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

SD, the Python script is called Scrapy but it is way too complicated to set up and configure. There are some ready-made scripts for phpBB (which this forum runs on) but Scrapy kept throwing me errors. Rolling my own script seemed like a massive rabbit hole to fall into.

I've been writing for my new, own blog but have been holding back from publishing for now. Things in my head are in flux and I'd like to decide first on the "feel" of the blog and what kind of works to display. It's not a good idea to simply upload everything I'm doing there diary-style because there would be no threads to follow, and no coherence. One section will probably be of life drawings and urban sketching, and another with doodles in mainly black ink. I'm trying to come up with a very simple "comics" character that could tie some series together, almost like short strips but without a story.

Having this little pet project seems to keep me on track and I do less aimless anaesthetic scrolling. Taking around 1mg Xanax daily but less alcohol and less porn. Some days are still shit but on the whole embracing the Dao.

Wishing you all well.

Hi Troebia,

Yes, I am falling into the porn pit as well. I hate it

Because I wouldn’t be able to hide the charges, I can’t pay for ethical porn where I know the majority of the money goes to the performer and is based around a woman actively choosing to participate in sex work — it is just free porn where there are no transparency that performers are protected and not exploited

So it sucks

It is just frantic “scratching of the itch” and has nothing to do with my long term happiness and goals and values, and I know it is harmful to my mood and nervous-system

manuel_moe_g wrote: ↑June 25th, 2024, 6:16 pm It is just frantic “scratching of the itch” and has nothing to do with my long term happiness and goals and values, and I know it is harmful to my mood and nervous-system

It's a matter of releasing pressure, and it's actually good for the "reptile" brain. Without access to porn, many men would explode and get into all kinds of trouble. I try not to mix any moral values into it and be quick and practical. Years ago I developed a special interest in one particular actress, bordering on worship — but after watching interviews and even a sort of pseudo-documentary about her, I discovered she was a total shit of a person. But of course it's a savage industry and I'd never put any money into it. Use an ad-blocker!

Imo the greatest harm one can do is to obsess like I did once, because it takes away time and energy from yourself.

Howdy Troebia!

troebia wrote: ↑June 25th, 2024, 9:12 pm It's a matter of releasing pressure, and it's actually good for the "reptile" brain. Without access to porn, many men would explode and get into all kinds of trouble. I try not to mix any moral values into it and be quick and practical.

Good point

That's one thing annoying about the sex drive.
In one respect it's just a bothersome mechanical thing that needs to be addressed.
(Unless you're a practiced celibate and then the biological release of wet dreams takes over).

Other more positive aspects of course, but can be oh so difficult to navigate

I feel we are all in similar boats paddling up similar rivers in many different geographical locations!