I (25M) have been dating my girlfriend (24F) for about two months and we have had an amazing relationship so far. She is my first relationship in seven years and as such, is my first relationship in my adult life. She and I connect on just about every level and we have had strong communication which has been extremely healthy and everything has been progressing naturally. We are both truly committed to each other and we both want to make our relationship last long-term.
Last night, we had our first “fight” about the fact that she still has constant contact with her ex boyfriend (they text each other every day, he calls her often, and he has shown up to her house unexpectedly on occasion) whom she has know for nine years. She asked him to give her space and not text hecall her constantly or show up unexpectedly, but he has not abided by this. She has been very open with me about the fact that she still talks to him (they also still hang out together) and I have communicated with her that their friendship makes me uncomfortable. I’ve also told her that while I acknowledge that she is her own person and I don’t want to tell her who to be friends with and who not to be friends with, I do not approve of the level of contact that they have.
She told me that she understands why I feel the way that I do and she has also asked her friends and coworkers how they would feel if the person they were dating still had contact with their ex to the degree that she is in contact with her’s (she also didn’t mention to them that it is her who has been in contact with her ex) and from what she told me, nearly everyone sees that as a red flag and would not be okay with it. She herself has also told me that if it were the reverse situation, she would not be okay with me being in contact with my ex. She has also told me that she would do anything to ensure that our relationship is not compromised and has said “I would drop him in a second if you asked me to”.
However, last night when we were arguing about this situation, I told her directly that I don’t want her to be friends with her ex anymore and I feel that she needs to cut off their friendship. It was then that she told me how difficult it is for her because they have so much history and he has threatened to kill himself if she ever stops talking to him. She also said that he has no other friends and that he has been through so many awful things especially in the last year.
I empathize with her and understand how difficult it is to end a friendship after so long especially with the emotional connection that they have. But, I also told her that regardless of that, I will never be okay with them being friends. I feel that he still has feelings for her (they have had an on again off again relationship for the last nine years before she and I met) and he has made comments to her about me that imply that he is annoyed or that he dislikes the fact that she is dating me. I asked her if she still tells him that she loves him, and she said that, yes she does, but only as a friend (in the same way she tells her roommate that she loves them and in the same way she tells her other friends that she loves them) and I told her that if he still has feelings for her (which I believe he does) that telling him that she loves him is giving him hope that one day they will get back together. She got upset at me for implying that she and him still have a sort of relationship considering they have been on again off again for nine years and they still tell each other that they love each other, and I’m trying to be understanding of that. She reiterated numerous times how difficult it is to end their friendship and I’ve been trying to empathize with her. She says that she logically knows that she needs to end her friendship with her ex for the sake of our relationship, but it is not easy and she doesn’t know when or how she will be able to do it.
I feel like I have been supportive in all of this and have communicated clearly my feelings and have told her what I need to make our relationship healthy (her ending her friendship with her ex). I feel like I have said everything I can say up to and including explicitly telling her to end her friendship with him, but I don’t know how deeply that resonates with her.
I want this relationship to work and I feel she does too, but as long as she and her ex are still friends, I don’t think we can build a healthy relationship.
Advice?

Possible Solution

Install the Android 14 Beta. I've been on it one day and so far I haven't had the issue come back. It still could and then I'd be stuck on the beta which is a bit laggy at the moment. I'll keep this post updated.
Has anyone else experienced these issues on Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro (possible Pixel 6, from my research) tried this?
If you're experiencing the same issue and almost out of your return window, maybe try this and then wipe if it doesn't work and you want to return it? If you have had the issue for a long time and are fed up, maybe try?
Note that you cannot rollback to Android 13 without wiping your data, and the beta could potentially break other things, like calling. Although, other things breaking has so far not been my experience. I've only experienced some lag spikes, like opening the camera app. Luckily we're in beta 2 and not developer preview 1.

Problem

My brand new Pixel 7 had issues after charging overnight - YouTube would get stuck at loading and never play, attempting to play other native app videos would result in my phone hanging until I gave up - I'd miss most of my alarms since the clock app crashed and didn't ring, listing the alarms in the clock app during the bugged state would show nothing - the filesystem was bugged and screenshots didn't always save - changing my ringtone or the volume of the ringtone in the settings causes the settings app to crash - the camera app shows a grayed out shutter button and wouldn't take pictures after a fraction of a second opening the app - opening many apps that request the camera would crash as soon as they did - if an app using the camera crashed, Google Assistant would say the microphone was in use and the flashlight would say similarly for the camera - calling still worked but sometimes it wouldn't ring or vibrate when I have it set to do both - System UI has stopped responding with seemily no trigger

Previous Attempts

I've tried all of the troubleshooting steps I could think of (resetting, updating, removing developer options, disabling accessibility services, uninstalling apps, resetting app data and reinstalling apps, disabling Google Assistant, etc.) and even RMA'ed the phone three times. The only thing that worked until I joined Android 14 Beta was to restart my phone each time, but it happens the next morning after an overnight charge. I almost accepted daily restarts as an annoyance, but my alarm didn't ring in the morning before I could wake up and restart my device.
Google Pixel, Google Fi, and Google Play support were all unhelpful in fixing this issue. I have been transferred all around their support system. It's been hours of calling, chatting, and emailing. I've been on hold for an hour while someone reads my previous correspondence and then hang up and call me back at 3am. I've had Google Fi insist on sending me to Google Play support and Google Play support saying they can't help with system issues. Nightmare. During this time I reproduced the bug by migrating my phone three times to new or refurbished Pixels and updating to the April and May security updates. A complete wipe with no migration, no system update or even connecting to the internet does work, however.
TL;DR: Android 14 Beta so far has been smoother than daily restarts for my affected Pixel 7. I'm hoping the trend continues and can be recommended as a fix if it works for enough people.

Welcome to our blog, where we explore the complicated and sometimes misunderstood realm of anxiety. Anxiety has become an all too familiar companion for many people in a culture where stress and pressure appear to be ever-present. But exactly, what is anxiety? What effect does it have on us physically, emotionally, and mentally? Most importantly, how can we navigate its perilous waters and discover a route to serenity and happiness?
I want to uncover the complexities of anxiety in this blog, providing insights, knowledge, and practical solutions to help you understand and manage this difficult illness. Whether you have periodic attacks of anxiety or are looking for help for a loved one, we are here to give you with a caring and knowledgeable resource.
We'll look at the underlying causes of anxiety, bust myths, and throw light on the numerous sorts of anxiety disorders. We'll investigate the science of anxiety, looking at the physiological and psychological systems at work. We'll next go on a voyage of self-discovery, arming you with efficient coping skills, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices to help you recover control of your thoughts and emotions.
This site, however, is more than simply a source of information; it is a safe area in which we promote free debate and the sharing of personal stories. Anxiety may be lonely, but you'll find comfort in knowing that you're not alone in your troubles if you join our group. I’ll share stories of perseverance and accomplishment to encourage you to embark on your own recovery path.
My ultimate objective is to provide you with the skills and information you need to navigate the choppy waters of anxiety and live a fulfilled life. So come along with me as we start on this transforming journey, exploring the complexities of anxiety and discovering a route to tranquility and self-empowerment. Let's get started on our path to inner serenity and emotional well-being.\
​
Understanding Anxiety
​

