Dating apps aren't for everyone, for sure. They work great for some folks, but for other people they're just not a good fit. If you know you don't enjoy them and they actually make you feel worse, then it totally makes sense to give them a miss! With your concern about not having sex making you feel...

Hi differentkin. I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. A couple of things stood out to me about your post. The first is that - although quarantine might make it feel like much longer - a month really is a pretty short time period, and when people are still getting to know each other. From where...

Sure thing. Before I start listing things off, I do want to say that these are just suggestions, and you can take or leave whatever feels right to you. So, the first thing that came into my mind when I read your post is that something like mindfulness might be helpful. A lot of people hear 'mindfuln...

No need to worry about getting off topic, and please don't apologize about sounding bitter or not as positive as you think you should. This is clearly important to you, and you get to feel how you feel about it. If you'd like to talk about starting points for learning how to sit with your emotions, ...

It is important to take the first pill of a new pack on time, but the suggestion if you're several hours late doing that is to use a backup method like condoms, which you did. You also took Plan B, so you've done everything you possibly can to protect yourself from pregnancy. I wouldn't say the Plan...

Absolutely. And as Alice said, supporting each other through difficult experiences can be something that really strengthens a relationship: it's great that you're able to give each other that support even though you're not in the same place.

That sounds like a lot of stressful symptoms to have to deal with, and I'm so sorry you've been without access to medical care for so long. Unfortunately, a lot of this does sound like it would be best investigated by a doctor. Stress and illness can certainly have an effect on your cycle, and cycle...

BrianneTollison, that sounds amazing! I love discovering new music.

thewrit3r, huge congrats on graduating - what an accomplishment!

I'm so sorry you've been having a hard time and I totally understand just wanting a break from feeling crummy: sending lots of support your way. Sometimes just talking to someone and having them listen can definitely help, so I hope that if you do talk to your mom, that it's helpful.

That fear of doing something wrong or revealing inexperience is a pretty common one, something quite a lot of people go through. (Whether they let on that that's what they feel or not.) So you're certainly not alone in that, but it's still not an easy feeling to deal with. For guys especially, as we...

I’m curious to know what that would look like for people I become friends with? Could I text them to ask them out? I know some people say asking someone out in-person is better (when it’s not an online dating app), but I also feel like that would be putting them on the spot if I did that in-person ...

Right now, as you know, it's not recommended for anyone to be spending time with anyone they don't live with. However, when those restrictions are lifted, then yes, there are ways to meet people in person. If you're in school, that's often a great starting point: many schools have clubs and groups f...

It's great that you were able to have a conversation with your coworker and feel a bit better about how that relationship is going. And I think choosing to spend time working on accepting yourself for who you are is a really good thing to do. It is hard work, and not something that happens quickly, ...

It does make sense to want to have your parents involved in a way that feels good to you, and I'm glad that your mom felt like this person would be helpful. I hope the first couple of appointments with them are a good start! I'm sure that it feels very scary to have the possibility of your gender be...

It's a big change for a lot of people, for sure, and it's not surprising that you're experiencing some anxiety. These are pretty stressful times. So, as Amanda said, that can absolutely affect your cycle; I just want to mention that changes in sleep and exercise patterns - which can go along with ha...

I'm so sorry about your friend: it really is so hard to see someone you care about so much in pain, but it's good that you were able to support him and point him to some resources. He's lucky to have you as a friend. On a more positive note, it's so good to hear that you're recognizing that you've m...

Yep, COVID-19 has really thrown all of life out of whack in a really stressful way, so even though you've been able to do some things you enjoy during this time, it's understandable that this situation is having an effect on your mental health (particularly with a family member whose work is directl...

Jacob posted while I was writing, but hopefully some of this is helpful too. I'm really glad to hear there's been some progress on the psychiatrist front, although I understand your hesitation about them seeing your parents first. If that's a hard requirement - as in, there's no way around that - ma...

That's awesome, mt13! Good on you for taking that step.

Hey OPT1M15T1C, I'm glad things calmed down a bit. (And sorry to leave you hanging with a reply.) How are you doing today?

For sure, lube mostly comes in quite small containers - sometimes you can even get single use packets to try that are about the same size as condoms. If you have a small space to put condoms, then you will likely have space for a bottle of lube as well. When it comes to talking to your partner, ther...

Having a plan in place and managing what you can is sometimes all you can do. Getting outside for some time and space to yourself, when that's an option, can also be helpful. And you're obviously welcome to keep venting here for as long as that's useful! With your mom, do you think it might work to ...

Sex toys aren't everyone's cup of tea, so if they're not your thing, that's fine. It sounds like you have some idea of some other things to try though, so that's a good place to start: as Sam said, it's very common to go through periods when our interest in things that used to turn us on just isn't ...

That's a lot to deal with in a day, and I'm so sorry things aren't great in your house right now. Is there anything in particular we can do to support you at the moment?

That does sound frustrating, and I'm sorry you ran into issues with Tinder and their payment system. If this is something that's causing you more frustration and irritation than anything else right now, maybe it's worth taking a break for a few weeks?