u/duburake

Hey everyone,

I’m getting married soon and have been stressing about something I’ve struggled with my entire life: excessive facial blushing.

Ever since I was a kid, whenever I’d get nervous, embarrassed, or become the centre of attention, my face would turn bright red. I remember hating presentations in school because I could literally feel my face heating up, and people would make comments about me looking like a tomato, which only made it worse.

Now with my wedding coming up, I’m worried it’ll happen again since all eyes will be on me during the ceremony, vows, speeches, etc.

I’ve never really looked into treatments before, but I’m desperate to find something that works. I’ve read about propranolol and other medications that might help, but I’m curious if anyone has actually had success with them specifically for blushing.

Has anyone found a medication, treatment, or technique that genuinely reduces or prevents facial blushing? I’m a guy and would prefer to avoid makeup.

I’d really appreciate hearing what has worked for others. Thanks!

I’m currently dealing with a sextortion scam and I’m pretty anxious about what happens next. This happened 20 min ago.

I was online and started talking to a girl who was flirting with me. It seemed genuine at the time, so we talked for a while. She asked for my Instagram and after I gave it, she told me that her Instagram had been banned and asked for my phone number instead(first red flag). I gave it to her, and eventually we ended up video calling for a little bit.

After the call ended, she sent me a screen recording she had taken of the call and started demanding money from me. She also sent around 10 screenshots of my suggested followers on Instagram. Probably 90% of the accounts shown were actually people who follow me, and unfortunately quite a few of them are family members.

She threatened to send the recording to those people if I didn’t pay her.

I didn’t pay anything. I deleted the messages I had sent and blocked her. I haven’t contacted her again, and as of right now, I haven’t heard anything else.

What’s really getting to me is not knowing whether she’ll actually follow through. If it were just a random picture or screenshot, I feel like it would be easier to explain as fake or edited. But because she has an actual screen recording from the call, I’m worried it would be much harder to explain if she sends it. The fact that she found accounts belonging to my family makes me especially anxious.

I’m in my early 20s, and I was already aware that sextortion scams existed. I’ve seen warnings about this exact type of scam before, which makes it even more frustrating that I fell for it. It seemed genuine while it was happening, and I didn’t realize what was going on until she sent the recording and demanded money.

I know paying would probably just lead to more demands, so I’m not going to pay or contact her again. I’m mainly wondering what usually happens after you block them.

For people who have dealt with this type of scam before, did the scammer actually send the material to your followers after you stopped responding? Is there anything else I should be doing now to protect myself or my accounts?

Thanks

I’ve been on Accutane for about 3.5 months and am currently taking 100 mg/day. Recently, the tip of my penis has become extremely red, dry, and irritated. It often hurts when I pee, and lately even showering or having water touch the area has become very irritating and painful.

I’ve been applying a thin layer of Vaseline twice a day, but I haven’t noticed much improvement.

I’m not looking for medical advice or a diagnosis, I’m planning to bring this up with my doctor. I mainly wanted to share what I’m experiencing and hear from people who experienced similar genital dryness/irritation while taking isotretinoin: what was your experience like?

As a kid, my parents’ birthdays meant cake, presents, and another year to celebrate.

As I’ve gotten older, birthdays have started to mean something completely different. Instead of celebrating, part of me quietly mourns the passing of another year. Every birthday feels like one less year I’ll have with the people who raised me.

Maybe that’s just what growing up is. At some point, birthdays stop being about gaining time and start reminding us that time is finite.

This thought has become even harder lately because both of my parents are dealing with serious health issues, cancer and heart problems. I’m grateful they’re still here, but it’s made me realize how fragile everything really is.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s selfish that I wish my parents outlive me. I know that’s not how life usually works, but I can’t imagine a world without them. They’ve been the center of my life for so long that the idea of moving forward without them feels impossible.

