Just mentioning the info also includes tricyclic antidepressants. My mom has been on amitryptaline for years. There are so many other antidepressants out there, I have to wonder why her doc couldn't have picked another one. Also, I agree, when you need a med you need a med. But I read that for the bladder thing, as an example, some people are taking the drugs and the drugs don't even help, but they still take them. It it works for someone, and there's not an alternative, of course you have to do what you need. But it's worth asking some questions anyway. ETA my mom also has had lots of skin problems and has been on Benadryl on and off pretty regularly.

I know this would really work for me and I would benefit from it. How do you do this though, especially in the winter when there are no good fruits? I get so bored, there are only so many apples a person can eat.

These responses are really encouraging. I am about to be 49 and am trying really hard to get healthier, but I *hate* it sometimes. Thanks for sharing your stories.

DD has worn this before, so I say go for it.

But fraidy, you'd be surprised how the general attitude affects these choices. My FIL had end stage cancer. He didn't want to take methadone because it's a "drug user's drug". When he finally took it, it helped him *so much*. He said, "Well, that was stupid of me." for waiting so long. But it's not just him really, it's a general attitude and lack of education about drug use.

Scarlett, hoping everything is okay. :grouphug: I hate men who refuse to got to the doctor. They think it's only them dealing with it but it's not. When you have a family, you have to think about others.

I think terminal illness qualifies for meds under any circumstances. ETA, also have a mom who takes methodone for moderate to severe arthritis in pretty much every joint in her body. She has had arthritis for about 30 years. She wouldn't be moving without methadone. It allows her to keep functioning and actually makes her less "goofy" than other drugs.

This may work for you and for people like you. It doesn't work for everyone. For some, if they refuse to confront the feelings they will never be able to get control of the problem. Also, learning about how some addictions affect the brain, the concept of it being a "choice" no longer fits the facts. When your brain is altered, are your "choices" the same as someone whose brain is normal and healthy? There is a wide scale of what choices are really available.

Are there practice tests of both online somewhere? We bought a prep book that has practice tests of the new ones. Where would I get the old ones? Also, I can I get clarification on scoring? If she takes a test and scores poorly, then takes it again and scores better, is the first score still "out there"? Also, if she takes ACT and SAT and does better on one than the other, can we choose which one we want to submit to a college, or again, are both scores already out there?

To a certain extent, it's good. But it can grow to mess with personal relationships. If I'm able to do this, why is not everyone else? Why should I have any sympathy for anyone's gooshy messy "feelings"? Some people like that even have a hard time knowing what they themselves really *feel* about something, because it is so easy for them to cut it off and live in their head. I saw this in my dad and was well on the road to that myself until about my mid-twenties. Oddly enough, the training to become a massage therapist changed me, because it brought me back to my body and my feelings, and not just my head. My dad has loosened up on it in his old age. He may not be as "strong", but he is a much nicer person. After my brother died from a lifelong drug addiction, he was able to rethink things some, and let go of some of his absolute and hardline opinions, both about addiction and about himself. In general I think that for all the ways it's harder, it's a richer life to be more connected to feelings, both yours and others.

I didn't say he didn't have an addiction, I'm sure he probably did. But for whatever reason, he didn't react to the addiction like other people. When he decided to quit, he just quit. There is something different about him that enables him to put his willpower over whatever feelings he had (and I'm sure he had them.) We were talking about people who don't seem to understand addiction, because they are able to stop or control whatever it is in their life that they want to. I think it's a result of them being able to selectively disconnect from their own feelings. And I do think their experience of addiction is different from others, and that they don't have a typical addictive personality.

Wow. Pledging allegiance to a Christian flag is not something I have ever heard of. I am surprised to hear it is that common.

DD also thought she wasn't supposed to write in the test. She either didn't hear or didn't comprehend otherwise. She said that for some, she did write really lightly on the test and then erased it all! *sigh* I wasn't expecting NM, so it was just for SAT practice anyway. But still, I really need to take some time to cover the bases...

DD is in 11th grade and scores poorly on reading comprehension. She is a science/math kid who has always fought me on both reading and writing. I looked at WWS3 and I really like the looks of it, would it be worth spending next semester on that? I like your ideas, not sure how to implement. Thanks!

It would not surprise me in the least that she just didn't see it. She's like that. Takes after her Dad... ;)

DD is in 11th. If I am reading correctly, the old design SAT will still be in use through January. Is it worth taking it on the January 23rd date just to avoid the chaos? I'm not liking her being in the guinea pig group.

My DD said this too. They didn't give them scratch paper and didn't tell them it was okay to write in the test booklet. So DD wrote very lightly in the test booklet and then erased it. I have no idea how she managed to do that and still finish, she has time issues with testing. This is mostly just SAT practice so I didn't discuss it much with her beforehand, but kind of wish I had.

DD said they didn't even start the actual test until after 10. OT, does anyone know how long it takes to get test results?

DD got out almost an hour late as well. The school did call though.

Never heard the second definition. Maybe someone thinks no straight man would wear it. ;) I once saw a teenage boy wearing a shirt that said I heart soccer moms. That creeped me out.

I hate them too.

My dad is like this. I think at the core is an ability to disconnect from their own emotions or feelings. With my dad, you do what needs to be done. You feel this or that about it? So? That's irrelevant. This man smoked from the age of 16 until about 55. He smoked three packs a day. When he decided he needed to quit, he put the cigarettes down and never picked them up again. If he had cravings or whatever, that didn't matter. He decided to quit, and as far as he was concerned, that was it.

Substance addictions can destroy the brain's natural coping skills and ability to handle stress. So yes, often when the substance user quits, he will have a harder time dealing with stress than the average person will. That seems really unfair. :glare: I don't have substance issues, but I have many things in my life I would like to be doing differently and just CAN'T. I bite my fingernails. I eat junk food. I don't exercise. These things make me feel calm and happy and I just can't seem to stop them. I figure if I, as a relatively mentally healthy person, have that much trouble with such simple things, then I can only imagine and pity a person with substance issues.

I get it. When DD was little she used to moan and whine in pain over every little thing that I couldn't even see. "See this scratch?? Right here?" No. Actually I don't see anything. Get over it. One time I saw some horrible (really bad) bruises and scratches on her. She had fallen out of a tree. "When did that happen?" "The other day, I told you, but you ignored me." Oh. Sorry. Unfortunately, she still makes a big deal of the tiniest scratch. She at least knows how to make me listen if it is important now.

And this part especially...no. In the store? He talks politics when he bumps into someone in the store? And acquaintances? Sorry, but it sounds like you are going to lose a lot of friends if your DH doesn't increase his social awareness.