u/Far_Frame_9560

Tldr : I take melatonin and a real day and night treatment.

​Hello everyone, I wanted to give you some feedback as my messages often bug out. After 3 months without any treatment, I noticed my condition was stagnating, or even deteriorating, with persistent sleep troubles.

​I have decided to resume a complete protocol: food supplements during the day, and at night, I take magnesium bisglycinate, L-theanine, herbal capsules, and melatonin. The results are there: I sleep much better and have stopped waking up at night to urinate. I wake up later and manage to fall back asleep, which makes me feel so much better.

​I really recommend that you try melatonin if you have never done so. Be careful, however: the results depend heavily on the brand, the quality, and any potential additives. I have noticed a real difference between the one I used to take from the pharmacy (very powerful, it made me fall asleep instantly) and the one I bought on Amazon (much milder). I am actually going to test the pharmacy one again to compare.

​Do not neglect the importance of an adapted treatment for sleep, both day and night—it changes everything. Good luck to you all.

​

​I have a physical chronic illness, and I spend my life being sick, unable to do anything. It is a situation that I am suffering through completely every single day. I miss out on everything, I can't participate in anything, and I am already at my wit's end, deeply sad to be left behind alone at home and missing all these moments.

​But what drives me crazy and makes me so angry is that right now, in the evening, I am still getting these endless remarks from my family like:

​"You could have come..."

​"You could have done this, why don't you want to?"

​"Oh, you don't want to go on vacation with us?"

​"Why don't you want to come to this family meal or go to the restaurant?"

​Do you not understand that I cannot move? Stop pretending my illness is a choice, a refusal, or a whim. If my body allowed it, I would go out and join you in a heartbeat!

​The reality is so brutal: I have absolutely no one. I have nobody except my parents, whom I try to interact with as little as possible because they are the most toxic people around. But if I stop talking to them, who am I going to talk to? I am forced to live with this chronic illness where I can't do anything, and on top of that, I have to deal with these constant remarks.

​For the past four years, I have been trapped inside the house 24/7, facing every single morning in this same room. But to them, they think it's a choice just because some incompetent doctors haven't handed over the right medical diagnosis yet. They act like without an official paper, I am making it all up. Why can't they just open their ears and listen to me?

​They are deeply stupid and bad human beings. It completely drives me to despair—how am I supposed to be okay? To have so little empathy is toxic and unhealthy. I am trying with all my strength to focus on my well-being, on my mental health, on staying calm, and on not making my fatigue worse. But this total lack of support and constant guilt-tripping is pushing me over the edge and making me lose my mind. I just need people to respect my physical limits instead of blaming me for them.

​I am sending you all so much support and courage. You are not alone. I know how strong you all are, and I know that you are doing the best you can. Please try to be kind to yourselves and forgive your mistakes. Do what you can, and please know that I am sending you so much love and strength. I am praying that things get better for all of you.

​

​Hi everyone,

​I’ve been realizing something huge lately, and it’s honestly making me angry. I noticed how much I constantly restrict and self-sabotage myself in my own head.

​Every time I want to do or say something, my brain immediately steps in with: "No, don't do that, don't say that." I am trapped in a non-stop loop of "I have to do this, I shouldn't say that."

​Why do we accept changing our behavior just to please others or to keep quiet for them? Where does this automatic self-sabotage come from, when it should be normal to just be ourselves, say what we want, and do what we want when we feel like it?

Tldr

​Living with severe brain fog means much more than just having a bad memory or being unable to read. For me, it completely destroys my brain's filters. When I get stressed, I lose my ability to think critically, to look ahead, or to evaluate information. I become completely vulnerable, easily manipulated, and influenced by my own panic or by whatever others tell me to do—to the point where it feels like I am changing personalities and losing control over who I am.

​I wanted to share this because people truly do not understand what severe brain fog feels like. In my current state, I cannot read, I have major memory issues, and I cannot think clearly. That is already incredibly hard, but I realized something even more terrible that is very difficult to explain to others.

