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Hello,

I hope this is the right place to post this.

I was feeling very tired today and decided to chat with an acquaintance who also has a psychiatric history.

In general, it was a casual conversation, but I didn't like her questions about my body size and her comments afterward. Though she said it was okay—a normal size—probably trying to be reassuring, I felt like I was under a microscope.

Over the past few years, I've had an ongoing battle with my weight, which I was gaining because of psychiatric medications. (Almost everyone has this problem.) Currently, the medication should have a minimal effect, but I still haven't been able to get back into the shape I'm used to this year.

So I felt disappointed after her remarks. It also triggered my body dysmorphia, I think.

(What I was trying to convey to her, aside from expressing my feelings, is that I've read research suggesting caffeine can interact with antipsychotics. This may result in higher BMI and cholesterol. She dismissed these facts—even though she's a coffee drinker, she said it's fine for her.)

I've made an appointment with another doctor today to discuss these issues as well.

Have you experienced any similar problems: weight fluctuations, dysmorphia, or sensitivity to comments like this?

Thank you

Thank you! 

I'm not sure whether it's ok to share, or probably some kind of NDA.
I'll try to find out.

Actually I think everyone can take part in something like that in case of a relevant experience 😉

Hi everyone 

Just decided to share that I am taking part in a psychiatric research as a participant now.

I am so excited, and that so interesting!

Couldn't keep quiet ☺️


Looking forward to the results which they are happy to share.
While we still have some work to do together

A very life-asserting and stimulating experience

Yeah that's true Teddy Bear. I do wonder what causes one person to head toward a CPTSD presentation, one toward personality disorder, one toward schizophrenia, and one toward psychopathy.

Exactly, and some comorbidities are also possible, which makes it even more complex...
Probably genetics, epigenetics, environmental factors etc

And also misdiagnoses...
As for me most of that labels are kind of outdated: imho most of the conditions are connected with trauma.

Regarding empathy, IMO traumatised people are not always empathetic. Probably some other factors influence it.

Welcome here, Moshi 

It resonates with me: not too many friends and periods of distance from others along with attempts to be friendly. I don't like relationships based on trauma bonding either.
Often I feel myself unappreciated and no real reciprocity.

Thanks! That's interesting

Probably I've heard about it previously, but never tested my levels.
It's a good idea to check it, as I have some symptoms like learning disabilities, I guess (mild dyslexia and dyscalculia), poor concentration etc, especially in stressful situations

Hi Mia 👋
Nice to meet you here 
Welcome!

I've just read your post, I also had neglect in my childhood.
That's really tricky what to do about it 🤔

I haven't tried EMDR yet and no therapist for now (but had tried different previously, not sure they were actually helpful though).
Nevertheless I'm going to search again a bit later on.

Glad you've found this place, and it gives you the feeling of connection

Thanks a lot to you too 

I can understand you perfectly, Dalloway, as I am also trying to do something with my life, searching for purposeful and fulfilling activities and something exciting, engaging and meaningful. And I am rarely satisfied with my results honestly.

Wishing you all the very best! 

Hi Noraw,

Thanks for sharing

It sounds a bit like me: I do often procrastinate in an absent state, when I can't get myself together. Sometimes I am even not aware, I think, of it's happening.

Just looking for a solution, so decided to drop a line here.

As Deepseek wrote:
"One thing that's can be helpful is not trying to 'force' myself out of it — just noticing it without judgment, and sometimes setting a 5-minute timer to just sit here and exist. It doesn't always work, but it takes the pressure off."

In a similar manner I manage to do some stuff sometimes. But I am still learning how to deal with dissociation and going to read about it again (haven't done lately).

I don't have DID diagnosis either.


Anyway, welcome here 

Hopefully this place will be helpful for you,
Cheers

Hi Stussy,

It seems to me that suppressing something subconscious isn't a good idea, and dreams and nightmares come from there.

As was said, it's good to process them, and through that, to process the underlying trauma. And most probably just to work on the trauma.

This could be a traumatic response (fight or flight, or freeze), which seems quite natural.

Wishing you sweet dreams 😴

Thank you, Roger, for sharing, and thank you, TheBigBlue, for an excellent and deep answer.

I would just like to add that I have been on aripiprazole monotherapy for five years already. Previously, I was on a mix of various medications, which my body tolerated even worse.

My dream now is to get off aripiprazole, though I'm not sure whether it's feasible.

I also have some symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), which seem to exacerbate with any stress or retraumatisation.

I am from Russia, and it's difficult here to find a good trauma-informed psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

In my personal experience, I focused my complaints on the physical side effects (to avoid them being confused with my primary symptoms) to advocate for changing the medication, switching to a single drug, and, ideally, discontinuing it entirely.

Also, I was initially diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Sending hugs 

Hi Dalloway,

Your post caught my attention, so I looked into it. Here's a summary from Google's AI overview — I thought it was quite insightful:

"The inner critic is a harsh, fear-based subpersonality that judges, demeans, and focuses on flaws to enforce safety or conformity. Conversely, the inner voice/coach acts as a compassionate, solution-oriented, and encouraging guide, aiming for growth and self-acceptance. Balancing these requires identifying, not fighting, the critic.


Key Differences and Characteristics
Inner Critic (The Judge):
Focus: Problems, limitations, and past mistakes.
Tone: Harsh, demanding, shaming, and anxious.
Goal: Attempts to "protect" you by keeping you in line or preventing failure, but often causes anxiety or feelings of inadequacy.
Common Phrases: "You're not good enough," "You should have done better," "You're going to fail".
Inner Voice/Coach/Cheerleader (The Guide):
Focus: Solutions, opportunities, and positive potential.
Tone: Compassionate, honest, encouraging, and supportive.
Goal: Fosters resilience, growth, and self-compassion.
Common Phrases: "I'm learning as I go," "What can I learn from this?," "I am enough".

Managing the Dialogue
Don't Fight, Understand: Treating the inner critic as an enemy makes it louder; instead, recognize it as a misguided protector.
Question the Narrative: Challenge the critic by asking, "How do you know this is true?".
Cultivate the Coach: Actively practice self-compassion, write down positive affirmations, or channel encouraging, positive figures to strengthen your inner voice.
Separate Identity: Recognize that the inner critic is a part of your thinking process, not the entirety of who you are."

I've noticed similar patterns in my own experience.

Hope that helps a bit,

This really resonates with me too — what a beautiful idea!

Hi ComplexArt,

That's a very interesting project. It's great that it's open to submissions from non-professionals too. I'll send my work asap