I never thought about botox to assist with muscle atrophy/shrinkage! It’s not something I’d feel comfortable pursuing (as I can’t even figure out navigating FFS), but I would say my muscle definition is a large contributor to my dysphoria… curse my bodybuilding pursuit to try to feel better about a body that never felt right 😭

Also super interesting to read that they believe laser hair removal is permanent! I love reading that and do follow their reasoning, but it almost sounds too good to be true.

It stimulates my brain, and I enjoy the randomness of it all. It’s like how in nature things can be perfectly imperfect - random and still beautiful - unintentional and still emotion-inducing. Sure, I see the ethical issues with how an AI is trained and how capitalism cares more about profit than people leading to job loss or exploitation; however, those are separate issues in my mind, and I can still find joy in the random output of an AI. I could easily tunnel on the bad parts of AI and what’s happening as the world devours a new technology, but I still see benefits it can bring in the medical research and engineering fields.

This broke me for a few weeks after my last session 😭Dysphoria was already bad that week. Technician and I decided to increase the strength of the laser - previous sessions maybe a pain level of 4, but the last one was like a 7. Face was so swollen and irritated… I didn’t leave my place for over a week until everything calmed down and I was able to trim/shave. I hope your face and skin heals soon and those remaining hairs disappear 🩷

You’ll find that in queer culture, there’s not just top/bottom but a wide spectrum to define or describe preferences; I’m sure this all also applies to the BDSM world as well. There’s a variety of tops and bottoms and preferences like Bambi lesbians who don’t want sexual dynamics beyond cuddling and kissing.

It’s still in Closed Beta, but they’ve been sending out waves of invites, so if you sign up you may get one!

After an incredibly emotional and difficult couple weeks, this week was a relief. I was invited to a girl’s night with pumpkin painting and nostalgic Halloween movies (Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, etc). Just soooo thankful to have some super supportive women in my life 🥹. I’ve started to feel oddly lonely around my normal friend group - queer men who are very supportive and who I love, but idk… there’s just been this growing disconnect inside me lately. The way they talk, try to comfort, connect… I’ve been feeling guilty about it, but I feel worse ignoring my feelings and trying to force myself to be somewhere I don’t want to be. Like, how does the girl at the coffee shop I visit throughout the week know exactly how to comfort me, pick me up, include me, and make me feel seen, but my long-time friends don’t 😭

Oh! I’ve also been playing Infinity Nikki and losing it over how cute and cozy the story, world, and clothes are! Suuuper recommend it!!

The combination might not be causing nausea, but nausea is a potential side effect with Lamotrigine. When I was being treated for Bipolar Disorder, I had to switch mood stabilizers due to random vertigo spells. I hope it’s something else if you’ve been feeling stable (mentally) with your current prescriptions since changing psych medications is a huge pain!

I’m a little over 6 months on hrt and haven’t noticed any appetite changes. I’ve actually been eating far less and more sporadically. I was eating for performance reasons pre-transition, so I’d say I’m eating more normally. How are you receiving/dosing your estrogen? I use patches, but I could see fluctuating hormones from injections/pills affecting appetite.

I hope your appointment goes well! If things don’t click, I suuuper recommend Folx Health. It’s an online doctor service, and you never have to do anything in person outside the blood work. They made the process so easy- one appointment over video chat, and then boom, pharmacy had my hrt the same day. Good luck!!

I still really enjoy Phasmophobia and all the games which came out after that have similar mechanics/gameplay. The Dark Pictures games are all really great experiences. There’s also indie games like Little Nightmares and Dredge! Alan Wake, Outlast, Still Wakes the Deep… Honestly there’s been so many amazing ones which have come out. For days/nights where you want a lighter experience, the Observation Duty type games can be fun!

Last time I had my eye appointment I asked for both prescriptions (since I guess they are different sometimes). Got a 3 month supply of contacts since I only use them when I go out and maybe go out 3 days a week, and some nice prescription glasses online. Now the real thing I’m after… Lasik. I had transitions for a year or two, but got so tired of wearing them when I was out for the day with friends- walk outside, fine, go in a shop…dark. By the time we’re done in the shop they’ve just started to fade, then back outside and it’s too bright… repeat 😵‍💫 I even paid for the ‘quick’ transitions.

The interview process is what is causing me the most anxiety right now. Lost my job at the end of June, and I KNOW I need to be looking harder, but I’m just dreading the whole interview process. I’ve been procrastinating like crazy…I just don’t want to relearn a whole culture of a new team; it’s so mentally draining. 12 years somewhere and the idea that I have to start all over again…😭

Honestly, it’s depressing, but nothing solo anymore. Games were such a big part of my life, but now I can only focus and enjoy them with a friend. It can be the most basic game, but as long as I have a friend I’m locked in. Anytime I try playing a game just for me, it’s like the dopamine just isn’t generated 😭

Same… It’s like 20 minutes of focus and then I need a nap 🤷‍♀️ When I was younger, I’d just inhale energy drinks, but the crashes just kept coming faster and faster.

Depends where you live! There’s weekly/monthly cannabis events where I’m at. I’ve made some great friends at them!

Decent! Only 5 months on HRT and see and feel plenty of change. Really hoping certain muscles start to decrease in size - primarily shoulders and lats. All the tops I buy fit awkwardly 😞 I was also hoping my metabolism would slow down slightly and allow me to keep some fat, but my body has always liked staying lean… After so many years of bodybuilding, I’m just not in a place mentally to start eating like crazy again to help with weight gain; it’s liberating to eat what and when I want. Dressing more androgenous and getting plenty of compliments on my outfits, though I consider them a compromise while my body composition adjusts. I feel really good about myself, and that’s a big first for me!

Unfortunately this is some of the best advice. I think different people are more susceptible to existential anxiety - or moreso anxiety over things that will never be able to change or control. Some people can channel that emotion into advocacy, volunteer work, etc while others mentally drown in thought loops. As rude as it sounds, sometimes it really is a ‘touch grass’ type of thing. You HAVE to watch out for your own mental health and oftentimes that means disconnecting from triggers and focusing on your own life and interests. Play a game, watch something, read a book, go to the zoo, meet up with friends - live in the moment and outside your head. I also recommend using the internet purposefully and not just to kill time - use social media for discovery and research of specific topics and not for just general consumption.

Rituals and setting myself up to enjoy the morning- super yummy overnight oats, skincare routine, pour over coffee or a visit to my favorite coffee shop, watching my favorite GTA RP streamer… After all that, my brain has released the entirety of its dopamine for the day, and I crawl back into bed until lunch/dinner 🥹

Could be the type of laser! I also have/had thick dark hair, but the place I go to has some special tech which quickly shoots a super cold blast of something before the laser zaps. I wouldn’t say it’s painless, but faaar less painful than I imagined it. Anytime I slightly jumped it was due to the sudden blast of cold air.

That has been my experience as well! Prepaid for 6 sessions so I set my expectations around that. Two weeks after my first, one morning ~90% of my hair wiped right off during my skincare routine. I was sooo excited! I seem to just have a few small active patches left which I’m hoping the second session helps with. Definitely putting money down for my legs and arms next time I go.