​Basically, whenever I start getting stressed or exhausted, every single idea that enters my head passes through without any filter. This is exactly what makes me so easily manipulated and influenced. The moment I think about something or hear something, my behavior changes instantly.

​It feels as though I am not even myself anymore. I have no self-awareness or feedback on my own actions, no deep thoughts like I used to have, and absolutely no foresight. I can no longer look ahead or predict the consequences of what I do. To give you a concrete example: before I fully understood my illness, I blindly followed catastrophic political or ideological trends simply because I had zero critical thinking left. There was no filter or sorting on my part. It was just a loop of hearing and applying, hearing and applying, with absolutely no distance, as if I were completely disconnected from my own intelligence.

​Right now, I am in a relaxed phase, so I can see things very differently. My thoughts are calm and settled. But the moment I switch into a stressful phase—where my mind starts racing and repeating on a loop "I have to do this, I have to do that"—I perceive everything differently. Because of the brain fog, I completely stop reflecting. I just react immediately to that stress or to whatever people tell me to do. It feels like I am changing personalities, and it is so strange.

​I don’t know if anyone will truly understand this, and I find it so hard to explain. But it is a very real daily battle: this fog destroys my internal filters, takes away my ability to plan or think for myself, and leaves me completely at the mercy of the next panic thought or outside influence.

​

​Hi everyone, I just want to talk a little bit about mental health today. I am realizing how vital it is, even though society acts like it is completely normal to be stressed or to carry negative emotions all the time. But this constant stress pushes me to my limit, to the point where I literally pull my hair out.

​To be completely honest, I have been dealing with sadness since middle school, which turned into immense stress during high school. Back then, I could clearly see that my mental health was catastrophic, and I was in a state of deep distress. I felt awful everywhere: at home, at school, and socially. I tried to take steps to fix it—I got interested in psychology, personal development, and I saw a psychologist from time to time. It was the right path, but it literally wasn't enough. I was young, just a teenager, I knew nothing about life, and I was trapped in a very heavy environment.

​Because of that toxic environment and all those negative thoughts, I ended up falling into a self-destructive cycle with severe insomnia and anxiety. Eventually, reaching that total psychological breaking point triggered my current chronic illness.

​For the past few months, I’ve been trying to survive and find a way out. I focused 100% on the physical side of my illness, even though my psychological state was at its absolute worst. I am completely exhausted; sometimes I even have suicidal thoughts because it is just too heavy to bear. On top of that, since it is a condition with neurological impacts, it is really hard for me to keep my mind clear.

​That is when I realized something major: I have been completely self-sabotaging my recovery for months because of stress. Instead of listening to my body, staying connected to it, and letting myself heal, I went into total dissociation. I neglected my mental health, telling myself, "It doesn't matter if I'm stressed or suicidal, my physical health comes first."

​But the truth is, they go hand in hand. Because of that mistake, I fell right back into my old, toxic coping mechanisms: putting others before myself, being a perfectionist, panicking, and making terrible decisions. If your mental health is bad, you make "stressed decisions" and you just can't get better. Your mind is actually the most important part because when you are mentally stable, you make the right choices for your body.

​Today, I accept that I need to start real psychological work to calm down and treat myself better, maybe by finding ways to soothe my anxiety and seeing a therapist. The real challenge for me now is managing to stay calm and grounded to handle my illness, even though I live in a highly stressful environment where people frequently yell at me and constantly criticize me.

​Take care of your mind, because it is what guides your healing.

​

​This is where I realize that psychological health is just as important as physical health. Because of my stress and everything, I have made a lot of mistakes that directly worsened my physical condition. It is truly essential to take care of both.

​Unfortunately, we have normalized being stressed and sad, as if it were a regular state of being and we just had to ignore it.

​Yet, I now see that this stress has truly ruined my life, and on top of that, it worsens my current medical condition. I am not joking; people often minimize this or think it is nothing important... But actually, it is. It really is.