• What is anxiety?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.
People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. They may also have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.
Anxiety is not the same as fear, but they are often used interchangeably. Anxiety is considered a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly focused on a diffuse threat, whereas fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat.
In my own words, anxiety is something that we all could possibly experience. We may be experiencing it right now, but we don’t know that it’s actually anxiety and maybe we’re just nervous or rather, something else far more serious.
It is natural to feel anxious from time to time. People with anxiety disorders, on the other hand, usually experience strong, excessive, and persistent concern and terror about ordinary events. Anxiety disorders sometimes feature recurring bouts of acute anxiety, dread, or terror that reach a climax within minutes (panic attacks). Anxiety and panic disrupt everyday activities, are difficult to regulate, out of proportion to the real risk, and can linger for a long period. To escape unpleasant sensations, you may avoid locations or circumstances. Symptoms may appear in childhood or adolescence and persist throughout maturity.
Anxiety disorders are a collection of mental health illnesses characterized by emotions of dread, concern, and apprehension that are excessive and persistent. The following are only some of the several forms of anxiety disorders:

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): You may have generalized anxiety disorder if you frequently worry for no apparent cause. GAD indicates that you are continually worried and unable to manage your worrying. GAD is diagnosed by healthcare experts when you worry on most days for at least 6 months. Worrying about your health, money, family, or work may be something you're so used to that you assume it's simply "how you are." While everyone worries about these things now and again, expecting the worse might make it difficult to live a regular life.

GAD symptoms might occur as a side effect of medication or drug usage. It may also be associated with medical diseases that elevate hormones, such as hyperthyroidism. This might cause the body to become more excitable. Family or environmental stress might set off the specified anxiety disorder. It can also be triggered by chronic sickness or disease.

1. Panic Disorder: Recurrent and sudden panic attacks describe panic disorder. Panic attacks are unexpected bouts of acute anxiety or discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, and a fear of losing control or dying. People suffering from panic disorder frequently live in terror of having another panic episode.

Panic attacks usually start quickly and without notice. They may happen at any time, whether you're driving, in the mall, asleep, or in the middle of a business meeting. You may get panic episodes on occasion or on a regular basis.

1. Social Anxiety Disorder: Social anxiety disorder is characterized by an acute fear of social interactions as well as a worry of being criticized or humiliated by others. People who suffer from social anxiety may avoid or experience considerable difficulty during social encounters. It can have a substantial influence on a person's ability to participate in daily activities or maintain relationships.

A person suffering from social anxiety disorder may have a mild, moderate, or severe case. Some persons with social anxiety only have symptoms in one sort of setting, such as eating in front of others or performing in front of others, but others have symptoms in numerous or all forms of social contact.

1. Specific Phobias: One of the primary criteria for identifying a phobia is that it is life-limiting in nature.2 Depending on the nature of your fear, you may find it difficult to do errands, go out with friends, or even make it to work every day. To put it another way, a certain phobia can have a huge impact on your education, profession, and general quality of life.

The out-of-control sensation is one of the most distressing emotional aspects of a phobia. You may recognize that your fear is unreasonable and/or overwhelming, yet no matter how hard you try, you are unable to overcome it. You are not alone if you imagine what your life would be like if you could just go about your everyday activities without fear of encountering that certain thing or event.

1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): It is a mental disease in which you have recurring unwanted thoughts and feelings (obsessions) that lead you to conduct repetitive activities (compulsions). Repeated activities can drastically disrupt social relationships and everyday work. Obsessions are persistent, unwelcome, and intrusive thoughts that lead to repetitive behavioral or mental acts (compulsions) aimed at decreasing anxiety or averting a dreaded result. Obsessions and compulsions may drastically disrupt daily living.

Everyone has obsessions and compulsions at some time in their lives. It's normal to double-check the stove or the locks, for example. People also casually use the terms "obsessing" and "obsessed" in regular discussions. However, OCD is more severe. It can consume hours of a person's time. It interferes with daily life and activities. Obsessions in OCD are unwelcome, and persons with OCD dislike engaging in obsessive activities.

1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD can develop because of seeing or experiencing a stressful incident. Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, and acute emotional discomfort are all symptoms. Individuals suffering from PTSD may also avoid reliving the event and exhibit hyperarousal symptoms such as anger, hypervigilance, and an increased startle reaction.

Symptoms may occur within one month of a stressful experience, but they may not appear until years afterwards. These symptoms produce substantial challenges in social or occupational settings, as well as in relationships. They can also impair your capacity to carry out your routine everyday responsibilities. There are four categories of PTSD symptoms: intrusive memories, avoidance, unfavorable changes in thought and attitude, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms may change over time or from person to person.

1. Separation Anxiety Disorder: Separation anxiety disorder is most common in youngsters and is defined by extreme worry over being separated from parents or caregivers. When away from their attachment figures, children may suffer excessive concern, fear, or sadness and may display clinging behavior.

It is natural to feel anxious when away from security items and comfort zones. Around the age of three to four, social anxiety can become a significant issue. When separation anxiety becomes excessive and starts interfering with regular activities like going to school or work, it is conceivable that these natural fears have progressed into a clinical case of separation anxiety disorder.
Although, it’s crucial to remember that these are only some of the primary anxiety disorders; people might have numerous anxiety disorders at the same time or have symptoms that don't fit neatly into one category. A skilled mental health practitioner should make a correct diagnosis and treatment strategy.
​

• How does anxiety affect our mind and body?

Anxiety is both a mental and physical state of negative anticipation, marked by heightened alertness and negative expectations compounded into concern and manifested physically by the activation of many body systems, all to aid in coping with an unknown or bad scenario.
It is a defensive state ruled over by fear nerve circuits and triggered by misinterpretation or overestimation of threats from the environment, the interior world of the body, or the inner world of cognition. Anxiety is a normal reaction to danger, and the discomfort it causes is intended to draw attention and motivate a defensive response. Too frequently, however, the anxiety is excessive, prolonged, or inappropriate to what triggered it, and it interferes with daily functioning—or puts in motion maladaptive behaviors, ranging from avoidance of threat-generating circumstances to drug use, to alleviate the pain of worry.
Scientifically speaking, When the amygdala recognizes incoming information as a threat—or, due to hyperreactivity, rushes to that conclusion even when there is no threat—it emits an alarm, alerting many other parts of the brain to prepare for protective action. It acts as though your life is in danger. The signal is relayed neural and hormonally by the hypothalamus, triggering the stress reaction. The heart rate rises. The heart rate increases. Breathing becomes more rapid. Areas of the brain stem activate, putting you on high alert and attentiveness. The hippocampus, or memory center, uses prior experience to try to contextualize the nature of the threat. The prefrontal cortex, which receives all of the information needed to make a coherent interpretation of events and orchestrate an appropriate behavioral response, has the ability to reduce or enhance the perception of threat and degree of discomfort. The amygdala effectively overpowers the prefrontal cortex in the anxious brain, whether due to overexcitability of the stress response system, activity of different neurochemicals, abnormalities in nerve circuitry, or inactivation of certain cell populations in the prefrontal cortex. (Psychology Today 2023).
​

• What are the coping strategies for daily life?

