Rebecca

I have had a troubled relationship with sleep my whole life. When I was a kid, I tossed and turned and my brain would not turn off. I had extremely vivid nightmares to the point where I could feel pain in them. These nightmares have followed me into adulthood, and I have anywhere from 1 to 10 dreams a night.

As a teen, I hated sleep. I had insomnia, or what seemed like insomnia. I would pull all-nighters because I didn’t want to sleep. I would fall asleep in class all the time.

As an adult, primarily over the last three or four years, I have not been able to get sleep that makes me wake up feeling refreshed. I have night sweats, I can sleep literally 24+ hours and feel like I never slept. Sometimes I’m not sure if something that I remember really happened or not. The nightmares are still there. Not even meds help them.

I also have signs of cataplexy. When I laugh, I get weak to the point of sometimes sliding off a chair or needing to hunch over or sit down. Similar things when crying.

My sleep doctor did a sleep study and a Multiple Sleep Latency Test. During one of the five naps, I went into REM sleep. Two naps with REM sleep are required for a narcolepsy diagnosis. I fell asleep in between naps and dreamt while I was sleeping, but the equipment wasn’t plugged in for the time I was supposed to be awake.

My doctor is treating me for possible narcolepsy with cataplexy. Has anyone heard of these symptoms before? Does anyone have similar experiences? What did it turn out to be?

I have Borderline Personality Disorder, and my emotions unfortunately get the best of me sometimes.

I was speaking to my professor after class about a grade I got and while trying to explain something, I must have come across as lashing out. I really didn’t mean to. I had really bad anxiety at the time.

Anyway, I ended up having a breakdown after realising that I’d made her feel like I was angry at her or accusing her of something. A fellow classmate witnessed the event. My professor and I worked things out and there are no ill feelings between us. However, I am very nervous about my classmate and what she thinks.

I think I made my classmate miss her bus (she was waiting to speak the the professor as well, and then I had the breakdown). On my way out, she was on the phone with someone and she was obviously annoyed. I said “have a good night”, and she said, “you too”, but she was obviously not happy with me.

I’m wanting to know if anyone has suggestions as to what I can say to her if she mentions any of this to our other classmates or if she holds an attitude with me.

This was an extremely embarrassing and difficult event for me, and I’m sure I inconvenienced her. However, if she gossips or holds an obvious grudge, I will say something. I don’t want to come off as angry if I have to say something. I don’t want to have another breakdown, and I don’t want to be rude. So, having ideas of what to say that is both assertive and self-respecting would be great.

Thank you in advance.

I am wanting to get a tattoo of these kanji, and I want to double check with multiple people that I know what I’m putting on my body. I am currently learning Japanese, but I am not at that level yet.

Thank you so much in advance!

I have struggled with anxiety since I was very young, and I was always an anxious child. Recently, I started watching a show that I grew up watching. In this show, there are some scenes that I literally cannot watch. I run away or mute the TV while the scene is happening, because it embarrasses me. I love this show, and I've seen every episode before, but it's been a while since I saw these episodes. I don't have an issue with reacting this way; I simply want to know if anyone else has ever reacted like this to something fictional? It could just be brilliant acting for all I know. I'm just very curious as to why I respond this way.

My therapist once thought I had BPD, but I do not have rough relationships with every person I am close with. I tend to go around in a cycle of mood swings, but I don t think I ve ever experienced a full blown Manic episode. I have however noticed that I do get extremely happy or extremely irritable when I m not depressed, but never to the point of being dangerous to myself.

I am currently in a Depressive state, and I see little hope for ever getting better. I try so hard to be a productive young woman, but it seems that wherever I go, illness follows, and hinders my life.

I want to know the kind of symptoms others have, and see if you guys have any advice for how to overcome these feelings. Feelings have run my life since I was very little, and I want to finally gain control.

I am 19, and I work as a nanny. I am saving up to start college this fall. I am currently with Chase, and I had a high school checking account, and now that I have turned 19, they changed my account to a total checking account. If there isn't $1500 in my account for even a day, they charge $12 a month. I cannot and will not be able to save up that much money, as I travel a lot. And I DO NOT want to pay $12 a month. That adds up to $144 a year, which could go towards traveling or college.

