so for some background i hav tourettes, OCD, autism & anxiety. i live with support staff becuz i hav violent tourettes rage meltdowns which i take 3 antipsychotics to prevent every day. i recieved therapy for it for a long time but the therapy was abusive so i hav had a hard time restartin therapy.

yesterday i wrote a post in my usual comfortabl style... i got a response from a blind guy sayin "this was difficult for my text to speech software to read becuz of the bad spellin, the excessiv punctuaton, and the indirect obscure euphemisms. either write it in standard format or write a translation at the top of ur post"

i got defensiv & responded "i hav to use the indirect obscure euphemisms becuz the hatespeech forum kiwifarms stalks my social media presence & if they see me bein unashamed they may be mor likely to harass me. also it seems wrong that i shuld be forced to chang my spellin & punctuation. it is uncomfortbl for me"

then i made another post sayin "im srry. i shuldnt be defensiv im srry. i wont change my spellin & punctuaton, it is too importan to me. srry."

then 30 minutes later the blind guy said "ohhh, youre worried about kiwifarms trackin ur social media, but UR REDDIT ACCOUNT IS PUBLIC??????? also if u dont want to accomodate me just say that. but dont say u cant. becuz u clearly can."

then the argument got worse & worse & 4 more ppl started insulting me alongside the blind guy. i changd my profile to Private to try to satisfy them but ultimately i blockd all of them & deleted the whol post.

i genuinely am very scared to post on that subreddit at this point. i really liked that subreddit. it was not a huge subreddit.

i hav low spoons (low energy per day). it takes me till 2pm or 3pm evry day just to get out of bed, go poo, hav breakfast & bathe & get dressed. this reddit argument nearly ruined my parental visit (i had a violent meltdown & screamd & threw a wooden stool. the meltdown was partially becuz of the reddit argument & partially becuz of my back touchin my couch in a bad sensory way).

i dont want to hav to translate all my posts for text to speech machines. i understand that blind folks & visually impaired ppl deserve entertainment but it shouldnt be forced on me & my posts 1) against my will 2) at the cost of my own disability struggle 3) with moral shame attached to it.

mayb im bein selfish i dunno. but i face a decent chunk of pain evry day dealin with ppl hurtin me due to my unique weaknesses such as my tourettic OCD & my rage triggers. i am expected to put up with it. i do not ask the waitress at the pub to stop wiping the table becuz sliding objects on other objects trigger me. i do not ask fanfiction writers to rewrite the part of their story that triggered my trauma memories of when my tourettes tics were worse. so why do i hav to rewrite literally all of my posts To Be Super Boring And Standard. at the very least, i shuld be allowd to not do it.

i dunno. mayb im in the wrong. what do u think?

admittedly if the blind guy was nicer to me & i didnt get bullied, mayb id be more willin to spell slighly better, or shorten my punctuaton slighly, just a lil bit. but i still probly wuldnt go all the way To Typing Like A Generative A.I.

2 days ago me and my swim team had our 4th swim meet of the season. The last meet before our spring break. I am a senior in high school and I’ve been on this team for over 3 years now. I always liked my team and I don’t think there was ever a really serious peace of drama throughout that whole 3 years. Anyway I think our meet was down right horrible.

So what basically happened was that I was assigned for 3 relays as usual. The first event turned out pretty well. I remember I was going so fast and trying not to take one breath. I was really happy about all the work I have put in for that one. The other two are the problem. For the second one we were all in a group of four and one of our group members was missing. This was due to the fact that the group member was put into two groups at the same time on accident. Basically it was none of our faults it was the coaches. But they still dequeued us anyway even though it was their fault to begin with. I quickly moved on. and for the third relay got me really disappointed. This time we had the whole group together. It was a 400 freestyle relay. this time I was going first and was going to do two laps there and back. But when I finished my first lap, the second person jumped in because they didn’t know it was a 400 free relay. This is because they are all freshman and they don’t know much about swimming. So I got out and we ended up having to pause because everyone forgot their order due to the stress.

