Beyond Recycling... Important Little Changes You Can Make Right Now To Help The Environment Be Less Sad

Being better to the environment doesn't have to be an overhaul of your life! There are super simple changes you can make to your everyday routine that will reduce the amount of harmful impact you have over the span of your life. If you have anything to add, please share in the comments!
1. First of all, let's get some facts out of the way...
1. The earth cannot digest plastic. It is not bio-degradable. That means that once it exists, plastic is never going to be gone.
2. Plastic in the ocean now outnumbers sea life six to one.
3. One in four mammals is at risk of extinction.
4. Plastic chemicals released into our water, like BPA, DDT, and PCB, are absorbed by the body. They disrupt hormones and your endocrine system. Its a big issue. The health effects of DDT include cancer, male infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight, developmental delay, nervous system and liver damage. PCBs also contribute to cancer and cause disorders of the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.
5. Oxygen-starved dead zones that cannot sustain life now cover an area roughly the size of the state of Oregon.
Read more at http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/11/26/amazing-...
6. Only 1% of Chinas 560 million city residents breathe air that is considered safe by the European Union.
7. Less than 1% of the worlds freshwater is readily available for human use.
8. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of air pollution. Wow!
9. At least 50 million acres of rainforest are lost every year, totaling an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland combined.
10. If the entire world lived like the average American, wed need 5 planets to provide enough resources.
2. Okay, here's an easy one: straws
Some people need straws in their drinks for medical reasons (mobility issues, for example). But if this isn't you... why not ditch those pieces of plastic and sip from the cup like a boss?! Ain't no tiny tube of plastic gonna get between you and your drink.
3. While we're on the topic of unnecessary meal accessories... why not ditch napkins?
I get it. It's way easier sometimes to just rip a paper towel or grab a napkin then it is to go aaaall the way to the cupboard, grab a cloth, and go aaaaall the way back to the spill. And then you need to put the cloth in the laundry (which means you have to be willing to do laundry... ugh). But seriously... just use a damn cloth when you can.
4. Now what about plastic cutlery?
Ain't nothin' better than take-out. Well, actually, come to think about it, there are a lot of better things, like a vacation, or your loved ones, or that puppy you saw on the way home from work, but you (Continued)
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but you get the point. Anyway, when you decide to indulge, ask the restaurant to skip the plastic cutlery because NEWS FLASH: you're eating it in your own house, and I know I'm assuming but I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you have cutlery in your drawer.
5. Bike or walk to work, use public transit, arrange a carpool
For some people this is impossible. I get it. You live in the middle of nowhere and work in another remote part of town where you couldn't possibly share a ride to and it's not accessible by transit because it's at the top of a mountain and your bike got a flat tire and you've got bad knees. Sound like you? If not, maybe you've got some arranging to do.
6. Be like Sweden... no ridiculous car trips
Have you ever hopped in the car just to go to the variety store down the street? A friend's house that you could easily walk to? Or somewhere else that is ridiculously easy to get to? The city of Malm, Sweden started a whole campaign around this, to try to get their residents to quit it with the ridiculous car trips. Check out their promotional video:
[vimeo_embed https://player.vimeo.com/video/15329560?color=dedede&portrait=0 expand=1]
No ridiculous car trips from Martin Lang on Vimeo.
7. Buy local when you can
If you can buy your food local, not only do you get fresher food, you get the benefit of knowing that you have stopped 1,300 miles of needless travel that it takes (on average) for non-local foods to travel from field to your plate. If you can't wrap your head around that, try this: it takes 435 fossil-fuel calories to fly a 5 calorie strawberry from California to New York. Check out some farmers markets if you can, or see if your township has a food box program you can join.
8. Turn the dang lights off!
I'm not going to go on about this one. You know the drill. But I will say this: if you or the people you live with are notorious for leaving the lights on, post a reminder sign in a high-traffic area or near the light switch to help them remember.