Every individual has their own different types of ways on how to deal of this disorder whenever it strikes. I would like to share to all my fellow readers some ways of how I cope up with my anxiety and other people’s ideas that I found based on the internet.

1. Question your thought pattern
   
2. Practice deep breathing
   
3. Keep a journal
   
4. Aromatherapy
   
5. Exercising/Working out
   
6. Grounding Techniques
   
7. Identify your triggers
   
8. Therapy
   
9. Meditate
   
10. Socialize
    
11. Staying active
    
12. Eating correctly/Healthy Diet
    

​

• Creating a Supportive Community

An open conversation about anxiety experiences is critical for establishing understanding, empathy, and support among individuals. Anxiety is a widespread mental health illness that affects millions of people worldwide, and talking about our experiences may help break down the stigma associated with it and bring comfort to those who are experiencing similar difficulties. Remember that open conversation about anxiety should always promote sensitivity, respect, and secrecy. It is critical to establish an environment in which people feel secure and supported as they share their tales and problems.
To summarize, anxiety is a difficult and complex feeling that affects millions of individuals globally. It might feel overpowering and suffocating, but keep in mind that you are not alone. There are excellent coping methods and tools available to assist you in overcoming anxiety and regaining control of your life.
First and foremost, self-care is critical in anxiety management. Taking care of your physical health by exercising frequently, eating healthily, and sleeping sufficiently may have a big influence on your mental health. Additionally, adopting relaxation techniques into your daily routine, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga, can help reduce tension and anxiety.
It is also critical to establish a support network. Reach out to friends, relatives, or a therapist who can listen and provide advice. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with others might provide relief and help you gain perspective.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a highly effective anxiety treatment. It focuses on detecting and changing negative thought patterns with more positive and realistic ones. Seeking expert assistance from a CBT therapist can equip you with the tools and techniques you need to combat anxious thoughts and create coping mechanisms.
Remember to be patient and nice to yourself while you recuperate. It takes time to overcome worry, and setbacks are a normal part of the process. Celebrate your modest triumphs and recognize your progress, no matter how minor. Self-compassion is important, as is reminding yourself that you are trying your best.
Finally, never be afraid to seek assistance when you need it. Consult a mental health expert if your anxiety becomes unbearable or interferes with your everyday life. They can give individualized advice and strategies to help you manage your anxiety successfully.
You may live a full life free of anxiety by actively working on your anxiety and applying healthy coping techniques. Remember that you have the ability to overcome worry and build a more promising future for yourself. Believe in your own power, seek help, and enjoy the healing process.
Remember that you are not alone in this world, whether you’re healing or healed, you will always be supported. I stand with you!

I finally managed to buy my first flat a month ago. It has been hell living here.
The building directly across the street from me contains a human who enjoys blasting extremely loud drum and bass really loudly at all times of day. My window is directly opposite and even when we both have our windows shut it's still audible in my flat. I am going insane. I work from home so I'm exposed to it all day. 2 of the 3 windows in my flat face the property in question, so to get any form of ventilation I need to have one of the affected windows open which makes it even louder.
I' tried buzzing the flat directly after the first few times, but never got an answer. After witnessing violent behaviour from the occupant and seeing the amount of drug usage in the flat I no longer feel safe going over there.
I've contacted the council but was directed to the housing association that manages the building. I've been put in contact with someone at the housing association but they've been on annual leave for two weeks so I'm yet to get a response. I have been taking logs of every noise disturbance, including date, time started, time ended, and the people involved. I have also got multiple incident numbers for the police reports as the only way to get him to stop is to get the police over. The music is often turned off for 5 to 30 minutes at a time, so sometimes when the police show up there's no active disturbance and they can't do anything.
I've spoken to some neighbours in my building and it has been going on for 6 to 9 months. Apparently it has gotten a lot worse in the last 3 months.
I have three questions:

• Can I take legal action against the housing association?
  • I don't want to do this until I've successfully made contact, but given they haven't done anything in 6+ months and there's a record of police reports I'm thinking there must be something I can do.
• If I was to keep a record of this behaviour on a publicly accessible website, possibly even spread the link around, am I open to being sued?
  • My hope is that publicly recording this behaviour would sketch them out enough to stop. I'm mainly
• Are there any other legal avenues I can pursue here? I will literally do anything.

​
Thanks you to anyone who can give me some advice here. I really do not know what else I can do. I can't live like this.
(This is in Scotland by the way)

My friend is getting all cocky spamming whitebeard doflamingo and eneru and i want to make a team that can beat his. I've been trying in the game mode where you can fight a team you build and I've been successful with akainu eneru and doflamingo. I'm not good at support teams and i was wondering if anyone knew a good team for support and battle.
I play on playstation btw.

When you contact support and they ask why you’d like an order removed, what reasons do you give?

I'm currently a rising junior in college, and as of now, I frankly just can't see the point of life anymore. I've already been pretty depressed the past year or so due to my lack of success with girls/romance, but I just started my first real internship a few weeks ago and it's made everything so much worse. I was super excited coming in to it, but after a few days it just crushed everything for me. I wake up super early in the morning, commute 45 minutes to go sit in a cubicle for 8 hours either twiddling my thumbs or doing busy work (data entry, making copies, stuff like that), and then drive an hour back home (thanks traffic!), and end up having at best, an hour or hour and a half to just try and relax and do something I enjoy (play video games, maybe try and do something quick with a friend) between eating, showering, doing my chores, and getting ready for my next day at work - that and I also tend to be super tired by that point anyways, so I don't even really have the motivation to do anything anyways. Weekends are a little better, but it's still all overlain by that dread that I know that it's only a short respite before I'm going back to work, and the time then I still need to spend prepping for work. The only things I really can still find joy in are video games and spending time with friends, but even those are slowly losing their appeal.
I've tried getting help from my parents, but it never works - they either just say they're "disappointed in me" for how I'm feeling and acting, laugh and ask me what else I expected to do with my time, or just get mad that I'm not being more productive with my little bits of free time - lately they've been bugging me about how I should be working out instead of trying to relax and have a little fun because its "a better use of my time" (that's a general trend as well - they seem to dislike the fact that the one or two things I still enjoy are games and friends - I get comments about how I seem "all fine" when I'm doing one of the two, and that therefore I shouldn't be having a problem at all). That and their "counter-arguments" to my concerns don't help either - they point out "how else do you expect to have food/a house/medical care if you don't work like this", and I'm just like, what's the point of life if you're just getting by to get those things for no other reason than just so you can keep doing that till you die. Like really, I don't see the enjoyment and fulfillment in a life where you're just working to keep yourself afloat so that you can keep working and so on.
I've also been doing therapy for a bit now cause of the aforementioned girls issue, and have been using it for support with this as well, but it hasn't helped, and frankly, at the very best, all I see it doing is making me accept that this is what life is, and eventually learning to just tolerate the pain and suffering like a robot.
For the time being it's only a summer internship, and I'll be done in like two months and will go back to school (ideally with a newfound appreciation to enjoy the freedom I have there while I still can), but I honestly just can't see a path forward for my future - if my life past college is just going to be slogging through a job 40 hours a week (plus at least an additional 10 if you factor in commuting, prep, and the like) and trying to find enjoyment in the rare few free moments I have, while counting down the days to the scattered one or two days off you get every few months, then why even bother.
I used to have dreams about what I could do with my life - i love space and wanted to build rockets and space probes so I could help explore the cosmos, maybe find someone I love and have an amazing relationship (which isn't happening regardless but that's another story), and to travel the world and see all the sights it has to see - but now they're all dead and I see life for what it really is - a painful slog to just get by so that if you're lucky maybe you get a few free years to retire and do what you want before you are too old, get sick and die. Like really, if that's all there is to it, then what's even the point of going on once you graduate college?

