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JT- I miss you. I miss you in the small things from the thought out responses to commiserating about the hate of heat. I miss you in the big things from moderation decisions to spending time in chat. I miss your checking in on the site almost daily. Like Gearhead, I look up at the sky and declare the universe did the wrong thing by taking you from us. I've been on CB for almost 10 years and I see the positive mark you left for us here. Whether it was checking in by logging into chat (even if you didn't have much to say), or leaving comments, or asking about other mods and members, you made a difference. I want you back, but I'll take some small comforts in knowing you won't be forgotten. Wherever you are, rest easy and may there be no more heat for you to hate. -Joe

Can neither confirm nor deny. Do you like grocery or clothes shopping more? Why?

Men's 7 or 7.5 What's the last app you used on your phone or tablet? If you don't have a smartphone or tablet, what program on your computer did you last use?

both please. I feel compelled to ask this since it's now New Year's Eve... what is a goal you have that you want to work toward in 2018?

I didn't misunderstand or misinterpret what you said- you didn't leave me enough context in what you wrote to work with. In my brain, the phrase "don't go to" gets interpreted as "used to go, but no longer attends" more often than "has never gone to" You said I mean, you didn't say "I wonder if there are people out there who have never heard of GROW/have never been to a GROW group that have managed to get their hands on GROW resources and books and use them in their own therapy process." If you had said that, I would have said "There's probably a handful of people who have picked up resources from GROW who have never been to a GROW meeting. There's no way to know for sure that's truth." I know in my case I've seen AA materials in the donation bin for the used book sale at my local library, so I wouldn't put it past people to donate GROW materials after they were done using them Being specific with language helps avoid confusion

From looking at their website, the two US states GROW support groups are available in are Illinois and New Jersey. Unless members of CB lived in either of those states and had access to that group, there wouldn't really be an option for them to attend the meetings. My question back to you is this- is it a bad thing if people who no longer attend GROW groups continue to use the resources they were given while in group? I mean, I was in therapy with a specific t-doc who gave me a specific set of resources. Am I no longer allowed to use those resources if I no longer see that t-doc for therapy, even if they still benefit me?

You can also look into it through your prescription drug coverage plan, if you have that as part of your health insurance. I remember Abilify (brand name) was $40 usd or more for a while and then dropped to $30 usd. The generic was slightly cheaper at $20 usd for a 30 day supply while I was on it. Keep in mind this is with a prescription drug plan and the coverage/copay levels all vary from company to company and plan to plan. Goodrx is really helpful and can save a lot of money. Sometimes there are patient assistance programs or drug discount cards you can ask about at the doctor or pharmacy.

Also, please note that this site is a first person by crazies and for crazies place of support. Meaning, we will help you with your struggles- but if you approach us on behalf of a family member, we can't help them. If your family member is 16 or older and wants to join the site with his own username, he can do so and seek support for himself. While it's great you have concerns about your brother, we cannot answer them here. Please take a look through this thread for more sites that can give advice.

Like Hopelessly Broken stated above- autism is not a mental illness. Please stop categorising it as such. It is a difference in neurology. Meaning my brain is hardwired differently as an autistic person than the brain of a non-autistic person.

The plants I have on my porch are all spiny little cacti or some kind of spiky succulent. But I digress.

Look, madmax- I'm sitting here in complete and utter shock wondering if people who are my business partners, my colleagues, my friends, my own family members, and their families have been injured or killed in the recent tragedy in Vegas. I live in a neighborhood where people don't lock their doors when we're home or have bars on their windows and the most violent crime is petty theft of potted plants off the porch. Yes, there are cities in the US where there are violent crimes and bad shit going down almost daily. But think about it for a fucking second- there are so many more people amongst the 350 million in this country that don't commit violent crimes. They're out to make a difference in the world and make it better. Not everyone in this country is out to hurt someone or cause the next big terror attack. The big reason news stations continue to exist is because bad news sells. Violence makes for a better news story than a story about how some teenagers did on a biology exam or how clean a beach is. So seriously, enough crap about if America is a dangerous place. Shut up about it. It seems there's no point in trying to talk to you about this if you're not willing to listen to those of us who live here due to how skewed your own bias is from the media you've consumed. It's so seemingly skewed you won't even consider an alternative to what you're presenting.

madmax- As a martial artist for over 18 years (well over 2/3 my own life), I would invite you to think before you say that martial artists suck. Here's why Martial arts isn't just about self defence in a physical sense. It's also about self empowerment, self discipline, and learning tools that help you interact with the world at large. It teaches physical flexibility as well as adaptability of the mind. The two martial arts I've studied the longest are ITF/Traditional Tae Kwon Do and Shaolin (Chinese) Kempo. I've also been fortunate enough to study Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, and Kajukenbo. What my instructors stress and have emphasized above all else is that martial arts is more than just punching, kicking, blocking, and the ability to defend yourself. It's also the ability to apply the Five Tenets (from Tae Kwon Do) or the Five Principles (from Shaolin Kempo) to training and your every day life. The Tenets are Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit. The Principles are Effort, Etiquette, Sincerity, Self Control, and Character. Without the Tenets or Principles, you're given tools and knowledge that can do a hell of a lot of damage, and potentially kill someone- and you're a walking liability. As a martial arts instructor, I wouldn't dare teach a student a potentially lethal technique without knowing they have some level of control, both of their body and their minds first and foremost. If I found out that *any* of my students were using the techniques I taught them to beat the shit out of other people "for fun" there would be consequences When training with a partner in the dojo, it's not full force knockdown and knockout contact. It's about learning in a controlled environment and controlling your reactions so that if my partner does hit me I don't go ballistic and strike them back out of anger and injure them severely. On my rank tests when I've been at it for 4 hours and I'm tired, it's about digging deeper and not giving up, and continuing to persevere through those moments of "I am exhausted and I want to quit." Which translates to life in moments of "I've been fighting with my MI for months and I'm not seeing a lot of improvement. I want to give up, but I'm not a quitter." It's having the discipline to get off my ass and go to class when I don't feel like it. Which translates to getting my ass up and out of bed and to work on time for early start days, even though I'm not a morning person. Sure, I may need an extra cup of tea that morning, but I'm not late for work, and I'm ready for the day. Yes, I have had to use the techniques I've been taught to defend myself physically. But I've also used skills I've learned through martial arts classes to avoid a lot of fights as well. I practise every day. I do so to keep my mind sharp and my body strong and limber. I also use Principles from what I practise every day. Perhaps you should try a couple of martial arts classes and speak to a qualified instructor before deciding that something that has incredible physical and mental health benefits for a lot of people sucks. It makes my blood boil at the level of ignorance and idiocy that is displayed when people say that something sucks when thye haven't even tried it for themselves

I think I've found a link to a pet relocation site that will help get the dogs from his home to Atlanta, @JustDucky. I'll leave it below so you can take a look. http://www.happytailstravel.com/services/pet-rescue-pet-adoption I'm not normally one to cry, but I bawled my eyes out today and hid in the bathroom when I was supposed to be creating testing spreadsheets for the dojo. Pod's humour and kindness never went unnoticed and I will never forget that he took the time to call me and teach me how to tie a tie an hour before I was supposed to go to a semi formal dinner event and he didn't hang up on me till I got it right. Pod, you shot for the moon and landed up in the stars. I'm gonna miss you, friend