9. While we're at it with the lights, think about your... (Continued)
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9. While we're at it with the lights, think about your bulbs
Traditional lightbulbs are energy suckers. Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget. And get this: you're being ripped off. The electricity used over the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs 5 to 10 times the original price of the bulb itself. Replace them with LED bulbs and the earth and your wallet will be thanking you.
10. Okay, I get it. You don't like the gross "fluorescent glow" of an LED lightbulb.
Not so fast... you're not getting away that easy. Have you considered CFL lightbulbs? They are simply miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents. Or, you can purchase the Cree LED bulb a light that was recently invented for people who want to save energy and have the warm cozy glow of traditional bulbs.
11. Use clothing to offset your thermostat
Okay, I know how nice it is to come home in the winter to a warm, cozy house. It's tempting to crank the thermostat all the way up and bask in the pretend-tropical heat. Next time, try opting for thick socks, long johns, and a sweater before you resort to your thermostat. If you can't remember, put a note over your thermostat that says, "Have you put on a sweater yet?"
12. Print a list of the things you can recycle and put it on your fridge
It's hard to remember what can and can't be recycled. Thankfully, most cities have recycling guides that are easily google-able (ahh, the beauty of the internet!). Print it off and post it on your fridge for quick reference.
13. Drivers! Make sure your tires aren't getting tired
So for all those times when you need to use a car, make sure your tires are properly inflated. Low tire pressure wastes money and energy, and causes pollution. An informal study by students at Carnegie Mellon University found that the majority of cars on U.S. roads are operating on tires inflated to only 80 percent of capacity. The average person who drives 12,000 miles yearly on under-inflated tires uses about 144 extra gallons of gas, at a cost of $300-$500 a year.
14. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Or better yet...(Continued)
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14. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Or better yet, a backpack
If you can't remember to bring reusable bags, toss a few in your car / backpack / bike basket and keep them there for times when you swing by the grocery store. Also, if you use a backpack it's way easier to carry your groceries home (for all you "walkers out there).
15. When it comes to packaging, "the more the merrier" rule doesn't apply
You know those packaged foods where you open the package but then everything inside is individually wrapped in its own tiny package? Yeah... that's no good. Try opting for products that use less packaging and buy in bulk if you can.
16. No flyers please!
Reduce the amount of unwanted (wasteful) mail you receive by putting a "no flyers please!" sign above your mailbox. Who wants to sort through useless junk mail anyway?
17. Get some Macklemore swag
Macklemore had it right when he sang, "I wear your granddad's clothes / I look incredible / I'm in this big [cut] coat/ From that thrift shop down the road." Every garment purchased second-hand means one less new one produced, which is important because regardless of material, the production of clothing is costly to the environment. Plus, you can get your new threads on the cheap!
18. You know what I'm about to say about plastic water bottles, don't you?
Quit it. It's 2017. Did you know that making bottles to meet Americas demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year; And thats not even including the oil used for transportation? Perhaps you prefer bottled water because its filtered. But according to Dr. Gina Solomon (a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council) there is no reason to believe that (Continued)
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bottled water is safer than tap water. Often when you buy bottled water, youre simply paying Pepsi or Coke for the same Municipal water you could get for free from any drinking fountain or faucet. I love my Kishu Charcoal filter to ensure my tap water is free of nasty lead that can be in the pipes of older buildings. I simply fill my kanteen with that filtered water before heading out the door! You can get a Kishu to-go filter too if you want to be extra safe when filling up from public drinking fountains and such. Lets #TakeBackTheTap!
19. Electronic is the new paper
There are a bunch of simple ways you can start opting for the electronic (aka less wasteful) version of something compared to paper. Convert to electronic statements and bills. If someone offers you their business card, take a picture of it instead. Switch to electronic tickets for planes, trains, and venues (when you can). Yay! The world is getting happier as we speak!
20. Take a reusable mug to the coffee shop.
Most places will be very receptive to this. Starbucks will even give you 10 cents off your drink. Sure, it's not a whole lot, but it's their way of saying "thanks for caring."
