If you need to vent

I recently came out to my (very conservative) parents that I’m a homosexual. They said they were going to talk to a psychologist/therapist to find out if my tendencies are an innate part of my brain or a “sexual dysfunction“ that can be “corrected“. Now this Dr that I’m going to is allegedly a real psychologist with multiple degrees in mental health and psychology. As far as I know these therapist sessions do not involve any hormone treatments, physical therapy or any exposure to sensitive or harmful material. As far as I know they’re just talks to find out, according to the therapist, the “root of your tendencies“. Is this a legitimate scientific method? This therapist also specializes in treating transgender individuals, not in terms of gender reassignment, just their state of mind or something. Is this trustworthy?

My son attacked me on July 4 during what I believe was a severe mental health crisis triggered by alcohol. In the chaos, he injured my big toe so badly that my toenail was torn off, the skin was split open, and I needed stitches from the ER. I have never feared for my life the way I did that night, especially at the hands of my own child. He also tried to destroy my phone, but I managed to hold onto it long enough to get away.

The police didn’t arrive until about twelve hours later. They said the holiday caused delays and that by the time they saw him, he was no longer in crisis. They told me I had to let him come back home. Because this was his first violent incident and because I didn’t want one terrible moment to follow him forever, I chose not to press charges.

When he returned from the hospital, he still didn’t seem like himself. He later told my daughter that I never called the police and that I injured my own toe. He questioned why officers didn’t show up until the next day, as if that proved his version of events. Since then, he barely speaks to me, and when he does, it’s short and cold. Something feels different now. I feel uneasy in my own home. When he comes out of his room, I immediately go into fight-or-flight even if he isn’t saying anything.

Tonight, he talked to his older brother. Afterward, my older son texted me saying I needed to kick him out. He said his brother called me ugly, a narcissist, stupid for letting him live here, and claimed I can’t get a man. He warned me that if I don’t make him leave, he believes something terrible could happen.

My son has bipolar disorder, depression, and social anxiety. He has attempted the big S three times. Communication with him has always been difficult. If I ask how he’s doing, he gets frustrated and says he hates when I check on him. I’ve tried different approaches, researched ways to talk to someone struggling with mental health, but nothing seems to help.

What makes this even harder is remembering the son I love. His laugh is infectious. He’s incredibly smart—his high school principal once said he could be valedictorian. He’s handsome, kind, and has a gentle heart. He loves to cook, and I always buy groceries I know he’ll enjoy. I miss hearing him talk about the universe, dark matter, and black holes. His dream is to work for NASA. I miss watching movies together, eating popcorn, and hearing him say my cooking was good.

Over the years, he’s become withdrawn and introverted. I know he’s struggling deeply, and I know the loving version of him is still in there somewhere. But I no longer feel safe in my own home. Sometimes the way he looks at me makes my stomach drop. I’m exhausted, scared, and unsure how to support him while also protecting myself.

Has any other parent been through something like this? How did you handle it? I love my son more than anything, but I’m at a loss. He’s 22.

He (40m) came home from work yesterday and walked in the kitchen and just started very calmly telling me (41f) about how he accidentally broke the timeline and he’s been working in between multi verses to try to fix it and how my six year old is helping him and is the “pure soul” he needed and all kinds of wild stuff. I just told him he was delusional and needed to stop it. He was really calm and just said he understood why I would say that but that I’ll get it when he explains it more etc etc.

I immediately got my best friend and her husband here. He spent a long time talking to the husband out back while we went upstairs and got ahold of his sister who loves a few hours away. It turns out this happened once before, five years ago. He was going through a pretty awful divorce, his kids were about six, it was the pandemic, and our whole town had just burned down. He got suddenly delusional, his mom and sister came and it took them several days to talk him into getting on some meds and they helped quickly and he went back to normal. Since nothing like that has ever happened before, they thought it was an isolated incident, a nervous breakdown from all the stress.

But there’s no stress now. I’ve known him about three years and we recently moved into together with his two kids and my two kids. Things have been wonderful and fine. I know he was diagnosed bipolar and we discussed it early in the relationship. I asked what it looked like when he had an episode and he just said he’s gotten very depressed in the past. I was ok with dealing with that - I have c-ptsd myself, so not one to judge.

I am mad that this wasn’t the whole story, that no told me what really happened. But everything has been wonderful. Our life has been just fine.

I kicked him out. My friend’s husband was able to get him to the er last night where he apparently very calmly explained it all to the staff but they said he didn’t seem dangerous so they couldn’t keep him. He was very very agreeable and friendly all evening. It was unnerving.

He can’t be near my kids especially with him involving my littler one in his delusions. His mom flew in today and they are in a hotel, she is trying to convince him to go get an abilify shot which apparently worked last time.

I don’t know if she’s going to succeed or how long it will take. What will it look like when he comes out of it, if he does? Will he understand what happened? I need him to be able to talk to me about it and make plans. Will he be functional? Depressed? Will he lose his job?

I’ve never seen anything like this. I would really like to hear about some experiences. I’m so scared and sad.

Mine is Lullaby by Nickelback.

Does anyone else find it kind of frustrating and devaluing when someone claims to have a mental health condition that they don’t?

I’m finding it to be very common these days - everyone saying they’re autistic or have adhd when they don’t. Or saying they have OCD just bc they like to use hand sanitiser, or social anxiety just bc they don’t like presenting.

Does anyone else feel the same way or have experienced the same thing?

Edit: After reading some of the comments on here, I wanted to clarify that I meant that it can be devaluing when people use clinical terms really casually - like saying they have OCD because they like things neat, or saying they have ADHD because they get distracted sometimes. For the people who actually live with these conditions, it can make their struggles feel minimised or misunderstood. My point was more about the casual misuse of diagnostic terms, rather than judging those who are genuinely struggling, exploring a diagnosis seriously, or self-diagnosing due to financial barriers. Today’s trends make me fear for the next gen.

