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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 30th, 2023

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  • Not OC, but an important tenet of Buddhism as you probably know is known as the “First Noble Truth,” which states that “life is suffering.” The second through fourth noble truths basically tell us to cease attachment and desire and to live a life based on “right living” to avoid the problems caused by attachment and suffering.

    I think this is where OC has an issue and I agree because sometimes being a human sucks and you need some escapes from that suffering. I consider myself a Buddhist as well, and while many Buddhists will talk of the “middle way” between living a conventional life and living a life that tries to get rid of all attachments, I find myself mostly leaning toward the conventional ways of alleviating suffering like playing video games and smoking weed.

    Tldr: living like a monk isn’t easy (or something I want) but the Buddhist worldview helps me make sense of the world so I use it.








  • I use crumpled up paper at the bottom of mine. Oxygen and the chimney do wonders to get it started. Living in the suburbs I’m always grossed out when I walk by an outdoor BBQ and smell lighter fluid.

    I also love Alton Brown and there are other videos that will teach you how to do a lot on a simple Weber style kettle grill.

    Also: once you get other accessories like pans to hold and divide the charcoal for indirect heating then you’ll even open up more especially if you have a thermometer in the grill. While keeping it as low as a smoker isn’t easy it’s not impossible and I’ve done some great pork and slower cooked meats on mine.






  • This is one thing where so many people I talk to got unlucky. For me, SSRIs were super lucky in that they helped alleviate depression caused by my anxiety which then helped me find other roots of the anxiety. Turns out undiagnosed ADHD is terrible for your anxiety - got diagnosed though!

    Side effects for me have included stomach issues and weight not coming off even as my physical condition improves as I’ve started running again. I’ll take it for now until I start weaning off in the future. I wouldn’t say they were a lifesaver but they helped immensely.


  • This is all awesome but any mind altering substance really needs to be used with a therapist when we are talking about average people in a large population. I’d also argue they both have benefits but their drawbacks are just too strong.

    Weed is mostly non addictive but comes with other issues and isn’t perfect. Heart issues? Family history of schizophrenia? Either of those could be really bad. Is this a good argument for legalization and harm reduction? Yes. I’m not sure about widespread psychiatric use though. Perhaps more with a therapist but that therapist would be key - similar to the shamans of indigenous cultures.

    I also totally agree with these not being long term. I love weed but the “420 smoke every dayyyyyyy” culture also ignores the need to work on yourself and do the work with a clear head. I think that internal (ideally drug free and sober) work gets you to the point of not only benefitting from these drugs but avoiding their abuse.