​Pay attention to your emotions.

Tldr ​My mind panics when faced with fatigue and illness. Trying to control everything and achieve perfection, it hyper-focuses on specific details, which makes me forget everything else and self-sabotage over and over again. I finally realized that my mind cannot override my body. The only way to stop exhausting myself and dissociating is to stop forcing things, quiet my brain, and let my body rest.

​

​I just had a massive realization through the brain fog, and I need to put it into words.

​I realized that I am constantly self-sabotaging because my mind refuses to accept reality. Whenever I crash, whenever I make a mistake or get hit by severe fatigue, my brain instantly panics. It goes into survival mode and starts screaming: "Quick, find a solution! You need to do this, you need to do that, try this technique, fix this!"

​And this thing of overthinking and not letting myself go has literally made me self-sabotage. Not just once, but tons of times. It is a completely useless technique: my brain wants so badly to find perfection and succeed that, for example, I will hyper-focus on one single thing, and because of that, I completely forget about other things because my attention is deflected. By trying too hard to do things perfectly, I mess up everything else.

​My mind is completely convinced that I still have a margin for maneuver. It thinks that if I just force it enough, or if I find the right trick, I can control the situation and get better.

​But it’s a total lie. I have zero margin for maneuver.

​My mind cannot override my body. If my body is drained and ill, my brain can invent all the solutions it wants—it’s not going to change reality. By constantly trying to force things, by constantly setting up rules of what I "should" or "shouldn't" do, my mind is just sending non-stop stress signals to a body that is already drowning.

​This constant tug-of-war is completely exhausting me and making me dissociate from my own body. I’m starting to realize that the only way out of this trap is to stop the forcing. I need to tell my brain to shut up, stop looking for magical solutions, and just trust the process.

​If my body can’t do anything, then I do nothing. I need to stop trying to regain control when there is no control to be had. I just need to let go, stop the panic, and listen to my body instead of my frantic mind.

​

​I’m just so sick of not being myself. I am completely done playing a role. I constantly hold myself back, wondering if what I’m saying is "good" or "bad," always brushing people the right way and forcing myself to be nice. But with my current fatigue, I just don't have the energy to lie and pretend anymore.

​I know exactly where this comes from. It’s because of my childhood and the education my parents gave me. Because of them, I became a perfectionist, always trying to please others, hiding my emotions, and refusing to show any vulnerability. I am trying to deconstruct this step by step, because this exact programming caused me psychological issues, stress, anxiety, and depression my whole life. I even developed a chronic illness because of all this pressure.

​Even now, because I am sick and trapped at home living with my parents, I notice I still fall into the same submissive patterns with them when they speak badly to me. I just shut up. And the worst part is, I’ve been reproducing this exact same toxic dynamic with my friendships.

​For months, I’ve been dragging along old relationships. Every single day when I talk to these people, I feel this deep misery, like I just want to die. I’m starting to hate everyone, but I finally see why: it’s because I’m not being honest or being myself. I am just repeating the same old cycle. This is why my social life has always been terrible. I never dared to speak up.

​I think I do way too much because in my head, I’m always imagining worst-case scenarios. I act as if people are going to yell at me or absolutely hate me if I don't please them, but that's just not true. And even if they do hate me for being honest, it will just filter out the wrong people anyway.

​Right now, being sick means I am stuck at home with no real social life. But you know what? Better alone than in bad company.

​If I don’t want to talk, I shouldn’t talk. Period. I need to stop forcing myself to be overly polite or nice just to avoid offending people. It takes courage to stop, but I know I am capable of it. I want to start being honest. Just try.

​What do you guys think?

Tldr : breaking down psychologically facing constant suffering and losing my autonomy. Trapped at home, I have a strong need for social isolation because interactions bring me negativity. Despite the brain fog and dark thoughts, I refuse to give up and sincerely wish strength and improvements to everyone.