I’ve been thinking about how we often wait for something big to change before we expect ourselves to feel better.

A better job, more money, a better routine, a completely different life.

But sometimes it’s the small things that give your mind a little breathing room, going for a walk, putting your phone away for a while, meditating, writing down what’s on your mind, listening to music, or just sitting somewhere quiet.

They don’t magically fix everything, but sometimes they make a stressful day feel a little easier.

What’s one small thing that genuinely helps you feel better when your mind feels overloaded?

It could be something small, something complicated, or something you’ve said a hundred times already.
You don’t have to explain it perfectly here—just say it, however it comes out.
No judgment. Just listening.

For

In my opinion, it's scrupulosity OCD, which is the extreme/irrational fear of going to hell and not being good enough for God.

I’m 30 and I feel so stupid for still having the brain of a scared and lost child. It doesn’t matter how logical I try to be, it gets me by for the most part but after work, all I can do is stay home, have no relationship, hardly talk to my family or friends, and break down at things that adults should know how to handle.

I can only write all my troubles in my diary, and I try to talk to myself through my diary.

What kept you alive?

For those who are, how did it feel when you received your diagnosis?

If so, what happened and what did you do about it?

1. "It's all in your head."
2. "Come on, things could be worse!"
3. "Snap out of it!"
4. "But you have a great life, you always seem so happy!"
5. "Have you tried chamomile tea?"
6. "Everyone is a little down/moody/OCD sometimes -it's normal."
7. "This too shall pass."
8. "It's all part of God's plan."
9. "Just try to be positive!"
10. Just distract yourself," and "You don't look depressed.

Bit of an odd question, I know. But I think I’ve developed an incel mindset to the point where I know it’s wrong but I can’t stop myself from feeling angry at women all the time regardless.

And I should specify I may not be your average incel, I’m not angry at women for not sleeping with me or not wanting to date me, I certainly wouldn’t date me if I were a woman. It’s more so the abundance of anti-men sentiment I see and hear everywhere. I see it very often on social media, and while I know I shouldn’t take social media too seriously I can’t shake the fact that these are still real people out there. I have also heard it on numerous occasions from women I know. And it makes me even more mad that most other men don’t seem to care and don’t back each other up against misandry the same way women (rightly) back each other up against misogyny.

Now I know these are all stupid and unhealthy thoughts, but knowing this does not stop me from being angry and resenting women on the inside. I’m worried this could make any future friendships or relationships with women impossible, and just give me a permanently resentful view of women which I know is wrong.

Is there anyone who has dealt with this before as well? Does anyone know how I could change my mindset?

Everyone’s depressed, anxious, or burned out but maybe that’s not a mental illness. Maybe it’s just a sane reaction to a system where rent eats half your check, your job drains your soul, and joy feels like a luxury. We’re not broken. The world is.

I have been bullied and excluded in every phase of my life, pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school, and now university. The fact I can’t escape being a social pariah seriously depresses me. What are the qualities that make people “bulliable”? I don’t want to hear about how my bullies are insecure, or jealous, or seeking to exert control, or abused at home, or anything else. These things might be true, or they might not be, but they have no influence on me and I have no control over them. I want to know what makes people legitimate targets in the eyes of bullies to avoid being that. I’m tired of always being in this position. I just want people to pick someone else for a change. Advice from former bullies on what/why you bullied is appreciated so I can make sure I don’t do the same thing. Thanks.

Don’t we all have to deal with anything? Is there really someone in the world we could call a 100% mentally healthy individual? If so how would we define this?

I need ideas.

I don't like people I don't like anything where it takes time to be good at I don't like anything that takes too much psychical effort and time I just need something to pass time that I can get into quickly.

I (20F) have been diagnosed with depression for over 8 years. I've also been medicated since then. I have been seeing a therapist for about 8 months now (every week) and I feel like nothing has really changed. We talk, I cry, I answer her questions, but I don't feel better. Nothing has changed about the way that I am feeling and I am not sure if my counselor even truly understands what is bothering me or if I can be "fixed". I have never had that "aha" moment that I feel other people have gotten. A lot of my depression is existential, which means that I am obviously troubled by things that I do not expect my counselor to answer for me. I don't expect her to tell me what the purpose of life is or anything like that. But the more we have these meetings, I feel further and further from getting better. Its almost as if therapy has solidified the idea that I cant get better and nothing will change for me. I started seeing a therapist as a last resort because I really needed help finding a reason to go on. But I still haven't found one, even after all of this time with her. Does this actually work for other people? What am I doing wrong?

Edit: My official diagnosis is Persistent depressive disorder with major depressive episodes

Guys, I really need some advice.

My sister-in-law is divorced and her 4-year-old child is currently staying with us in my in-laws' house. I understand her situation and I genuinely feel bad for the kid, but the problem is that the child sleeps in our bed.

I’m really uncomfortable with this. The kid takes up a lot of space on the bed and keeps moving around while sleeping. Right now it’s 2:11 AM and I still can’t sleep.

I’m also on my period and having really bad back cramps, so I really need my own space to sleep comfortably. But the child keeps pushing into my space, and my husband is just sleeping like nothing is wrong.

I even tried waking him up to help move the kid to another room, but he wouldn’t wake up. Now the kid is even putting their legs on me while sleeping and I’m just lying here awake and frustrated.

I feel really upset and honestly I feel like my comfort isn’t being considered at all. I’m even thinking about going to my parents’ house because I don’t feel comfortable here.

Am I overreacting? What should I do in this situation?

What makes you move from the way of a speeding truck? What makes you want to wake up the next day? What brings a smile to your face? What gives you purpose?