Personal Woes and Advice 3

[dehro]

And I am also applying to every job vaguely related to paleontology and museums as I can.

Does that include teaching positions if those are an option? As the deadline of joblessness gets closer you might want to cast a wider net and see if your education could be used in fields other than paleontology.

[Chen]

Also if you're not already doing it, sending out CVs and cover letters to companies in the field even if they aren't posting jobs is not a bad idea. Those do hit too sometimes.

[Gray Mage]

I speak a little Spanish, but definitely not enough to get by. So with the USA and Canada using a GPA system, that would pretty much limit me to the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Oh, you'd be amazed how much you can get by (I've seen friends with barely a month of intensive classes of French or German stay for a year in France/Germany for exchange programs and work out well, the same goes for foreingers in my College). If all go bad I'd suggest to look into a language class when you get back home. Even if you don't go abroad, a second/third language is a good differential and could help you out.

[HalfTangible]

I am doing plenty of things at the moment. I have a full-time job until the end of August that is taking up a lot of time. I have a research paper in progress that I am gathering data for on my days off. And I am also applying to every job vaguely related to paleontology and museums as I can.

Okay, I stand corrected.

But which of these gets hurt if you try?

[Skeppio]

Update: My appointment went well. I saw both a counselor and a GP, and now I'm on anti-depressants again. I've got another appointment in a week, so nice and soon.

[Astrella]

I'm glad there's good progress, Skeppio. :)

[The Succubus]

Really happy for you Skeppio - making great strides there.

[HalfTangible]

Good luck to ya, Skeppio. =) Glad to see progress.

[Ceaon]

Update: My appointment went well. I saw both a counselor and a GP, and now I'm on anti-depressants again. I've got another appointment in a week, so nice and soon.

You're putting a lot of effort in very quickly, so well done! It's good to see you feeling good enough to put smilies in your posts again.

Now, if I can ask... to me, your mood seems to have swung rather rapidly and quickly from one post to the next. I was wondering if you experienced it as a sudden mood swing yourself and if so, if such mood swings have happened earlier as well?

[Skeppio]

I'm glad there's good progress, Skeppio. :)

Really happy for you Skeppio - making great strides there.

Good luck to ya, Skeppio. =) Glad to see progress.

Thanks.

You're putting a lot of effort in very quickly, so well done! It's good to see you feeling good enough to put smilies in your posts again.

Now, if I can ask... to me, your mood seems to have swung rather rapidly and quickly from one post to the next. I was wondering if you experienced it as a sudden mood swing yourself and if so, if such mood swings have happened earlier as well?

Thanks!

Well, it was a bit more of a gradual shift back to sanity (and that horrible part where I'm able to see I was wrong and now I have to deal with my horrible actions while I was crazed). I did bring that up with the counselor, that my mood can fluctuate rather drastically. The idea is that these anti-depressants will help make the downturns less severe.

[FinnLassie]

speaking of meds... .... I keep on forgetting to take them. I started to wonder what's up with my sinking moods lately, and realised I've not taken them for three days. My memory has gotten better as I've started taking these pills, but honestly, remembering to take the pills is still a huge stretch. Does anyone have tips on how to remember? I don't want to mark them down on my diary as it I like to keep it as a public domain for my friends.

[Skeppio]

speaking of meds... .... I keep on forgetting to take them. I started to wonder what's up with my sinking moods lately, and realised I've not taken them for three days. My memory has gotten better as I've started taking these pills, but honestly, remembering to take the pills is still a huge stretch. Does anyone have tips on how to remember? I don't want to mark them down on my diary as it I like to keep it as a public domain for my friends.

I always keep mine on my desk, right near my wallet or computer mouse, where I can't possibly miss them. It helps that I'm meant to take them once a day in the morning, so I can take one just after waking up.

[dehro]

speaking of meds... .... I keep on forgetting to take them. I started to wonder what's up with my sinking moods lately, and realised I've not taken them for three days. My memory has gotten better as I've started taking these pills, but honestly, remembering to take the pills is still a huge stretch. Does anyone have tips on how to remember? I don't want to mark them down on my diary as it I like to keep it as a public domain for my friends.

Set an alarm on your phone. You don't need to name it meds

[FinnLassie]

I always keep mine on my desk, right near my wallet or computer mouse, where I can't possibly miss them. It helps that I'm meant to take them once a day in the morning, so I can take one just after waking up.

Yeah, I have to take mine once a day before noon, too. I basically do the same as you, but I just keep on forgetting. I'm not really able to keep count on how many I've taken so far to remember if I've taken my daily amount just by looking at the tablet slip. Gah. And due to summer hols my next appointment to the psych isn't til August 3rd... Things have gotten a bit chaotic since that started.

