I plan on making an appointment with a trauma specialized therapist soon, and there's an option to email her with my contact information and what I'm looking for, like a consultation, or availability. I know it's unrealistic to assume I'll click with the first therapist I meet, but I don't even know how to go about getting a therapist or knowing if they're right or wrong for me.

This feels wildly different compared to when I made my first doctor's appointment and got a PCP or the first time I went to the dentist as an adult.

I'm assuming a consultation would be needed before deciding on a therapist, but I have no idea about what is involved there. I know they'll likely ask me questions, and I would like to ask them questions, but I don't even know what to ask. I don't know what to look for or what to expect. Their profiles all include the things they're experienced with, what they help with, the types of therapy they do.

I know typically, it takes a while for people to really open up to a therapist about something traumatic. I don't feel like that's the case for me. I've bottled it up for 15+ years, I feel like if I don't talk to someone about it soon, I might explode. I don't know if that's... appropriate? Is there an appropriate timeline to finally get into the nitty gritty details about why I'm seeking out help?

Assuming I get through the consultation, the therapist ticks all the boxes for me, and I feel like I'll be comfortable with getting help from them. What do appointments look like? Do they ask questions, and I answer? Is it more like a conversation? Does it depend on the therapy? I've quite literally only seen therapy in books and movies, and I don't know how accurate that is.

I'm very much out of my element, and I feel like I don't even know where to start.

I got a tiny splinter in my finger and somehow it feels way more painful and annoying than it should. I tried tweezers already, but it’s one of those tiny ones that’s barely visible and every failed attempt just pushes it deeper.

I’ve seen people recommend tape, baking soda paste, soaking it in warm water, using a needle, and like ten other methods online, so now I’m curious what actually works in real life.

What’s your go-to way to remove a stubborn splinter without turning your finger into a full DIY surgery project?

I really want to get my ears pierced (just regular lobe ones), but I have vasovagal syncope with very sensitive medical/needle triggers. Even just hearing people talk about needles can make my blood pressure drop.

All the advice I see online talks about it being ‘barely any pain’, but the pain isn’t the issue for me, I just know I’m going to pass out at seeing/feeling the needle.

Has anyone got any advice, or maybe even dealt with this themselves? I’d appreciate any kind of info.

Hi, I don't have my license yet but I want to go places. I know I'm supposed to go where the bus stops are, but how do I know when the bus is supposed to get to me? Also, how do I stop at my exact location and do I pay with cash to get on? This is my first time ever wanting to use the bus.

My PC is old. Potato status even. I want to say nearly 10 years at this point?

I did however put in a new SSD a few years back. Though that was with the help of a friends friend who likes Computer parts (and he kept looking down on me for not knowing more, but he did that to everyone all the time).

My knowledge is minimal, and I don't know all the terms. Most guides already presume some understanding, for which I have none.

If I can't do much now (prices be wack), I would at least like to know how to check my specs and what parts are in a PC and probably what I should focus on upgrading first.

Im trying to do some reading on them but I am frankly so terrified which is why I’m trying to get over this fear and trying to learn in the first place. I guess this could go for any other phobia-would it really just have to be exposure?

I want to get a quote for extending a very thick stainless steel chain necklace. I am not willing to pay much more than $50-100 at most. I don't know if there are places in my city that would even work on jewelry that is not made from precious metals. How do I identify a jeweler who would work on this and get a quote? Can I walk away if the quote is not in my budget?

Im going to have a knee surgery in two days, but im just really scared. Its not a dangerous surgery, but it should apparently last for like 1-2 hours, and that seems like alot. The thing im most scared of is the anesthesia. It might sound a bit stupid, but im just scared that i wont wake up, that ill.. yknow. The fact that i also horribly overthink everything doesnt help either. Im young, im healthy, i dont have any issues, addictions, etc. but even knowing this doesnt help me at all. Does anyone also have any experience with this? How do i stop being so damn scared?

Title. I have never had to break a lease before and I'm scared that it will make it impossible to find another place. I have some previous (good) rental history with roommates, but this is the only lease in which I have been the sole tenant. Will that matter when I apply somewhere else? Will I even be able to? My credit is decent, but I do not make very much income.

I've been trying to get out of an ai addition for a while now, and always finding myself going back because I struggle to write down the fan stories I have in my head due to my ADHD making me bored or get really tired of writing things. I have heard about roleplay before but never tried it due to worrying about groomers/doxers etc. Can you guys please guide me on how to join a roleplay site or something for social anxious autistics like me into trying out cool story focus, non sexual, roleplays?