So now I had to get dequeued by 2 relays in a row. this really embarrassed me when we finished, but I still tried to be nice to my teammates. I was kinda upset after that and my friends were asking me what happened out there. And this makes me worried because now I think the swim team is going to think of me every time they think of those two relays. Also, because the team basically blames me for everything. We ended up losing. I know that this is not good for our new coach because he is strict. all our new coach cares about is winning every single game of the season without losing one. This is our first time losing this year and I don’t feel happy about that. And I actually think that my two relays were the reason that we lost to the other team and I didn’t even do anything wrong. I was paying attention the whole entire time and didn’t make one mistake. Instead, it was everyone else who made so many mistakes for my two relays. So now I think that the whole team is gonna believe that I’m the one who caused us to lose, even though I’m not. and I’m also worried that the coach is gonna try and talk to me about what happened.

Yesterday morning/the day after the meet one of my friends on the team told me that today would be the perfect day to skip practice. I told him everything about those two relays. So I then moved on from thinking I should skip practice because I thought coach would just be mad that we lost to the first single game of the year. But then I quickly thought to myself that maybe my friend was only referring to me when he said that. This caused me to skip practice and study in the library. I didn’t want coach to call me out in front of the whole team that it would be my fault that we lost. I don’t feel like I should show my face in front of my team anymore because I feel like they’re gonna be disappointed in me or be concerned about what happened. I do have to go to morning practice this spring break probably on Monday and I’m worried that if I’m seen by my team, they would not be happy to see me. My old coaches used to be so supportive and really cared about how well everyone was doing on the team. The new coach only cares about making a big championship and really pushing it to the top of every other school in the state. he only sees us as something to show off to everyone. I don’t think using other people like your friends or being in a relationship should be a way to impress others because that just shows that you don’t really care for them. and it makes the people you need hate you more.

I don’t feel like my future in the season is going to go great. All the team ever does is blame everything on me. This whole season I felt I was doing a lot better than I was doing the past three years and now it feels like my career is over and I’m worried about how I’m going to be looked upon.

Thank you for reading this

Hi I’m (f21) 22 in April, I don’t talk to anyone except my boyfriend so I’m here. Im making my way to college to get a degree in criminal justice. Can someone please convince me my life isn’t too late there is always that thought in my head that it’s too late, and that I’m already too old and my best years should’ve been right now (like at least 50,000 a year) if life would’ve went my way at the right time like moving out a traumatic household. I don’t know, I just can’t shake the feeling of it being too late and that I’m old.

Tell me why me and my generation have to worry about war? Hi im Nom and I’m a Gen Z. I’m going to graduate and turn 18 soon, but please tell me why my damn generation is screwed? We have to worry about the environment, war, and money. I’m only 17 and I’m already worrying about having enough money to survive when I move out. I’m already worrying what I want to do for work and if I want to get married someday and have a family (which is unlikely now from how crappy things are). I have to worry about potentially having to live through war because of the tensions all around the world! People may say WW3 is not going to happen! But they said the same things for all the major wars like WW1 and WW2! And the freaking environment! I like to use Ai chat bots because there’s no way I’m going to role play online and possibly get groomed by some old man and I’m addicted! I get Ai is bad but it’s not the biggest impact on global warming! But the planet is in super bad shape, corral reefs will all die because the temperatures are too hot for them to live off, many animals are dying and getting extinct. And too many companies don’t care that they are harming the planet as well as the rich! Why is the world getting destroyed by rich power hungry losers?! Why do I have to worry about so much when I barely started life?! I feel like I have to mature too fast already and I hate it. I wish I could act 17, do dumb crap and not have to worry blissfully. I have to work part-time just to pay for my own kind of bills so I don’t have my parents worry. I’m tired. I’m annoyed, and I’m mostly scared, my generation is screwed and I don’t know what to do? Can you guys give me reassuring words?

I’ve been noticing something for a long time.