21. Libraries are for more than just books
Many libraries offer services and check-out items far beyond the reaches of literature. Games, construction and gardening tools, sports equipment, and hobby supplies are just a few of the many wonders in libraries across the world. Not only is this helpful to your wallet (free!) but it's a great way to get more use out of items that are shared between members of the community. Call your local library or look on their website to get an idea of just how much you could be taking advantage of. Some cities even offer completely separate libraries for tools, like the Toronto tool library!
22. Use old clothing for rags
Instead of buying more rags or throwing out clothing that is too tattered to be donated, try cutting your clothing into squares to use as rags. With all the money you save, you'll be going from rags to riches! Okay, not exactly, but still...
23. Consider an electric razor instead of the cheap, throwaway kinds
Sure, it's an investment upfront, but the money you'll save not having to buy new razors all the time will actually help you to save in the end. Plus, it's better for the environment. I know that not everyone has the ability to buy the more expensive, reusable type of razor, but if you're reading this and (Continued)
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looking for a way to help your community, donating reusable razors to homeless shelters is a great way to help people and the earth.
24. Skip buying plastic garbage bags
Skip plastic garbage bags and simply put your trash into the can itself. This will require you to wash the can from time to time, but if you are composting well, it wont get too messy. Especially garbage cans in bedrooms, where the main waste is tissues and paper, it won't be too bad.
25. Have you heard of beeswax wrap?
Beeswax wrap is incredible. Instead of plastic wrap, you can wrap your food or whatever else you usually wrap in plastic in beeswax wrap. Not only is it eco-friendly and reusable, it breathes similar to the natural peel or rind of a fruit, so keeps your produce at its freshest.
26. Skip the receipt
This one is simple: when you don't need to keep a receipt, ask the cashier or server not to print the customer copy. The world has one less useless piece of paper with ink on it and the bottom of your bag becomes less cluttered with old crinkled up receipts.
27. Don't use plastic bags in the produce section (just wash when you get home!)
Okay, you know those clear plastic bags that you use to put your produce into at the grocery section? Most fruits have been shipped in trucks, handled by several people, and most likely put in contaminated crates by this point so a flimsy plastic sheath isn't going to do much at this point. You're going to have to wash your produce when you get home anyway, so scrap the individual bags.
28. Think about ditching Q-tips
If you can, think about ditching Q-tips, or using them with less frequency. If you use them for blotting makeup, try a re-usable sponge.
29. Set your fridge between 35 and 38 degrees and pull it a few inches away from the wall
The optimal temperature of 35 to 38 degrees will keep your perishables fresh and cold, and while setting the temperature colder seems tempting, it just increases your energy bill. If you dont have a fridge that demarcates exact degrees, you can get a fridge thermometer to find out.
It helps to pull your fridge 12 inches away from the wall because itll make it easier to keep your food cold.
30. Seal it up!
Make sure windows are properly sealed. Make sure your oven is properly insulated and updated. Make sure the hood range above your stove isn't letting in cold air.
31. Be more critical of "Best before" labels
Best before means BEST freshness before, not ROTTON after the date. If you're not sure, look up how to actually spot if a food has gone bad and do the test yourself. Don't let dates fool you, many foods are still edible well past their best before date.
Not everyone has the luxury of working in a safe environment.
Rather poignantly, most of the essential workers, who continued to report to work as the world shut down during the pandemic, often had to report to very dangerous conditions.
And while we'd like to think that the people who are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of these employees will make sure nothing happens to them, that simply isn't always the case.
As many people have witnessed, truly horrific accidents take place at work more frequently than we think.
"What's the worst accident that happened at your workplace?"
As If One Time Wasn't Bad Enough
"Not my story, but my dad told me it."
"A man got his arm stuck in a machine, which degloved his arm."
"After he recovered, he was showing the safety people how it happened, and he accidentally degloved his other arm."- nugget_the_third3
Before You Eat Those Fries...
"Working at McDonalds, a girl slipped walking past a deep fryer and her hand went deep into the fryer."
"The manager wrapped her hand in a cloth, when she pulled it off to put in water all of her skin came off."