Hey fellow developers,
I hope you're all doing well! I am a class 11 student (16M Indian) in Dubai with a passion for programming and an exciting startup idea that I can't wait to bring to life. However, there's one significant hurdle standing in my way - web app development. That's why I'm reaching out to this amazing community in search of a mentor who can guide me through this journey into the network world.
Let me tell you a bit about my startup idea. I envision creating a platform that facilitates networking opportunities for startups, businessmen, and other personalities. The goal is to provide a space where people can connect, collaborate, and share their expertise, ultimately fostering growth and success in their respective fields. By bringing together like-minded individuals, I believe we can create a supportive community that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship.
While I have a basic understanding of programming concepts, I lack the necessary skills and experience to develop a robust web application. That's where you come in! I'm looking for a talented and experienced developer who is willing to mentor me in web app development. Together, we can embark on this exciting journey, transforming my startup idea into a reality.
What's unique about this opportunity is that it's a no investment startup. This means we'll be bootstrapping the project, relying on our skills, creativity, and dedication to make it successful. As a team, we'll explore various technologies and frameworks, brainstorm innovative solutions, and create an intuitive and user-friendly platform.
If you're interested in joining this journey and mentoring me in web app development, please reach out to me via private message. Let's discuss the details, get to know each other better, and embark on this exciting adventure together!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I truly appreciate your support and guidance. Together, we can make a difference in the startup ecosystem and empower aspiring entrepreneurs.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Best regards,
Pranshu.

Welcome to all GMs and AGMs to this years' edition of the /hockey annual offseason sim!

Spreadsheets

I will be personally editing all the spreadsheets, keeping them updated throughout the sim and they can all be found on the sidebar as well as in the chat channel.

• Rosters
  
• General (Draft, RFA/UFA Lists, Trades, Depth Charts)
  

Please message sandman730 if anything is incorrect or you wish to make changes on your roster sheet.

Tentative Sim Schedule

Mon. June 12th - Sim Discord Invites
Thu. June 15th - Sim Begins and Rosters Frozen (2pm ET)
Sun. June 18th - Deadline for GMs to Submit Plans (2pm ET)
Mon. June 19th - Trade Period Begins (2pm ET) (Provided GMs have an Approved Plan)
Mon. June 19th - Buyout Period Begins (2pm ET)
Thu. June 22nd - Deadline to Submit Trades Involving Players/Prospects for the NHL Draft (8pm ET)
Fri. June 23rd - NHL Draft Rounds 1-3 (8pm ET)
Sat. June 24th - NHL Draft Rounds 4-7 (2pm ET) (No Trades Allowed)
Sat. June 24th - Last Chance to Place Players on Waivers for a Buyout (2pm ET)
Sun. June 25th - Deadline for Qualifying Offers (5pm ET)
Sun. June 25th - Buyout Period Ends (5pm ET)
Sun. June 25th - Last Chance for Clubs to Sign UFAs to an 8 Year SPC (11:59pm ET)
Mon. June 26th - Free Agency Roster Freeze (12pm ET) (Discussion allowed, but no moves finalized)
Thu. June 29th - Free Agency Begins (12pm ET)
Wed. July 12th - Qualifying Offers Expire (5pm ET)
Thu. August 3rd - Waiver Window Opens (2pm ET)
Fri. August 11th - Last Chance to Place Players on Waivers (2pm ET)
Sat. August 12th - Rosters Due (5pm ET)
Sun. August 13th - End of Sim (Reviewing Rosters/Making Recaps/Etc.)
Google Calendar

CBA

For information about the cap and CBA, read this post and feel free to ask sandman730 any questions.

IRL Moves

Since we are in sim-mode, IRL moves do not apply to the sim, except for five key exceptions:

1. Players retiring (if they retire IRL, they're out of the sim and cannot be signed),
   
2. Player suspensions (ex: Slava Voynov),
   
3. Transactions involving a foreign professional entering NHL,
   
4. An NHL player signing in another league (ex: Liiga),
   
5. Players being placed on long-term injured reserve.
   

Regarding the 3rd point, if the player announces he is officially returning to the NHL or he signs IRL with an NHL team, then he is available to sign. Until then, he cannot be signed.
Coach hirings/firings, AHL contracts, relocation, etc. are not part of this sim.

Keep it Realistic

You can't be perfect since plenty of teams could go many ways. If your team is clearly rebuilding, you should continue to rebuild and help the process.
Try not to acquire guys just for the purpose of flipping them later. We're not outright banning it since it happens IRL sometimes, but it's super uncommon, especially for bigger names. Rebuilding teams rarely take cap dumps to help out other teams in exchange for late round picks. If it is a fair trade, it can still be accepted. There will need to be incentive for teams to acquire cap dumps. Don't include unnecessary pieces or trade picks too far out (trading picks after 2024 will require a compelling reason). Don't trade the rights to retired players.
We are asking each GM for an initial offseason plan. This plan includes basic things like which direction the team is headed this summer, but with slightly more detail such as whether they will hope to pursue more options via trades or free agency, how they will deal with their cap space (or lack thereof), etc. You will not be able to sign or trade anyone until your plans are submitted and approved. If you wish to amend your plan, submit it via mod mail, including your reasoning for the amendment.
[GM Plan Form]()
Throughout free agency, the mod team will reach out to GMs to see if they are changing their plans due to transactions that have taken place in the sim (i.e. missing out on free agents, changes in the trade market, etc.).
THIS NOT FANTASY HOCKEY, DO NOT TREAT THIS AS FANTASY HOCKEY OR NHL 23 BE A GM

Trades

We realize GMs want to be more active than their real-life counterparts but we will be pretty strict on allowing trades in the sim. When you submit a trade or signing, both parties must send the trade in to the office of the commissioner (via mod mail). You also must include a justification as to why the trade makes sense for your party including how it will affect the cap, lineup and future roster decisions. Please use the below template. All players, picks, additional terms, rights to players, and salary retention amounts must be specified and identical in both parties' submissions.
Before making a trade, we encourage you to find multiple comparable trades which will convince us that the trade is realistic. Please do not compare each trade to the Matt Duchene to Ottawa trade and say "Well, it's more realistic than that one".
We will do our best to announce the trades right away as they come in. Do not post pending trades in other threads until they are posted. Please allow us at least 24 hours to approve trades and for graphics to be prepared.
Try not to blow your load, especially on the first day. Be patient, especially with trades. Just try. You'll thank us later. Those who follow this advice usually will find incredible bargains and can take advantage of other GM's mistakes.