Set an alarm on your phone. You don't need to name it meds

I don't really keep up with my phone often enough nor keep it off mute mode for that to be a plausible option... thanks for the suggestion though.

[Ceaon]

Thanks!

Well, it was a bit more of a gradual shift back to sanity (and that horrible part where I'm able to see I was wrong and now I have to deal with my horrible actions while I was crazed). I did bring that up with the counselor, that my mood can fluctuate rather drastically. The idea is that these anti-depressants will help make the downturns less severe.

Very impressive and proactive! I'd just like to add that your posts here were not perceived as horrible by me.

speaking of meds... .... I keep on forgetting to take them. I started to wonder what's up with my sinking moods lately, and realised I've not taken them for three days. My memory has gotten better as I've started taking these pills, but honestly, remembering to take the pills is still a huge stretch. Does anyone have tips on how to remember? I don't want to mark them down on my diary as it I like to keep it as a public domain for my friends.

Is it necessary to take them at noon? Many people have "morning" and "evening" rituals (brushing teeth, washing face, showers, etc) but an "noon" ritual is less common due to work and the like. You could put them on top of your toothbrush or something...?

[Lissou]

There are apps that remind you to take meds (although you could just use an alarm as well). Otherwise, putting them next to something you need to use around the time you take the meds could help.

[Skeppio]

I wish I could afford to move out. I look at things like dating sites and sometimes find people that interest me. But then I remember I live with my parents and I don't have my license, so I lose all confidence. Especially if someone else has stated they've messaged said person. I feel like the competition is too strong and I've lost before I even entered.

It just makes me feel really unhappy, inferior and lonely.

[Dire Moose]

Well, it seems my situation this time around isn't quite as bad as last time I needed a job. I have a lot of good contacts where I'm working that have colleagues at other institutions, and they've been giving me some good recommendations. So this time, rather than just sending off applications to faceless administrative bureaucracies, I can now contact people directly behind the scenes and name-drop a few people they've worked with in the past. Hopefully I can get something over the winter that way.

Also, I will start inquiring about graduate schools over the next few months and maybe get into a program by next fall.

[Algeh]

If you have trouble remembering whether or not you've taken your pills, they make little refillable pill boxes with the days of the week on each compartment. You can just fill up the whole week's worth once a week and then you can see whether or not you've taken that day's pill by whether or not that day's box still has things in it. It's like having a perpetual Advent calendar you fill yourself, only filled with very expensive things that don't taste as good as chocolate does. I think you can get basic ones with one compartment per day at the dollar store, and a whole bunch of different kinds at a pharmacy.

[Skeppio]

I think my anti-depressants might be making me queasy.... the doctor said it might happen, but it didn't happen to me last time I was on them. Gonna ask them about it at my next appointment, maybe my body just needs to adjust to them again. @_@

[Astrella]

Mew, it should take a few weeks of adjusting to new anti-depressants and then it usually gets better.

[FinnLassie]

Bah... it seems like I just need to invest on a pill dispenser... I'll try to get one of those with dates so I don't loose track of the calendar either.

On meds, it does indeed take a bit to get used to them. My stuff had skin rash as one of the side effects (which means it's time to not use them at all) and there's a 4 week time frame to see if it happens, so try to wait for 2-4 weeks as your body likely just takes its time to adjust to all the changes.

[TechnOkami]

A weekly pill dispenser/divider is actually exactly what I would have suggested.

Anywho, I have something I want to bring up.

In lieu of my depression my doctor has put me on Prozac. I've been on them for roughly two weeks now, and so far I haven't had anything I could recognize as a panic attack (which in retrospect I think might have been heart palpitations from ingesting too much soda at a single sitting) or a depressive mood relapse. However, since I've started taking it I've felt as if there's been a perpetual lump in my throat. I don't have trouble breathing/swallowing/talking/doing throat things, but I cal feel it there. It's not hindering me in any way, it's just noticeable all the time. I will note that it doesn't occur all the time and seems to appear some time after taking Prozac and subsides around the late evening. Also, if I physically press against my throat where it feels the lump is (just below my Adam's apple) it seems to go away for a few seconds, but slowly recurs. It's just an odd sensation to say the least. I was curious if anyone has had similar experiences or, well, anything else they think about it.

[HalfTangible]

A weekly pill dispenser/divider is actually exactly what I would have suggested.

Anywho, I have something I want to bring up.

