u/crystalfruitpie

I know triops love to dig, so my current setup is mostly long stem plants, floaters, a couple epiphytes, and some open spaces for the triops to run around in. I've not added the triops yet.

I got dwarf sag grass for a paladarium, and I know it spreads quickly. Will it impede the triops if I plant some?

I'm totally ok with the triops uprooting or eating it all if that ends up happening instead, just want to make sure it wouldn't cause them a hard time running around, especially when they're younger.

Been seeing this therapist for a couple months. At his request, I did the DES and he didn't bring it up for a couple sessions, so I asked and he said he scored me as having DIDNOS. This is the second therapist who has mentioned the diagnosis to me, and I said so on my intake and specifically asked if he was familiar/trained with DID, and he said yes and he had worked with clients with it before.

I've been aware of/suspecting of DID/OSDD symptoms for over 10 years now, and mostly pursued trying to manage and improve it on my own due to lack of resoueces, or fear of malingering or stigma, or having long periods of denial. After trying lots of other forms of therapy, getting adhd and autism assessments and diagnoses, working on tools for managing other physical and mental problems, and getting sober - the remaining levels of dissociation, memory issues, flashbacks, and especially difficulties managing expectations, goals, interests, emotions, skills between my different parts has become too obvious of a barrier to my progress to not try to bring to therapists.

I already have had multiple issues with this therapist talking over me, selectively listening to only part of what I've said, not being on the same page with my knowledge/skills/experiences, and especially not asking about my history or my traumas, which was why I am seeing him. I've spent multiple sessions now explaining that I am well versed in mindfulness, did DBT classes, meditate and read about buddhism regularly, have a complex understanding of acceptance of emotions, and practice working on my interoception and understanding of my emotions and thoughts. Today he wanted to do an exercise about accepting emotions. I explained that my usual issue with that is when other parts of me experience grief/flashbacks/etc, the parts of me with those skills aren't present and I can't seem to access the same sets of emotions and skills and memories all at the same time. I can go from washing dishes to having a flashback and grief and not remembering where I am/what I'm doing, and maybe part of me is trying to self soothe but doesn't relate to the memory at all while the part of me that feels bad can't accept the self soothing or even hear it, and I may spent hours at a time going back and forth in this way while not remembering half of what I was thinking about.

After a bunch of discussion about this and how my memory and parts work for me, the most honest I've been with a therapist about this, he said he doesn't think I have DID because I don't have blackout amnesia and that's required for the diagnosis, and he thinks my issues are because of autistic masking and not understanding or accepting what my emotions are.

I *had* said that I no longer have blackout amnesia, it's more like I have constant chunks of missing time but I have a kind of seperate understanding like a sparknotes of what happened, or I do remember kind of like it was a dream or in 3rd person, or I remember but feel and think strongly differently about it. But I said I did *used* to have blackout amnesia and it only improved after years of working on acceptance and tools and skill building, that amnesia doesn't distress me as much as it used to because I'm aware of it, and because it's so constant/normal. I know it is not as extreme as waking up in another country or something, but the hours and days lost and being unsure of what just happened, sudden total changes in important opinions and plans and skills, the constant internal arguments and shifting perspectives/opinions - these are huge peoblems for me. I know these are not the same as when I forgot where I put my keys because of adhd, or forget to eat because I'm hyperfocusing, or have trouble understanding pain cues from sitting oddly because of autism.

Also like.. I scored 41 on the DES and that was specifically only for what I'm struggling with currently, I was told not to consider previous years. And if that alone is enough to score me as DIDNOS, like ok then even though that's not DID, is it not its own disorder or subset of DID that requires its own treatment and acknowledgement as its own issue? It's not called 'miscellaneous problems not otherwise specified'. And it's not just my autism or adhd. (And no he didnt mention or know OSDD by name or know it had subtypes - which wouldn't be concerning to me on its own, but in combination with everything else makes me wonder how much he does/n't know about it).

I think I know the answer but feel weird about it so kinda rambling.

