ferrent22
I work in software support. In my current company, the rank and file are close-ish to half male/half female, but management is almost all male, including all the way up to the 4 founders/heads of the company, and most customer teams are male-dominated. I often am on calls with the network teams at customers, and it's very common for those almost entirely male teams to ignore what I say because I'm female. I very often have to repeat myself many times, and even then it usually goes better if I bring a male on the call to say what I've been saying. However, I'm pretty lucky, because when I brought up that one call in particular got sexist, my male manager essentially said "That's not ok. Should I talk to their leadership?". I've never had a manager, even a female manager, respond that way. Previous managers always pretty much said to deal with it, which I've gotten pretty good at. Now, I will sometimes bring my male manager on calls so that when the team asks him a question, he can say I'm the expert and let me answer. It doesn't hurt that I do have a deeper knowledge of the technical areas, and my manager knows it.
As an ally, I can't offer much in words of wisdom, but I am always happy to provide a hug over the internet. So, from one internet stranger to another, I hear you, and I'm here for you.
Also, I can confirm that crying can definitely feel like a cheat code sometimes. ๐
I don't have any additional advice to offer. There are lots of good comments already for that. But I did want to share that I also was afraid of taking meds for a long time because I'd heard horror stories (mostly on TV/in movies) of the meds making you almost catatonic, and that wasn't how I wanted to live my life. However, I've been taking anti-anxiety meds for over 10 years now, and I can confidently say that they are a huge help. I've changed doses several times, including recently adding an "as needed" med for times I know my stress/anxiety levels will rise. I recommend working with your doctor to figure out the best med/med combo for you, but for me personally, I've found a lot of success with Sertraline (generic Zoloft), although it does take about a month for dose changes to take effect, and Buspirone (generic Buspar) for my "as needed" extra.
Also, know that you are not alone, from one internet stranger to another.
I'm a big fan of Captain Hook as the human scale for the crocodile one. ๐
I love that the basket matches her coloring. ๐ฅฐ
I love cats with sad eyes. ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ
I absolutely love those eyes! Even though they're clearly looking down on me with disdain. ๐ฅฐ
Adding half a bag of butterscotch chips sprinkled on the top of box brownie mix. I get tons of compliments like it's the best thing in the world (and it is arguably much better than without the butterscotch).
I don't think cats realize how hilarious they are when they use their grumpy faces. โค๏ธ
Clearly that is their sofa, not yours. ๐
Speaking as a ferret owner who every now and then tries to get them into a sweater or hat, I can 1000% agree with this statement.