I know everyone eventually has to face losing their parents. I just don’t know how people learn to carry that kind of loss

I’ve been dealing with this issue for a while now and it’s driving me crazy.

At completely random times, my MacBook will start acting really weird. The mouse still moves, but if I click something, it won't register. I’ll have to spam click something before it actually opens or responds. The keyboard also doesn't work. For example, if I’m watching YouTube and try to use the left/right arrow keys to skip ahead, nothing happens unless I click on the video a few times first. Even then, it’ll only work for a second before it stops again.

It’s not just Chrome either, it happens across the entire Mac. Chrome gets this greyed out look, but that’s just one symptom. Every app becomes unresponsive.

Greyed out look (nothing works until I spam click)

Working as intended

The only thing that fixes it is restarting my Macbook, but eventually it comes back again. Sometimes it’ll be fine for hours, sometimes it happens multiple times in a day.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Any ideas or things I should try would be appreciated.

I’ve been having a really frustrating issue with my MacBook and I can’t figure out what’s causing it.

Randomly, the entire system becomes almost unusable.

Symptoms:

• Mouse still moves, but clicks barely register. I usually have to spam click before something happens.
• Keyboard input mostly stops working.
• If I’m watching YouTube, the left/right arrow keys won’t skip anymore until I click the video, then they work for maybe a second before stopping again.
• This happens across the whole Mac, not just Chrome.
• Chrome’s UI also sometimes becomes greyed out (attached screenshot), but I think that’s just another symptom because the issue affects every app.

Greyed out(I need to spam click to use)

After restart(works correctly)

• Restarting fixes everything immediately, but the problem eventually comes back.

I’ve confirmed it’s not just Chrome since it happens everywhere in macOS.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I'd love to know if there is a fix.

Hi everyone,

I’m a bit overweight and, for the past week, I’ve been trying to build better habits by walking 10,000 steps a day, with some jogging mixed in. Overall, it’s been going okay and I’m enjoying it, but I’ve run into a few issues that I’m hoping to get some advice on.

1. After a longer walk or jog, I sometimes get painful bumps or chafing on my inner thighs. They get bad enough that I end up limping and have to take 2 to 3 days off before I can comfortably walk again. Is this just thigh chafing? If so, what’s the best way to prevent it? Despite applying vaseline before my walks, I've found it hasn't helped.
2. The bottom of one of my feet (around the sole) starts hurting after walking or jogging. Could this be because of my running form, my shoes, being overweight, or something else? How can I figure out what’s causing it? Also at times, my lower shin begins to hurt. Are these common when starting and will they slowly go away if I push myself?
3. Whenever I jog or even walk continuously for a while, I sometimes get a sharp pain on the right side of my abdomen, around the middle of my torso. Is this common? Any tips on preventing it?

I’m taking things slowly and not trying to run fast or long distances yet. I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from people who started running while overweight or had similar issues

I’m 23, recently graduated from university, and have been working full time within RBC Capital Markets in Toronto for just under a year.

Overall, I’m grateful for the opportunity. My team is great, the people I work with are supportive, and I recognize that many people my age are currently struggling to find work. I’m fortunate to have a stable job and an active income.

At the same time, I cannot stop asking myself whether there is more I should be doing at this stage of my career.

My team mostly consists of directors and senior directors, so many of the conversations around career progression seem focused on eventually reaching that level within the bank. While that path is appealing, I’m also wondering whether staying at a bank, especially this early in my career, could limit my future opportunities.

For those who have worked in banking, technology, or capital markets in Canada, do you think staying at a large bank for several years helps or hurts your long term career potential?

Would it be wiser to start applying to other companies and explore roles outside of banking while I’m still early in my career? One of my concerns is that banks are often viewed as being behind other industries when it comes to software, technology, and innovation. I worry that staying too long could make it harder to transition later.

I’m not necessarily unhappy or looking to leave immediately. I’m mainly trying to understand whether I should continue building experience where I am, or be more aggressive about exploring other opportunities.

