No, the people around me are mostly racists, sexists, and bigots. If it wasn’t for the internet, I wouldn’t be able to find my people without moving far away.

It definitely told my therapist a lot when I said to her, “I can be honest with you because I don’t need you to like me. I’m paying you for a service.”

In a way, yes. I work in the cheese industry, and there’s only a handful of manufacturers making things; a lot of times the only thing that differs is the packaging. Especially when it comes to something simple like shredded mozzarella cheese, the store brands are all the same product with different packaging.

I work (4x10 with 30 minute commute), go to the gym 3 days a week, cook healthy meals, maintain relationships with a handful of people, and get 6-7 hours of sleep.

Yeah, my “gift” was undiagnosed ADHD which has made life absolutely miserable to navigate once I left the extremely structured environment of school.

Alas, I have the ‘nothing at all gives me dopamine’ ADHD. I thought it was just depression for years, but turns out it was ADHD. I struggle to see any benefits that come from my condition.

I’m in my thirties, and the closest thing I ever had to a party was when me and a bunch of the guys I worked with (total of like six people) would hang out together, drinking and playing Mario Kart

I struggled with depression a lot when I was growing up. And to deal with it, I ate my feelings, and gained a ton of weight. Even though I’ve lost most of the weight, (down from 350lbs to 200lbs) my body is never going to look good due to the stretch marks and loose skin.

Smoked paprika. It just adds so much depth to anything that I add it to! I’m also a big fan of cumin and turmeric.

18 or 20, depending on how I’m feeling that day.

69F (20.5C) year-round. Just for the memes.

Honestly, pretty shitty. Given the political climate of my home (US) is exacerbating the problems I already face between untreated ADHD, depression, and who knows what else, I’ve just been dissociating the days away.

Where do you draw the line, exactly? AI-generated art doesn’t discriminate based on how wealthy the individual whose art it is copying is. Most artists aren’t wealthy. Their work is being stolen just as readily as Miyazaki’s. The fact that Miyazaki’s not using his wealth to help others is completely irrelevant to the conversation.

Definitely better. I play tabletop RPGs (D&D, Pathfinder), and technology has allowed us to do all sorts of things that would be challenging in a physical medium. We can create detailed maps with lighting effects, sound effects, and triggers. A lot of the more tedious parts of the game such as initiative and health tracking get automated, and applying damage and healing is as easy as clicking a button while having a unit selected. And to top it all off, we’re not restricted to playing with the people around us and physically getting together. You can sit at home in your PJs and just hop into a Discord call to play with your friends. I’m truly grateful for it because I was able to continue playing Tabletop RPGs with my sister when she moved 1300 miles away to live with her then boyfriend, now husband.

And then he spoke not a word more.

Because I have very poor social skills, and every time I have opened up to somebody in the past, they’ve taken advantage of me and hurt me. It’s just more comfortable and stable being alone at this point.

TW: suicide, depression

I’m at my highest, coming out of my 20s which were my lowest point. I struggled with undiagnosed, unmedicated ADHD, and the depression and anxiety that accompanied it. I couldn’t hold a job. Hell, things got so bad that I wrapped a belt around my throat and tried to end it all. But I survived. And eventually, things got better. All it took was a little support from my sister and her husband, and their belief that I wasn’t a broken human being.

Now, I’ve held a job for the last year. I’ll be interviewing for a promotion next week. I’m in the process of getting diagnosis and treatment for my mental health issues. I’ve dropped more than 120 lbs of excess weight in the past year (350->227). I’m going to be starting college online part-time at the beginning of August. I’ve changed my outlook on life, and have an easier time managing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Sure, I’m a 31 year old virgin who has only ever gone on a single date (which went disastrously), but I’m not too worried about that. If I keep focusing on myself and becoming the person I want to be, I’ll pull somebody in one day.

When my son came out to me as a furry, I didn’t know what to expect. But I never would’ve expected this.