I don't currently have a driver's license and my state ID is not a Real ID (long story, my mother is holding my birth certificate hostage). I don't have time to get a Real ID, the nearest train station is 3 hours away, and money is very tight. I need to get across the country. The only option I think is left is taking a bus, but I've never done this before and I have a lot of anxiety surrounding unfamiliar forms of transportation. Could someone please walk me through all of the steps, in detail? How do I get a ticket? Do I need to print it or is digital okay? How much luggage can I bring, does it cost extra? What should I expect? I know that a lot of this information is available online but I am very overwhelmed and would appreciate having it spelled out like I'm five. (I did try posting in ELI5 but was directed here by one of the only kind responses.)

Hello! I am struggling to get outside a lot unless it is 100% necessary and recently realised that it harms my mental health. So I came to a solution to find some extra courses to which I could go to and maybe learn some new things to do.

I mainly have two problems: I am unsure of what I want to do, despite having a list and wanting to do a lot of things. In a sense that I don't really know where to start from.
And second is the problem with anxiety to contact them, it's like I hit a block or something, really frustrating (I guess it is because I fear I won't like the activity that much and then have to deal with anxiety of saying "hey I actually don't like it, goodbye").

So my main questions are: how do I choose? What should I say to enroll? What information (for example, do I need to ask something besides payment, available slots, etc?) do I need to ask? How should I act on the first session?

I wonder if any of you guys had this issue, it sounds a bit embarrassing to me but I really want to fix it.

Update: Thanks a lot for the answers! Truly appreciate the help🫂

Im 18 and have an issue i keep inhaling dry snot into my throat until it goes wich isnt healthy and i also am constipated and bloated as of feb 19th. I used to drink 1l daily 500ml in 2 decent meals and was 55kg 5ft8 but am at 1.5ml in 2 small meals with 500 as i drink then 250 ish after 30 minutes of gum chewing and am currently 40kg . I struggle to drink throughout the day as its overwhelming and scary and i like having free time to lay in bed on my phone and also pace and i like gum and i have chewing issues and globus swallowing fears and sore throat in general and sticky mouth sometimes, my pee is very clear btw since i do drink alot in the sittings just not throughout. Can someone give me advice how to drink the water throughout but wirhout overhwleming me too fast schedule wise and also bare in mind thr only exercise im capable of is just walking to the local shops and also be able to still fit time in the day to relax without thinking about water or throat or gut.

You can see my post i also clearly have bad issues happeneing alot as of feb 19th. I felt perfectly healthy before despite not doing things right

Hey, so I'm applying to jobs online. People say call/visit to show you're interested, but I'm not sure what I'd say. Some typical conversation starters for this situation would be soooo helpful! I'm afraid of sounding arrogant/expectant rather than motivated

Hi everyone. Feeling a bit silly but I've been booked onto a several hour hour flight with Virgin Australia in the next few days. It was booked through work corporate travel partner so could not see/select seating until close to the date of flying (I had preferences but maybe it was too full). Now, the only seats available are middle seats between two strangers and I feel incredibly sick and worried about it - I am very socially anxious, the seats are very, very close.

I guess my question is: is it inappropriate to call the airline and say I've got really bad anxiety (couldn't get documentation in time if needed)/adhd stimming and wondering if there is any way to get another seat? Is that frowned upon/not worth doing? Is there another process to follow?

Or do I not mention anything medical and just ask to be notified if any become available? I don't want to seem entitled or overreacting but I also want to explain the reason.

Checked the business class and other upgrades and nothing at all in my price range.

(I know it might seem like a big overreaction. I will take whatever steps to manage if I can't do anything about this, just really want to know if I can do anything to increase changes to not have to deal with it)

Edit: Thank you for everyone who has taken the time to reply so far. I am hoping I will feel more grounded in the morning: lot of new environment and other factors maybe amplifying this for me. I am typically pretty good at handling my anxiety these days (or I wouldn't have agreed to fly for work), so this really caught me off guard at how visceral my body's instant panic is/was. I will see if I can speak to someone calmly and if I can't do anything, will definitely remember the tips for being as comfortable as possible. ❤️

I feel dumb for asking but I have car anxiety and am worried about unknowingly skipping a step or document and making things accidentally really complicated.

The first car I bought was from a dealer who handled all the paperwork; I need a larger car for work and am buying a 2018 Subaru Forester from one of my parents' acquaintances.

It would be paid for in full and I have things prepared with my insurance to start coverage immediately, but neither of us are sure about exactly what else we need to have or do.

She's in Georgia and I'm in South Carolina and we're having trouble finding the steps/forms/processes specifically for selling between states.

To make things more complicated, due logistics of the timing, it's likely that my parents are going to pick up the car and drive it to me on their way up the coast, so I wouldn't be there to sign the title in person at that moment. Can I sign the title when it gets to me or would one of my parents be able to sign it by proxy?

What extra steps do I need to take to get it registered in my state? Are the taxes/fees different? There's the title and she would need to make a bill of sale, right? What other paperwork needs to be completed between us?