"We were still made to work so we walked off, they were even happy to keep using the fryer after it!"- Reasonable_Slice5324
Sometimes It's Their Own Fault
"Working for a specialized trucking company, a fellow driver lost control fully loaded going down a winding mountain road."
'The truck tipped over, slid across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic and landed in a field."
"Truck and trailer were absolutely demolished, cab was flattened, and the driver (a huge MFer) crawled out the back window without a scratch."
"$400k unit wasn’t even recognizable."
"Guy was fired when insurance pulled the ECM out of the rig and found he was going over 100kmh around a 50kmh corner and didn’t even touch the brakes."- Barquebe
"Man fell 75 feet due to standing on the wrong side of the pipe he was cutting."
"You ever see those cartoons where they cut the branch while standing on the branch?"
"He was cutting from inside and everyone thinks he just got disoriented."- R3DLOTU5·
Bizarre After Effects
"Guy fell 15’ and landed on his head."
"He lived."
"It fixed his lazy eye and he’s still with the company."
"He became very irritable, has violent outbursts and is a lil psychotic but otherwise perfectly ok."- Oneinsevenbillion75
Choose Your Smoking Breaks Wisely
"Had a corn starch dust explosion at a previous job."
"And no it's not previous because I caused it lol."
"A truly stupid guy decided he'd sneak a cigarette break in basically the worst place he could."
"He came very close to death for his stupidity and could have taken others with him, but thankfully he was the only one seriously injured when the dust went boom."
"That night I was pretty far from the boom area doing vacuum decay testing on completed bags of sugar substitute."
"I was uninjured, but it definitely scared the sh*t out of me."- LaReinaTormenta
They Call It Protective Gear For A Reason
"Teenage girl cut off her finger after refusing to wear the cut proof glove because 'it was ugly'."
"Follow safety protocols folks."- the-cosmic-kraken
So Many People's Worst Nightmares
"When I worked at a grocery store a guy lost his thumb in the meat slicer."
"Worst part is, because of the blade it went flying and they couldn’t find it soon enough to reattach."
'Deli was closed for 24 hours."- Mryan7600
Not Always Causing Physical Harm
"Worked in a grocery store as a teenager."
'My coworker (and still friend) was lowering a huge pallet of 1L apple juice tetra packs and the whole thing tipped from like 20ft up."
"Thousands of liters of apple juice flooded the whole back of the store."
"It was super hot that day and it just smelled like intense hot apple juice."
'We had the worst ant problem forever."
"Thankfully nobody was hurt but what a godawful mess."- permacloud
Wearing Your Hair Up Is As Stylish As It Is Safe
"A girl with long hair leaned down to check something near a fast rotating piece of machinery and got it caught."
"It ripped a good chunk of her scalp out."- EntertainerOk9552
Don't Rely On Workman's Comp
"At Walmart, an assistant manager had a heart attack in the break room."
"When she was taken away and treated she disappeared from work for months, and when she finally came back."
"Walmart management decided to put her outside in the hot California summer heat to be a greeter."
"When she refused they didn’t care and she quit."
"Every single person on my team was saying they probably did it on purpose and wanted her to quit."
"Really f*cked up and it’s probably true."- Filthy_pilgrim
At Least He Was A Good Sport...
"I watched a guy, who pinned his safety guard back on his Skill saw with a nail, lay the still spinning blade right into the meat of his thigh."
"It went right in."
"I almost passed out when he yanked it out. "
"He was in shock and laughing about how the blade was so hot it cauterized the cut, so not much blood."
"He then got into his yellow Bronco with a bad clutch and drove himself to the hospital."- Spodson
Why Updates And Refurbishments Are Necessary
"Hydraulic ferry doors were forced open to let cars out, pins snapped and doors slammed shut on an employee."
"They survived but it wasn’t pretty."- PlantBagWood
Texting While Moving Is Dangerous
"A crew was walking a plane out to the flight line and a guy got his bottom half squished underneath the wheels."
"Texting and not paying attention was suspected to be the cause but that’s not confirmed."- niciswan
"Safety First" should not simply be a warning or guideline for employees to follow.