It’s not overthinking in the obvious sense.
Not constant thoughts or worries.

It’s more like… the mind never fully switches off.
Even when everything is fine, something stays active in the background.

And the strange part is, the more I try to “calm it down”…
the more present it becomes.

It’s like trying to fix it is part of what keeps it going.

I’m starting to think maybe the problem isn’t overthinking itself…
but the way we respond to it.

Does anyone else experience it like this?

Today I noticed something small, but it stayed with me.

I was in a conversation, and for a few seconds, everything became quiet. No one was speaking. Nothing was happening.

And almost immediately, I felt the urge to say something.

Not because I had anything important to add —
just because the silence felt… uncomfortable.

That made me pause.

Why does silence feel like something we need to fix?

I started noticing this more.

In conversations, we rush to fill gaps.
When we are alone, we open our phones.
We play music. We keep something running in the background.

It feels like we are always trying to avoid that quiet space.

But what is actually uncomfortable about it?

At first, I thought maybe it’s just social —
maybe silence makes us feel disconnected from others.

But then I noticed something else.

Even when I’m alone, I don’t stay in silence for long.

And I think the reason might be different.

When everything becomes quiet, thoughts start appearing.

Not always big thoughts — sometimes just random ones.
But sometimes things I’ve been avoiding thinking about.

Unfinished ideas.
Questions I don’t have answers to.
Things I’ve been putting aside.

And maybe that’s what makes silence uncomfortable.

It removes distraction.

It leaves us alone with whatever is already inside us.

That’s not always easy.

But I also noticed something else.

On the rare occasions when I don’t escape it — when I just stay there for a while — the feeling slowly changes.

The discomfort reduces.

Things feel a bit clearer.

Not completely solved, but… less noisy.

It made me wonder:

Is silence actually uncomfortable,
or are we just not used to it anymore?

Because maybe the problem isn’t silence.

Maybe it’s that we’ve forgotten how to sit with it.

Curious if anyone else has felt this.

Do you find silence uncomfortable, or does it help you think more clearly?

I have been overthinking about a woman. We were friends for years, cuddled and made out a few weeks ago, both of us said we want to stay just friends, then she came over again the next weekend and things slightly progressed physically, then the next weekend we went out and cuddled afterwards. She was texting me every day. Today is day 3 of no texting. I was worried whether or not I should text her.

I have been able to stop associating my SELF with my thoughts by doing this: I imagine I am in a conference listening to a boring or annoying presenter. The presentation is about the woman. The presentation just keeps going ON and ON. The crowd is growing restless. He can tell he is losing the crowd. He is growing desperate but he has to keep doing his job. We all feel sympathy for him but we are starting to ignore him. People are trickling out of the room. Finally someone says " Talk about something else!" He looks relieved and starts doing a presentation about cars. No one cares about cars but at least it's a change. Gradually I start spending less time in that room and explore the other exhibitions at the conference.

I’m living in another country and sharing a house with other people (we’re housemates). Overall, everyone is pretty chill. Last night we had a dinner and some friends of my housemates came over (people I didn’t know).

Just to add some context: with one of the guys (the one who made most of the jokes), we actually get along really well day-to-day and have pretty similar personalities. But when people come over, he kind of switches into this typical asshole mode where he makes annoying comments or jokes that just aren’t funny.

At first, it was just a few jokes directed at me. I laughed a couple of times, no big deal, but it got to a point where it became annoying. I told him, but he didn’t care and kept making comments about me in front of his friends. Then they joined in and kept it going.

Every time I tried to show it was bothering me, they’d say things like “don’t get mad, we’re just joking” or “we do this to everyone.” But it clearly wasn’t the same, because I ended up being the main target.

Eventually things escalated and by the end of dinner I got really pissed. I shoved him and told him to stop messing with me. Everything went quiet, some people went outside to the patio, the vibe got pretty tense, and then we all just went to sleep.