Trade Submission Template

We would like teams to use the following template when submitting trades to ensure all relevant information is included.
Team A receives:
Team B receives:
Corresponding moves: (players sent down, called up, or put on waivers; answer "none" if not applicable)
Cap/salary implications:
Goal:
Justification:
Comparables:
Other options pursued:
Long-term implications:
I certify that I own the assets I am trading away; my team remains roster & cap compliant; I have complied with any no-trade lists; etc.

Example

NYR receives: Tyler Motte
WPG receives: 2023 4th Round Pick (WPG)
Corresponding moves: None
Cap/salary implications: The Rangers can take the remainder of Motte's $1,225,000 cap hit.
Goal: The Rangers are looking to add depth for a playoff push. The Canucks are looking to acquire future assets for a player on an expiring contract.
Justification: The Rangers are solidly in a playoff position and are looking to buy at the deadline. Motte can fill a 4th line role.
Comparables: SEA traded Mason Appleton to WPG for a 2023 4th before the 2022 TDL. MTL traded Nick Cousins to VGK for a 2021 4th before the 2020 TDL.
Other options pursued: The Rangers also tried to acquire Derick Brassard and Vladislav Namestnikov, but were unable to make a deal work.
Long-term implications: The Rangers are willing to give up a mid-round pick to add depth now.
I certify that I own the assets I am trading away; my team remains roster & cap compliant; I have complied with any no-trade lists; etc.

No-Trade/No-Movement Clauses

These will be handled by TBD. If you wish to trade a player with a No-Trade or No-Movement Clause, you must message them, requesting a list of teams a player can or cannot be traded to, or if a player would be willing to waive his No-Movement Clause. Please give them at least 24 hours to fulfill such requests.

Trading UFA Rights

We have tried this in the past and some agents felt obligated to have the UFA sign in the city that acquired the players' rights. We feel it would be best if every team gets a fair chance so this year we will NOT be allowing trading for UFA rights. This will also hopefully lead to fewer trades and more UFA signings.
Additionally, we will not allow you to sign and trade UFAs or pending UFAs.

Conditional Picks

You cannot trade picks with conditions, with some exceptions:

• Lottery protection
• Higheloweetc. of multiple picks in a given round
• Settling scenarios based on previous trade conditions

We realize it happens in real life, but it is hard to track from experience and hopefully it will cut down on the amount of unnecessary trade conditions.

Unfair Value

To avoid exploitation and chaos in the trade market, we sometimes need to step in to preserve the sim's integrity. This may be somewhat subjective, so the trade committee will discuss and vote on most trades. Your trade will go through more smoothly if you provide ample justification and can offer comparable trades. Some common issues include:

• Undervaluing cap space or salary - Since there is no real money involved in this simulation and no accountability to owners or future cap issues, people can undervalue these assets. Please provide examples of comparable trades.
• Undervaluing future draft picks - Similarly, since there is no accountability within the sim for these assets, unnecessarily adding late draft picks or too high draft picks can be problematic. Again, provide examples of comparable trades.
• Differing opinions on the value of players or prospects - These usually will go through, but may require further explanation.

Vetoes

sandman730, meatb4ll, and TBD are gonna be the “veto panel” and we are gonna take it very seriously. If the vote is unanimous 3-0 either way, then we will accept/reject the trade or signing. If it is 2-1 either way, then we will ask TBD for their opinions and votes. We will then come to a decision with the majority winning. There are a number of reasons why a trade or signing may be vetoed by the trade committee:

• Violates the CBA (ex: puts a team over the contract limit)
• Involves NTCs (i.e., the player would block the trade)
• Puts a team over the cap or roster limit (or under the floor), without them having a clear plan for how to get back under (or over)
• Violates other house rules (ex: trading UFAs)
• Unrealistic (see above)
• Unfair value (see above)
• Goes against their plan (or goes too far all-in on either the present or future)

meatb4ll will communicate veto decisions and discussions.

Entry Draft

Rounds 1-3 of the draft will take place on the chat channel on Fri. June 23rd at 8pm ET. We kindly ask that everyone attends this in the chat since it will go a lot smoother not having to wait for GMs and it is one of the most exciting parts of the sim in terms of trades and activity. This is the one day we hope to have all GMs and AGMs alike participate since we require your cooperation. Draft day trades involving players/prospects must be submitted 24 hours before the start of the draft (Thu. June 22nd at 8pm ET). Trades made during the draft (involving draft picks) must be submitted via DM to the commissioners.
On Sat. June 24th at 2pm ET, we will host Rounds 4-7 for those who would like to participate. It is not mandatory, you will just be auto-picked if you don’t show up. There will not be any trading allowed for this portion of the draft.
If a GM cannot make it either night, you are welcome to appoint an AGM to draft for the team, submit a custom auto-draft list, or respect our auto-draft list (Bob McKenzie, then Future Considerations). Please confirm this via mod mail or (if mid-draft) via DM to the commissioners.
Please make your selections as promptly as possible to ensure the draft runs smoothly for everyone. Do not delay your selection to make a meme/image (you are welcome to post them afterwards). We will allow 2 min per selection for Rounds 1-3 and 1 min for Rounds 4-7. Each team will be allowed a 2 min timeout (one per team). We also will take a brief intermission (~10 min) between rounds.
If you wish to draft players not listed on the Elite Prospects Draft Board, you must petition the commissioners via mod mail before the start of the draft.

Qualifying Offers

GMs will need to submit a list of who they are sending Qualifying Offers to, among RFAs, and who they are letting test free agency (becoming UFAs). We will have a thread for this and they will be due by Sun. June 25th at 5pm ET (don’t pull a Dale Tallon). If you have further questions about this process, read about it in the CBA post and message a commissioner or leave a comment if you have further questions.