I would appreciate any advice from people who have been in a similar position, particularly those who started their careers at one of the major Canadian banks.

Hey everyone,

I’m 6’1” and currently around 240 lbs. My goal is to get down to about 185 lbs, but I’ve been stuck in a frustrating cycle. Every time I lose 5 to 10 pounds, I end up gaining it back, and usually more. I think the biggest issue is that whatever I’m doing never feels sustainable long term.

I can usually push myself in the gym, but my diet is where I really struggle, especially with sugar and sweets.

For context, an average day for me used to include eating a whole party-size box of Oreos dumped in milk like cereal, followed by some kind of brownie or cake. That would basically be breakfast, and then I’d often have something similar again for dessert later in the day. On top of that, I was doing a lot of takeout.

I’ve been trying to cut back on takeout and sugary drinks. Switching to zero sugar drinks has actually helped a lot, but I’m still struggling badly with actual sweets like cookies, brownies, cakes, and desserts.

I know a lot of people say not to cut sweets out completely and to just practice moderation. I understand that in theory, but right now I honestly feel like I have no self control around them. If there’s a box of cookies or sweets in front of me, I don’t just have one or two, I’ll eat the whole thing. It feels less like a normal craving and more like something I can’t control once I start.

I’m wondering if anyone else has dealt with this kind of intense sugar craving or binge like eating pattern. What actually helped you? Did you find better alternatives, specific strategies, certain foods that helped with cravings, or a different approach entirely?

I’m not looking for a quick fix. I’m just trying to find something realistic that can help me make progress without constantly falling back into the same cycle.

Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated.

Hey everyone,

I’m 6’1” and currently around 240 lbs. My goal is to get down to about 185 lbs, but I’ve been stuck in a frustrating cycle. Every time I lose 5 to 10 pounds, I end up gaining it back, and usually more. I think the biggest issue is that whatever I’m doing never feels sustainable long term.

I can usually push myself in the gym, but my diet is where I really struggle, especially with sugar and sweets.

For context, an average day for me used to include eating a whole party-size box of Oreos dumped in milk like cereal, followed by some kind of brownie or cake. That would basically be breakfast, and then I’d often have something similar again for dessert later in the day. On top of that, I was doing a lot of takeout.

I’ve been trying to cut back on takeout and sugary drinks. Switching to zero sugar drinks has actually helped a lot, but I’m still struggling badly with actual sweets like cookies, brownies, cakes, and desserts.

I know a lot of people say not to cut sweets out completely and to just practice moderation. I understand that in theory, but right now I honestly feel like I have no self control around them. If there’s a box of cookies or sweets in front of me, I don’t just have one or two, I’ll eat the whole thing. It feels less like a normal craving and more like something I can’t control once I start.

I’m wondering if anyone else has dealt with this kind of intense sugar craving or binge like eating pattern. What actually helped you? Did you find better alternatives, specific strategies, certain foods that helped with cravings, or a different approach entirely?

I’m not looking for a quick fix. I’m just trying to find something realistic that can help me make progress without constantly falling back into the same cycle.

Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated.

I graduated from university, and I’ve been thinking about this a lot.

A part of me is content that it’s done. I went to school, got my degree, did basically everything my parents would have wanted from me, and now I’m working a stable full time job. On paper, everything is fine. I should feel at peace, and in some ways I do.

But as much as I hate to admit it, this kind of peace feels weirdly unfulfilling.

I miss university way more than I thought I would.

During undergrad, I hated the stress of exams. I dreaded 8am lectures. I hated the pressure of grades, deadlines, co-op, figuring out the future, and all the random stress that came with being a student. But now that it’s all said and done, I would honestly go back if I could.

I miss when my biggest stress was passing an exam. I miss hanging out with my friends all night and laughing over absolutely nothing. I miss going out multiple nights a week and doing dumb stuff just because we could. I miss seeing my friends every day without having to plan something weeks in advance.