But rather a basic standard for any workplace putting their employees in dangerous situations to uphold.
Many cultures and countries are associated with a specific food or dish.
Most people won't visit England without having fish and chips at least once, while others dream of having authentic Spanish paella.
This leaves one to question, does the United States have a food synonymous with their culture?
Hot dogs, hamburgers, and french fries tend to come to mind.
Foods that interestingly have their origins, or at least their inspirations, from elsewhere.
Thus begging the question: what is the food which defines America in one bite?
"What do you consider to be a cultural food of the United States?"
A Foreigner's Perspective
"As someone not from the states I would kill to try a peach cobbler or a pumpkin pie."- DukeOfPoose
Based On Their Origin, At Least
"Buffalo wings, perhaps."- Upstairs-Try6583
"Peanut, Penut Butter, and Jelly!"
"I was grocery shopping recently when a very nice German guy approached me for advice."
"He had friends coming to visit from his home country and he wanted to introduce them to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and could I advise him on the best ingredients?"
"He already had some kind of bullsh*t artisan bread from the bakery department in his cart."
"I told him to put that back, go to the bread aisle and get the crappy white Wonder Bread."
"Then there was discussion about the merits of Welch’s grape jelly vs. strawberry jam, and how most big brand peanut butter is optimal as opposed to the oily natural kind."
"Lastly he learned to use the term 'PB & J'.”
"He went away delighted, and it felt great to be a cultural ambassador!"- RedBattery
"PB&J."
"Idk if it was originated in the US but it's not that popular in other countries, although it's shown a lot in American cartoons."
"I literally tried PB&J last year for the first time and it's freaking delicious, 10/10."- burber_king
"You're Killing Me Smalls!"
"S'mores."
"I've traveled the world and no one knows what smores are besides Americans, whereas even if burgers or whatever are American, everyone everywhere knows what they are, so..."- decehod235
With Or Without Chili!
"Cornbread."- Deadp*ssyf*ck
​​French Fries Are So Passé
"Tater tots."- tdly3000·
Maybe Depending On Where You're From?
"Shrimp and Grits."
"Nashville style Fried Chicken."
"Texas BBQ."
"Carolina BBQ."
"Kansas City BBQ."
"Memphis BBQ."
"NY Style Pizza."
"Po Boys."
"Jambalaya/Gumbo."
"Hotdish."
"Ambrosia Salad."
"Clam Chowder.:"
"Manhattan Clam Stew (it is not a chowder)."
"Conch Fritters."
"Chicago style Brownies."
"Chicago style Italian beef."
"Philly style chopped steak and cheese (NJ and DE have pretty good ones too)."
"Beef on Kimmelweck with creamy horseradish sauce."
"Lobstah Rolls (Maine only, every other one sucks)."
"Maryland crab cakes."
"Tex-mex style everything."
"Chicago Deep Dish Pizza."
"Chicago style hot dogs."
"Texas style corn dogs."
"Bagels with Lox (smear optional but I never get one without it)."- RandomUser0666
Don't Let The Name Fool You
"The Cuban sandwich - originated in Tampa Bay."- OhSeesOhMees
Simple And Delicious
"Biscuits and gravy."
"The reason it came to my mind is I have been making them now in the winter months."
"Here is the recipe I use for biscuits."
"It takes practice but they come out great."
"Very cold butter and not overworking or touching the dough with your warm hands is key."
"I get a little better at each time I make them."- wanted_to_upvote
The Sweet Treat Everyone Craves
"Chocolate chip cookies."- whoathererockstar
Breakfast Combos
"The USA are fierce contenders against mainland Western Europe for the greatest breakfasts in the world."
"You people are visionaries when it comes to breakfast."
"Like, chicken and waffles?"
"Who the f*ck thought of that?"
"You did, that's who, you beautiful bastards."
'It shouldn't work, but by god, it does."
"And steak and eggs?"
"Who the f*ck eats steak in the morning? "
"THIS GUY, THAT'S WHO."
