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[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Gizmo is an awesome cat. He was just sleeping with me. Then he decided it was time I got my ass up and give him treats.

I miss having a cat

You should get one. There's so many homeless cats. We do what we can for the strays but they disappear frequently. I like to hope they just got adopted but I don't think that's what likely happened.

Do the antidepressants work for you? I have serious concerns about the efficacy of the entire class of meds.

[–]Optimus85 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I wish I could get a cat but pets aren't allowed in the building I live in. Even if they were, there would be no room for the litter box. Sigh. I like watching Flatbush Cats on YT where they rescue strays and have them adopted afterwards.

As for the meds, it's hard to tell. I've been on them for so long that I lack perspective as I don't know what my normal self should feel like. They were great at first. Made me feel fuzzy and warm but now all I notice are the side effects and I'm getting more and more OCD and that drives my anxiety up. The reason I keep taking them is that I feel like absolute shit when I stop taking them.

They are not a substitute for healthy living. The solution is simple: cut sugar, minimize caffeine intake, avoid nicotine and alcohol, get sufficient sleep and exercize regularly. All things I should do but don't.

I'm skeptical about SSRIs as well considering you're playing Russian roulette with your brain chemistry and placebos have been shown to be as effective.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I wish I could get a cat but pets aren't allowed in the building I live in

My friend had her cat declared an emotional support animal, bypassed the rules that way.

Even if they were, there would be no room for the litter box

I live in a small apartment, that is a problem for us too. One box is right in front of the fireplace, which is hardly ideal but I don't want it on carpet.

OCD

My brother has that, bad. It's been a fucking nightmare for everyone. He seems to have gotten a lot better as he gets older but no medications or therapy worked, and we tried for decades to fix that.

It's caused me to lose faith in psychology. They failed him, and I don't see anyone being fixed.

[–]Optimus85 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Emotional support pet. That is sound advice. The litter box is always an issue but if you empty it daily, should be less of an issue. Although when my cat would go for number two, I had to crack a window open as the smell was quite overpowering. But overall, cats are pretty clean animals.

My OCD isn't that bad aside from the compulsive hand-washing, obsessive thoughts and triple checking if the door is locked. It does fuel my anxiety a bit. Psychology is still an emerging scientific field and there's not much empirical data to support some of the theories. Although cognitive therapy can provide one with coping mechanisms I think cats are better IMHO.