I've had a lot of therapists and other mental health professionals and while some of them have been helpful to vent to or get validation from especially re:trauma, none of the support or advice has been that effective long term. I hadn't been able to find a DID specialist, and though I'd mention it as a possibility during intake, no one focused on it and I didn't want to bring it up. I've been really guarded and have trouble being honest about my symptoms/experiences, or have trouble and confusion and shame describing them.

I just had a short term student therapist who was great, was supposed to see her about neurodivergent skill building but trauma and dissociation kept coming up as reasons I struggled to implement changes. Anyway I just started with a new guy who's a trauma specialist and decided to be more direct though it was still difficult. He observed and asked about my dissociation but I feel.. odd about the kinds of questions and statements he makes.

I hadn't looked in awhile and found some other promising possibly sliding scale therapists who specialize in dissociation. I am going to try the consult and see how I feel. But I feel kind of bad if I don't give this other guy a shot, like I am trying too hard to get 'approval' that I have DID. Even though I know a specialist could also help me know if it's not the case and still be helpful for ptsd etc. (I also think I do.. maybe.. I just don't like saying that. I used to talk about having did/osdd in the past but most of the time not anymore.. Anyway too much to get into the self debate/denial)

My dissociation has gotten wicked bad the past bit as I moved into my own apartment and am making lots of changes. And with trauma coming up in therapy. Now have had a nasty migraine the past few days as I did the DES for the current therapist. I've only seen him twice, he doesn't know anything about me, I'm not sure I trust him enough to talk about the questions/answers with. I feel like he kind of bulldozes over me. I really wish a therapist would just kind of learn more about my life and past before starting on solutions

Has anyone gotten therapy covered via the health services requests, like massage and acupuncture etc can be?

I have been seeing sliding scale therapists for a long time and some of them are truly wonderful. But I have a pretty rare particular mental health diagnosis that none of them, especially students, have been trained or equipped to deal with. They do the best they can, but I'm unlikely to make progress without a specialist. There are only a couple therapists trained/working with this disorder in Alberta and neither are sliding scale.

I also did some intakes with the AHS mental health system and they are even less equipped to deal with it. I can get psychiatry fine for my comorbities and other issues, I can get access to specialists for my physical disorders. But it is hard to make progress in anything else without tackling this particular mental disorder, and I'm really frustrated I can't afford the help I need because it's so specialized.

The letters AISH recipients received alerting them of their transference to the ADAP program stated: "Starting with the August 2026 period of assistance, which is issued in July, the ADAP maximum living allowance will be $1,740. In addition to the monthly living allowance, you willl receive a monthly transition benefit of $200, which will be automatically applied and will continue until December 31, 2027. This means you will receive your existing AISH benefit amount until December 31, 2027."

This gave us time to plan our finances, prepare for the transfer, work with our doctors to submit appeals which can take months of work and months to process.

Today, ADAP recipients received $200 less in our monthly checks with NO warning - and more reduction for people living with other recipients or for other relevant situations. Less than no warning - we were assured we would not be facing reductions for another year and a half. That's a year and a half of financial planning to scramble to account for. If we had been told nothing, at least we could have anticipated this possibility. We were straight up lied to. How can we make plans for our future, let alone work on our current stability and needs, not only not knowing what comes next, but now receiving confirmation that anything we have been told could be suddenly changed without warning?

Please do anything you can to speak out against these injustices against a vulnerable population, and support people in your life who may be quietly eating less, seeing others less, meeting less of their needs in the coming months.

EDIT: See comments for clarification - some have received an unannounced cut, and others have not. As of now there is no information on whether this is a phased rollout, an error (either for people who got reductions or those who didnt), or just a clusterfuck.

I make mixtures of a lot of fruits, herbs, florals. I have a selection that covers a lot of different notes, but would like something with as pure of a Fresh Grassy taste as possible, that isn't green tea (which I like, but need something noncaffeinated).

I have butterfly pea which is my favorite for that at the moment.

I use catnip and raspberry leaf, but those have a drier, earthier taste.

I haven't tried any actual grasses yet - lemongrass, sweetgrass, catgrass, not sure which might be best.

Grass is fairly easy and quick to grow, would just growing some get a fresher flavor?