Life after graduation is strange because everyone gets busy with their own lives. People start working, moving, getting into relationships, building routines, and slowly the people you used to see every single day become people you’re lucky to see once in a while.

And looking back, I don’t really wish I studied more. I don’t wish I worked harder or stressed more about every single mark. I wish I went out more. I wish I stayed out later. I wish I stayed up longer with my friends. Those are the things I actually remember.

I look back at Snapchat memories and old photos, but part of me wishes there were more of them. You remember the random nights, the inside jokes, the late night food runs, the all nighter study sessions with friends, and the stories that make no sense to anyone else.

Obviously grades, co-op, internships, and your future matter. I’m not saying to throw all of that away. But don’t let those things consume your entire university experience. Don’t make school only about the next test, the next job, the next LinkedIn update, or the next thing you think you’re supposed to achieve.

Because eventually everyone will get there. You graduate. You get the job. You build the stable life. And then you realize how special it was to be surrounded by your friends, all figuring life out at the same time, with so much freedom and so little understanding of how temporary it all was.

To all those still at Laurier, make the most of it. You might dread university right now, and honestly, I get it. But those 4 or 5 years can be some of the best years of your life if you actually let yourself enjoy them.

Go out more. Join clubs. Do random stuff. Put yourself out there. Spend time with your friends while it’s still easy. Grades are important, but you’ll never be this young, in this exact place, surrounded by these exact people, ever again.

I had a lot of fun in undergrad, and somehow I still regret not making even more out of it.

Interested if any other university alumni feel the same way.

I graduated from Laurier, and I’ve been thinking about this a lot.

A part of me is content that it’s done. I went to school, got my degree, did basically everything my parents would have wanted from me, and now I’m working a stable full time job. On paper, everything is fine. I should feel at peace, and in some ways I do.

But as much as I hate to admit it, this kind of peace feels weirdly unfulfilling.

I miss university way more than I thought I would.

During undergrad, I hated the stress of exams. I dreaded 8am lectures. I hated the pressure of grades, deadlines, co-op, figuring out the future, and all the random stress that came with being a student. But now that it’s all said and done, I would honestly go back if I could.

I miss when my biggest stress was passing an exam. I miss hanging out with my friends all night and laughing over absolutely nothing. I miss going out multiple nights a week and doing dumb stuff just because we could. I miss seeing my friends every day without having to plan something weeks in advance.

Life after graduation is strange because everyone gets busy with their own lives. People start working, moving, getting into relationships, building routines, and slowly the people you used to see every single day become people you’re lucky to see once in a while.

And looking back, I don’t really wish I studied more. I don’t wish I worked harder or stressed more about every single mark. I wish I went out more. I wish I stayed out later. I wish I stayed up longer with my friends. Those are the things I actually remember.

I look back at Snapchat memories and old photos, but part of me wishes there were more of them. You remember the random nights, the inside jokes, the late night food runs, the all nighter study sessions with friends, and the stories that make no sense to anyone else.

Obviously grades, co-op, internships, and your future matter. I’m not saying to throw all of that away. But don’t let those things consume your entire university experience. Don’t make school only about the next test, the next job, the next LinkedIn update, or the next thing you think you’re supposed to achieve.

Because eventually everyone will get there. You graduate. You get the job. You build the stable life. And then you realize how special it was to be surrounded by your friends, all figuring life out at the same time, with so much freedom and so little understanding of how temporary it all was.

To all those still at Laurier, make the most of it. You might dread university right now, and honestly, I get it. But those 4 or 5 years can be some of the best years of your life if you actually let yourself enjoy them.

Go out more. Join clubs. Do random stuff. Put yourself out there. Spend time with your friends while it’s still easy. Grades are important, but you’ll never be this young, in this exact place, surrounded by these exact people, ever again.

