u/Dovehoney_

Hi friends!

I started Spironolactone about a month ago. About two weeks in I started to notice small change with my mental health/moods.

I am diagnosed bipolar and currently on medications for that. I contacted my psychiatrist before starting and she was out of office on vacation so it was a different psychiatrist that gave the okay with my starting and said I should have no issues.

Within the last the weeks I have noticed a big change in my mental health. Granted my period was a week ago so that could also play a part.

I am not on any type of birth control because the hormonal side effects and the impact on my moods (I am on a mood stabilizer.). I am aware the Spironolactone does interact with your hormones, but not sure if there is a correlation between the medication and my moods.

I am on 25mg which I know is a very small dose. I am trying to figure out if I am gas lighting myself with my mental health or if it really could be the Spironolactone that could be causing the fluctuating moods.

Has anyone had any type of side effects like this??

Hi!!

Im not really sure how to word this because I’m still trying to process exactly what I’m feeling.
I’ll start by saying I know you can’t necessarily control an episode, but I’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing the very beginning signs and have worked with my providers on things I can do to try to pull myself back in

For the last month or so, I’ve felt like I could fall into mania at any second. Like I am teeter tottering. I can feel myself getting close to that feeling, but then I’m able to catch it and kind of control it

I was diagnosed Bipolar 1 almost 10 years ago. I was 17 when it was caught, and I feel really fortunate that I’ve had this amount of time to learn about myself and my mental health and to recognize when I may be struggling

I’ve also been struggling with my OCD lately. It’s gotten progressively worse in the last month, and I’ve noticed that now my OCD progressing, that feeling of being on the edge of mania seems to get stronger.

Sometimes I miss being manic, I miss the feeling.
I miss the euphoria, happiness. I miss just feeling good. I feel good in general as much as anyone does.

I obviously know that I don’t actually want to be manic. But sometimes I still miss the feeling of it, if that makes sense. I think I’m missing the mania because I know it will mute the OCD.

I reached out to my psychologist and made an appointment just to voice and acknowledge this. Has anyone else ever felt similar?

I need to rant. If this post isn’t appropriate or goes against the rules, then absolutely feel free to delete it.

I discovered the ACOTAR series in 2019 and, as everyone else did, fell in love with it.

Now, as the years have gone on, obviously the book series has exploded, as people love it or hate it, and it has a big following, or Sarah J. Maas does in general.

Now here it comes. The ACOTAR fandom. This fandom is one of the most insufferable fandoms I have been a part of. And, like I said, I have been a part of it. I am not going to throw stones at glass houses.

This fandom is toxic. It is frustrating to constantly see people force theories or constantly assume there is some deeper meaning.

Constantly complaining because the books are not coming out faster. It took 5 years and 6 years for the release of the last two books of GOT. Chill out. Would you rather an author you are already extremely critical of push out books that suck and that you will complain about, or would you rather just wait and read a book when it comes out?

(I am not comparing ACOTAR and GOT. I am just using an example of a series and the years between releases.)

Not only the weird parasocial relationship with Sarah, but also with the characters of these books. They are characters. They are made up. This is a made-up world with made-up people and made-up places. I want to state that I understand how attached people can get to a book. Trust me, I have been there also, and I do not want to invalidate anyone’s love for a character or series.

Another irk? The whole complaining about the “vulgar gesture” or “watery bowels.” We get it. She said it over and over. I am sure plenty of other authors have repeatedly used phrases. Move on. And maybe I am absolutely dumb and oblivious, but I did not even notice until it was pointed out. Why are these books being so analyzed? It is a fiction book. It is a romance fantasy book. It is not a nonfiction book.

And then another thing is the debate regarding ethics when it comes to this series. It is a fantasy book… it is a BOOK. An author does not owe the reader anything, in my opinion. Yes, the readers are who made the book popular, BUT you are choosing to read this book. If you do not like the ethics of the book, then close it and move on.

Please change my mind. I am absolutely open to reasons why I need to change my thoughts and why or where I am wrong.

Editing to add- @zealousideal-can-403 made an absolutely valid point regarding my statement of analyzing this book. I was being very narrow minded on that. I really appreciate your input and thank you 😊

2nd edit- thank you for the responses , I really do appreciate the feedback and getting different perspectives and opinions

Hi friends!

I am in a total rut of reading. The last series I finished was TOG (I would die for Manon) and for how much I loved it I think I am struggling to find a new book/series as I keep comparing.

Off the top of my head some series I’ve enjoyed before I read TOG were The knight and the moth, The Siren Mage, Saga of the Unfated, the Daughter of No Worlds, and mediocrely like Shield of Sparrows

I recently tried to read Plated Prisoner series again as all the previously times it was a DNF, but once again could not stand it. (I totally respect everyone who loved that series though, it just wasn’t more me). The same goes for Quicksilver, I got 1/2 way thru the second book and dramatically threw it out the front door in protest.

I have started Metal Slinger and was eating it up until 60% thru and it hit the generic romantasy play out.

Any suggestions? I know this is probably a me issue because I keep trying to compare everything to TOG. I also struggle because I am 27 and sometimes feel like it’s hard to relate to a very young FMC.

Hi friends.

