It difficult for me to shop for clothes because of my body issues, but I have been choosing comfortable clothes for work and changing immediately into my pajamas when I get home for maximum comfort.

I hope you can get a job soon so you can get your haircut!

I've been wanting to do something to my appearance, like get a tattoo or dye my hair. The tattoo idea has been... complicated, and I feel like I can't really dye my hair because I'm doing interviews. As a sort of GNC/nb person, I feel like I have to look as "normal" as possible otherwise i...

I've been going through a rough patch lately. There have been a series of events that have made me feel completely powerless, like I have no say over what happens to me or my circumstances. My brain has turned this into feeling really weird about my physical body. It doesn't feel like a home or some...

So the good news is that they responded super quickly and didn't push, they just gave me the number in case I change my mind. The bad news is that this was supposed to be one of the few times in life I get to chose what I look like and really assert autonomy over my body, and instead it became a str...

Because I am slightly cursed, the rescheduled appointment had to be rescheduled due to the artist's schedule. It was then scheduled for the Friday after next, but it was too much time and I've freaked myself out too much because I don't think it will look good on me and I won't be able to keep it hi...

Hello! I have been trying to face my fear by rationalizing (scale of 1-10 how likely is it that this will happen, what's the actual worst case scenario), and it helps a little. I think it's just hard for me to trust with this specific secret because it was spilled at one point many years ago with pr...

I've been thinking about that conversation that started this post (opening up to someone about a dark secret). Lately, I've felt really anxious and doubted my judgement regarding that decision. It's not that the person I opened up to is untrustworthy. It's more that I'm deeply uncomfortable with the...

Me: Are you sick? My dad: No Me: Why are you coughing and sneezing? Dad: Why are you red and bumpy? And that was our conversation today. I left it alone, but he thought it was funny. Maybe I shouldn't have asked if he was sick, but I did ask out of a place of care because I don't want him to be sick...

I did text, and she did wake up about an hour later. That's a really polite way of putting it, I like it! I feel a little weird because she doesn't have a great relationship with her parents, so I understand looking for parental figures in others. On the other hand, I'm her age so I don't feel comfo...

Okay, so this is an update on the friend I started this post about. Things have been a lot better this semester. We are only in one class together a week, and it only meets for one hour once a week. She also has a real therapist now, and that's really cut down on our communication. However. This wee...

Hi! I've had eczema (itchy skin condition) my whole life. It's mostly under control, doesn't really have much of a negative impact on my life, and I've learned to feel neutral about it in terms of body image. However, I don't really know how to talk about it with my family. On the few times it makes...

Because I’m me, I managed to make it worse. I called them to clear up the confusion. The person who answered told me that they emailed me by mistake, so my appointment was still fine. I let them know that I might be a little late because I have to drive in from an event that’s taking place far away....

I am back. First off, I'm sorry if discussion of The Thing was really upsetting and disturbing. I do my best and will continue to do my best to not mention it here (or anywhere, really) because I know it makes people uncomfortable and isn't a part of what Scarleteen does. There has been a update wit...

The Thing isn't really something I'd like to get into here. The long story made vague is that it's a self destructive coping mechanism I'm ashamed of, but it's really unrelated to what scarleteen does and I can't really talk about it anyway. It's something I plan on getting help for when I'm financi...

So this really isn't related to anything that scarleteen does, but I really couldn't think of anywhere else I could talk about this, so I'm writing this, I guess. Because it is so unrelated, there is no need to respond or even read past here. The tldr here is that I have been wanting to get a tattoo...

I haven't spoken to her yet (we only work together Monday Wednesday Friday, and that happened on Wednesday), but I plan to when it happens again. Those both sound doable! I think I would have more success with the first one because it's easier for me to do things when it's for someone else (like the...

To give her the benefit of the doubt, I'd say that she's trying, but on a surface level way. I think part of the reason she's messing up is that she's seeing me as a woman that uses they/them instead of a on-binary person who uses they/them, if that makes sense. I think she also doesn't see her own ...

I'm back with another question. One of the people I work with (the assistant I mentioned before) misgendered me in front of the kids again today. I didn't catch the whole interaction, but I'm pretty sure the kids had to remind her. Either way, it was awkward for a second, but she corrected it and th...

Hi! Much to think about. In the end, I think I'll just have people do what they're going to do. 2/5 will use they, and the other 3 will use she. That's something I can live with, even in broader terms (like 2/5 of the people who know me use they and the rest use she). It might also be a good way to ...

This is just an update, I suppose. Some wins and some losses. My main teacher person has been really supportive and allowing me to use they/them, and I'm now "Mx. lastname." Everyone else is a mixed bag. The kids, especially the high schoolers, are pretty aware and use the pronouns and pre...

Thanks for the resources! It explained a lot, and the recent article with Kimberly Dark had a lot of things that I needed to hear/read. I've got a few more questions now that I'm thinking through more specifics and doing my research. The first is related to something already mentioned. I've noticed ...

Those are solid tips! I found one person who is on a list of affirming therapists, identifies as queer, and even studied women, gender, and sexuality studies. That feels like a relatively safe bet for me. I've got a few follow-up questions (not related, so there's no pressure to respond because it r...

Hello! I am beginning to research therapists in the areas I'll end up interviewing for a job. Something that is important to me is that the therapist is queer affirming. I'd like to be able to talk about some of my experiences as a queer person even if it isn't the focus of my sessions as well as ex...

Hi there!

I just wanted to chime in that there are stim toys specifically for chewing, if that would help. The company I know of is called "chewlery," and they make charms that you can chew on. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and hardness levels.

Yes, it does. I worry a lot about making the same mistakes I did when I was in high school, but I know better now. I just have to trust that I have learned.