Idk man I might get torn to shreds for saying this, but I simply cannot understand the new trend, particularly among younger internet users, where people write a laundry list of their triggers in their bio and then expect everyone to read and cater to said list on a PUBLIC PLATFORM.

This is the same mentality that drives people to attack appropriately tagged fics on AO3 for having x y or z content because “How dare you post this when I have trauma about this???” Obviously if someone is going to write a super heavy and highly sensitive fic and NOT tag it properly, they ought to be called out on it. But this isn’t about that, it’s about the people who don’t curate their own content, it’s about the people who enter public spaces and demand that the general public cater to THEM specifically.

Additionally: Listing out your triggers for everyone to see is just ASKING for trolls to come into your inbox and flood you with triggering content. (Unfortunately, as much as we would like to believe otherwise, the internet is full of selfish jerks who don’t give a crap about anybody’s trauma.) Not only this, but the algorithm does not read your bio. The algorithm does not care about your triggers unless YOU make sure to block specific tags and content.

YOU are responsible for curating your own content, and nobody else.

Obviously this is not to say people shouldn’t try to tag their posts for common triggers, because that’s the common courtesy thing to do. But if Becky has a phobia of bees, it is on her to block that tag and curate her feed around it, and she does not get the exclusive right to suddenly demand that nobody talk about bees within a ten mile radius of her. If Alec has a phobia of dogs, then it is well within his right to avoid contact with them, but he doesn’t get to go to a public park and yell at anybody who brings their dog there. It is his responsibility to know his own limits and seek out parks that are dog-free. (If someone brings a dog to a dog-free area, that’s a whole different issue that I won’t be getting into rn but yes, the person who does that is in the wrong there.)

The internet is widely a public space. If you want to create a safe space completely and utterly free of your specific triggers, you have to put the work in to make that space for yourself. You don’t get to ask other internet strangers to do it for you.

I’m saying this out of genuine concern (and admittedly, frustration) because there are so many young teens in fandom nowadays who don’t understand this, and they end up putting themselves in extremely vulnerable and even downright dangerous situations because they don’t understand that putting your well-being in the hands of a stranger is a terrible idea.

Please be safe, and for the love of all that is holy, be reasonable. Curating your content yourself is just as much a protection for you as it is a vital key that allows public communities to function.

Anxiety Triggers for Autistic People…

Neurodivergent_lou

How do I identify my anxiety triggers?

Finally read the Heartstopper Comics (previously had only seen the show) and chose to ignore the trigger warnings.

I definitely should not have.

The worst part of anxiety is when you stop being afraid of the trigger and start being afraid of yourself. Who you will hurt when it goes off.

Shared From Instagram, Not My Own Post.

I can feel it. It’s simmering just under the surface, taking ahold of my focus every few seconds, not letting my mind stray. My heart is racing, the firm heaviness in my chest welling and fading in time with my thoughts.

The icy sweat is the first thing I notice. I’m hot and cold all at once, piling on blankets in one moment and ripping them off the next.

The restlessness is next. The want to pace comes and conflicts with the want to curl up and disappear, but neither relieve that swelling apprehension.

The spiraling is when I finally take notice. My mind circling back to one thing, one thing that I can’t seem to let go of. Minutes pass and it comes back. It’s only then I realize what happening.

5. My blanket. The light. The door. The fan. My pillow.

4. My heating pad is warm. My sheets are smooth. My blanket is soft. My glasses are firm.

3. My roommate is doing homework, their fingers clicking on their keyboard. The hum of the fan has never been more reassuring. The AC just kicked off.

2. My mouth tastes dry. A little sour too from not speaking or eating in a while.

1. I smell the air freshener we keep on— the one to get rid of the old dorm smell.

And suddenly that racing heaviness fades into something more manageable. It’s still under the surface, but my thoughts aren’t so occupied. I take a deep breath, holding it for a moment and letting it out slowly. Maybe I should eat? Yeah. That sounds nice.