"I LIKE YOUR STYLE, AMERICA."- ZdCole
Needless to say, what constitutes being "American" has proven to be a highly, some might say unnecessarily, divisive issue.
Even so, it's hard to believe there are any people out there who can't put aside their differences to enjoy a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, followed by a slice of Apple Pie.
A stepping stone for improved diplomatic relations maybe?
Stranger things have happened...
People With Mental Disorders Explain Which Things They Wish People Better Understood About Them
I have depression. It's not overwhelming, and it's not something that I use to define myself, but it's there, and there are times when it hits me, and it's debilitating.
Not everyone understands why I have depression.
They think that because I have a good life with wonderful friends, a great family, a good job, a nice place to live, and no huge problems I have nothing to be sad about. They don't understand that depression isn't just sadness and that having a good or bad life has little bearing on whether you suffer from depression or not.
Depression isn't the only mental disorder that isn't widely understood. Even the way people with mental disorders feel in general aren't widely understood.
Thanks to one Redditor's great question, Redditors with mental disorders shared what they wish people understood about them.
It all started when Redditor demalejo asked:
"People with mental disorders, what would you like people to understand better about your condition?"
Fatigue
"It's tiring. I'm tired all the time. The amount of effort I have to put into being a functional adult is exhausting. Everything is difficult. Nothing is easy or simple. I'm just so so so tired."
– legoclover
"Yo. Right there with you. Living is exhausting. The weight of it just seems heavier and heavier each day. State of the world is NOT helping."
– Redheaded_Loser
Don't Worry, Be Happy
"Extreme existential anxiety. People say, "Well, you can't change anything, anyway, so why worry?" ...THAT'S WHY I'M WORRIED! IF I COULD CHANGE IT THEN I WOULD JUST DO THAT!"
"I'm much better now, but good Lord."
– newyne
"This. Having debilitating anxiety is so f**king tiring. Every time I stop to think about it, I’m just hit with this wave of “wow imagine what I could do if 70% of my energy wasn’t going towards overthinking, panicking, and stressing.”"
– reefered_beans
Take "Quirk" Out Of Your Vocabulary
"OCD isn't a quirk and you wanting your counters nice and neat isn't a symptom. Constant thoughts that I can't stop and cause a lot of distress are the problem. My house is a dang mess and I really don't care. But needing to say goodnight to my pets in a certain order because they might die if I don't is an issue. Also having distressing and disturbing thoughts that pop up randomly such as sexual, violent, or grotesque thoughts that are not my thoughts and don't align with my beliefs or values. It's not quirky. The only thing relatively quirky is when I twitch or shake my head to erase the thought like an etch a sketch"
– polkaspot36
Not Always As Bad As It Sounds
"My official (along with half a dozen other diags) is "Bipolar II, mixed, with psychotic behavior" which made me super uncomfortable at first because, you know... connotation everyone has with the term psychotic. It took me some time to accept that particular part."
"Sometimes they get really bad, but 90% of the time my hallucinations and delusions are pretty mild to the point it took me ages to figure out that's what was going on. Mostly visual and auditory, occasionally other things. For visual, I see things move that don't or aren't there, especially shadows. For the auditory it's usually more muffled like if someone was having a conversation in the other room or left a TV or radio on. TV on in the same room I'm in helps drown out the noises and gives enough of a visual distraction to help.The delusions I can usually recognize on some level that's what they are, but going through them is awful because I can't logic my way out of them and convince myself that's all they are. This awful cycle of "this seems farfetched, it's probably a delusion... but what if it's not? But it doesn't make sense and here's why.... but what if it actually makes PERFECT sense?? Here's everything that backs up this being absolutely 100% real and here's everything that proves what you're saying to disprove it is wrong." Just have to ride them out."
"Medication, nearly two decades of therapy, and a whole massive toolbox of coping mechanisms and I'm okay more often than not. Though it has gotten bad enough in the past to have a rough crisis plan. Figure it's better to plan for a worst case scenario and give trusted people an idea of "this means it's getting bad" and steps I'd like them to take if I can't recognize I'm at that point."