Reason to complain even more: I started dictating this text a first time and the tool didn't save anything. I forgot part of what I wanted to say, but I just wanted to complain about the fact that I am psychologically at my limit. I have reached a point where I hate everyone. I don't want to talk to anyone anymore. As soon as someone does something wrong, speaks badly to me, is nonchalant, or ignores me, it affects me too much.

I can't take this life anymore—constantly enduring everything, feeling deeply unsatisfied, and being in non-stop pain. I am trapped in my own body. I know that trying to harm myself on purpose wouldn't achieve anything because it would just make me suffer even more. So, it's either death or the faith to keep going. And I still have the faith to keep going. I still have the faith to accept the situation, but for how much longer?

Psychologically, it's atrocious. It's one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life: being a prisoner in your own body and being able to do nothing. I feel like I'm going to go crazy and become completely antisocial from not talking to people and not going out anymore. It is incredibly violent and difficult. In terms of quality of life, the suffering is massive. I know we are all in distress, but right now, I have reached my absolute limit. I had already reached a first breaking point that pushed me to try and understand what was happening to me after so much time, but I am constantly on the edge.

As soon as a day goes badly, or as soon as I lack sleep, I start seeing everything in black. I feel even worse psychologically and it is truly very hard. But I don't want to give up. If I have to put all my money and all my energy into this, no matter what people judge, I want to get through this. I just want to hope that my body kicks back into gear. You can't endure something this hard psychologically for years, we are only human.

It becomes atrocious to be alone with this. It's very difficult to see improvements; if I could just pass a small milestone, it would do me so much good. Daily life is a catastrophe. It's very hard to always do the same thing, or rather, to be able to do nothing, trapped in your body: not eating enough, not drinking enough, having to move around seated... You can handle that for a day, but here, it’s all the time, over long periods.

I feel bad, this life is the exact opposite of who I am. Originally, I'm not a homebody, I'm rather a solitary person, and yet I'm forced to stay home all the time. I feel forced to talk to people just to keep a tiny bit of social connection even though I don't like it, I don't want to. And these people bring me a ton of frustration and negativity, but it's hard to cut ties.

I know that I post a lot on Reddit and in communities like this. It's because I feel lonely and I need people to help and advise me. I also want, maybe, to inspire people, or prevent them from making the same mistakes as me. I need it. Here, I feel understood, heard, and helped, and I thank you for that. I know I post a lot, but it's something that does me good. I feel like I matter and like I'm doing something with my life.

Anyway, I have a huge brain fog today, I am really lost and my brain just isn't working anymore, so I'm going to have to stop here.

I think we are all in the same boat. In any case, I truly hope from the bottom of my heart that you see improvements so you can do more things in your life. I encourage every single one of you.

​

​Hi everyone! I have a Xiaomi Redmi 14C. I tried to install microG RE, but my phone blocked it, saying that the app was built for an older version of Android than mine. Because of this, I could only install the regular microG, but I'm trying to get YouTube Morph to work. Does anyone have a link to a newer, compatible version of microG RE, or a workaround for recent Android versions?

​

​TL;DR: Suspected of having ME/CFS and in a severe state, I am completely bedbound. Medical steps are too heavy, too expensive, and too far away, and the healthcare system is not adapted. I feel abandoned and am looking for advice on how to manage and progress from my bed.

​Hi everyone,

​It’s been about 3 or 4 months since I realized I might be suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. At first, I tried to reach out to some patient associations, but I hit a wall: because I am in a severe state, traveling in person to see specialists has become completely impossible for me.

​Right now, I’m trying to look into appointments, but I am facing the harsh reality of the healthcare system: waiting times are extremely long, and specialists charge high out-of-pocket fees that aren't well reimbursed. Everything is far away and complicated. I even thought about looking for options abroad, but without medical insurance there, it is financially impossible. We really find ourselves trapped with very few resources.

