How do I stop overthinking everything?
I'm 18. It's real hard for me to connect with people. I had this anxiety problem my whole life. When I started school, I didn't talk to anybody. They never left me alone at school about it. They just kept forcing the issue, making me more self-conscious. I started talking eventually, but not much. My school life sucked and my home life sucked as well. What made it all worse was the fact that I had to grow up with a lot of yelling and violence. My parents are very negative people and my dad had problems with drinking. He was such a child. He would throw hissy fits like a 13 year old girl who just got her cellphone taken away. He is a loser and I don't respect him at all. Unfortunately he was the only father figure I had growing up, so it led me to being real confused about what a man is supposed to be. My mom is weak, end of story. I think it's sad that she claims she's an optimist, yet she's always complaining about everything. Nothing I do makes her happy, so why bother? Anyways, it's very hard for me to connect with others today because I've become so afraid of people. I'm constantly over thinking things. I spend all my time alone. Even if I can talk to people, it makes me nervous to connect with them. I sure as hell can't connect with anybody at home. I also have a very negative attitude towards family as I think they aren't any good. I've been alone all my life. I don't talk to my dad at all, which he probably doesn't like, but too bad. He shouldn't have alienated me. He used to force me to spend time with him and I was NEVER comfortable doing so. I feel like I've been conditioned to be afraid and I'm sick of it. Can you help me? How do I unlearn all of this?
Signs of pregnancy or just overthinking?
Recently, the thought of pregnancy has been crossing my mind. My boyfriend and I have been sexually active for three months, of which I was taking birth control, but sometimes I would accidentally miss a day, and when I would run out and was in need to start a new cycle, it would take a while for it to come in. My periods are also irregular, even while on birth control. They have been since I first got it. My boyfriend and I have only used condoms, say 5 times. One of which the condom broke before he finished so he took it off and we've ALWAYS used the pullout method. So anyways. Recently, the thought of being pregnant has been crossing my mind. Last weekend, I noticed that I had to pee a lot. Roughly every 45 minutes to an hour. And the night after I noticed it, I wet the bed. Which I haven't done since I was a toddler. That was the first time I noticed anything. Then, when talking to my friend who already has a baby about it she said she had a hard time controlling her bladder when she was pregnant. Also, I've only thrown up once, but every now and then I'll randomly get nauseous, and when I'm nauseous I notice EVERYTHING with smell. But not really when I'm not nauseous. It's average. I've also been bloating really bad, especially after I eat or when I get really hungry. And there have only been two occasions when I had cramping, but they were outrageous cramps. Like, doubled over in pain kind of cramps. Also my friend was reading that darkening of the areola is a sign of pregnancy, and sometimes around my areola seems to be turning a blueish color, but sometimes its not as noticeable. Please just give me your opinion. I know the only sure-fire way to know is to go to the doctor or take a home pregnancy test but I just want an opinion. Thank you.
Do you think it's easy being a soldier?
Been there, done that, Viet Nam. The extreme right thinks you can do no wrong and the extremem left thinks you can do no right. As I looked over the answeres here, just like in American society the majority of people will support you. A soldier does not have a blank check to do what he wants during a war and is always responsible for what he does. You state your feelings excellently and it is impossible for those who have never been through a combat experience to know what you are going through in your thoughts and in the actions you have to perfrom during combat. You must live with your experiences the rest of your life. No, it is not easy being a soldier and I pray that you have made the right decisions in your experiences. I would never judge you and neither should anyone else except God. You sound like the kind of soldier that all of America can be proud of. Always do the right thing and don't worry about people that want to condemn you, they don't really count.