Our party? Democrats are no more my party than Republicans are. They are objectively the better option for someone like me given the alternative, but in no way do they represent me. They are just another element of the capitalist corporate hegemony, and I'm just a consumer to them.

Seems a lot harder to get across the ocean than into Canada, but I will take any viable option at this point.

I'm in Minnesota, if you can make it up here I'll take you with me.

It's very difficult, and in the end, it comes down to finding things that work for you, but in my experience, doing it "on my own" is virtually impossible. Humans need social interaction and often help, especially when battling with mental illness. That being said, there are some things that help most people.

1. Exercise - you don't need to run a marathon or lift free weights, but any kind of exercise, including walking, can have a big boost on mental health. If you can, working up a sweat can help release more endorphins (and also helps motivate me to take a shower when I'm struggling with hygiene).

2. Sleep - prioritize getting good sleep. This has a huge effect on your mental health, and lack of sleep makes intrusive thoughts more difficult to ignore. If you suffer from suicidal ideation, this can be very beneficial. It can also help set up a routine for exercise, hygiene, etc. if you have more consistent bed and awake times.

3. Eating healthy- this is hard, because often when depressed we go for unhealthy foods, which make us feel bad, so we eat more of them and it perpetuates the cycle. If you really struggle with this start by making small changes - find a fruit or vegetable you genuinely enjoy and start incorporating more into your diet. Learning some basic cooking skills can also make healthy eating more enjoyable.

4. reduce drug and alcohol use (if any) - these can be excellent short term solutions, but will often make you feel worse in the long run

5. find someone to talk to - online resources help, but there's no substitute for genuine in person (or over the phone) interaction. This can be harder said than done if you're older or in an area where it's hard to meet people. Support groups are also excellent- there's something very empowering about being surrounded by folks experiencing the same challenges you do every day.

6. practice gratitude- take some time every day to thing of things you are genuinely thankful for. Supposedly, the brain can't think or negative things while you are thinking of positive ones. Even if that's not true, taking time to appreciate the good things in your life (even if it's something small like your morning coffee) can help redirect your thought process.

Lastly, understand you can do all the "right" things to battle depression and still be depressed. No amount of exercise or vegetables will suddenly make you better - you will likely still have bad days. That's why, for me, it's important to have people I know I can call and talk to (my brother being a big one right now). We don't even really talk, I just call him and cry talk for a bit and eventually it doesn't hit so hard.

Give yourself some credit for all the bad days you've been through- if you weren't strong, you wouldn't have made it this far. Good luck! I'm rooting for you!

My cat is a tabby and does this exact thing with his paw. Feels like love.

It's not as punk, but the last three albums by Metric are brilliant in how they discuss the current state of the world.

I do, the longer it's been the shorter they are (almost 10 years now). My trigger is seeing someone, usually in a TV or movie, take that long, exaggerated drag.

Yeah, I was going to give this a watch, but 6 hours? I think I got the main points from the synopsis.

I love to rag on Star Wars as much as any salty millennial, but fucking get on with it.

Women of color actually have really high rates of HIV compared to the rest of the population. Working to de-stigmatize both the infection and prevention treatments is a really important part of reducing overall numbers of HIV.

I prefer to do this with "Do you believe in life after love". We call it a Cher bomb.

Best part is it's basically a bell curve of how into it people get. Starts off alow, maybe one or two. By the third play, most of the bar is feeling it. And then all downhill from there

Slay the Spire. It's so challenging that it's always engaging when I play it.

I'm trans and work in Healthcare, and I often just queer as a catch all phrase instead of using the whole acronym. It's easier to say and most queer folk are not offended by it.

That being said, I try to use the specific group names when I am personally talking to patients, as I think it's empowering to hear them in a way that doesn't assign normative value.