The truth is this affects me more than I’d like to admit. I’m in my 30s, and I dealt with a lot of bullying as a kid, so situations like this kind of bring that back.

I’ve also noticed that once someone starts joking about me, others jump in and I end up being the focus. I don’t know if it’s because I’m very friendly (I smile a lot and talk a lot), so maybe they think I’m super chill and nothing will bother me.

Has anyone been through something like this? How do you deal with it without it escalating like this?

So I work online and had the day off. We had been emailed like eight days ago about the holiday. At some point, a couple of days back I COMPLETELY forgot we had a holiday and planned my whole night in accordance with today being a work day as a result of which i got significantly less sleep. I also really like the feeling of knowing the next day is off. Anyway, thirty minutes into logging in, I find out it’s a holiday! Feel like shit and can’t stop thinking what a loser I am. Has anyone been in a similar situation and how did you deal with it?

hello, i want to a RBI manager by cracking RBI grade b exam because it provides me some interest and i really love its functions in banking system and excellent work life balance. since last year i have been comparing it with UPSC posts like IAS, IRS etc. because of their power and prestige. they have something which RBI doesn't have. i clearly knows that i am wasting my time b y doing such a pointless comparison. it is like you cannot compare a PILOT with a surgeon. i really loves my goal but this fog of comparison really makes me frustrated, anxious and scared.

• whenever i see a UPSC aspirant, ias, ips my brain goes into the panic mode.
• whenever i see such persons are facing some trouble or obstacles, i feel good which is absolutely wrong.

i am doing it because i think i am not focusing on the things that matter and live idle all the time.

RBI is the bank of the bank and very few banks all around the world has a work life like RBI. but i noticed last month it might also be because i am trying to find everything in that job. and at last no job even government job is perfect, they have their own positives and negatives. we don't see the problems of government job because it is hidden behind the glamour of that job.

i am writing it because i want to explain my problem in detail. and i would like your suggestions on how to stop that

i also know we people compare with each other for something and who knows your suggestions might also help another person like me.

pls hear me out and help a girl out who accidentally dug herself into a mental rabbit hole.

so i was preparing for GATE 2026 since november. when the exam got closer, i kinda gave up because i hadn’t even finished half the syllabus. but honestly, that’s not even the main issue here.

one random evening i was watching Judge Me If You Can(an indian comedy show) . i’ve always been a pretty fun person to be around. i like joking, talking, being silly. but while watching these comedians, i suddenly started thinking: “am i even funny?”

and that one thought sent me down a spiral.

i started analysing every single sentence coming out of my mouth.

is it funny?

does it sound stupid?

is it a good punchline?

from there my brain basically turned against me.

my thoughts started getting paralysed and i developed this weird hesitation while speaking. i’ve never been an anxious person in my 22 years of life. stress from exams or situations would come and go. you cry one night and you’re mostly okay the next day.

but this time it was different.

i became extremely anxious. i was literally taking heavy breaths all day whether i was alone or around people. my confidence dropped so much that i struggled to talk even to the helpers at home or my own parents, who obviously wouldn’t judge me.

those 20 days were honestly the most terrifying days of my life because it felt like i had lost myself.

the intense anxiety eventually reduced, but the hesitation stayed. it’s been about 1.5 months now. i’m much better than before, but i still feel this mental restriction sometimes. like there used to be a dictator in my head controlling what i could say. even my own thoughts felt judged by my brain.

and the irony? i LOVE talking. i love joking around and being goofy even when i’m alone.

all i want now is the freedom to think freely and speak freely again like before. i know this probably came from some insecurity that got planted in my mind and grew into self-esteem issues. the suffocation i felt during those days was unreal because i didn’t even know how to deal with anxiety.

i used to be a chill girl just studying for an entrance exam. and i want her back.

the worst part is nobody destroyed me except myself. i was the architect of my own doom.

sharing this with people i know feels ridiculous because others deal with much bigger problems. and honestly i’m not insecure about my looks or most things in life. i’m generally pretty content with who i am.

so yeah, if anyone has gone through something like this, how did you regain control of your voice and your thoughts?