Free Agency

We will have 3 RFA agents and 4 UFA agents who have chosen the clients they will represent. Not every RFA/UFA will need an agent and you can find the lists on the spreadsheet, but generally, if the player played 15+ NHL games last season, he will require an agent. For the rest of the RFAs (those marked "Commissioners"), if they were qualified both in the sim and IRL, we will wait until they get an IRL contract and match it in the sim; if they were only qualified in the sim, they will be signed for their qualifying offers. For the rest of the UFAs, message the commissioners (via mod mail) with a contract offer. Please include a justification as to why the signing makes sense for your party including, for GMs, how it will affect the cap, lineup and future roster decisions. Please use the below template.
When both a GM and agent have come to a finalized deal, both sides need to submit the contract offer to the mods (via mod mail).
This contract offer must include the cap hit, term, any no-trade clauses, and any performance bonuses. Please keep it realistic as it could cause a domino effect when using comparables.
There will be the possibility for offer sheets, however, right now we are not sure the best way to determine who the player would actually pick. Ideas are encouraged. That being said, it’s more likely a player would choose a contender, hometown, long contract, good place in the lineup, or high salary rather than just picking at random. We also want to mention how rare offer sheets are in real life.
Agents have been sworn under the Oath of Bettman that they will be honest, realistic, and of course fun.
NHL CBA contract rules apply (more information here). Signing a player in free agency and then trading the player is prohibited.

Signing Submission Template

We would like teams to use the following template when submitting signing to ensure all relevant information is included.
Team:
Player:
Year(s):
AAV:
Other clauses: (NTC/NMC, performance bonuses, etc.; answer "none" if not applicable)
Corresponding moves: (players sent down, called up, or put on waivers; answer "none" if not applicable)
Cap/salary implications:
Goal:
Justification:
Comparables:
Other options pursued:
Long-term implications:
I certify that my team remains roster & cap compliant.

Example

Team: Columbus Blue Jackets
Player: Jack Roslovic
Year(s): 2
AAV: $4,000,000
Other clauses: None
Corresponding moves: None
Cap/salary implications: The Blue Jackets still have ~$22.8M in cap space for 2022-23, which should be sufficient for our needs.
Goal: The Blue Jackets are looking to keep a local player who has played well for the team.
Justification: While Roslovic had an excellent 2020-21 season, he regressed in 2021-22. A short term deal allows him to demonstrate that he can continue to be a valuable player without hamstringing us with a burdensome contract should he underperform.
Comparables: Ryan Spooner signed with NYR for 2yr x $4M in the 2018 offseason. Chris Tierney signed with OTT for 2yr x $3.5M in the 2020 offseason. Ryan Strome signed with NYR for 2yr x $4.5M in the 2020 offseason.
Other options pursued: None, Roslovic was a RFA that we wished to keep.
Long-term implications: While this contract will walk Roslovic to UFA status, we hope that he continues to perform well and we are able to sign a more long-term extension with him once Voracek's contract is off our books.
I certify that my team remains roster & cap compliant.

Extensions

Players with one year remaining on a multi-year contract are also eligible for extensions. We are allowing each team to extend one such player, provided the AAV is over $6M. Message the Commissioners (via mod mail) with a competitive offer, and an explanation for why you want to extend the player.

GM vs Assistant GM

The GM is the one who makes the final decisions and who other GMs should message. You are encouraged to speak to anyone including Assistants, but for trades and updates on where they stand, please contact the GMs. The assistants are here to serve as a second opinion, fill in on things the GM might have made unclear, and ultimately serve as backups in case the GM needs to be replaced, for example on draft day.

Respect

PLAY NICE. If people act like dicks in trade/FA negotiations, particularly in agreeing to something and then going back on their word, PM the admins and we'll take care of it. Repeat offenders will get removed from the sim. Racism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry will not be tolerated. No politics.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or DM any commissioner. If we need to clarify some things, we will do so.

Hi, I am a full stack engineer with about 5 years of work experience. I am looking for other roles but haven't got any positive response. One of my friend suggested my resume may portrays me as naive or with less experience. Will appreciate a feedback that helps me improve my resume. Thanks
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I had insurance with Liberty Mutual earlier this year. As my policy was expiring, I found another provider that would have cheaper service so I chose not to renew my insurance. I purchased the new insurance policy and let the Liberty Mutual insurance expire.
On May 14, the day the old policy expired, it seemed as though my insurance with Liberty Mutual just auto renewed itself (at a much higher rate might I add, but I don't guess that's relevant to this). I noticed it and called Liberty Mutual on May 15 to be very clear I had new insurance coverage and did not want or need their policy. They understood and cancelled the service.
As I'm reviewing my bank statements for the last month I'm noticing a charge on my account from Liberty Mutual. I called them, they told me that the charge was for the 1 day of insurance coverage they provided me. I explained to them that I never renewed coverage and as soon as I realized that the coverage just renewed itself I cancelled it, they refused to issue a refund for the service they forced on me.
"Fine," I thought. "I'll just dispute the charge with my bank." I contact my bank and explain the situation to them, and after a brief hold the woman tells me she can't honor the dispute (citing a "federal regulation E"). She said that the fact that I did not solicit the charge did not change the fact that a service was rendered and thus the prorated bill was valid.
For additional context I was billed by ACH withdrawals since that was the cheapest way to get my insurance.
Where do I go from here? I'm not paying this ridiculous charge for insurance I didn't want or was being told I had. Obviously I'll change my account numbers to prevent such billing from happening again, but right now I'm trying to claw back my money.

Hello, I have just come out of a bad breakup and my ex was meant to be coming to download with me. She has now pulled out so I'm stuck on my own but obviously I can't miss this opportunity so I am still going.
I don't mind camping alone but I have heard about camp loner but I can't find any details of where this camp will be in 2023. I have tried contacting via Facebook but no one has got back to me via that group.
Any one know if there will be one and if there is where it will be?
On top of that as I've never been to download is there any formality or things I will need to observe in this camp to stay there.
Thanks!

i (F20) feel like i am totally emotionally disconnected from my family. i’ve always felt like the black sheep since i feel so awkward around them. my family is very much conservative and catholic, and i was raised that way. however, i am a queer person who happened to also drift away from religion in general. i’m just so tired of the homophobia and the pressure to be the perfect cookie cutter “woman” they want me to be. me and my boyfriend (M19) have agreed that once we get jobs and are able to support ourselves we’ll move to the other side of the country and cut contact with my family. i’m just so tired of presenting as my shell to my family and i want to live my authentic self.

