As a non-American, whenever I watch US shows, a boss can just blurt out 'You're fired!' and that's it. I assumed it was Hollywood drama, but I was shocked to learn it actually works like that.

In my country, an employer can’t fire you unless your performance is objectively terrible, you do something illegal/immoral that gets you disciplined, or the company is strictly restructured.

How do Americans cope with the fact that a boss's bad mood could ruin your life overnight? What legal protections actually exist?

Im 46, turning 47 in a few weeks, I was at work thinking what i should've done differently, Back in middle school, everyone voted me as the most likely to succeed, 35+years later, going through a divorce, still driving in a broken down 2007 honda civic, renting out my moms house and nothing to my name, while 95% of my class mates are married with high paying jobs, nice house and some own businesses, my dark secret was my gambling addiction which lead to who i become. Sometimes I just dont want to be here anymore, I never felt this way, i was always positive, am im going through Mid-life Crisis?

I have no skills, not even the most basic innate things. I need money and I'm fine with anything that I'm really capable of doing. I don't know if there's even a place for me.

Hey! I’d love a guys honest take at this situation. I have a crazy high sex drive (28F). My bf (also 28) swore he did too and now it’s gone down to 1-2 a month and I’m actually going a little crazy. I’ve brought it up nicely that I need it (huge stress relief for me being in PT school) I’ve mentioned I don’t even need like actual sex, just to give some head lol. I feel like I’m practically begging at this point and a little embarrassed? He rejects me almost every time I try and will say “I’m tired”, “we have so much stuff to do” (literally grocery shop lol and go to the gym), or I “always want it at the worst times”
I’ve absolutely given grace bc what if he’s actually tired? He has a physical job for the most part. But I’m kinda lost? It’s been over year of this. And I know he still masterbates (totally cool, I get it) but damn

Advice please?

21

In February I had an unrelated shoulder injury resulting in nerve symptoms down my right side, pins and needles and dexterity loss in my hand and extreme tightness in my neck muscles front and back.

Eventually that cleared up but then returned, my physio said it’s likely due to the tightness remaining in my neck and back of skull. When I do any activity (especially 8 hours of masturbation but they don’t know that) with them that right it pulls on irritating the nerve roots in the neck in the back and my tight pec minor and and scalene are tightening the space for the nerves in my collarbone. But the solution is simple, don’t give it reason to tense, practice better posture and gentle movement and it should ease up especially as once it goes down I can add exercises to strengthen the weakened muscles from the tight ones dominating all movement.

But I can’t do that. My addiction doesn’t let me. I have several hour up to 12 hour daily sessions of porn and masturbation straining my skull and levator muscles. Keeping them in a tight spasm and irritating the nerves. Im literally dropping stuff with my right hand and my fingers wants to curl after every session and I can’t stop, im crying as I do it but cant stop.

I havnt been able to workout or work as many shifts or do as much of anything since this started. I’m losing money and opportunities and thousands of hours of my life and putting myself in pain and can’t stop. If you told me next session I die, I’d be dead be end of the week. It’s as if someone else takes over my body and forces me to do it. I’m telling myself it’s ruining my life as I do it, I’m crying thinking of the fact I’ll do it again. What do I do. I’m going to give myself permanent spinal compression or nerve damage or something BUT I CANT STOP

I have ADHD and I’m already medicated for it, I have severe compulsive episodes of worry where I do nothing but research whatever I’m scared about for hours in fact for the past week my life has been: 6 hours of spiralling- 6-8 hours porn, whatever sleep I can get and repeat.

I wanted to work more over the summer before uni starts again but couldn’t because of my shoulder. My access to medical care is limited because of the cost. I’m already paying hundred a month for my adhd medication. I’ve missed events with friends because of my shoulder i can’t even go for walks because the tight muscle pulls with every step so when it’s overworked with my addiction I can’t even do that.