"Another thing I wish people understood about bipolar is it's not really an instant switch in mood but longer term episodes of extreme highs and lows. And that the highs and lows look different than what most people imagine, too, particularly the high/manic episodes. I think depressive episodes are pretty obvious to most people nowadays. But manic is not just lots of energy and feel-good happytimes. It can be incredibly destructive and even dangerous."
– CalamitousCass
Look It Up
"The difference between “psychosis” and “psychopath.” I see and hear things that aren’t there. I don’t have daydreams about putting you in a microwave. Learn the difference."
– Sethrial
It's Not About Focus
"The ADHD brain is physically and chemically different than a "neurotypical" brain. The thing is, without neurodivergencies like ADHD, ASD, etc., advancements in science, technology, even economics and agriculture, would not have evolved to the level we currently have."
"I also want to add, it's BS the way people treat people with ADHD. As prolific as it is, and with all the research and growing understanding, they're still told "if you'd only focus", "you can hold still if you really try", and other crap. ADHD can be disabling and has an effect on every part of someone's life. Quit writing them off."
– MoJoHusband
Everybody Hurts
"That every time I am angry or upset, it’s not “just my [insert relevant mental illness here]”. Sometimes I have every right and reason to be furious or in tears, just like anyone else does, and brushing off my emotions as a symptom is hurtful and damaging."
– frau-fremdschamen
You Can't Help Me!
"That I don't fully understand it myself, but getting advice from a mentally healthy person who has no understanding of it is frustratingly useless."
– TheRichTurner
"Can't tell you how many times peaple were just like "it's common sense you will get it. You just need to keep trying" meanwhile 12 year old me is fantasizing about putting my pencil though the teachers neck because all of the black squiggles on the page don't make sense unless I have a colored filter over them. That she won't let me use because it's "distracting.""
– Hickawa
I Need A Little Time
"Certain folks in my family get so frustrated when I have to call off something because I’m having a bad day mentally. I don’t want to miss Fun Thing either, but I have had this my entire life and I know when I can push through it and when I absolutely cannot. I hate it as much as they do!"
– StargazerNataku
"Absolutely. If I don't show up to something every once in a while, it's for your protection as well as mine. Nobody wants to see me have a mental breakdown because I pushed myself too hard to do something that day."
"Sometimes, having mental health issues means I need to wait for it to pass. I need as little stimulus as possible to have control over myself in those times. This is me, dealing with it, so I can go back to being the person everyone likes."
– OfficeChairHero
There's No Magic Solution
"Taking medication is not some magical fix. I'm still sick."
– m0rgan_jamiie
"Exactly. Going to therapy and doing the work doesn’t mean that my mental health issues are going to magically disappear! I once had someone in my family ask me how long it will take for my anxiety, PTSD, depression etc to “go” away completely since I was on medication and in therapy. It was the most painful conversation I had to have without offending them. I will always have what I’ve been diagnosed with and I’m going to live with them forever, I just know how to manage it well on some days and can’t manage them on other days. Stop expecting me to wake up and be a new person just because I’m in therapy."
– OkTennis2366
Alone Time
"That having my routine broken causes a massive amount of stress and fear so I tend to respond poorly to tense situations because my brain can't connect with others."
"Great that they find stress relief with others, I find it with my video games and I can't take that with me so smoking is how I handle an overwhelming amount of it. Not a great method but it works for now."
– Brontolope11
It's More Than Sadness
"Being depressed is not "Oh, you're just sad.""
"No, it physically hurts on my worst days, and sometimes it's really hard to get out of bed because of it."
"It's also difficult to find something to do some days when mine is bad. I'll literally just sit there and stare at something for a while."
"My son will want to go outside, and I just don't want to because my depression makes it so that I don't feel like doing anything."
"Depression can physically be painful, and it's "not just in your head.""
– StrangerFeelings
It's Not Your Fault
"Parents: ADHD and other disorders are not a negative reflection on you as a parent. You don't have "the bad kid" who gets in trouble all the time. You have a kid with a health condition that makes their life harder that needs diagnosis and treatment. Nobody would think of their kid as an embarrassment for having asthma or poor eyesight or diabetes."