I've been aware of and tried my whole life to solve this problem but still can't do it in my 30's. Guess it's too late now to solve it anyway. By this age I'm already too set in my ways and have too much baggage.
I've tried "being myself". I've tried being someone else. I've tried to cultivate my interests and hobbies, despite sucking at all of them, so as to have things to talk about and appear interesting. I've tried to be open to new experiences and be interested in other people's lives and intetests too. I've tried to be the source of emotional support for them. I've tried to polish my looks. I've tried to make an effort to maintain existing connections even when, in hindsight, the other person couldn't have cared less.
None of that has ever worked. I don't have what it takes to impress people and make them want to be my friends or boyfriends. It's not just looks, though that must be the biggest reason when it comes to the lack of romantic and sexual interest. It's also that I don't have much in common with other people. Because of peer rejection and bullying I developed social anxiety, abysmal self-esteem and depression, which complicate matters further.
Year by year the gap is ever widening. If there's only one advice I can give to the youngsters here in their teens or 20's it's that make the effort and changes in your life now. It only gets harder with age.
I no longer know what I'd even want out of a close friendship or a romantic relationship. I've lived without either for so long. I can only imagine casual relationships based on some common interest or "work friends", and the only use for a boyfriend for me would be, to be honest, to have some physical needs met. Emltional closeness is an alien concept and a pipe dream at this point.
(Just felt very lonely and moody today, so had to vent a little.)

Today I played Fortnite for the first time in weeks (it's also the first time I post something here). I re-discovered chess and I paused my PlayStation for a while. I've never been really good at Fortnite, I kinda panic when someone attacks me as I can't craft fast enough to shield me. Also, I'm more used to the first-person perspective in shooting games. What I like the most about Fortnite is exploring the map and discovering new places, I like that we often have new things added to look at. So my strategy in battle royale is staying far from battles and looking for cool landscapes, new buildings and features of the map. Does that make me a coward or an explorer? I have fun playing that way, but sometimes I think I may be missing the point of the game.
Am I the only one that doesn't care about kills and just wanders around?
Thank you for reading, have a nice day!

Sorry for the bother, but I've found myself at a bit of a impasse. I've gotten the world for my story written out, I've gotten the basic plot outlined, I've got the supporting characters figured out, and I have my Main Character's background finished regardless of their gender. The main issue I find is that I can't decide on a gender, in my mind I could easily go both ways, and now I'm leaning on just raw statistics and feeling. Is it true that while male leads tend to do better in publication, female leads do better in web serials?
Most of my favorite stories often have a female lead personally. Where the gender isn't going to change the story, it will possibly change the context for readers. Writing in the Fantasy Genre, if that matters as well. Since I don't personally care which Gender the MC is, I'd like to do whatever would be more interesting for readers as I'm confident enough to write either well, so I'd just like to hear others input on the subject.

Every few minutes now I'm suddenly noticing this. "Attention: contacting Destiny 2 servers"
Sometimes it doesn't interrupt my game. Sometimes it kicks me out for a few seconds and reloads. Sometimes it kicks me out completely. I recently tried to play Gambit, and 100% of the time it kicks me out about 3/4 of the way through the game, then says "reconnecting" but leaves me stuck on a black screen while the game plays through and I can't actually rejoin.
I'm using wired internet on a desktop and never had this problem before. Every help article ends with no answers and other people saying they have the same problem still. Does anyone have any idea what's happening, because constantly getting kicked from random runs is getting frustrating.

I could not help but notice this after the recent episode. While many DID foresee Guel and Shaddiq fighting, the fact that there is STILL the subplot involving Guel and Lauda with the reveal that the former killed Vim really starts making me feel like Guel is overstaying his welcome at best, or worst is the one who gets to do all the heroic stuff over Suletta or Miorine despite them being the protagonists. The fact there's four episodes left, and Suletta has been far from the action sometimes makes me lack faith even if Suletta and Miorine will do something during the Quiet Zero storyline.
I know the story was written a long time ago, but I can't help but sometimes think the writers caved in to all the Guel fans who wanted more of him, but at Suletta and Miorine's expense.
It feels so disheartening that as the Gundam TV series with its first female protagonist, on top of having a female deuteragonist in addition: Both of them are being sidelined hard in favor of the male supporting character who falls in line with more "traditional" Gundam protagonists. It's starting to feel like them promoting Suletta and Miorine as the protagonists is just for the sake of "window dressing". Like sure they're the main characters and the main couple and they know they print money, but they won't let them to do anything remotely heroic whatsoever. It's one thing to yuribait, but it's another to "female protagonist bait" when said protagonists aren't doing anything.

Hi guys,
we are tourists from Germany. Wanted to rent a second car to explore your beautiful country. Just wanted to share what I think was a pretty bad experience with car rentals in this case with sixt car rental.
Usually, I rent a car at the spot (in Italy or Spain) this way we don‘t have to pay to car rental sites commission and the rental service providers give us some discounts,
When we arrived at the airport the lady quoted us a price of more than 400 euros (almost double what you could find on booking or rentalcars. When we asked why the price was so high she stated us a ridiculously high insurance rate. When we showed her the price on the website she told us that it is very likely going to be canceled anyway so we shouldn‘t bother with booking there.
Well, since we didn‘t want to get scammed by their high insurance rate we booked through booking and proceeded.
After booking through the website we showed the verification code at the counter. The guy there straight away told us we will have to wait for some hours until the car is ready (mind you: others that bought their expensive insurance could pick up the car straight away)
Now after we arrived after three hours once again at the airport the real fun began: she would not accept any of my credit cards. At that time I had three (two physical and one digital)
Each time there was a different reason (spoiler: All of them are working with credit limit/deposit of more than 2k euros)
first visa card with my name: declined since it‘s not a „real“ credit card. The card was fully functional with credit limit. Looking at the visa logo she tells me it‘s not a credit card since it has an iban.
second card: visa gold card. Used by me all the time without trouble. Again not a real credit card from her perspective since it has the visa type account written on it.
Third card mastercard. Not real because it‘s digital. At this point we waited more than three hours just to basically get told I used unreal credit cards my whole life in Germany.
Now, how are we supposed to cancel the booking reservation? Sixt at the airport cannot do anything since booking is an agency. So we contact booking support line. Shitty phone connection to a call center somewhere in India. More than an hour phoning. Booking policy: We need to rebook another car for the one to get canceled. Also they need to contact sixt to find out what happened.
Sixt employees refused to talk to booking employee to explain why they declined the credit card. They were too busy.
Luckily, I had a guy on the phone after the second try that was actually able to provide a full refund. But after we finished with all this a whole vacation day was wasted.
Tldr: Tried to rent a car, but scammy sixt center, really wants to sell their overpriced insurance. Result: vacation day wasted without renting a car:(

Blossoms eSports is looking for players to join their roster.

About Us Blossoms eSports is a team formerly known as Blossoms R6, where it competed in Rainbow Six Siege professionally. Over the years the owners have decided to make the switch to CS:GO and start over. Blossoms eSports is now a competitive CS:GO team and are wanting to expand their roster and reach out to many tournaments.
Requirements Working Microphone · Flexible Play Time · Over 250 hours of game time · No past game bans · A minimum of Master Guardian+ Competitive Rank · 16 Years or older · Be able to receive constructive criticism for improvement.
Positions we are looking for Entry Fragger · Support · AWPer · IGL · Lurker Information EU English
Contact on discord at NotCulture#1871 or Double Dinked Me#9603 if interested.

