#mod lauren

[concerningduolingo]

I didn't realize you were alive still

- @duolingo-unofficial

Periodically inactive but still utterly committed to the owl.

[queerstake]

I've been worried lately, with all the news surrounding the church. There seems to be a shift in teachings that, to me, appears to be a very specific counter reaction to people getting louder about how the current teachings don't seem to include them. This very much involves, and maybe even centers around, queer people. It looks like the more we let ourselves be heard, the more church leadership takes steps to ensure that we know that we're not welcome.

Now, this does not involve all church leaders, but it does involve a bunch who have the power to exercise or stop changes. This means that a rift is forming between members and in the church.

This is not a request to roll over, lay low, let yourself be treated horridly in order to stay active in church. We all know that the church is in dire need of active queer members, but please follow your heart and the urging of the spirit the upcoming time. Personally, I've had the feeling that the upcoming General Conference is going to be particularly tough for queer Latter Day Saints, and I need you all to know that it's okay to not listen to the things that don't nourish you spiritually.

Please, please take the time to strengthen your bond with the spirit the upcoming time. Listen to the talks with an open mind and heart. Take measures to protect you and your personal revelation. Staying in church is wonderful and admirable, and so is leaving a church that no longer feels like home.

Either way, you will still have a community here. Either way, the love of your heavenly parents is unconditional.

If you feel like you need to talk, please do reach out <3

[cross-country-suggestions]

[adhdcomorbid]

What counts as a tic?

Submitted Anonymously

(advance apologies for the length, concise is not a word I like)

How does it differ to like, a random stim/not enough impulse control combo.

From what I’ve heard someone w/ Tourettes say they can be aware of what they’re about to do but it’s hard to suppress it cause it feels like they need to do it. Like it’s a weird feeling that’ll go if they follow through on the action. And I think normally stimming is something you do either w/o realising or purposely bc it feels good.

I have ADHD and when I’m relaxed (I think I read tics can happen more when relaxed) I have sounds and phrases and sooometimes harsh, jerky (but feel cool) movements I make. The sounds (literally clicks and whistles and weird sounds) and phrases, particularly the full sentence phrase are more common if I’m around people???

Like if I get over excited and get bouncy and my hands flap and I spin a bit, I know that’s stimming. When I go away for uni work placement I don’t make my sounds in my room alone because the random people I’m living with will hear, when I start to relax around the people I work with on placement it occasionally strikes me to say one the phrases but I refrain 98% the time. But in my flat or with my parents I’ll be sat in my room making sounds without noticing or I’ll walk into the kitchen, see someone and my brain goes blank and all I can think is “say the thing” and I can ignore it but it’s a conscious effort to move. past. that. thought and say “hi”.

Sometimes I stumble over words if I try to say something else because all I can think about is ThatPhrase and sometimes I don’t know what else to say so I just say it (I have a favorite, it’s a random phrase and it’s not even in English). If I’m relaxed enough around some people I’ll even say a phrase or make a sound to them at random points in public (e.g. friend walks into lecture hall, gets greeted with “Heyyyyy *incoherent sound/phrase*” and sometimes there won’t be a “Heyyyyy”).

Like I am sometimes mentally aware that I’m about to make a sound or repeat a phrase (occasionally make a movement but normally that’s if I just made a similar movement and I get stuck on it) but it’s 50/50 on if I’ll just do it anyway and there’s no gain to it. It doesn’t make me calm or happy around other people. Small sounds alone or talking to myself helps focus but around others there’s no benefit except on occasion when my brain sticks to the word/phrase during an unexpected silence/brain blank/ how do I respond to what they said moment/ when I walk in and apparently cba for a regular greeting.

So from what I can tell, the biggest difference is that tics are considered involuntary, whereas stimming and other impulses can be controlled. Personally I’m quite aware of my stimming and while it makes me uncomfortable to stop if I’m doing it to cope with something I am quite easily able to change the type of stimming I’m using in that moment to something perhaps more appropriate for the situation. (For example, my mom often scolds me for twirling my hair incessantly around my fingers so I’ll often play with the edge of my sleeve instead.) I’d love if Blythe would add onto this, as she’s probably a bit more qualified than I am. (I’ve worked in Neuro research and casually studied Psych but she’s certainly gone more in depth than I have on Psychology. Most of my research ((on things other than ADHD because I’ve studied than in depth)) is done via google and some critical reading of different studies and articles.)

Hope this helps.

-Mod Lauren

So for the most part you’re right! Tourettes is consistent tics that cannot be controlled and are completely involuntary. For example, a girl I know says “hey hey hey” and then yips like a dog every few minutes and she can’t do anything about it, it just happens. Stimming are actions, whether they be physical, vocal, or sensory, are easily controlable. It sounds like you mostly stim vocally and just notice it more often because vocal stimming is more obvious than physical or sensory stimming.

Like i stim by messing with the hair ties I always have on my wrist or with my rings and that’s only noticeable if i drop my ring on the desk in front of me or I accidentally shoot a hair tie across the room. I stim all the time. Usually with something like stimming if you’re in a situation where you feel the need and or want to do it, it sticks in your mind. Like i’m always super aware with what my hands are doing while I’m in job interviews and that’s when I notice my need to stim even more.

[wizcrdingheadcanons]

165. Ted and Andromeda both aren’t overly fond of social events, they can be seen sitting near the back, thighs pressed close whispering in each other’s ears.

Requested by Anon

[askoncerp]

Hope everyone enjoyed the episode!  Please remember to tag spoilers to help people that haven’t yet had the chance to see the episode.  

As those of you who have seen the episode will now know, we have some new characters to play with!

Added to the open character list are:

Lucy

Jacinda/Cinderella

Victoria Belfrey/Lady Tremaine

Ivy Belfrey/Drizella

Tilly/Alice

Hopefully we will see some new applications soon!

[jackgrumps]

His laugh is my favorite medicine 💕

[concerningduolingo]

Apparently, my mother has been doing Duolingo on x-games mode because she didn’t know you could press a word to see what it means. She has over a year streak.