So my main question is, does anyone know ANY banks that don't charge a monthly fee, even if you don't have a certain amount of money in the account?

The new card they sent me to activate my new total checking account will automatically be activated in less than 30 days, and I need to close my Chase account before then, and I want a good bank to keep my money in.

Thank you for any information in advance.

I am about to be 19, and I need to start school. I really want to go to an online school called Baker College, it is in Michigan, and there are 11 campuses throughout Michigan. I really want to go there to get a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I know that it is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The problem is that I am not familiar with accreditation and I don't know how to make sure I am not giving up my money to earn a degree that will not be accepted nationwide. I plan to move to Connecticut part way through earning my degree, I live in Florida currently. The tuition is one of the best nationwide, and I really would like to apply and go there, but I need to make sure that the degree I earn there will be accepted by employers and by other colleges, especially Walden University, where I plan to get a Master's in Mental Health Counseling after I get a Bachelor's degree.

I just really need answers to make sure that I can go to Baker. Thank you guys for any advice and information you have in advance.

I have had a very bad phobia of snakes for about three years now. I got severe anxiety disorder, and these phobias came up a while after. I need advice, to help me overcome this fear. My parents are not going to take me to therapy for it, I know they would think I was stupid.

Okay. This is embarrassing.

I am on my period, and I used the bathroom a couple times two nights ago. I ALWAYS put a tampon in, and I have never forgotten before, to put one in. Well, I was sitting and typing for a few hours, and as I went to bed, I used the restroom. Pardon the crudeness. I reached to find the string, and nothing was there. I did try and find it, and I reached inside, to see if I could feel anything. Nothing. So I freaked out, thinking I had one in there. And I went to the hospital the next day, to make sure with a doctor that I didn't have a tampon in there. I had an examination, a very thorough one, and the doctor said he didn't find anything.

I am having a little bit of cramping, and I am almost done with my period, and I usually don't cramp during the last couple days. I get paranoid about certain things, and I can't help but think that he missed it. I still don't know if I have a tampon up there, and I got a doctor to check, but I am getting concerned.

I need advice. Do you think I should get checked again, or am I just paranoid? Have you ever heard of a doctor missing a lost tampon?

I should explain I am 18 and I am leaving due to my father's anger issues. He has used yelling to terroize the household my whole life and as such I fear greatly bringing on a open conflict while still at home. He has been physically violent in the past leaving me injured and bruised for many days, although not in the last year. I am female and not large well under 5 feet tall.

I feel bad about sneaking out and just leaving a note explaining why I am leaving and yet I greatly fear a scene at best and violence at worse if I openly say I am leaving.

I wish I could talk with my mum but she is not open to such discussions but she treats me like she knows best in spite of what I desire or want and has come close to ruining my life. (long story) I do know my mother loves me but she will not defend me from my father. She just always says do what he says.

Anyway it seems obvious I need to run and leave a note and hope I can salvage some type of relationship with them at a later date.

Have any of you faced something similar? Were your relationships ruined forever? How long did it take to get back in contact? Any information or experiences would help me as I am walking into the unknown.

BTW I have a safe, loving family to take me in some 1500 miles away so I can get a job, go to college etc. But the loss of my family connection tears my heart out and yet if I stay I fear his verbal abuse will drive me to suicide.

I have asked around. I have tried to talk about this with my mother. But my dad mentally and physically abused me as a child, and into my teens. Now I am so nervous and fearful by his yelling that it is unhealthy. I have bad thoughts and I cry everyday almost. My mother just said to do what he says and we'll take it from there when I confronted her about it tonight. But I can't stay.

I have somewhere else I can go, but my problem is I have four younger siblings and a mother who does care, and just doesn't know how to show it. I don't know how to tell her I need to leave. I need advice. I have asked my closest friends for advice, and still I am lost and confused. I just need someone else's experience in this. Whether you were 18 like me when you moved out or 25. I need some help. I want to know I am making the right decision.