In lieu of my depression my doctor has put me on Prozac. I've been on them for roughly two weeks now, and so far I haven't had anything I could recognize as a panic attack (which in retrospect I think might have been heart palpitations from ingesting too much soda at a single sitting) or a depressive mood relapse. However, since I've started taking it I've felt as if there's been a perpetual lump in my throat. I don't have trouble breathing/swallowing/talking/doing throat things, but I cal feel it there. It's not hindering me in any way, it's just noticeable all the time. I will note that it doesn't occur all the time and seems to appear some time after taking Prozac and subsides around the late evening. Also, if I physically press against my throat where it feels the lump is (just below my Adam's apple) it seems to go away for a few seconds, but slowly recurs. It's just an odd sensation to say the least. I was curious if anyone has had similar experiences or, well, anything else they think about it.

I did when I took ADD medication in middle school for a while. This exact thing, actually.

...

I have no idea what it is, mind.

[-D-]

Anyway, thought it was time for me to contribute to this thread:

Spoiler

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Background. I'm in my late twenties and I haven't had a romantic or sexual experience my whole life. My parents and neighbors probably think I'm closeted or something, which is IMO laughable, but eh, people have opinions.

Because the way my parents raised me and personal traits - namely, I was prohibited from going out until college and to compound the issue, I'm more interested in games and books than socializing. Also I'm quite nervous about touching members of opposite sex. Don't ask, long story.

Situation. I do have some social skills (not a total train wreck), and I'm reasonably sure that one of my peers at work likes me. I could be wrong, but overall, body language, tone, etc. match the context of that impression (I'm not too ugly either). Recently she asked me to go on a local conference, with her. I turned her down and she seemed disappointed. I was genuinely not interested in the conference matter and getting romantically involved with a peer or a neighbor, is a kind of rule I have (because if such relationship turns sour and given my inexperience, it likely will), to allow me to escape a nasty situation.

Anyway, I feel like crap now, even though there exists a good chance that its all just my imagination. On the other hand, I've been in this situation before and I know this pain will eventually subside and disappear, like so many rejections before (ones I made as those I didn't made). I could go search for other people, but the pain of rejection and humiliation IMO outweigh any benefits a partner would have and they require time I don't have.

[Dire Moose]

Well, I now have two job interviews scheduled for fall positions. One of them is for a museum position in California, the other is for a geology/paleontology position in Alaska.

[YossarianLives]

Well, I now have two job interviews scheduled for fall positions. One of them is for a museum position in California, the other is for a geology/paleontology position in Alaska.

Do you prefer droughts or massive amounts of snow?

[Skeppio]

Update: Figured out why I was getting queasy when I took my pills, after asking the GP. Turns out I'm meant to take them after eating something, I was taking them first thing in the morning. It wasn't written on the box, so I didn't realise I was meant to do that.

[Delusion]

speaking of meds... .... I keep on forgetting to take them. I started to wonder what's up with my sinking moods lately, and realised I've not taken them for three days. My memory has gotten better as I've started taking these pills, but honestly, remembering to take the pills is still a huge stretch. Does anyone have tips on how to remember? I don't want to mark them down on my diary as it I like to keep it as a public domain for my friends.

Use pill dispenser or something similar so you can see if you have already taken them or not and keep that somewhere visible if possible. Also, if at all possible take your pills always at the exact same time, so that taking them becomes routine. Like if you take them in the mornings then take them immediately after waking up or something similar. I have to eat before I am allowed to take one of mine, so I take my pills immediately after I have eaten something solid.

After all this, I still sometimes forget my pills, but after getting the pill dispenser (I think that is the right name?) I forget them much much less frequently.

[FinnLassie]

Use pill dispenser or something similar so you can see if you have already taken them or not and keep that somewhere visible if possible. Also, if at all possible take your pills always at the exact same time, so that taking them becomes routine. Like if you take them in the mornings then take them immediately after waking up or something similar. I have to eat before I am allowed to take one of mine, so I take my pills immediately after I have eaten something solid.

After all this, I still sometimes forget my pills, but after getting the pill dispenser (I think that is the right name?) I forget them much much less frequently.

Spoiler: about eating

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I wish I was able to form such a routine, but it feels really hard atm as I'm really struggling with eating. The forgetting stuff goes to levels of not eating because I forget or am too anxious to eat, I once went two days with just one hapankorppu (how do you even translate that ) and didn't realise what made me so lethargic until I realised that my fridge was still full of food.

I think I really need to bring these things up when I get to see my psychiatrist next Wednesday. It's still a long time, but thankfully she gave me a prescription in case I run out of meds. And the only reason why I haven't run out is that I haven't taken a week's worth of meds during the time I've had them.

I'll get a pill dispenser tomorrow when I go to the drug store to get more pills