​You realize you are going to lose so much time, when you don't even have time to lose because you just want to get a semblance of life back. But it is terribly slow. On top of that, I wonder if seeing a psychologist specialized in chronic illness could help me, even though I don't really know what purpose it serves and, above all, how much all of this is going to cost. I have so many questions on my mind.

​For now, since I have no recognition and no diagnosis, I am just sick of it because I can see that I am not moving forward. It is super complicated to find doctors who actually help you progress when you are at the absolute bottom. How are you supposed to go see a doctor for help when you can't even get out of your bed? I honestly don't understand. So I feel lonely, and I don't even know who to ask for help.

​If I have to travel very far, I don’t even know how I would handle the trip, where I would sleep, how much it would cost, or under what conditions. It is so complex. I prefer to stay in my bed rather than go suffer in transport just to see a doctor, pay a high price for a poor treatment, and crash even harder. No, I don't want to. I prefer to stay home quietly, try to find solutions on my own, and buy comfort items. Because after that, if I get a blood test, the prescription has a limited expiration date, and you can never know what your state will be like on that specific day. I just don't have the energy to do all these steps when I am at the absolute bottom.

​

​Honestly, I kind of regret not looking into the appointment process earlier.

​Two or three months ago, I reached out to some associations to get access to doctors. But at first, I told myself: "if the appointments are in person, I know I won't be able to make it". Because of that, I didn't book anything. Looking back, I feel like I should have taken the appointments anyway, I don't really know...

​The problem is that in my country, the waiting times to see a professional are extremely long. On top of that, it's not always reimbursed. It's truly a struggle.

​It is just so complicated to get access to a specialist for this illness...

​

​Tldr : After months of trying to get better on my own, I realize I cannot do it anymore. I am taking control by ordering supplements online, focusing strictly on my two absolute priorities: improving my sleep and fixing my energy.

​Hi everyone,

​It’s been two or three months that I’ve been trying to get by on my own without any treatment. I truly thought I would succeed in improving my condition by fixing my mistakes, but I realize now that I was wrong. I’m fed up, and honestly, I am exhausted from fighting without seeing any improvement.

​Doing this alone is impossible. When you are already at your lowest and can barely move, your environment feels completely hostile. You realize that the smallest things matter: when you are at your worst, that’s when everything is the hardest to manage, and if there is a single failure around you, you suffer the full impact.

​I have to face reality: I need a treatment. Even if there will be ups and downs, going back to it gives me more hope. I remember that at one point, I took melatonin and my condition improved greatly. It worked almost "too well" on me—knocking me out instantly before I could even prepare for bed—but it helped me so much to get better sleep and energy back.

​The problem is that I wanted real medical prescriptions, but I have no medical follow-up, no specialist doctor, and I am stuck. I don’t think a simple general practitioner will prescribe what I need, and it might even be dangerous.

​So for now, I am taking things into my own hands. I spend my days on Reddit reading all the recommendations, and I am going to buy every helpful supplement I can find online to try and get out of this.

​I realize there are too many problems to handle at once, so I need to focus on a treatment or medications first, rather than on anything else. My absolute priority right now is to try to sleep better and improve my energy. Once I have stabilized that, I will finally be able to focus on the rest. Later on, I hope to get in touch with specialists, even though it's not a guarantee.

​I am starting to order my supplements now. Thanks for reading.

​

​Here are the important things to look out for:

​1. Never trust the marketing

​This is my first and most important tip: do not blindly trust the marketing arguments written in bold on the bottle. Do your own research beforehand. For example, if you are looking for magnesium, know that there are many different forms (bisglycinate, citrate, malate...). Check online or on forums first to see which form is actually the best for you.

​2. Analyze the label (Ingredients and Dosage)

​Check the ingredient list: Look closely to see if there are hidden additives or if the product is Vegan or not, depending on your preferences.

​Check the dosage: Look at the milligrams per capsule so you know exactly how much you are taking.

​Look for certifications: If the product has quality labels or certifications, that’s always a huge plus.

​3. Read the reviews and watch out for smells!

