The only things that work without rest are machines; literally everything that lives requires rest.

I have to race to sign up to volunteer trips because even with dozens of spots available, people rush to devote their unpaid free time to helping the environment. these trips often fill up within hours. people care.

you will see a lot of bad news because that is the kind of news that people pay the most attention to. I know this more than you'd think from my optimism- not only do I live somewhere facing some of the most extreme ecological issues on the planet, I also spend my time studying the Bad Stuff every single day.

i explained to her why i was seeing her, and over the next couple sessions, she became fairly confident that I didn't have ocd, just very badly-managed anxiety symptoms due to some recent traumatic events and an extraordinarily stressful job that followed me home every night. but crucially, the symptoms i had needed to be managed with an awareness of ocd - namely, that reassurance wouldn't help. that the more i gave into the compulsion to get up and check things, the harder it would be to stop doing it, and the compulsion would only spread and spread and require me to check more stuff, and even get up multiple times, convinced i wasn't entirely sure of what I saw the first time (which was already happening to some degree).

it was very, very, very difficult to keep myself from checking every night, but with some tools from the therapist, i managed to stop those rituals. i didn't end up having ocd, but there are two things that are important:

it was a prior basic understanding of the core mechanics of OCD that allowed me to get help at a critical time when i needed it - that ocd is not even primarily about cleanliness or neatness, it's about control and compulsion turning into rituals that only grow more and more demanding without management

it was ocd management techniques that helped me stop the problem from getting worse, even though i don't actually have ocd.

Cause like

I dont know about anyone else

But I am perpetually hovering three inches above the strong subconscious belief that everyone knows what they're doing at all times except me, so if you change your normal patterns and I notice, then I will assume it is an intentional choice with a thought-out plan behind it and I will avoid interfering

"I feel like I'm the only one who does this chore. Can we start taking turns?"

"I'd like you to ask me how I'm doing more often."

"It bothers me when this area stays messy so long. Can you do X when Y happens?"

"I feel like the onus is on me to initiate X, and it's wearing me down. Could you try making the first move more? Like 3-4 times a week?"

"I'm feeling upset right now and I'd like to spend some time with you."

"When X happens, I feel like you're taking my work for granted."

"I'm feeling neglected. Could you do X?"

"I'm burnt out and need help."

"I feel like I'm the only one putting effort into X."

"Do you notice this?"

"Are you bothered by this?"

"I am bothered when this happens."

"X habit of yours bothers me."

They want total control over you. Not just trans people. Not just queer people. You. Everyone.

Trans people are just a scapegoat. They want total control over everyone's self expression. They want the right to mold you into their perfect little cog in their dehumanizing machine.