sappho

Same, I thought it was like saying IOF instead of IDF

I think I stopped looking to "fit in" when I realized my actual desire was to be genuinely loved by others, and to viscerally feel that was true. Being "in the group" was a poor substitute for this feeling. Many groups of people do not love each other very well, and these tend to be the groups that take a lot of energy to conform to.

If you're not marxist/anarchist, activist, vegan, and/or mask wearing, I can't honestly force myself to talk to you.

I feel pretty close to this but I'm still negotiating it for myself. I agree with what you said about "It's shorthand for giving a fuck," because that's how I see it as well. You have to give a fuck in order to love a person, and the dominant culture generates apathy towards others.

When I focus my efforts on covid-conscious people, I know at least that they believe in caring for themselves/others so strongly that they are willing to not only reject the dominant culture, but be materially harmed (harassed or assaulted in public, fired or not hired, verbally abused, shunned, denied services) because of it. This is a good start for being able to love in a friendship, even though it's not everything.

I'm glad I could be helpful! It seems miserable to deal with. I'd be really down if I had to be careful about cuddling with my own pet. I hope you can find something that gives you relief.

Yeah unfortunately most of my stuff is on the pricier side 😞 because I have celiac so I have to look for things that are labeled gluten-free as well. Probably the cheapest thing I get is Spry mints, but based on the Amazon price at least they're about the same cost/mint as the Epic ones you got. It's part of the reason I lean on adding straight xylitol to my tea so much.

COVID infections can cause or worsen mast cell reactivity issues like this. I personally do not have this sort of issue with my long covid but I know people who do. If you want to try something OTC in the US, many people with long covid will take the following together: a mast cell stabilizer like Nasalcrom or quercetin, a H1 antihistamine, and a H2 antihistamine. Since it's an environmental dust allergy, an air filter could help as well. You could construct a Corsi-Rosenthal box for a cheap option that is very high capacity, but with a typical box fan it can be noisy.

Video chat is pretty much my entire social life now due to COVID. Met the vast majority of my current friends over Zoom. I know you said earlier you're still masking - if you don't know where to find video chat social events for covid-conscious people I can get you some links.

I think leaving the toothpaste on the surface of your teeth makes sense at least from an efficacy standpoint, because that's why you're not supposed to rinse it, right? Sometimes I just rub some on when I don't have the energy to sit upright long enough for a full brush. But I feel you on the sensory aspect. One thing that I've been doing for my dental health is leaving xylitol to sit on my teeth as much as I can. It's basically just a sugar substitute so not a sensory issue for me like toothpaste. I have gum, lollipops, candies (all sugar free of course) and I also put it in my tea all day long. If your teeth are covered with it, the bacteria in your mouth eat the xylitol and starve to death because it's empty calories. Most sugar alcohols have this effect I believe - it's pretty neat.

Green side is also my internal monologue whenever I pirate something

Seconded, it's really good. I felt pretty down after this NPR piece (I have long covid myself) and the Gauntlet article was like a breath of fresh air. It is a relief to see reality so plainly stated.

Yeah, it seems truly awful. Hopefully his real birthday gift is getting to see that thousands of strangers think he deserves so much better than this.

This article was posted on the husband's birthday. He's been liking replies supporting him on Twitter. This is a form of abuse and I hope he leaves.