Let's talk about anxiety

Anxiety is often not talked about much in society. It is common but its not talked about much because it is considered taboo to do so.

Even if we do talk about it, it can be very expensive to find a counselor to talk about it and most of the time they are not covered by the Government

We want to do a campaign to tell people that it is ok to talk about anxiety. We have a profile on Instagram where it is safe to do so. You can be anonymous if you want. Do follow us if you can. Every day we post stories and posts about anxiety and autism as well as some current issues

But it is important to do this so that we can all get the help we need. Without this the government and the community cannot help us. By government we mean state and Federal government. They can only do so much

Anxiety will not go away on its own and its important that you feel able to seek the help and support that you need

How to Tell if Shortness of Breath is from Anxiety - Find Out Here!

Struggling to Catch Your Breath? Anxiety May Be the Culprit! Learn how to identify & cope with anxiety-induced shortness of breath in this comprehensive guide. Take back control of your breath! #AnxietyRelief #MentalHealthTips #BreatheEasy

If you’ve ever experienced that dreaded feeling of struggling to catch your breath, you’re not alone. Many of us face the overwhelming effects of anxiety on our respiratory system, leaving us gasping for air even in seemingly calm situations. As someone who has battled anxiety firsthand, I understand how it can hijack your breathing and make you feel like you’re drowning in your thoughts. In this…

View On SoldierofSelf.com

Anxiety Triggers for Autistic People

Neurodivergent_lou

Hey, I have some questions about OCD that I was wondering if you could answer.

The way I think of OCD is kind of a mess. It reminds me of a game I used to play with my siblings as a kid. We'd be walking down the sidewalk and suddenly we weren't allowed to step on the cracks. There's that little phrase, "Step on a crack and break your mother's back." I think that as a kid, I never really took that thought seriously, but OCD is like believing that will happen; knowing it's irrational, and hating myself for it. I'll walk through the hall at school and the thought will pop up. I used to have to obey it every time, but it's not as bad now?

Sorry, this is a mess. Um, quick warning about self-destructive thoughts...

Every time I'm near a bridge, there's the thought to jump, right? I start freaking out because I'm afraid that I will and I'll hurt my family and I have to get off that bridge as soon as possible by traversing it safely. Or a razor blade, being near one I get the urge to hurt myself... I need to get away from the blade, I can't use it, I have to stay away, I don't want to hurt, but I want to bleed? I don't know-- is this making sense? In the past, I've gone through with self destructive behavior, so it makes sense to be afraid, but this happened before I ever did anything.

I guess I'm asking if this is what OCD feels like. I have a therapist who is helping me with my bouquet of mental illnesses and she mentioned I might have OCD. I've been researching it since I want to understand how it works. There are times when I can't trust myself. I feel afraid that I'll hurt myself irreversibly and I'll worry those I care for.

I'm sorry for being a mess... You don't need to answer this and I guess I'm just venting. I guess I wanted confirmation. I'm sorry. I hope you have a good day! <3

Hi. Some of that does sound like OCD, so you might want to look into it. I’m not a therapist, but, from what I’ve learned & my own experience, the main thing about OCD intrusive thoughts is that they’re egodystonic, meaning they’re contrary to your values/beliefs or contrary to the actions you’d actually want to take.

So, for example, when my OCD was at its worst, I had thoughts of stabbing my family (Harm OCD). That’s something I’d never actually want to do. The thought was abhorrent to me. OCD intrusive thoughts can take many forms, but the cycle is the same. I definitely would look into this further with your therapist.

And as for “being a mess”, no worries, you’re fine. 😁 Hope this helps!

Dealing with my fear of rejection by never asking for anything, and my fear of being a burden by never doing anything that involves other people. Foolproof.

Waking up with chest pains from anxiety is the worst.

Finding quite a lot of content on Instagram recently is triggering my Health Anxiety to feel worse, so trying to be aware of this can limit what I look at and read. I’ve also made it so posts with certain words or hashtags won’t appear on the explore page either. Have to prioritise my Mental Health. 💭