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Is the DPDR community aware of the possible link between DPDR & autism spectrum disorder?
I've looked at the psychology literature, and the academics are (somewhat) aware of this link.
However, it is not something I was made aware of while involved in the DPDR community. In fact, I don't recall autism being discussed at all.
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After experiencing chronic DPDR for nine years, I have recently been made aware that I have many behavioural/neurological traits that are diagnostic of autism.
Several of these traits I had previously attributed to DPDR.
Now that I realise these are personality traits associated with autism, and not symptoms of DPDR, I strangely find that I view them in a far more positive light.
Here are three examples:
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1) Processing speed.
I believed I was slower than average at processing information, or reacting to things, because of the fog (DPDR). I felt drunk, and my friends did not, which resulted in me being 'slower' than them. My intelligence is important to me, so when I perceived my intelligence as being hindered by DPDR, it really upset me, which worsened my mental state and DPDR symptoms.
I am now aware that this reduced processing speed is because I am autistic. Autistic individuals have a slower-than-average processing speed, but have a much higher-than-average capacity for deep, structured, and analytical thought (to name a few!). I now view this trait of mine, as a 'cognitive trade-off' rather than a 'debuff' of my intelligence.
When I believed this trait was DPDR, it greatly upset me, whereas now I realise it is autism, I am happy and proud to have this trait.
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2) Social skills & being funny.
Frequently, I enter social situations where I do the wrong thing. Again, I blamed this on DPDR. I believed that the brain fog was slowing me down, so I couldn't think of the right thing to do in time. As you can imagine, this made me embarrassed, frustrated, unnerved, and upset.
Now that I know this is autism, it makes complete sense why I don't think of the 'right thing' to do. It has nothing to do with my intelligence, processing speed, or DPDR. It is because autistic individuals generally lack social skills (it is one of our defining traits, and a necessary trade-off to allow for amazing skills which so many of us have).
I no longer view this trait of mine negatively. Instead, my friends, family, and myself, now aware of my autism, view this as a 'quirk' which is often quite funny.
Additionally -
I found that I was never 'witty' enough to crack smart jokes in social situations. I would blame this on DPDR. I believed my brain was 'too slow' to come up with witty jokes in the moment, because of the fog.
I now realise that I don't come up with witty jokes very often because I often take things very literally, which is characteristic of autism spectrum disorder.
That's okay. I don't need to be cracking witty jokes to make myself or others happy. Now that I know this is not a result of DPDR, it doesn't bother me like it used to.
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3) Emotional numbness.
I believed I was incapable of feeling emotion. I had convinced myself that this was a result of my DPDR state, and that nothing, no matter how consequential, would have an emotional effect on me.
I found that instead of feeling negative emotions, I would instead just think about the consequences. I would ruminate.
I now realise that I simply process emotions differently than others (neurotypicals) because I am on the autistic spectrum. Autistic brains are wired to process things logically rather than emotionally (in contrast with neurotypical brains).
It was never true that I was 'incapable' of feeling emotion. I had only convinced myself of this, because I noticed that there were occasions when people around me experienced negative emotions, whereas I did not.
BUT, there were also instances where I experience great joy and excitement from just talking about my interests, whereas others (neurotypicals) would not (to a similar degree).
It was my anxious mind (which all of us here unfortunately share) that ruminated on the instances where I felt nothing, and inflated their significance, forcing me to believe I never felt anything.
This, again, is a trade-off of being autistic, which I am very much content with.
Now, being able to understand why I often process emotions differently, gives me great peace of mind, and I no longer perceive myself as, or worry about, being emotionally numb.
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Discussion
'Autistic meltdown'
When overwhelmed with stress, people with autism spectrum disorder enter a (temporary) state called 'autistic meltdown'.
Autistic meltdown is often described as feeling: 'spaced-out; disconnected from reality; my brain is fried; robotic; controlling my body from a cockpit inside my head'. Sound familiar?
My suspicion is that many of us, if not all of us, who are experiencing symptoms of DPDR, are somewhere on the autistic spectrum. The stresses of reality have caused us to enter an autistic meltdown. This, coupled with the additional factor of having an anxious mind (not exclusive with autism), leads us to ruminate on our symptoms, and become stuck in the anxiety-symptom cycle.
That's not to say that neurotypicals can't experience these symptoms or get stuck in the cycle, but I'm tempted to say that autistic individuals have an increased susceptibility to DPDR because of our comparatively low stress tolerance.
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Sensory hypersensitivity
During an Unreal (UK-based DPDR charity) support meeting, I spoke to a man who had been suffering from DPDR for most of his life. He described how his DPDR symptoms would increase whenever he was exposed to a bright light.
This is a very common trait of autism. They call it 'sensory hypersensitivity'. Bright lights, loud noises, or even certain textures/materials can be extremely overwhelming to autistic people and cause a stress response, which for people already with DPDR, will cause it to increase. This suggests that this man was on the autism spectrum, and also supports my suspicion that traits of autism are frequently misinterpreted as symptoms of DPDR.
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Deep thought
Psychologists researching DPDR are aware that most DPDR sufferers very frequently wonder about the deep mysteries of the universe, such as - the origin of life; evolution; animal life; alien life; space and time; neurobiology; why things are the way they are; etc.
I'm sure many of you in this forum share this trait. I for one have wondered since a young age about human evolution and life on other planets.
This is true for autistic people too. We call it 'special interests', and it is an extremely common trait. This supports my suspicion that people with DPDR are on the autistic spectrum.
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Adolescent origin?
Still, one question remains. If DPDR is autism, then why, for so many of us, did DPDR start suddenly during adolescence or early adulthood (13-25)?
Autism is a developmental condition that begins before birth. It can't just 'start' at age 14 (for example).
I suspect that so many of us develop symptoms of brain fog (normally attributed to DPDR) during adolescence and early adulthood, because this is the age at which anxiety becomes most prevalent.
Anxiety is what causes us to ruminate on symptoms of brain fog, and become trapped in the cycle, which is described as 'DPDR'.
I suspect that autism spectrum disorder is a prerequisite to DPDR, which only becomes manifested once the brain becomes anxious during adolescence or early adulthood.
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Conclusion
I had DPDR for nearly a decade. I no longer consider myself to be suffering from DPDR. I also don't consider myself to have recovered from DPDR.
I never had DPDR.
I am autistic. Discovering this has drastically improved my quality of life.
I sincerely hope that this information will be of help to the people in this subreddit.

Context: My uncle is not well right now... His place is a total mess and he is in urgent need of rehab or something. Anyways, he has a pet duck that used to belong to his girlfriend. He is not taking care of it well and we are worried about its well being.
Now that you know the details; My mom is very determined to release that duck into the wild today. I tried to talk her into some alternatives like making some posts and contacting some friends to see if they would adopt it, but she is just not listening (To be honest I fear she doesn't really care about animals and just wants that duck gone). Since I can't change her mind about this now, at least I offered to go with her to do this as properly as possible.
So, advice? :/