YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I relate to this a lot right now. I'm hosting a very extroverted oldest friend for three days. My relationships have suffered over the last few years and his friendship is important to me but I wish he would just leave me alone for a few hours. I feel guilty about fantasizing about how much more fun...

You strike me as articulate and sensitive. I agree that you should give yourself more credit for maintaining your studies amidst walking through the sand of misery. Bummer about the guitar! I imagine a cepholopod would be an outstanding guitarist! Sounds like you're taking good steps to improve you ...

I don't think my anxiety is more pronounced at different times of day. It changes flavors. Morning anxiety - What the hell was I thinking last night? When will I learn to fall asleep at a respectable hour? This is going to ruin my day. I was a fool to think I'd iron pants before I left. Oh God. My w...

Labeling people an asshole doesn't work for me. I find when I do this everything they do becomes a manifestation of their assholishness and I grow increasingly angry over the mundane. Obviously, easier said than done. I had a boss in the military who had no problem snatching open my rack curtains in...

My mom is on vacation. I probably should have called at least. I'm sure my brother did. Probably sent a card, too. The bastard

I feel like such a bastard for bumping my unattended to intro thread. As an aside, swiftkey predicted after "I feel like such a" the words good, great and wonderful. Either swiftkey doesn't know me after all this time or it's trying to cheer me up. I was excited to see Oak and Oregon had p...

When I say "lack of trust" I think I mostly mean I don't have faith that people won't turn against me if I ask small favors of them. As if my miniscule personal appeal begins and ends with asking absolutely nothing of people. Or that everyone with whom I have a relationship is a hint of un...

I can relate to lot of what you posted. Particularly aware of the necessary steps feel a little better but feeling unable to take them. I think a lot of people go through this, hence "crippling anxiety" as a common euphemism. I feel that way often.

I also hate the phone. My brother is the only person enjoy talking on the phone with and I sometimes ignore his calls out of anxiety. Thank goodness for email! The worst part of my phone anxiety is I will agree to pretty much anything in the interest of ending a phone call. Need me to crawl under yo...

Thanks Jose and Chel for the responses. You're preaching to the choir about pro wrestling. Still stigmatized because even I can acknowledge it's mostly awful. In those fleeting moments of suspended disbelief and forgotten cynicism it's absolutely sublime. At the same time on those days when I'm unsh...