I had a lot of fun in undergrad, and somehow I still regret not making even more out of it.

Interested if any other Laurier alumni feel the same way.

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some advice because I'm considering stopping Accutane after my first dose.

Yesterday I took my first 100mg dose. Then early this morning I woke up to use the bathroom and felt extremely dizzy and lightheaded. I've had moments of feeling a little dizzy before in life, but this was on a different level. I also felt nauseous, like I might throw up.

Then, out of nowhere, I started getting a cold sweat. I've never had a cold sweat in my life, so it felt strange.

Sorry if this is TMI, but I'm young and I basically always wake up with morning wood. Today I didn't, which also is scary and made me wonder if something was going on.

I've been reading posts here and now I'm wondering if I should just stop before taking another dose and deal with my folliculitis instead. Has anyone experienced anything similar after their first dose? Did it get better, or did you decide Accutane wasn't worth it?

Obviously I'll be contacting my dermatologist, but I'd appreciate hearing other people's experiences.

Thanks.

I’m about to start my first full time corporate job, and I’m nervous about how being more reserved might affect my career.

I’ve worked corporate internships before, and one thing I’ve noticed is that the workplace often rewards people who are visible, vocal, and good at talking themselves up. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen how people can take credit for your work when you don’t speak up for yourself.

I wouldn’t say I’m shy exactly. I’m just more reserved. My natural instinct is to come into the office, do my work well, and leave. But from what I’ve seen, the people who seem to do really well are often the ones who are constantly talking to others, making themselves known, and speaking up in meetings, even if they aren’t necessarily doing the work.

That’s the part I’m struggling with. I’m worried that if I stay quiet, people won’t notice my contributions, or worse, someone else will take credit for them(which has happened in my internship). At the same time, I get anxious about speaking up because I’m afraid I’ll say the wrong thing or be judged. In meetings, I usually stay silent, partly because I don’t always feel like I have something new to add. A lot of people seem to just repeat what someone else already said, so it feels pointless for me to jump in just to say the same thing.

But I also know that staying invisible probably isn’t a good long term strategy.

I’m feeling pretty lost as someone just starting their career. I want to do well and grow, but I’m worried that not being outgoing enough will hold me back. The last thing I want is to come across as disengaged or risk losing my job because I’m not loud enough.

For those of you who are introverted or more reserved, how did you learn to advocate for yourself at work? How do you speak up in meetings without feeling like you’re just talking for the sake of talking? And how do you make sure your work is recognized without feeling fake?

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Hey everyone,

I’m in Canada, around the GTA, and I’ve been looking into getting a used GR Supra. I honestly love the car mainly for how it looks, and I was thinking the 2.0 could be a good option for me instead of a 3.0.

The problem is, I haven’t been able to find a single Supra 2.0 for sale in the GTA, or really anywhere in Canada. Every listing I see here seems to be a 3.0.

For the Canadians here, have you ever actually seen a 2.0 Supra listed or sold here? Did Toyota Canada just not sell the 2.0 at all, or are they just extremely rare?

I checked the U.S. market too, but after conversion the prices seem way too close to used 3.0 prices here, so importing one does not really seem worth it.

Curious what other Canadian Supra owners or shoppers have seen.

Long post, but thanks in advance to anyone who reads through and shares their experience.

I’m looking for honest experiences from people who took Accutane, especially whether you ultimately regretted it or were glad you did it, and whether you had any lasting changes afterward.

I was diagnosed with chronic folliculitis and I’ve been on doxycycline for almost 2 years. Unfortunately it seems like it’s becoming less effective even while I’m still taking it, so my dermatologist recently prescribed Accutane as the next step.

The problem is that after researching it online, I feel extremely conflicted and honestly kind of scared. Most of what I’ve been finding are horror stories, and now I’m questioning whether I should just live with this condition instead of risking making my health worse.

I’m about to start a new full-time job, so I’m especially worried about side effects affecting my ability to function day to day.

