Terms and Conditions

 As promised in a previous post I said I would explain the lack of sadness about losing a friend to time and separation. The reason for this, I later learned, was due to the terms and conditions of our friendship. While I viewed him as a friend, to him I was a type of moped. This term reshaped how I viewed a lot of my 20's. For those of you that do not know, a moped is someone that is seen as not socially desirable that someone spends time with in secret. Traditionally, this is someone who is not seen as attractive but is good in bed. This term can also be extended to someone that cannot boost one's social status but they help you when asked. You still don't want to admit you know them, but you get something out of the relationship.

I was in my 30's when I realized this was the label that I fell under. I chose to live my life without regrets and that made people uncomfortable around me. Does this mean I was a moped to everyone? No. I had more true friends than people that saw me as a moped. This is probably why I took a step back in my 30's. Now in my 40's, just barely, I see my life a bit differently. My 20's were for making mistakes and trying new things. My 30's were for processing and learning the lessons from my 20's. In my 40's I am looking forward to growing from those lessons. 

I consider myself to be very fortunate. Given every mistake I made in my 20's I have come through with little more than a few bumps and bruises. I have never had an STI, never been abused, and have found myself in a position now to be a support system for others. I am reaching my goal. I just took the scenic route. 

Remaking Monday: Hygiene

The topic everyone needs but people do not often mention. What do you do if your junk has the funk?  First, everyone has there own smell. This is normal. there are still things to be aware of and pay attention to. The type of smell is very important. While working for a AIDS Services Organization I worked with people that gave sexual health presentations. Two of the slogans that came up were, "If it smells like cologne, leave it alone," and "If it smells like fish, it's a dish." First off.... Ew.

One of my colleagues at the time confessed that she did not like feeling unclean so she used scented products including lotions. For her this was a sign that she was taking care of herself. This got me thinking. Is the use of scented products a bad thing? Not really. It really depends on the kind of scented product and where it is used. If the scented product is coming from the genitals themselves this raises red flags for me. Many scented products are not designed for use there and can lead to irritation or infection. This could signify something being covered up or someone that does not know as much about hygiene as they think. Fragrance on the areas near, but not on, the genitals could just be that person's preference. Pay attention to if there is a smell under the fragrance to be safe. 

If there is an unpleasant odor, like fish,  this is a sign of trich. Trich is a parasitic infection that is treatable. 

Basic hygiene tip #1 - use gentle products on sensitive areas. Harsher chemicals can cause irritation and smells if you over do it.

Hygiene tip #2 - Pay attention. lack of information, or access to false information, are a true epidemic in society. if something makes you uncomfortable it is better to walk away. You don't owe anyone an explanation. 

Story Time: Friends and Enemas

 I should probably start by saying that I am not entirely sure how I became, "that person". You know who I am talking about. The person people go to with questions they are too afraid to ask their friends, but at the same time don't want to admit they know you. I had a "friend", who shall remain nameless, that sent me an email out of nowhere asking me about enemas. He wanted to know about their use and safety. Me, not realizing the downward trajectory of our friendship, was willing to look into the subject. 

Having never used one before, because I personally did not like the idea of them,  chose to ask a colleague of mine that was the nurse practitioner at the university clinic. I simply told her that a friend had asked me and I didn't have enough information. She informed me that often times enemas are used in preparation of anal sex. The overwhelming urge to say "duh" here was implied at the time. She went on to say that the body's processes of elimination generally do not need assistance like that. Unless a legitimate medical professional recommends their use because there is something not working in the system enemas can actually have detrimental effects.

Never mind the amount of time you will spend running to the toilet  waiting for the effect to stop, it is actually not a one and done type scenario for some people, the very act of repeated enemas can tell the muscles in the lower digestive tract to stop working as much. This would make it to where someone would need enemas because they used them too much. 

After emailing this information back to my "friend" we never really spoke again (the potential reason for this to be examined in another post). We have since gone our separate ways and I don't think either of us feel any lose about this fact.  It was how the universe wanted things to go. I guess the moral of this story, if it needs one, is friends come and go, but your body is here to stay. Take care of it.