Before I get into this, I know the answer is probably “set boundaries.” We know. We’re trying. I’m not really looking for advice on that because it’s easier said than done. I just want to hear from people who’ve been through something similar because this has been weighing on me.

My fiancé and I are having a private symbolic ceremony in Greece next September with just us and a photographer. That’s always been the cemented set plan.

The legal ceremony is where things have gotten hard. We’re planning to get married at the courthouse here in Washington, and in my mind it was always just going to be the two of us. We’re both really private people and hate being the center of attention.

We’ve had a lot of really good conversations about it, but family expectations are making it so much harder than I thought they would. When we first talked about getting married abroad, his dad said something like, “Well, what are you talking about?” and it was obvious he expected to be part of it. My fiancé feels like his parents are going to want to be there for the courthouse ceremony, and he doesn’t really want to fight that. I get it. He loves his mom, and I would never want to come between that relationship or make him feel like he has to choose. I just also wish we could have one thing that was only ours.

My side hasn’t been easy either. My dad has already told me he bought a suit, and my stepmom “needs to be involved somehow.” There was already drama because my mom and I went dress shopping together when she came to visit. She lives across the country, and I only see her about once a year, so it meant a lot to have that time with just her. I didn’t invite my stepmom because I knew I’d be guilted. My mom has actually been the most supportive person through all of this, and it’s honestly been such a relief to have at least one person who has just supported what we want without making it about themselves.

My dad is alsodifficult. He hates my mom and has already joked that he “promises he won’t say anything,” then laughed. Knowing him that doesn’t make me feel any better. The other night my fiancé’s cousin even made a comment about how he “has to be there.” It just feels like everyone has an idea of what our wedding should be.

I’m overwhelmed. I don’t even want to think about planning the courthouse ceremony anymore because every conversation about it leaves me stressed and defeated (not with my fiancé , just others)

Has anyone else dealt with this? Not necessarily looking for solutions, just wondering if anyone else has felt like they were getting pulled in every direction while trying to plan something that was supposed to be about the two of you.

Hi everyone. I’m wondering if anyone has gone through something similar because I feel like I’ve been sent in circles.

I applied for FAFSA and was told that I have an overpayment from about two years ago that needs to be repaid. I was extremely surprised because I never received any letters, emails, or anything in the mail during those two years saying I owed money.

I first called FAFSA, and they told me they couldn’t help because I needed to contact my previous school. When I called the school, they told me I owed $151.52, but they also said it wasn’t connected to a Pell Grant. That confused me because all of the financial aid I received through that school was from a Pell Grant.
They told me to call the Department of Education. The Department of Education had no idea what I was talking about and transferred me to a loan repayment department. The loan repayment department said it wasn’t a loan, so they transferred me to the defaulted loans department. They also said they had no idea what I was talking about because it wasn’t a loan, and then they gave me the number for the FAFSA database support team. The FAFSA database support team couldn’t find anything showing that I owe money and told me I needed to call the school again.

When I called the school back, the person I had spoken with before said they checked with the financial aid office and found that I actually have a zero balance. They also found an old hold on my student record and removed it after my first phone call.

The school is sending me a letter showing I have a zero balance, and they said that should allow the new school I applied to release my financial aid. My concern is that my FAFSA account still says I have an overpayment, even though the school says I don’t owe anything.

Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, how long did it take for FAFSA to update, and was a letter from your previous school enough to get your financial aid released? I’m just trying to figure out if I need to keep waiting or if there’s someone else I should be contacting.

-sincerely a frustrated, overwhelmed, not sure what to do student

Hi everyone! My fiancé and I are planning to elope in Crete and are currently looking for a photographer.

If anyone has recommendations or photographers they’ve personally worked with, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

(Not sure if itinerary is correct flair)

Hello friends! My fiancé and I are planning our elopement and Greece is currently one of our top choices.

I’ve been to Greece before and absolutely loved it. On my previous trip I visited Athens, Naxos, Paros, Antiparos, and Koufonisia over 11 days. It was an amazing trip, but out of all of them Naxos ended up being my favorite.

I went in early September and the weather was perfect, so we’re thinking of planning this trip for either late August or sometime in September again.

For this trip, we’re planning to legally get married in the US beforehand and then do a symbolic ceremony/private vows in Greece with just the two of us and a photographer.

Right now I’m trying to figure out where would make the best fit for this trip. We definitely want to avoid the super influencer/party-heavy destinations like Santorini and Mykonos. We’re much more interested in beautiful scenery, relaxing atmosphere, good food, beaches, and places that feel romantic without being overly crowded.

A few ideas I’ve been considering:
Corfu + Paxos / Antipaxos
Crete as a base with day trips/boat trips
Possibly a couple nights in Athens since it would be my fiancé’s first time in Greece

For those of you who’ve been to Corfu, Paxos, Antipaxos, or Crete, which would you personally choose for a romantic trip like this? We love beautiful scenery, good food, swimmable beaches, and places that feel a little more relaxed and authentic versus super influencerheavy. We definitely don’t mind moving around a bit either, especially if it’s worth it. These also aren’t our only options, so if there’s another island or region you think would fit what we’re looking for better, I’d love to hear it. Thank you!!!