u/m4rtyn3czg4

A little rant.
I had an amazing cycling route planned for today. The weather is actually pretty good. But… I got my period yesterday, and today the bleeding is so heavy that I honestly don’t think I can do it.
It just makes me really sad. Being a woman unfortunately comes with situations like this. You’d think I’d have made peace with it by now, but it still gets to me.
I can’t wear tampons, so they’re not an option for me. The only thing I can use is pads, and the idea of wearing a pad while sitting on a bike for four hours… yeah, that doesn’t exactly sound like a good time. Especially with such heavy bleeding.
Any suggestions encouragement maybe? 😭

Bought a second-hand bike and became a complete cycling newbie.
Spent a week riding 20–30 km every day, thinking, “Wow… my fitness must be absolutely terrible.”
Turns out… it wasn’t me.
Took the bike in for a free check, and the mechanic told me my brake pads were completely worn out and had been rubbing against both wheels the whole time.
So I basically spent a week cycling in hard mode without even knowing it. 💀
No wonder the hills nearly killed me. But hey… if I managed 20–30 km a day like that, maybe nothing is impossible after all.

Hi everyone.
I’m 30 years old and I’ve decided to start cycling. I finally took the first step and bought a bike. It’s a second-hand bike and nothing special, but I didn’t want to spend a fortune on a brand-new or expensive bike when I’m only just starting.
I’m a fairly tall woman and I’m more slim than overweight, but my fitness isn’t great, especially after having two kids and spending a lot of time at home.
I want to change something in my life because lately I’ve realised I’ve been spending more and more time doing unhealthy things, like eating too much junk food and drinking wine instead of actually looking after myself. I feel like cycling is a great way to get out of the house in the evenings, clear my head, get tired in a good way and just do something that’s good for me.
I guess this post is just to introduce myself and ask if you have any advice for a complete beginner. I live in quite a busy city, it’s usually windy here and there are quite a lot of hills, so I’m a bit worried I won’t manage longer rides at first.
Right now I’m aiming for around 20 km per ride, about 10 km out and 10 km back, so I’m never too far from home and I don’t completely wear myself out.
Nice to meet you all.

I don’t think I can do this flight anymore.

For weeks now I’ve been struggling with severe anxiety and depression, and recently I’ve started having panic attacks. My flight is only a few days away, and instead of getting excited, I feel completely overwhelmed with fear.

My last hope was speaking to a doctor and asking for something to help me get through the flight, but unfortunately I was refused. In the UK they no longer prescribe medication for aerophobia.

I feel awful. I’m depressed because I’m scared, and I don’t want to be scared. I want to be excited and looking forward to this trip, but instead this fear is eating me alive every single day. It’s been going on for weeks and I’m exhausted. I honestly hate feeling like this.

I think I may never get on a plane again. Something has shifted in my mind, and I just can’t seem to undo it. I’ve tried and tried, but nothing works. :(

For context, I was never a huge fan of flying. I live with an anxiety disorder, which certainly doesn’t help. On my very first flight as a teenager, I experienced extremely severe turbulence just before landing. Ever since that experience, flying has been unpleasant for me, to put it mildly. But I still did it.

Unfortunately, over time it got to the point where, several weeks before a flight, I would start experiencing depression, panic attacks, and constant overthinking. I tried coping by drinking alcohol to calm my mind, but that’s obviously a very unhealthy path to go down. The other option would be medication, but because my anxiety starts so long before the flight, and because the medications are quite strong, I’d be putting my health at significant risk.

I know the statistics. I understand the physics that allow an aircraft to stay in the air. I know the regulations and how incredibly safe flying is. But personally, I just can’t do it.

I feel like I’ve failed somehow, but maybe flying just isn’t meant for everyone. 💔

…Which means my brain is convinced these are my last 21 days of my life.
I hate this fear with all my heart!!!
I need pep talk!

I’m hungry for the world. Traveling is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I just can’t seem to manage it. Years keep passing, and I still avoid traveling because of flying. I hate waiting for the flight, and I start feeling anxious weeks before it even happens. I hate airports, security checks, and I can’t stand the takeoff.
Honestly, the stress I feel outweighs the joy of traveling at this point. Every single time I have to fly, I’m convinced the plane is going to crash. I don’t know how to get rid of that feeling.

Where’s the best place in Edinburgh for second-hand records with a good selection and decent prices? Any hidden gems?

My wedding is tomorrow and since yesterday I’ve been feeling nausea and increasing stress and being under pressure. I hate, absolutely hate being the center of attention. And tomorrow I kind of have to be.

The last days have been intense enough, lots of guests, planning, entertaining people, etc.

We both are on the spectrum and have some kind of anxiety, so it’s not easy. We decided to make the smallest wedding possible, meaning to invite only the people closest to us, and I’m still stressed. I regret that I’m even having a wedding at all, we could have just done an elopement and that’s it

Please wish me luck tomorrow