakers you want on placing on to a particular event along if you search for the perfect dress. This enables one to observe how the sneakers seem together with the dresses you’re thinking about. It will give you a notion of any alterations that might need to be made. All these can make your attire seem brighter and you will not possess to improve your complete style. You may make a plain attire fit for just about any event by altering the design of accessories. Proceed to fine hair stylist together with friends and help another person select hairstyles. Your friends will probably be that your best source when it comes to deciding on the best styles to fine hair. You want individuals closest for you to help you because they’re those that will assist you to seem your very best. Usually don’t search efficacy in your search for fashion. To get started with, no one on earth is perfect. Secondly, by aiming to be perfect, you will come across as striving too much.

Short Razor Cut Hairstyles | By therighthairstyles.com | 759 X 1024 Short Razor Cut Hairstyles | Original Pictures www.menshairstyletrends.com | 761 X 1024

Choose your Best hairstylist properly. Your hairstylist can make looking for the hottest amazing hair styles in 2017. Make your decisions by yourself time together with your preferences in your mind. One great hair styles tip to test is throwing on the best performance. That’s a great hint because Short Razor Cut Hairstyles can almost be viewed at the best add-on due to the quantity of color combos as well as how simple it is to put one-on-one. Additionally, they are extremely portable.

Short Razor Cut Hairstyles | Original Pictures www.menshairstyletrends.com | 835 X 1024 Short Razor Cut Hairstyles | By therighthairstyles.com | 823 X 1024

Don’t be embarrassed of allowing family and friends know that you’ve got a best haircuts. Friends and family can help out you by promote your haircuts can help you’re feeling fresh. . Use the tips within this Particular article to your hair styles|} Where’s seems best you. you will find out that whenever you look great, you’re feeling great. let us changes your hair and you will look fantastic everywhere someone happens to go.

#Cut #Hairstyles #Razor #Short

0 notes

timclymer · 5 years ago

Text

And redzone body you can join assembly the conversation throttle

TRANSACTIONS: Signed by Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent, May 3…Waived by Ravens, Aug. Yes, no sacks, but more and more of the national media is talking about how well he plays the run, and there were also double-digit pressures despite constant double-teams. 2016 : Started in all 16 contests for the first time of his career…Had a career year, logging a career-best 56 tackles and nine passes defensed…Also tallied one tackle on special teams… at Ind.: Totaled four tackles … vs. He attended Waubonsie Valley High School outside of Chicago, lettering in baseball and helping to lead the team to the state championship game his senior year. A beta version was launched in September 2002, and released officially in January 2006.

The have very good players, they have a sound running game and their offense is good. They play – they’re a true 3 defense. I think he did a heck of a job managing us, McCaffrey said of Allen. I’ve had the pleasure of being associated with Coach Joe DeCamillis dating back to 1994 when he was with the Giants and came to the University of Idaho to work me out.

He will next be seen in the horror thriller Windfall . That’s where this huge Sunday afternoon game in Philadelphia comes into play. Paradis may not be the most glamorous of John Elway’s picks, but he’s been the most consistent offensive lineman of the previous few seasons. 25 as an Ike type of player. Keenum had a career-year as he went 11 as a starter following Bradford’s injury.

Plus, Mina chats with former Washington safety Taylor Rapp about his preparation for the draft. So this would mean that the back left tire would be in the front right side. Daniels was particularly effective in the postseason, catching a pair of touchdowns in Denver’s win against New England in the AFC Championship Game. Through three exhibition games, Backes has compiled a goal and two assists, which is tied with for the team lead during the preseason.

However, its other drawbacks make it risky enough that you should avoid it. 16: Georgia scored with 1 left to take a 38 lead and it looked like the dream was over. We have only played 17 games, we have a long ways to go this year, and strange things happen.

‘I’ll leave it up to you to take him further. But after a game in Toronto on Feb. Video: Flooded areas FIITGCUSTOM Michael Thomas Custom Jersey B082F8NCJ8 north of England braced for more rainfall The heaviest of the rain is expected to hit the area between 9am and 10am and continue throughout the day. Entering year three of the build with Sean McDermott and year two-and-a-half with Beane, there have already been improvements in weeding out players that wouldn’t fit the Bills mold before it even gets to the interview process, as the personnel staff is wholly familiar with what Buffalo’s brass wants in a player.

2016 Subbed and saw extended action at LT in his NFL debut vs. That gives Ben a little clear picture of what is going on. PERSONAL: Given name Forrest Noah Lamp…Born in Venice, Fla. Neonicotinoids, commonly called neonics, were first produced on a large scale in the 1990s. Sir Philip Hampton, the chairman of the Hampton-Alexander Review, said yesterday: The strength of representation of women in top executive positions is the surest way of sustaining an improved gender balance.