The things I’m most anxious about are:

• Brain fog, memory issues, cognitive changes
• Joint or muscle pain because I go to the gym regularly
• Hair thinning or hair loss. My hair is naturally very thick and honestly one of the things I value most about my appearance, so I’m really scared of it thinning out permanently or never being the same afterward
• Severe dryness, especially eyes and skin while working on screens all day
• Vision issues, especially stories about long-term night vision problems or permanent eye dryness/vision changes
• Erectile dysfunction or sexual side effects, especially anything that persisted after stopping
• Gut issues or long-term digestive problems, since I’ve seen people talk about IBS/IBD type symptoms afterward
• Any long-term or permanent side effects people noticed after stopping

I know online experiences can be biased toward worst cases, so I’m trying to get a more realistic picture.

For people who took Accutane:

• Do you regret taking it, or are you happy you did?
• Did it permanently help your skin/scalp condition(moreso if you have folliculitis)?
• Did you experience any lasting side effects after stopping?
• Were the side effects manageable while working full time?
• Did starting at a lower dose help?
• If you could go back, would you still take it?

I just want to make a thoughtful decision and understand the tradeoffs realistically before starting something this serious.

Would really appreciate honest experiences from both sides.

Long post, but thanks in advance to anyone who reads through and shares their experience.

I’m looking for honest experiences from people who took Accutane, especially whether you ultimately regretted it or were glad you did it, and whether you had any lasting changes afterward.

I was diagnosed with chronic folliculitis and I’ve been on doxycycline for almost 2 years. Unfortunately it seems like it’s becoming less effective even while I’m still taking it, so my dermatologist recently prescribed Accutane as the next step.

The problem is that after researching it online, I feel extremely conflicted and honestly kind of scared. Most of what I’ve been finding are horror stories, and now I’m questioning whether I should just live with this condition instead of risking making my health worse.

I’m about to start a new full-time job, so I’m especially worried about side effects affecting my ability to function day to day.

The things I’m most anxious about are:

• Brain fog, memory issues, cognitive changes
• Joint or muscle pain because I go to the gym regularly
• Hair thinning or hair loss. My hair is naturally very thick and honestly one of the things I value most about my appearance, so I’m really scared of it thinning out permanently or never being the same afterward
• Severe dryness, especially eyes and skin while working on screens all day
• Vision issues, especially stories about long-term night vision problems or permanent eye dryness/vision changes
• Erectile dysfunction or sexual side effects, especially anything that persisted after stopping
• Gut issues or long-term digestive problems, since I’ve seen people talk about IBS/IBD type symptoms afterward
• Any long-term or permanent side effects people noticed after stopping

I know online experiences can be biased toward worst cases, so I’m trying to get a more realistic picture.

For people who took Accutane:

• Do you regret taking it, or are you happy you did?
• Did it permanently help your skin/scalp condition(moreso if you have folliculitis)?
• Did you experience any lasting side effects after stopping?
• Were the side effects manageable while working full time?
• Did starting at a lower dose help?
• If you could go back, would you still take it?

I just want to make a thoughtful decision and understand the tradeoffs realistically before starting something this serious.

Would really appreciate honest experiences from both sides.

I was on Main Street the today, coming out of a shop and as I stepped outside and looked to my left, there were two kids, maybe 12 years old, riding electric scooters flying down the sidewalk. No helmets, no safety gear, nothing.

They saw me and tried to avoid me, but ended up crashing straight into each other. Both went down and started crying.

I’m all for kids having fun, but it made me wonder what’s going on lately. I’ve been seeing more and more young kids riding e-scooters around town, often on sidewalks and so recklesly.

Sidewalks are meant for pedestrians, and roads are where bikes and vehicles are supposed to be. Situations like this feel like they’re just waiting to get worse.

Curious to know if anyone else has noticed this increase? And are there actually any rules being enforced around this?