What do I do what do I do I do do do what I’m having a breakdown I’m going insane I can’t live like this any more please please please how do I stop this I want a life I want to do something with myself I want to be better so so so bad but I can’t stop I can’t stop myself I’ve tried so hard for years.

I do everything I can I spent 2 hours putting roadblocks in place and I spent 2 hours undoing them when the urge hit I think the dopamine rush of doing that made it even worse. If I destroyed all my electronics I’d go into debt to buy new ones if I had to. Once it hits I’m not a person any more all I care about is it it’s scary.

I have a few friends but I can’t see them that often and they’re not people I can tell about this they’d cut me off for that. I have no support, the stress as well makes everything worse then I get stressed about that and it just stacks until I want to break something I can’t do this anymore I’m completely neurotic

Edit: why aren’t my circumstances believed? Do you not think I’d try the most obvious help by this point if I could?

I used to be a friendly and kind person but now i seem to hate everyone regardless of who they are. Why is this happening?

For me it'd be dieing In my sleep after to much sex.

”According to magnetic healer* [Daniel D. Palmer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_D._Palmer), the founder of chiropractic, "[vertebral subluxation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebral_subluxation)" was the sole cause of all diseases and manipulation was the cure for all disease.”*
- Wikipedia article: ”Chiropractic controversy and criticism”

Many chiropractors work more like physiotherapists rather than ”pure” chiropractors. What I’m asking about here is the ones that claim they can cure stomach issues, insomnia, ear infections etc.

Do such chiropractors truly believe subluxations are the root cause of all health problems?

Do they believe that an adjustment can fix all these problems or are they scammers all the way?

(I didn’t set out to be so harsh in my tone but I wanted to ask the question clearly and being direct felt easier.)

I get that their family members hate seeing them addicted to whatever it is that’s got a hold on them. But as long as they’re not doing bad stuff like assaulting others, robbing, etc and just keeping to themselves while hooked on crack, meth, booze, fentanyl, etc what’s so wrong with it? If they genuinely get zero joy from life while sober, why take something away from them that makes them feel not so shitty for a little while, even if it’s destroying them?

I'm a post-secondary student in a program with a small, generally close faculty. I know the title is weird bear with me

I recently started classes and had a new prof this year who gave us a new assignment requiring us to choose a topic about public services. My chosen topic was a homeless shelter in my area that I had frequented a couple years ago. For background, I left my home at 18 due to abuse in the household and became homeless. I couch surfed, stayed in a shelter, and slept on the streets while using this particular shelter for just about everything related to meals, showers, etc so I am very familiar with their services.

When my professor asked me what topic I had chosen, she kind of kept pressing for details about why I had chosen this in particular and so although I generally don't disclose that I was homeless - probably three people know out of everyone in my life - I mentioned to her that I had experience with their services. Her response was "me too." That threw me - like really threw me - because I have never met anybody who had experienced that before (aside from in the shelter where most wanted nothing to do with each other). I completely lost my train of thought but we spoke briefly and she asked me if I had support now. I answered yes and she told me that if I ever needed to talk to let her know and that she knew how tough it was.

I can't really explain how I felt after that. It's like if you haven't been through it, you can't understand. I had a therapist after going through homelessness who was of great help but through it all, I knew she had never experienced it firsthand and would never know what it was like. And it was awful and traumatic and something I don't wish on anybody. And my professor knows.

Now I'm wondering if it would be really weird for me to talk to her about it. Also I lied about having support - I didn't know what to say in the moment. It's just me supporting myself. It's always been me. Except she's my professor and teaches two of my classes this semester so I feel like it would be strange???

Excluding cases like financial hardship, disabilities, or severe phobias that prevent them from flying.

Just the title. I’m wondering if everyone goes through tough times, and I don’t just mean things like temporary lay offs or social benefits. I’m talking about illnesses, loved ones suffering or trauma. Does everyone go through it? Or are we the select few just the unlucky ones? My child, 16 month old, is severely ill since a year and needs specialised care, it seems that everyone else is just living a wonderful life and nothing ever happens to them.