25 at Detroit, completed over 70% of his passes for 316 yards and a 118 rating. The Lakers made 69% of their shots in the quarter to establish a 38 lead. Now in his second stint in New Orleans, Dennis Allen enters his fourth full season as the team’s defensive coordinator in his tenth campaign with the club after he was re-hired by Saints Head Coach Sean Payton in 2015. It was the first of the badge-engineered BMC 1100 cars based on the front-wheel-drive design by Alex Issigonis, creator of the Morris Minor, Mini and later the 1800 ‘Land crab’ and the Maxi. Wickenheiser went on to accomplish so much, winning five Olympic and 13 IIHF World Championship medals. The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Golden Flashes as an 11-point favorite.

intercepted a clearing attempt and put in motion an offensive attack that ended when Werenski’s shot from the top of the left circle hopped over Francouz’s pad and crossed the line despite the goalie’s desperate attempt to keep it out. Introduced in 1957, the Whopper seems simple with a beef patty, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup and a sesame seed bun, but the fluffy, soft bun has a sweetness to it that complements the perfectly sour pickles and juicy burger. Bottom line is we need to find some energy and get back to our game. 22 Every Raiders fan in the nation, from Las Vegas to Las Colinas and even the outer edges of Nova Scotia, couldn’t stop talking about fourth-round tight end Foster Moreau.

I am not surprised by his production. New York was eliminated from the NL wild-card race when Milwaukee secured the league’s final postseason berth by completing a 9 victory in Cincinnati as the Mets batted in the eighth. Gallery: Ranked! We would recommend a slice of their original creamy New York cheesecake. Cook had rolled into the game with an NFL-best 823 yards rushing, and he’d been a big part of the Vikings offense out of the backfield.

And make sure you give your car FIITGCUSTOM Zach Ertz Custom Jersey B082FB7KMQ wash and wax before you cover it up — that’s like adding another cover underneath the cover.

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/and-redzone-body-you-can-join-assembly-the-conversation-throttle/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/615557670056935424 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

#Home Solutions FOREV

0 notes

marymosley · 5 years ago

Text

Red Flag Laws and the Second Amendment

About a year ago, Shea wrote about red flag laws, sometimes called gun violence restraining orders or extreme risk protection orders. More than a dozen states have such laws, and several bills are pending in the General Assembly that would enact a red flag law here. But are red flag laws constitutional?

What are red flag laws? Most red flag laws allow a family member to petition to have guns removed from a respondent’s control when the petitioner believes that the respondent’s gun possession poses a danger to the respondent or to others. A few states only allow law enforcement officers to initiate the process, and a few states allow either a family member or an officer to do so. The process is somewhat similar to the process for obtaining a DVPO, in that there is typically an ex parte stage, where a petitioner may obtain a temporary order that may last a week or two, and an adversarial stage, which may result in the imposition of a final order that typically lasts a year. Final orders may be renewed if appropriate or terminated early if the respondent can demonstrate that the danger has passed. The standard of proof varies by state and by stage of the proceeding, with probable cause the most common standard at the ex parte stage and clear and convincing evidence the most common at the final order stage.

Status in North Carolina. The two bills in the General Assembly that would enact red flag laws are H454 and S565. They are similar though not identical. Both would allow a family or household member or a law enforcement officer to seek an extreme risk protection order. Both would allow a court to issue a temporary ex parte order, and both would allow a final order to last up to a year. Under both bills, the standard for issuing a final order would be a preponderance of the evidence showing that the respondent poses “a danger of causing physical harm to self or others by having in his or her custody a firearm.”

All the primary sponsors of both bills are Democrats. As I understand the information available on the General Assembly’s website, the bills don’t appear to be moving forward this session. However, the partisan divide on red flag laws is not as strong as it is on many other gun-related issues. Media reports indicate that “many Republicans [in the United States Senate] sounded open and enthused about” red flag laws during a recent hearing, and President Trump has expressed some support for such laws. It seems entirely possible that North Carolina will adopt a red flag law at some point.

Do red flag laws violate the Second Amendment? The answer may depend on the details of the law in question, but in general, I doubt that most red flag laws violate the Second Amendment.

By way of background, recall that the Supreme Court decided in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms for lawful purposes like self-defense. However, the Court did not establish a standard for lower courts to use in deciding whether a given regulation violates the Second Amendment. The federal courts generally have adopted a two-step test, asking first whether the challenged law burdens conduct protected by the Second Amendment at all. If it does not – for example, if the law concerns a class of weapons that are outside the scope of the Amendment, or addresses a group of people not entitled to Second Amendment rights – that’s the end of the inquiry. If the law does burden conduct protected by the Second Amendment, the court moves to the second step, which requires the court to evaluate the law under some form of heightened means-end scrutiny, either intermediate or strict. See generally Kolbe v. Hogan, 849 F.3d 114 (4th Cir. 2017) (discussing the steps and adopting intermediate scrutiny for the purpose of evaluating and upholding Maryland’s ban on assault weapons). North Carolina’s appellate courts have applied a similar analysis. See State v. Fernandez, __ N.C. App. __, 808 S.E.2d 362 (2017) (applying the two-step analysis and rejecting a defendant’s constitutional challenge to the Felony Firearms Act).

