I didn’t adjust well to it because I have an erratic sleep schedule, probably partially from a decade of shift work. I am also not a morning person at all and adjusting to 9-5 (or 8-5 or 8-6:30 which is more common around here) was brutal.

Is the job actually 9-5 for real? Like an 8 hour shift that includes lunch? If so, that’s a pretty sweet gig. Like NOWHERE let’s your lunch be part of your day anymore.

Overall I’m happier at a more consistent job time now. Easier to plan around, no more close-to-open bs.

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Oh snap!

This is just like Maximum Overdrive!

If you include insects and arthropods and everything suddenly turns into uberbloodlust-kill-all-humans then non-human animals win, hands down. I think people overestimate their ability, the effectiveness of weapons, and the sheer number of insects that are near you at all times. Insect biomass alone outstrips humans by an insane margin. Very few mammals or other animals would get a lick in, I think. There is no hermetically sealed bunker that would hold for long, and that won’t save you from the mites already on your skin although they probably can’t do a ton of a damage.

Am summer fae. Hard disagree. The worst part of summer is indoors where they abuse air conditioning to create a dry frigid wasteland.

And wildfire smoke which didn’t use to be a thing where I live.

I wanted to make a joke but it kept coming off as mean at OP so I’ll just say that I think we as a society are mostly over finding stage names of musicians funny/outrageous.

Hm. I think we’d just have to specify our special and unique process only works with water-based paints and primers. Could get away with the hybrid paints though and I think there’s good enough hybrid primers to make it work.

One thing I would do is use my water bending powers to open a house painting business (interior/exterior and cabinets). I would promise completely perfect results in 1 day or less with the caveat that the customer cannot be home for ‘safety’ reasons. Oh! I could partner with an air bender and we could have places completely painted, not a drop spilled, and completely dry in 1 hour or less. Without even over charging people we could do so much volume we’d make bank!

I may or may not be painting right now and hating reality.

Caveat: doctors will only let you have a sleep study if they suspect sleep apnea. Other sleep studies that capture off-the-wall sleep disorders don’t seem accessible, at least in my local health system which is a Catholic-run local monopoly. Perhaps HCA, or Kaiser, or others may have a different philosophy.

I don’t discount your experience but I want to point out that benzos can be a very useful tool for people, especially with panic disorder, and they’re not inherently a trash drug.

While some people may develop a problem, others are able to use them on an as-needed basis long term. I’m sorry you struggled but glad you were able to overcome it. It’s absolutely understandable why you would feel negatively towards benzos as a whole.

What, specifically, have they tried? Did you try trazodone? I don’t think Xanax is the solution you think it may be even though it worked for you.

Is the issue falling asleep or staying asleep? Do you have an idea of what prevents you from falling asleep? What do you think about when you’re in bed falling asleep? What is your natural sleep cycle timeline? In other words, when do you naturally get sleepy and if given no restrictions, when would you wake up? How is your sleep hygiene (really, not just what you tell people)?

Do not, I repeat, do not go in there asking for Xanax or you will be labeled a drug seeker permanently. A doctor is not going to give you Xanax for this, full stop. They’re going to ask all of the above questions and try other avenues first. If they suspect an anxiety disorder they will move up that avenue and you may need a benzo but you have to be under care for a while and basically prove you’re trustworthy.

I have massive sleep problems too but you don’t have enough information in your post to give any other advice other than the standard sleep hygiene stuff you’ve already been told.

Funny, they seemed to be released all at once. Was there some sort of coordination on TikTok?

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Oh god it’s the ghost of online relationship past. Apparently kids are the same 20+ years later.

In my experience, yes those are red flags, and this is NOT a good situation. You mentioned his age but not hers but I’d bet dollars to doughnuts she’s younger than him.

Listen, I know from personal experience this relationship is a bad Idea and Aunt Weariedfae says get out and do not feel bad about it. She’ll realize later how manipulative it was. That the power balance was way out of whack. What controlling behavior is. I think he did your friend a kindness by straight up admitting he wouldn’t visit instead of scheduling trips and canceling last minute over and over.

I’m sorry your friend is in this situation. I also don’t think your friend may listen to advice about decoupling. But maybe she’s smarter than myself and my friend who also went through the same thing around the same time. Hopefully she is.

This is super cool, I dig it!

I feel like I’ve whooshed something. I didn’t know if they were including video games, TV shows, books, etc. or if they were restricting to movies since that use to be the default thing reviewed.

Ok but like… what media?

Just movies? I haven’t read a review in years. I know from the trailer if I want to see it or not. Maybe I’ll stumble upon a video discussing something about it and become intrigued or turned away.

I do seek out reviews of video games because it is usually a significant cost and I want to make sure it’s something I’ll like. Both print and video.