"Get your head out of the sand and your ego out of your kid's health."
– I_RATE_BIRDS
We're All Trying To Get Through
"I am trying so hard. So f**king hard. Please just be patient with me."
I think that might be the most important thing to understand!
Being a parent isn't for everybody.
That is a life lesson well learned.
Not everybody wants to have kids.
That maybe hard to believe, but the sooner we learn, the better.
If you want kids, please have them, just be sure and ready.
It's a hard journey.
Raising my dog has been stress enough.
Maybe if some of you hear why others don't want kids, you'll appreciate yours more.
Redditor Celestialsmoothie28 wanted to discuss why many of us don't want to bring a new generation into the world, so they asked:
"People who don't want kids, why?"
I will never have kids. You're all welcome.
Who Cares?
"Why would I want kids? Personally, I can’t think of a single compelling reason to have them. Kids deserve a parent who wants them, not someone who just tolerates them."
Worried-Medicine-664
“test out”
"Kids are a lifelong commitment to raise and care for another human, and I don’t think I’m capable of handling that. I like kids, but I don’t think I could raise one well, so I’m not going to try."
boymanpal
"Agreed. Every child deserves a parent, but not every parent deserves a child. For those who think 'if you never try you never know”' are just plain selfish. So you’re gonna bring a kid to this world just to 'test out' if you can be a good parent?"
"You should know yourself better than anyone beforehand, whether you can be a good parent. I certainly not gonna use a person’s life for my own amusement since I know I wouldn’t be able to give the best to the child."
pronocturnalfreak
Learn Sooner
"I grew up with a brother 10 years younger than i am. Went from changing his diapers to teaching him how to mod Minecraft."
"Left to go to college. I call him nearly every night, and we still watch anime an play video games together through discord calls."
"I already had my kid. He's called my little brother. Just wish I understood my family's financial situation sooner."
oxidezblood
Be Prepared
"As a parent, I always tell people that wanting the responsibility is the most important part. My baby daddy and I separated, but we co-parent so well, people are always shocked. We work together well because we both know we planned to have a child and raise her together, despite the status of our personal relationship."
kailsbabbydaddy
The responsibility! The biggest lesson of all.
My Life... My Rules
"I enjoy freedom, I enjoy my relationship exactly as it is, I have a major fear of being pregnant, I like having money. Oh and I don’t like babies or kids. The reasons are endless."
Feeling_Ad_2354
Issues of a Saint
"I struggle with anxiety and anger issues and I wouldn’t want to pass that on to my child or have them have to grow up dealing with my anxieties and anger episodes. I just couldn’t do it and it wouldn’t be fair to them. Plus it’s real expensive. I’d rather have a life of peace and quiet and travel to figure myself out. To the moms: you guys are tough saints."
shoppingforthemoon
Stability Fail
"I have back and hip issues that would have made carrying a child (and then also literally carrying a child) difficult. I like my free time and expendable income. I didn't feel like I was in a stable enough place financially, wasn't with the right partner at the right time, never had baby fever."
"I look around at the world, and have no desire to bring another life into this s**t show."
wirwarennamenlos
Today's Drama
"In this economy?"
besameput0
"I'd also like to add. Into this world? Our age pyramid is upside down. Only way to fix to is either by overpopulation, or bracing for difficult times for a while until it fixes itself."
"It isn't like I dislike children, at work I love to take care of them. But I don't have the heart to bring in any more. Otherwise, if my life situation would be better, I would totally love to foster or adopt. There are so many children who don't get parents."
Valtremors
Just... WHY?!
"Why would I want one? I get that it is the social default, but in a vacuum it sounds terrible. I barely feel like I have my sh*t together, and I never feel like I have enough time to do the things I want to do."
"Why would I want to give up on my free time entirely to raise a kid? Children are fine in small doses, but they are exhausting, stressful and the benefits seem minimal. I guess the biological drive skipped me."
notaninjashhhhh
Not everybody is meant to be a parent.
Know your truth.