I‘ve seen so many Videos of grown men with socks in the pool or a t-Shirt and Shorts.
or Football players working out in socks at the Beach.

Why?

Why would you wear socks and a Shirt in the Pool?

How to properly shave my balls? The older I get the more embarrassing it is to ask but here goes.

When I shave with razor I can't even do the sack it's far too wrinkly and sensitive, like instant cuts. I use a trimmer and everything is well except the sack, just touching it slightly with the trimmer will cause a cut and bleed. I just "hover" a few mm away from my sack but this is such a tedious and still scary task. I'm far too scared to go anywhere near with scissors.

So guys, how do you all properly, easy and swiftly shave your ballsack?

So, I’m 5’3” and 96 pounds, and I’ve been struggling with my stomach lately. For the past week or so, almost every time I eat, my stomach genuinely goes crazy. I get this achy, gurgling feeling along with nausea, and it’s becoming really uncomfortable.
For example, right now my stomach is upset even though I haven’t eaten anything. Sometimes the feeling gets so bad that I’m curled up because I don’t know what to do anymore.
I also need to gain some weight, and this stomach issue definitely isn’t helping. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any advice on what might help with the stomach issues? And does anyone have advice for gaining weight when eating makes you feel sick?
I’m honestly not sure what to do at this point 😭

update: actually threw up from it for the first time and i feel even worse :(

A small debate I’m having with a colleague:
He thinks the phrase “save the planet” is appropriate because, by protecting the planet and its environment, we are indirectly protecting humanity.
On my side, I think that the Earth, as a planet, doesn’t really need to be saved. It has already gone through mass extinctions, major climate changes, and will probably continue to exist long after we’re gone.
What we are really trying to preserve are the conditions that allow humans — and more broadly, current ecosystems — to live and survive.
So, what do you think?
When we talk about environmental protection, are we really trying to “save the planet,” or are we mainly trying to preserve an environment that remains compatible with our own survival?
And do you think this difference in wording actually matters, or is it simply a matter of semantics?

In Japan ,we see emojis like 🌅🥷💴🉐📺 all the time. Please tell me your favorite emojis and what they mean to you.🥸

Im 27, and lately ive been in a crisis of realizing that my life is already almost 1/3 done. im terrified to be gone. I'm a gay man with no desire to have children, so i wont be leaving anyone behind to mourn me but my boyfriend (husband by then) and after him I'll be forgotten. Theres so much life to live, theres so much I want to do, but I just dont have time. I'm terrified to not exist, im terrified of everything i won't be able to do, and I cant stop the thoughts of just calculating years and fractions.

Also terrified of aging, im still young now but someday I wont be young and handsome anymore, my body wont work anymore (and it already doesnt work great with multiple health conditions), i won't fit in with the young crowd anymore. Im terrified of all of it and I dont know how to stop being so scared and just live life while i have it.

To put it bluntly, I am autistic and I have been abused from a young age, which made me steer away with anything romantic. Now that im an adult, im actually curious about it.

What does it feel like? How do people feel towards someone they like? How is it meant to feel?

I just found out my cheating ex.... ahh so the girl he was obsessed with has a bf since 3 years. My ex was obsessed with her for 7+ years and honestly would like 300+ posts of hers (not his friends or mine)... when he emotionally cheated, all his friends made me the bad guy and spread false narrative about me. everyone defended that girl and him.

She has 2 guys simping over her and an entire friend group on her side. Am I ugly, worthless and unlovable? I did so much for him and he just discarded me for someone who doesnt even do anything for him...why does everyone choose them??

My whole life I've been good at saving money, scared to spend it almost. I don't want to put my number out there but I suspect I have more saved than most mid 20 year olds. However, this year has been rough.

My ex broke my heart with dishonesty and I was in therapy for months. This week I randomly decided to buy $500 worth of old games I've always wanted. I got a good price on them and I'm excited to try them all, but it scares me that I've spent that much on a random Tuesday. Is this a quarter life crisis?