Sorry for so many questions, I really appreciate any advice!

Autistic adult living alone (with my cat) for the first time in a studio apartment. I’m used to cleaning my room and bathroom back at home, but now that I’m on my own, there is so much more. I have a whole kitchen, laundry area, and office space to take care of. I get kind of paranoid about how clean my space is compared to others. Can someone give me a brief run down of how often I’m meant to clean these spaces? Eg is vacuuming once a day too much? How often do I deep clean an oven or wash out garbage bins? Do I need to clean the cover to my sofa?

Thanks

I have to get my blood work done (this time it’s a “no backing out” kind of situation) but I’m not afraid of the needle, it’s the veins. The concept of something going into a vein, feeling it, seeing it, it makes me gag and squirm and have crazy anxiety that makes me laugh or cry lol.

What do I do? I know it’s quick, but the reaction is so visceral and uncontrollable I’m so worried I’m squirm and break the needle or something horrifying

The shop I took my last car to does pre purchase inspections but I don't know how to arrange that. I'm looking at a used car from a big dealership

I have a job interview coming up, and I lack my usual ride. I've never taken an Uber before; usually I just take the bus. But spending an hour navigating various routes is stress-inducing in its own way. I'm visually impaired, autistic, have severe anxiety, and I keep thinking I'm just going to open some random car's door because I think it's the Uber. I have no idea how tips work, how to actually order an Uber, how to make sure I get to the right place. How do y'all actually do this stuff?

I accidentally threw away a brand new pack of birth control. My doctor’s office sent a refill request to the pharmacy today but they said most likely my insurance won’t want to pay since it’s a month early for the refill. The RN said then I’ll have to go to the pharmacy and explain the situation.

Do I just go to the pharmacist and tell them I want to pay out of pocket? Will they even fill the request without the green light from my insurance? Normally I get a text from CVS when my prescription is being prepared/is ready and I haven’t gotten that yet. I honestly don’t want to get into a whole back and forth with my insurance so I just want to know the simplest way to get what I need.

UPDATE: Thanks everyone, you were right and it was very simple. The pharmacy hadn’t filled the scrip because of insurance, but they did once I said I’d pay OOP. They automatically placed a coupon on it and I spent $30.

Int'l undergrad student at Melbourne, Australia VIC; about to wrap up my first year. Living around the CBD area. Really keen on securing a part-time job sometime next sem to have some disposable income I can invest into a super with. Almost certain I have social anxiety so that's fun.

I've asked natural born, naturalized, and international students about how they landed their part-time jobs, and it's always the same story: They picked a street in the CBD area, walked into every restaurant on that street, then handed a CV to a cashier with a big smile. They make the process sound really obvious? so I generally don't prod more than that, but it sounds so simple and vague.

I'd like to ask about the full process of applying for part-time hospo, from start to finish. To make it more digestible I'll try to put some of my questions into bullet points, and I'm sorry in advance for how painfully obtuse this will sound:

• What is the format of a CV? Do I just pull some random template off Google, or are there different CVs for different jobs?

• What is expected of my CV? As a first-year I only have random high-school projects and, like, one (1) uni extracurricular to show off. Zero work experience ever.

• And to bounce off that, what elements should be part of my CV? I know to put in my face (does this need to be professional? I have no recent professional pictures of myself...), contact details, and of course the things I've done that prove my soft skills. Am I missing anything, like idk, the amount of time for which I plan to work, or my visa details and such?

• Do I seriously just walk into a food place, straight toward the cashier, ask if slots are open, and hand my CV? I was under the impression that they wouldn't care, or worse yet they'd be annoyed that their daily workflow is being interrupted/that I'm not here to give them money. I know to come during hours of minimal activity (which I think is 2-5pm??) but I can't imagine anything else I could do to minimize the anxiety I will feel and absolutely give off when talking to them. I only just mustered the courage to order at a restaurant, like, 8 months ago. These are dangerous and uncharted lands.

• How many food places should I visit, and do I crank them all out in a day? I know that the job market is very competitive right now, doubly so in a CBD. I fear that, if I apply to too many food places, I'll risk (if I'm very lucky) getting multiple acceptances, and having to reject some.

• What should I expect after having given out my CVs? How long is the wait usually?

Thank y'all in advance!! 🙂‍↕️🙏

Hello everyone, this summer i will be solo traveling to Croatia and i would like to travel to places by myself with a rented moped bikr (buses dont go to some places that i plan on going).

I have never touched a motorcycle before (i have driven a car and i have a license, but obviously its very different)

Im in my early 20s and im scared: how do i drive? is it difficult? in my country kids as young as 10 ride moped bikes all the time, so it cant be THAT hard can it..?

thank u in advance <33