How would this analysis apply to red flag laws? Starting with the first prong of the analysis, because red flag laws prohibit a person from possessing firearms of any kind, even in the home, it seems to me that they do burden conduct protected by the Second Amendment. Perhaps one could argue that such laws fall under the Supreme Court’s statement in Heller that its “opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by . . . the mentally ill,” 554 U.S. at 626, and so fall outside the scope of the Second Amendment. But that strikes me as a stretch, especially given that most red flag laws – including the ones proposed in the bills pending in North Carolina – do not require the petitioner to allege, or the court to find, that the respondent is mentally ill. (If the respondent is mentally ill and dangerous, he or she may be subject to involuntary commitment, which itself result in legal disentitlement to possess firearms.)

That brings us to the second prong of the test, the means-end fit analysis. The importance of the end goal is beyond dispute. The United States experiences approximately 10,000 gun homicides and 20,000 gun suicides each year. The key concern is whether red flag laws are an adequately tailored means to address the problem of preventable gun violence. I suspect that most courts would say that they are. Such laws typically include a number of provisions designed to minimize the extent to which they infringe on the rights of gun owners. For example, they place the burden of proof on the petitioner; allow an ex parte order to last only a brief time; and require an adversarial hearing and a judicial finding of a risk of harm before a final order may be issued. Many red flag laws require an elevated standard of proof at the final order stage, such as proof by clear and convincing evidence. Most allow the respondent to reclaim his or her guns before the order expires if he or she can establish that he or she no longer poses a danger.

Obviously, the more protective a red flag law is of respondents’ rights, the more likely it will be to survive Second Amendment scrutiny. But the limited case law that we have so far suggests that many red flag laws will be deemed constitutional. See Hope v. State, 133 A.3d 519 (Conn. Ct. App. 2016) (upholding Connecticut’s statute under the first prong of the test because the law “does not implicate the second amendment, as it does not restrict the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of their homes”; it only limits “the rights of only those whom a court has adjudged to pose a risk of imminent physical harm to themselves or others after affording due process protection to challenge the seizure of the firearms”). Cf. Redington v. Indiana, 992 N.E.2d 823 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013) (upholding Indiana’s statute against challenge under the state constitution’s right to bear arms). As noted above, the structure of such laws is similar to the laws governing domestic violence protective orders, and the federal prohibition on gun possession by persons subject to DVPOs has been repeatedly upheld against Second Amendment challenges. See Stimmel v. Sessions, 879 F.3d 198 (6th Cir. 2018) (so ruling, and noting that “[e]very circuit that has considered a post-Heller Second Amendment challenge to . . . the statute” has upheld it).

Of course, not everyone agrees that red flag laws are appropriately tailored responses to preventable gun violence. Reason magazine argues here that with red flag laws, “the process is rigged against the respondent from the beginning” and that “it seems inevitable that the vast majority of people who lose their constitutional rights under this sort of law will pose no real threat to themselves or others.” The NRA “could support” red flag laws that provide robust due process protections for gun owners, but generally has opposed the red flag laws that have been enacted to date based on what it sees as insufficiently stringent procedures.

Comparing North Carolina’s proposals to each other and to other states’ laws. This chart compares existing red flag laws on criteria such as the standard to obtain an order and how long an order lasts, and effectively illustrates how different some states’ laws are from others.

North Carolina’s proposals are generally within the mainstream of red flag laws, though is worth noting several of their specific provisions. For example:

S565 would require a petitioner to provide corroborating evidence along with his or her own allegations, meaning that he or she would need to supply “a written statement made by a witness other than the petitioner that states specific facts supporting the allegation set forth in the petition or . . . an audio and visual recording of the incident the petitioner is using as the basis for seeking an ERPO.” H454 contains no such requirement, and in that regard, is more typical of red flag laws enacted in other states.

S565 would set a relatively high bar for the issuance of an ex parte order. The petitioner would need “clear, cogent, and convincing evidence that the respondent poses an imminent danger of causing physical injury to self or others by having in his or her custody a firearm.” By contrast, H454 would require only that it “clearly appear” from “specific facts” that the respondent poses and imminent danger. As noted in the chart linked above, many other states set lower thresholds at this stage. For example, in Colorado, an ex parte order may be issued based on a preponderance of the evidence. In California, it may be based on “reasonable cause.”

Both North Carolina bills would allow a final order to be issued based on a preponderance of the evidence. A majority of other jurisdictions require an elevated standard of proof at that stage, such as clear and convincing evidence.

Both North Carolina bills would allow the respondent to make a motion to terminate a final order prior to its expiration date. In such a proceeding, the burden would be on the respondent to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she no longer posed a danger.

Neither North Carolina bill provides respondents in these matters with a right to counsel. As far as I know, Colorado is the only state that does guarantee counsel to respondents.

Final thoughts. As always, I’m interested in others’ thoughts and opinions. I should emphasize here that the School of Government is policy neutral and nothing in this post should be interpreted as expressing a view on whether red flag laws are a good idea or a bad idea – the post is intended only to explore whether such laws are constitutional. Finally, the North Carolina Constitution in some ways protects the right to bear arms more broadly than the Second Amendment does, so even if red flag laws are compatible with the Second Amendment, there could be some question about their status under the state constitution.

The post Red Flag Laws and the Second Amendment appeared first on North Carolina Criminal Law.

Red Flag Laws and the Second Amendment published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

0 notes