​Pay close attention to what other customers say. For context, I once bought a product that had such a strong, horrible smell that it actually made me throw up. Read the reviews first to avoid that kind of bad surprise. Generally, it’s safer to stick to well-reputed brands or specialized websites.

​4. The pros and cons of bulk buying

​Personally, I tend to always buy large formats (big bottles with a lot of capsules). However, I’m not entirely sure if this is actually a good idea for everyone.

​The risk: If you buy a huge format and the product doesn't suit you, you're stuck with it.

​The return policy: Even though you usually have a two-week return window online, keep in mind that these kinds of products are generally non-returnable once opened, which makes sense. Depending on the website, you might get a refund, but it's not guaranteed.

​The cost: Buying a large format costs more upfront, and if you can't finish it, it’s definitely not cost-effective.

Of course, this advice is mostly for those who are managing everything on their own, but it's always better if you can get professional advice or guidance.

​Take care of yourselves.

​

​How do you handle your note-taking and tracking? For a while, I was writing a lot in a notebook, which is great, but I don't know how to organize it. If I start making different sections, I know I won't have the energy to open the right page and write in them. At the same time, using my phone doesn't work well for me because I don't remember things as easily. I feel like writing on paper is really important.

​How do you manage to remember things? Do you use Post-its, or something else? How do you organize your notes on symptoms and thoughts so that it stays clear, efficient, and above all, prevents you from forgetting?

​

​In this post, I am venting because I have severe brain fog, memory issues, a complete disconnection from my body, and physical problems like constipation and constant fatigue. On top of that, I have no help from my family and I am forced to manage this illness completely alone.

​I miss melatonin so much. It was the only treatment that allowed me to sleep early every night and recover a little bit, even if there were some hiccups. I absolutely hate seeing time pass without being able to do much. I know I need a real baseline treatment, but right now, I can't go to the doctor. I am completely all alone, with zero help, and it is weighing on me immensely.

​First of all, can we talk about how insane it is to not feel your own body? Like seriously, I feel my physical sensations so little and I just can't take it anymore. I feel like I have every single physical problem on Earth. I have constipation, my bladder is completely full... I am at my wits' end. Right now, I hurt my neck because my pillow is terrible, but I didn't even realize it at the time because I don't feel my body's sensations. I was so hyper-focused on my bladder that I completely missed everything else. On top of that, I turn on the AC at night, so then I get way too cold and it wakes me up in the middle of the night. Nothing is working.

​Plus, things are going really badly with my family. They don't help me. Sometimes I am so exhausted and desperate that I ask them for food or water, and they won't help me. My house is not easy to move around in either: I have to slide down the stairs on my butt, and I crawl back up on all fours... I just don't know anymore. I try to do everything I possibly can, and it's still not enough.

​It is so incredibly hard to manage this illness all alone. I feel like I constantly have to force myself to focus on my body and my sensations, and it makes me feel like my entire environment is a hazard. Every single little thing becomes a threat. Because of all this, I am completely pushed to the limit and I am way too tired. I keep getting into arguments with people because I am doing so badly, and they don't understand why I stop talking or why I isolate myself.

​The thing that frustrates me the most right now is forgetting things, making the same mistakes 50,000 times, and always overanalyzing everything. I used to keep a little journal to help me manage, but I haven't written in it for a long time. Now, I write notes on my phone, but it doesn't work because I still forget to check them. I am so overwhelmed that I'm thinking about sticking Post-its and tape absolutely everywhere on the walls just to have the reminders right in front of my eyes at all times. I desperately need to find another solution.

​But I know very well that every single day, I need to think about sleep. Focus entirely on sleep. I have to focus on that and absolutely nothing else. Really, on how I am going to manage my sleep, how I am going to experience my sleep, and so on. That needs to be the absolute priority. I need to think about it all day long: sleep, sleep, sleep. Because right now, I don't know what to do anymore, I am just so sick of it.

Pure ragebait lol