Remaking Monday - Listening/Hearing vs listening/hearing

The idea of listening and hearing not being the same thing is not a new concept in the world. For the purposes of this post we are going to treat listening and hearing as synonymous but we will make a distinction between Listening/Hearing and listening/hearing. Listening/Hearing is active and utilizes engaged attention to the speaker. Its responses are validating and apropos. Lower case listening/hearing is something we can do on autopilot. The thoughts being conveyed to us become not much more than noise we are aware of, but not taking in. 

 From the first primitive grunts to the most eloquent soliloquies it can be easy to tell who is just hearing your voice versus listening to your needs. Even if their eyes don't glaze over during the conversation, the inevitable outcome of a superficial response makes it clear they heard you speak but didn't Hear you.

Charles Duhigg, author of Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, posited a thought that can be most beneficial for the more complicated interactions. He wrote about three possible responses to a partner/loved one in distress. They can be looking for practical solutions, emotional validation, or comfort. This can be summed up by the 3 "H"s (Helped, Heard, and Hugged). 

If a person is asking for Help then they may be seeking a practical solution they cannot find on their own.

If a person is seeking emotional validation they likely need to vent and be Heard. 

If a person is seeking comfort because there are not words or actions that can change anything then they need a Hug. 

This is so unbelievably simple  but can mean the world to the person in need. If you are not sure which "H" to utilize then ask, "Do you want to be helped, Heard, or Hugged?" This can show the person in need that you want to support them in the way that they need support in that moment.

The 2 "C"s: Consensual and Comfortable

 

Neurospicy: Intimacy and Neurodiversity

 Ah... After a very long nap I am picking up with a topic that I have been thinking about for some time. How does being neurodivergent impact a person's experience of intimacy? Let me first say that I have only recently identified myself as belonging to the Neurodivergent community. I had recently turned forty and have been shifting my career path towards private practice and starting asking questions. What does neurodiversity mean? What makes someone Neurodivergent? (You would think this would have been something discussed in my Master's program but it wasn't) What diagnoses make up the neurodivergent community? Are there other factors at play? And how does the divergence in the brain impact our ability to relate to others romantically? 

On the surface neurodiversity does not exclude people from romance and intimacy. It does, however, change a person's experience of them. Neurodiversity requires more than an understanding of love languages and toxic traits. It also has to do with translation into terms that those considered Neurotypical would understand. There are struggles with over-stimulation from emotions as well as physical sensation. Many people that belong to the neurodivergent community engage in masking which is often a misguided attempt to fit into a box they were not meant for. 

So let's examine these one piece at a time. Often times, members of this community have there own language. Not in terms of Spanish, French, or German but, when a person's brain operates a little off the beaten path their perception of the world is a little different. As a result, the way we communicate those observations will vary. Sometimes it may even be something we can communicate without words. Nonverbal communication is still a factor. It takes time and effort to understand what anyone is trying to communicate. So then why do so many people not try to understand the neurodiverse lexicon? 

 Over-stimulation during romantic and intimate moments is not often discussed. Depending on the cocktail of circumstances that makes a person neurodivergent it is completely possible to to get overwhelmed by sex. Too much skin on skin contact can be triggering for someone that is not used to it, or has been a victim of physical violence. The combination of physical stimulation and verbal communication can overwhelm a person's ability to stay in the moment. There are things that could help. Start with honest conversation. If skin on skin contact is too much then consider nitrile gloves like the ones used in hospitals. Look into sensation play and experiment with one toy at a time. If the sights and sounds prove to be too much for someone consider taking one of the senses away so they can ground in the others. A blindfold or silence could be viable options.

With neurodivergence being related to any combination of diagnoses, brain injury, or emotional trauma it becomes more important to be honest and open with your partners. Most importantly, it requires people to be open and honest with themselves.

Let me know if this topic is of interest to you. I can post resources and more thoughts at a later date. 

A philosophy to live by