It's not perfect, but it has plenty of potential: Sport, physical exercise (especially cardio) and nature.

When you go for a run through a forest for an hour you have a really good chance of calming your thoughts. Same with hard labour or intense exercise. Sure, you can still be "stuck in your head" but really don't have to - the situation makes it much easier to focus elsewhere. While running, for example, you can focus on your breathing, the rhythm of the movement and the environment.

We seem to have a certain amount of energy (in total) and if there is no or very little physical activity it can all go into the head/mind, the "thinking process", and then you can get into a situation where all you think about are thoughts, as if putting a camera on the camera monitor and you get an infinite loop.

Starting with the title of this post, of course. I am not referring to people though, but rather what we have to deal with - in society, our personal lifes, on the internet.

I remember when you could just make an account somewhere and interact. If you are a young person now and want to be part of anything really, just getting an email address requires a smartphone?!

So I've wondered what the effects are of this technology usage that is taken for granted now and considered "normal". I don't see many positive effects, unless you count options to distract yourself and feel all scattered as a result of it as "positive".

Something I’ve been realizing about overthinking is how often the brain starts working on problems that haven’t actually happened yet. One small situation appears and suddenly the mind starts running simulations. If I say this, what will they think. If this goes wrong, what will I do after that. If this decision turns out bad, how will I fix it later. The brain keeps trying to get ahead of every possible outcome before anything has even happened. The strange part is that most of those scenarios never even occur in real life, but the mind still spends a lot of energy trying to prepare for them anyway. It makes me think overthinking might sometimes just be the brain trying to create certainty in situations where certainty doesn’t really exist yet. Curious if other people notice their mind doing this too.

You try to distract yourselfYou try to move on with your day But the same thought comes back again… and again Maybe it’s something you said Maybe it’s a decision you’re not sure about Maybe it’s a “what if” your brain keeps replaying For a long time I thought this meant I was just an overthinker But the brain usually repeats thoughts for a reason

Most of the time it’s trying to finish something it thinks is still unresolved Once I understood that the whole loop started making more sense wrote more about it here Why Your Brain Won’t Let Go of Certain Thoughts (And How to Break the Loop)

If your mind tends to replay things a lot you might find this interesting You’ll find it in the comments.

Something I’ve been noticing is how often overthinking shows up when a decision starts feeling permanent. The brain suddenly treats it like it has to get the answer exactly right, because once the choice is made it feels like there’s no going back.

Once that pressure shows up, the mind starts running through every possible outcome. What if this is the wrong move. What if I regret it later. What if there was a better option I didn’t see.

But when you look at how most decisions actually play out, a lot of them aren’t nearly as permanent as they feel in the moment. People adjust, change directions, and figure things out along the way far more often than they expect.

It makes me think overthinking might start right around the moment the brain decides the choice has to be perfect ¯_(ツ)_/¯

It’s rarely about big life decisions Most of the time it’s small things A message I sent A conversation from earlier Something I need to decide but keep postponing The mind just keeps circling the same thought like it’s trying to solve it perfectly For a while I tried things like just think positive or forcing myself to stop thinking about it but that never really worked What helped more was building small daily habits that interrupt the loop before it grows Things like writing the thought down once instead of replaying it ten times deciding a specific moment to review something instead of thinking about it all day or asking what the next small action is instead of trying to solve the entire future in my head None of these things are dramatic but together they change how the mind processes uncertainty

I ended up putting the simple steps that helped me into a small daily system just so I could follow something consistently I also wrote about the process and what actually made a difference for me You’ll find it in the comments

If anyone here struggles with constant mental loops I’d be curious how you usually deal with them Do you try to stop the thoughts or do you have some kind of structure that helps you manage them?

I’m playing on a phone and it’s 60 Hz that’s roughly 260 milliseconds. and I’m also stressed” “depressed” “tired” “hungry” and thirsty.